TMD2063 | Digital Animation - Chapter 3

Animation Development ProcessChapter 3

Hardware Requirement and Specifications3.1

Hardware Requirement and Specifications

• IBM compatible personal computer (PC)• The most widely used system today.

• Manufactured under license by IBM and usually comes with microprocessor manufactured by Intel Corp.

• Generally accepted as a computing standard.

Hardware Requirement and Specifications

• Apple Macintosh computer• The Macintosh computer and compatibles follow similar

requirements, but use MacOS operating system.

• Uses a processor made by Motorola or IBM. (Motorola, PowerPC, Intel)

• Widely used in publication, printing, graphic andmultimedia.

• In the design and development world,the Macintosh type computer isconsidered as standard.

Hardware Requirement and Specifications• Graphic Workstation

• Workstation is a high-end technical computing desktop microcomputer designed primarily to be used for multimedia development.

• Workstations usually offer higher performance than normally found in a personal computer, especially with respect to graphics, processing power and multitasking ability.

Hardware Requirement and Specifications

• Graphic Workstation• Silicon Graphics (SGI) is the most widely used graphical

computing workstation. (HP, nVIDIA, AMD)

• It is a high technology computer system used in engineering, architecture, graphic design and digital animation.

• Workstations tend to be very expensive, typically several times the cost of a standard PC.

Software Requirement and Specification3.2

Software Requirement and Specification

• 2D Animation Software• Mostly used 2D software are Macromedia Flash, SwishMax, Flax,

Animo, Toonz and Toon Boom Studio.(ToonBoom, Claymotion Studio, Animation Workshop, Anime Studio Debut, Adobe Flash)

• These software are used for multimedia application, web development, animation for advertisement and cartoon.

• Flash plays important role in evolving the use of 2D animation software. The ability to integrate multimedia elements into standalone application makes it most widely used for web and animation.

Software Requirement and Specification

• 3D Animation Software• The 3D animation software enables animator to create 3D

object with special effects.

• 3D animation software exists in different level, based on the complexity of the animation that can be created by the software.

3D Animation Softwares’ Levels

• Elementary level• Simple, cheap and easy to control software can be used

• Asymmetrix 3DFX, Ulead Cool 3D Studio, Xara 3D and Ray Dream 3D. (Daz Studio, Blender 3D, povRAY)

• Intermediate level • gives the ability to create more complex animation but still easy to

operate.

• InfiniD, Hash Animation Master and Ray Dream Studio. (Blender 3D, 3Ds Max)

3D Animation Softwares’ Levels

• Master level • Gives the ability to create most complex and realistic animation for

multimedia application and animated movie

• 3D Studio Max, Lightwave 3D, Maya and Avid Softimage.(Maya, 3Ds Max, Solidworks, Blender 3D)

Production Phases3.3

Production Phases

1. Pre-production Process

2. Production Process

3. Post-production Process

Pre-Production Process

1. Idea • Involving discussion, reading and observation to gather the

idea.

• Creativity and imagination plays important role to gather an interesting idea.

2. Storyline • Creates the narrative based on the idea gathered before.

• The narrative must have the elements that can attract audience to watch the animation, and also can make it remain in the audience memory.

Pre-Production Process

3. Conceptual Design• The way to visualize the idea and storyline.

• One technique is to sketch any images that related to the story.

• The images consist of main character and background image.

• The conceptual design must be made in several different versions, to enhance the idea of the story. In the end, the best idea can be selected.

Pre-Production Process4. Character Development

• Process of planning and developing characters in the story.

• Character must be unique in order to attract audience.

• Characters created are not necessarily in complete human form. Sometimes characters can be created in animal form, object, shape,plant and so on.

• Creativity and imagination plays important role to develop an interesting character.

• All the characteristics of characters should be considered – face impression, body position, structure, clothing, color, standing, sitting, running and so on.

Pre-Production Process

5. Screenplay• Screenplay or script is a blueprint for creating a motion images.

• The major components of a screenplay are action and dialogue.

6. Storyboard • A series of illustrations displayed in sequence for the purpose of

pre-visualizing an animated or live-action film.

• The main function of storyboard is to visualize how the animation will look.

Production Process

1. Character Sheet• Process of drawing a more details character based on the

sketches done in pre-production phases.

• Each character will be re-drawn in different angles and position.

• The character sheet will be a reference for animator through the whole process of production.

Character Sheet

Production Process

2. Prop• Process of drawing background images.

• Graphic artist who designing prop must analyze the screenplay/script in order to get the clearer view of the story.

Production Process

3. Visual Development• Develop character and turnarounds of characters based on

screenplay and storyboard.

• Main scene will be drawn in a keyframe (act as a reference to other drawing).

• In-betweening is performed to generate intermediate frames between two keyframes. It is to give the appearance that the first image evolves smoothly into the second image

Production Process

4. Scanning• Converting drawn image into digital form.

• All drawings (props and characters) in the previous process are converted into digital form by using scanner, digitizing pen or camera.

Production Process

5. Trace and Clean Up• Converted image is traced to produce more fine and details

drawing.

• This process is important to gain clearer and clean image. It also creates fine lines of images.

Clean-up

Production Process

6. Coloring• Painting and adding shade effect to object.

• Coloring is depends on the software requirements.

Coloring

Production Process

7. Audio• Adding dialog and sound effect to animation.

• Analog sound and dialog is recorded and converted into digital form to be combined with animation.

Production Process

8. Compositing• Process of combining characters with props.

• Characters and background must be drawn separately in order to manipulate characters.

Post-Production Process

1. Editing and Special Effect• Process of cutting, reassembling and recording scenes in the

animation.

• Special effect and audio effects is added in this phase.

• If necessary, re-recording process (dubbing) will be implemented to add background music.

Post-Production Process

2. Distribution • Technique of delivering the animation to the audience.

• The animation will be stored in a media for distribution, such as film, video cassette (VHS or SVHS), VCD, DVD, CD or web.

• Selection of media is based on how the animation will be distributed.