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ANIMATION
In order to be a successful animator, it is important that
you are mindful of the subtle differences in the way that
people do things. Compare, for the example the way that young
and old people sit down in a comfortable chair. You'll probably
find  that
youngsters tend to "plonk" themselves down forcefully,
whereas an older person is likely to sit down with more care.
When animating, it is essential to remember that the way
your characters move, tells the audience an awful lot about
their personalities. Often movement (body language) can communicate
a lot more than the spoken word. Two-dimensional animation
techniques present a fantastic opportunity to exaggerate,
so take advantage of this to really emphasize the personalities
of your characters.
Making rough sketches of an action can prove beneficial before
you start to animate. Right is an example of some sketches
that were used to plan a walk cycle for a Gameboy. These rough
sketches were filmed and the resulting movement evaluated.
In two-dimensional animation it is important that you get
the basic movement right at this stage,as it will save unnecessary
work later in
production.
There are a couple of "rules", which you should
be aware of when animating. These include easing in and out
of an action, squash and stretch, action-reaction and timing.
For more information on these "rules" click
here.
Animation is a time consuming process, which has the potential
to drive a man insane. The results, however, can be extremely
satisfying. As an animator, especially a two-dimensional one,
even the impossible can be achieved.
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