7 Tips for Animation Beginners

Intro

Holiday Liu, an experienced Lead Animator with eight years of industry experience, currently holds the position of Lead Animator at Steamroller Studios. Throughout her career, she has worked on notable projects such as Avatar: The Way of Water, Doctor Strange 2, and the Junker Queen Cinematic for Overwatch 2. With her expertise, Holiday Liu is eager to share seven valuable tips for aspiring animators.

1. Spend More Time on References

Using references, or "refs", is a crucial step in the animation process that is often overlooked or avoided. This planning step lays the groundwork for creating a clear performance and believable physicality.

For a clearer performance, it's important to understand the purpose, content, and emotion of your shots. Then try to put yourself in the character's shoes. Think about their thought process and act out their internal thoughts rather than just focusing on the dialogue. Voicing their thought process out loud can also be helpful. It's easy to fall back on cliches, so give yourself time to relax and get the obvious ideas out of the way. This can take a while, but it's an investment in creating the best performance you can create.

Strong physicality is important in subtle and broad shots. For subtle shots, if your physicality is off, it can distract our audience from the performance or emotion we're trying to sell.

For broader shots, it becomes even more important since it'll be the highlight of the shot. Taking time to shoot references or using existing footage can be a great resource. It can also be beneficial to reference different angles, like front and side views.

2. Animate in Perspective and Polish to Camera

When you animate, it's important to think about perspective and how you use the camera. This advice is especially helpful for beginners who are working on physically-based shots. Perspective means considering how objects and characters appear from different angles, like the front and side views. This helps you understand how the body moves and builds a solid foundation. You can even shoot your own reference footage for these views. It might take a bit more time at the blocking stage, This will make things easier when you want to refine and improve your animation later on.

When I review a shot that's in the polish stage, I often notice something that feels off in terms of the mechanics. It's not necessarily a major issue, but there's definitely a lack of physicality. In such cases, I always check the shot from the side view. Many times, I find that the animator has relied too much on cheating an action to camera view, resulting in an unrealistic side view. Fixing this in the polishing stage can be difficult and may require redoing a lot of the in-between poses you've already created. So, it's crucial to establish a correct foundation from the beginning.

Once your animation looks good in the perspective view, you can polish it to the camera. This means refining things like spacing, creating smooth, beautiful arcs, and strong silhouettes. But remember, all your polish should be built on top of a solid foundation.  

3. Understand the Intent of Feedback

When receiving feedback or notes on your work from your lead or supervisor, it's important to understand the reason for the note and not just the technicality of what you've been told.

You start by considering the purpose or intention behind the notes. Will the change benefit shots around mine, is this a character or style-specific choice, is it the rhythm of my shot that will improve? A part of understanding the intent is asking yourself and your team questions until you have clarity.

A common pitfall is to treat notes as a rigid directive, for example, you receive a note asking you to reduce head drag and make it sharper and direct. Instead of mechanically making the change without considering the reasoning behind the note, take a moment, think about it, and talk about it. Perhaps the character is reacting to a sudden sound, and too much movement and overlap in the head would distract from the intended performance. If this is the case, your goal should be to reduce the movement and drag but measure it against the core reason behind the notes when evaluating if the note has been completed. By doing so, you and your lead will be working towards the same goal for the shot. Remember that nobody wants to make your shot worse with their feedback.

4. Try Different Workflows

As a beginner animator, there is a tendency to think workflow is a deeply personal or rigid process. Breaking away from that mindset and experimenting with many workflows will allow you to discover different approaches that work well in different situations. Mastering a variety of workflows will equip you to tackle a variety of styles and shots efficiently. Here are a few examples of different workflows I've used and why I used them:

• Pose-to-Pose Workflow: For shots with broad movements like dancing or fighting, the pose-to-pose workflow is highly effective. It lets you focus on the overall picture and quickly block out your ideas. By using step tangents during the blocking stage, you can easily make changes based on feedback from directors or supervisors.

• Layer Animation Workflow: The layered animation workflow is valuable for shots where the character remains in a single pose while delivering dialogue or portraying subtle acting. It's also useful for animations involving more grounded physics-based motion, like a character hanging on a string. You can create natural motion by figuring out the timing on one control and reusing it throughout the animation.

• A Blend of Pose-to-Pose and Layer Animation: For shots that combine broad action and strong emotions, a blend of the pose-to-pose and layer animation workflows works well. Start by establishing the overall motion using the pose-to-pose approach, then refine the timing and details using the layer animation workflow. 

Understanding the right workflow for each situation allows you to work efficiently. Keep an open mind, enjoy the process of trial and error, and experiment with different workflows to elevate your skills and creativity.

5. Develop Your Eyes

As a new animator, it's natural to seek feedback and make improvements to your work. However, it's equally important to focus on developing your own eye. Trying to practice your eyes is one of the best ways to improve your animation skills.

One effective approach is to work on multiple shots. Spend time on one shot, then switch to another, giving yourself a break and fresh eyes when revisiting a shot. When you review your own work, challenge yourself to give self-critiques and notes. This process helps you identify areas for improvement and develop a sharper eye for detail.

Another way to practice your eye is by paying attention to the work of others. During reviews led by your supervisor or team lead, actively engage in the process. Put yourself in their shoes and think about the feedback you would give. Consider what is working well and how the shot could be enhanced. Actively using your brain and analyzing animations will improve your visual skills.

When other animators ask for your opinion on their work, make an effort to contribute meaningfully. Avoid giving short or uncertain answers. Take the time to provide thoughtful feedback and suggestions. If needed, do some research to support your analysis. Remember, improving your animation skills isn't just about receiving feedback and working hard. It's also important to practice and refine your own visual judgment.

6. Embrace Every Opportunity

As a new animator, it's important to recognize that waiting for your dream job or always having your eye on demo reel shots might cause you to miss valuable opportunities. Every job, project, or shot that comes your way holds the potential for growth. Not just in terms of skill development, but also in expanding your network, gaining perspective, and exploring avenues of the industry you may not even be aware of yet. Every project, no matter what it is, can be a stepping stone in your animation journey. Embrace these opportunities to learn, enhance your skills, build connections, and foster resilience.

7. Always Ask Questions and Be Ready to Learn  

As a beginner, it's natural to feel hesitant about asking questions. You may worry about revealing what you don't know or admitting that you're not skilled in certain areas, but animation is a collaborative process, not a solo endeavor. No animator can work in isolation without the collaboration and support of others. Asking questions not only helps you clarify your understanding but also provides an excellent opportunity to learn from more experienced team members.

Asking questions also communicates your willingness to learn and your dedication to personal growth. This attitude is highly valued in the animation industry. Embrace an open mind, be willing to ask for help, and prepare yourself for learning!

Holiday Liu, Lead Animator at Steamroller Studios