Bouncin' Ball #5: Animation Goggles

There's one place that I know we've all been to: The Zone. Everyone's been in "The Zone" and not even necessarily when animating, it could be while doing other things. It's that point of focus where you can't see anything else, can't hear anything else, and can't do anything else. It's sometimes the preferred mode that you want to work in because you feel like (and this quite possibly may be true more often than not) you get a lot of good, quality work done. But, where is that point in "The Zone" that isn't so beneficial anymore? That point where you've been in "The Zone" too long and can't see the big picture anymore? Being in "The Zone" may sometimes become a determent to our animation. It's something that I like to call "Animation Goggles" (quite similar to beer goggles). Whether you've been trying to re-work timing, finesse an arc, get just the right amount of drag and follow-through, just enough overshoot and settle, we all get to a certain point where we're looking at our shot with Animation Goggles and can't really tell whether there are better animation decisions that you can be making. What's so funny is that when you're looking through those goggles, you can't really tell what else to do or what else to fix after a while, but then when you look back on it at a later date you say to yourself "What the heck was I thinking???". But, have no fear (well, maybe a little), the best remedy I've been told and found to Animation Goggles is to SHOW PEOPLE YOUR WORK. Which I'll cover in another post. Keep that ball bouncin'!

Stephen

The Bouncin' Ball Blog

Hey there! 

Welcome to The Bouncin’ Ball! The Bouncin’ Ball is a blog on animation theories, principles, lessons, findings, teachings, philosophies, and all of the above. All of which I encounter, experience, or am exposed to through learning this magnificent craft. Since there is no wrong method, workflow, or any drop dead rules in animation, I thought it’d be very interesting to hear what others have to say about many of the things I encounter or think about along my journey. 

These entries are based off of my experiences through animation life (what I learn, read, research, watch, etc.) and are just my opinions and ramblings. I was an animation student, graduated from an animation school in 2008, have been working since then, and have recently become a student again. 

A lot of what I will bring up will be closely related to what I initially learned in college and how that compares to what I’m re-learning now. I’ve already experienced a number of occasions where what I’m learning now completely transformed how I thought about certain things in animation that I’ve learned in the past if not shattering them altogether and I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks about them. It may also be about what I encounter while at work. There are things that I learned in school that were more or less true when it came to the workplace. 

So in short, yes, this is just a place for me to empty my brain and rant. I hope you decide to join me on this adventure through animation. Keep that ball bouncin’!

Stephen