Comments on Animation Tips & Tricks: How Have You Learned to Match the Style of a Film?...

I don't think this really answers the question ver...

2009-10-13T23:56:25.161-07:00

I don't think this really answers the question very well, Pixar's style is consistent, more or less, and it doesn't change from one show to another. So for probably any animator at Pixar... the isue is more or less strightforward - everybody "knows" or understands the Pixar style, and it's a matter of getting better at applying it.

But I think the question was more about how you adapt when you have to move from one show to another, and how can one tackle all this... understanding, learning, and applying a certain animation style.

Yeah, sometimes we can tell who animated a shot ju...

2009-10-01T14:23:30.413-07:00

Yeah, sometimes we can tell who animated a shot just by the style of it. Sometimes you can "see" the animator in the performance. We try not to repeat ourselves or become predictable, but we all have our own aesthetic tastes and tendencies.

So though as audience we dont realize that its sam...

2009-09-23T00:56:07.868-07:00

So though as audience we dont realize that its same characters are animated in different scene by different animators,
but can you guys guess whose work is it means like you definitely have some unique signatures than others ?

like saying "hey that's definitely done by Carlos"
:)

Josh, I haven't really had this problem, but there...

2009-09-22T13:52:17.882-07:00

Josh, I haven't really had this problem, but there are times when I come up with solutions that are too generic or cliche, and not specific enough to the character or situation. I these cases it's always best to do some more research, and get some advice.

mattanimation, there ARE Animation Supervisors at Pixar, but they don't function in the same way that they do (or did) at Disney. A lead animator at Disney is in charge of a single (or a few) characters, and directs the other animators working on those characters, while producing lots of footage himself. At Pixar, the supervisors oversee all of animation, work with the director and interact with other departments to keep production running. They don't do a lot of animation themselves, but spend most of their time, well, supervising.

Great question and great insight Victor! Thanks fo...

2009-09-22T10:54:13.514-07:00

Great question and great insight Victor! Thanks for taking the time to enrich us through your experiences!

Dattaprasad, you need to send an email to (tipsandtricks@animationmentor.com).

not on this topic but questions which are complete...

2009-09-22T09:56:57.675-07:00

not on this topic but questions which are completely independent than this one. once again , excuse me... i really don't know.

I'm sorry, but where do I ask the questions here?

2009-09-22T09:54:15.729-07:00

I'm sorry, but where do I ask the questions here?

That is really interesting, I had no idea that the...

2009-09-21T21:53:05.819-07:00

That is really interesting, I had no idea that there were no animation supervisors or leads at pixar, no wonder the films are all so good, cause it's a big collaboration

Great article Victor. It's been great to see you l...

2009-09-21T14:37:23.111-07:00

Great article Victor. It's been great to see you leaving so many tips and tricks lately.
This weeks topic is an interesting one, I can see why it is necessary to get inside your characters head and allow what you know about them drive your animation decisions.
-Jeremy Jutras

Have you ever run into the problem where you just ...

2009-09-21T13:30:35.334-07:00

Have you ever run into the problem where you just can't seem to bring out the mannerisms of a character?

A little more on this: It's important to take into...

2009-09-21T13:21:08.018-07:00

A little more on this:
It's important to take into consideration the style of the film when creating an animated performance. What is appropriate on one film may not be on another. These kinds of choices are usually figured out in preproduction, but will continue into production as lessons are learned.

This is something I'm dealing with a lot right now; the humans on Toy Story 3 are designed, and therefore animated, in a very naturalistic way. I couldn't animate a Toy Story human the same way I animate a Ratatouille human, for example. On Ratatouille the characters were a lot more stylized, so we could push their performances further and get pretty broad with them. On TS3, I find I'm relying on video reference a lot more, and having to work harder to get the mechanics and weight just right.

Again, it's important to listen to the director an supervisors, and pay attention to what other animators are doing with the characters.