Controlled by the brain, released from the heart.

Before getting my hands on animation, here are some research I found that would help me in my final assignment. In order for a good animation, here are the 2 things I need to grasp- Characterization and Acting.

Characterization is the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes (1) showing the character’s appearance, (2) displaying the character’s actions, (3) revealing the character’s thoughts, (4) letting the character speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others.

Defining Characterization
Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.

Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is.

Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother.”

Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

Indirect Characterization shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There are five different methods of indirect characterization:

Url Link :http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson800/Characterization.pdf

Timing for animation,Harold Whitaker and John Halas.
Foreword by John Lasseter, Pixar

Characterisation (acting)

Character animation is the ultimate achievement of animation art. It is a complex combination of craftsmanship, acting and timing.

Characterization in animation is concerned not so much with what the characters do, as how they do it. The audience is contioned to look at human characters in human situations. In animation this can only be a starting point. The cartoon character should not behave exactly like a human being. It would feel wrong and look wrong. Human reactions and human actions must be exaggerated, sometimes simplified, and distorted in order to achieve a dramatic or comic effect in cartoon.

Facial expression is an important part of characterization, but use the whole body to express feelings and emotions. The drawing of a character can be adapted to meet the needs of mood – in benevolent moments he would be drawn in soft, curved lines; when more aggressive the drawing would become rather angular with more straight lines; when afraid he would shrink back and become more spiky, his hair standing on end, and so on.

This website is really useful, it also has tutorials on lip sync. I would be using the same reference when I start on my lip sync. For now, I need to focus on the animation.
Url : http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=Y6ZRE4RO_PoC&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=CHARACTERISATION+IN+ANIMATION&#v=onepage&q=CHARACTERISATION%20IN%20ANIMATION&f=true

Acting
Good acting is believable and interesting.
(1) Believable acting
(2) Feel
(3) Think
(4) React
(5) Consistency
(6) Personality
(7) Mood

Believable acting
In the life of an animator there are short and rare moments of true magic. Those moments are the reason I became an animator, and they are the reason I still am one. I’m talking about a moment in which you look at the animation you’ve just created, and suddenly you believe your own character. Suddenly it’s alive, it’s there in its own right. Those are the moments of believable acting. Believable acting means that the audience feels that the character’s actions are the result of its own inner motives, and not the animator’s inner motives; that the character feels, thinks and reacts consistently according to its personality and mood. I emphasized the last sentence since it encapsulates many of the ingredients of convincing acting:

Feel.
The aim here is not just to portray clear and defined feelings (happy, sad, etc.) but to look for a kind of inner feeling that we have in us all the time – maybe it can be called “consciousness”. Try to “feel” your character when you create animation, not just move it around according to principles of animation.

Think.
Your character shouldn’t always act on immediate instincts. Look for opportunities to show thinking process, which leads to decision and action. It will enrich your animation with depth, complexity and believability.

React.
Acting is actually more or less a series of reactions – the character reacts to its environment, to other characters, to stimulus. Every action must have a reason. Make sure you know what your character is reacting to, and that the reaction is reasonable (in other words: it’s reasonable that this particular character will react in this particular way).

Consistency.
Retain a consistent attitude to your character’s reactions. A shy character (small, timid movements) that unexpectedly acts in an extroverted way with no clear reason, will suffer great damage to its credibility.

Personality.
The character’s personality dictates its reactions – i.e., its acting. Again, we are not necessarily talking about a definite personality such as “arrogant”, “grumpy”, etc. Try to get to know your character the way you know a family member or someone you work with. What makes him tick? What is he afraid of? What are his problems?

Mood.
Mood resembles personality – it, too, dictates the character’s reactions – but unlike personality, its effect is temporary. For example: a guy who’s hurrying to work acts and reacts in a very different way than the very same guy as he calmly walks his dog in the evening.

Url: http://www.animationarena.com/acting-and-animation.html

Toy Story – an animation series that has spanned 15 years between productions.

This animation film is my all-time favorite! My dad bought a Laser Disc version of the first movie (Toy Story) back in year 2000 and after watching it once, I naturally became a fan of the movie since. In the past, there weren’t really that many animation productions that were churned out of the studios year after year like it is now, and perhaps that was why I was hooked on to the film as a kid. Toy Story – the story and its characters, were what I grew up with in my childhood days.

Toy Story is an animation film that follows the lives of a group of toys owned by a boy named Andy. The characters (toys) in the film have emotions, feelings and each have a unique personality – which makes the film such an addictive one to watch! I followed the series and caught the second sequel (Toy Story 2) with no regrets. After a whopping 11 years between Toy Story 2 and the long awaited Toy Story 3, it was finally in cinemas on June the 18th,  2010. Like a what a loyal fan would do, I caught the movie in cinemas on the first day of its launch.

In Toy Story 3, Andy is all grown up and is headed to college – which leaves the fate of his toys, the toys that he played and grew up with, in much uncertainty. As the story went on, misunderstandings and mistakes cause the toys to land in the wrong places, far away from Andy’s home, and lands them in trouble. There were funny scenes throughout the movie, coupled with many heart-stopping escape plans and sudden surprises that all made the movie enthralling. People in the cinemas, like me, were on the edge of our seats because we were too engrossed with what was playing out in the movie! Enjoy the “behind-the-scenes” trailer of the animation below!

I find the storyline very detailed,  with injected humor, surprises and mistakes in almost every scene. Also, apart from the good storyline, the characters (toys) in the movie played an important role in conveying the emotions across to the audience.

My favorite character is Woody, Andy’s favorite toy and main character in Toy Story series.

Woody is an old-fashioned pull string cowboy doll and if you were to pull the string on his back, he would say some random simple phrases. One of my favorite phrases he can say is, “Reach for the sky!”, because he would pronounce it as “Reeeeeeeeaaaach for the skyyyyy”! Other phrases would include “You’re my favorite deputy” ,” There’s a snake in my boot!” and 4 others. He is a very passionate guy and he is the leader of the toys in Andy’s room. He would always remind the other toys that Andy cares for them and promises to be by Andy’s side all the time. In difficult times, he would usually be the one rallying the toys together and bringing the entire cluster of toys to an agreement.

(Screen shot: Under the left boot of Woody is a marking made by Andy, which symbolizes that Woody is owned by Andy)

My favorite scene

A misunderstanding caused the toys to end up at Sunnyside Daycare Center, where young children were placed into daycare classes according to their ages. Toys were a necessity at the center during the childrens’ playtime.

My favorite scene is where Andy’s toys were sent to the center by mistake in a carton box and were fighting in it over whose fault it was that they ended up there. After the debate went violent, the box which was placed on a counter eventually fell and all the toys were thrown out from the box. It was then that they were welcomed by the other toys at the center. Below shows a scene I found that was nicely captured with all the toys in picture.

As mentioned, I am a fan of Toy Story and after I caught the movie in the cinemas, I chanced upon a lenticular puzzle of ToyStory3!
It has been on my room wall for months and I am still loving it! Like the saying goes, once a fan, always a fan! Don’t be surprised if you catch me watching one of the series even when I am 60!