INANIMATE THINGS IN MOVEMENT
There is very little effect of motion on the screen of a moving
straight line by itself without any contrasting elements. Or, as the
moving-picture draftsman would say, it does not animate well.
Now supposing a picture is intended of a man tugging at a rope. He
pulls hard and the rope is taut and it appears practically straight.
The animation of the arms shows that they are moving and give a good
illusion of the tugging, but the rope shows no movement on account of
its rectilinearity. It will be only when the artist gives the rope a
little undulating—or even a snake-like—motion now and then that he
can give the effect of any disturbance in it. This sort of thing,
a slight shaking or a wavering of the line, would do for ordinary
cases but it would be better if the artist showed a loose strand
of cordage fibre creeping along in the direction that the rope is
supposed to be going. But still better would it be to have a few
kinks forming in the rope and showing them agitated as they go in the
direction of the pull on the rope. In producing this latter illusion
the likely expedient that the skilled animator would use is that of
having a set of celluloids with drawings—three or five—showing the
kink represented in a number of progressive positions. The plan would
be to have the details in a cycle, so that when the last detail of
the cycle is photographed, the first one exactly follows in a proper
order. The artist can put these rope drawings on the same sheets of
paper that hold the arm movements—we have in mind the picture of the
man tugging at the rope, of course. Then the cycle of drawings with
the arm movements and the kinks of the rope in their progressive
order can be used over and over again as long as it seems consistent
with good judgment.
This idea of arranging things in cycles is the general way of
animating inanimate things. Nearly all the technical items in this
chapter are managed with some such plan. Generally, too, the details
are drawn on the transparent celluloids.
The problem in devising the components of any cycle is to have these
components so arranged that the orderly movements take place from
the first of the series to the last and then begin with the first
again. The action must not skip, cause a hesitation, or go backward.
This simply means that the components are to be spaced properly with
respect to their relations to each other.
It would be difficult to give by words any directions exactly how to
do this; actual drawing, with a testing in the preliminary sketches
is the surest way of accomplishing it. As general directions,
however, the advice would be to have an odd number of drawings and to
vary the spatial intervals between the separate items. They should
not, above all things, be equidistant.
Where the artist wishes to present to the spectator an animated
drawing of a waving banner, or flag, he makes a cycle of different
drawings. If it is a flag, these drawings are made with undulating
folds that pass the length of the flag as if it were agitated by the
wind. Almost any sort of rippling effect, necessitating but three
slightly different drawings, will satisfy the average audience. But
if the artist wishes to do conscientious work, he will give a little
more attention to his planning and try to make it nearer actuality.
Then he will contrive that there be one dominant drapery fold which
is carried out farther and farther along the ruffled flag. As this
fold nears the end it lessens its volume and at last disappears in a
sudden flap. This will take five or seven drawings. In planning the
cycle it will be arranged that immediately before the last flapping,
the first phase of the dominant fold begins again.
This effect of ruffling drapery by a fixed set of cycles used always
in the same order will, of course, give a monotonous waving. But
it can be diversified by an occasional break in the order in which
the separate elements of the cycle are photographed, or an added
modification obtained by a supplemental large flapping fold which can
be produced by one extra drawing.
An ordinary fragment of drapery in a garment is easily animated by
making it in three phases. This will give a satisfactory quivering
motion when projected in any bit of drapery that is blown about or
flutters on a figure in action.
[Illustration: CYCLE OF DRAWINGS TO PRODUCE A SCREEN ANIMATION OF A
WAVING FLAG.]
Flowing water, waves, and rippling on the surface of a stream, are
not difficult matters to animate if the artist keeps in mind that the
plainest unelaborated line work gives for these elusive pictorial
ingredients the most striking effects on the screen.
It is customary, again, for artistic particulars like these to be
made in cycles of three or five drawings. The action for this class
of subjects is nearly always quick, and so drawings for the purpose
need not be numerous.
A water-splash is a detail of a screen animation rather frequently
introduced. Animators have adopted a stereotyped way of rendering
it. When it is associated with a falling of some unlucky character
into the water, it is very effective from a pictorial and a humorous
point of view. The succeeding up-rushing column of water, after the
splash, is made in the form of a huge mushroom—rather conventional
but extremely comical.
In such a particular as a jet of water, a cycle of drawings is also
used. In planning such drawings for animation care must be taken that
they give in the combined screen illusion a proper one of falling
water. The slightest misplacing of succeeding details representing
the jet may give an effect of the water going backward. A funny
touch is what is wanted in a humorous picture, but, generally, not of
this sort.
[Illustration: CYCLE OF DRAWINGS FOR AN EFFECT OF FALLING WATER.
The drawings are repeated, number 1 following number 3.]
Imparting an appearance of rain over a scene is produced by having
several celluloids with lines indicating this. They would be used in
their order as designed during the photography in the usual way.
Falling snow—that indispensable ingredient of the provincial
melodrama—is simply managed by spreading, at haphazard over several
celluloids, spots of white pigment. A general tinting, of course,
over the underlying pictorial composition would add, by contrast of
tone, to the illusion.
A blank sheet of celluloid placed over the entire drawing is often
employed to hold components of some quickly moving element of an
incident. Each separate detail of its drawing, in this case, is
made on this blank celluloid under the camera and photographed as
it is made. Supposing that it is lightning zigzagging across a dark
background. There will be drawn over this celluloid the first part
of the bolt, photographed and then another part drawn which is
photographed, and then the end of the bolt which is also separately
taken. This drawing of the lightning-bolt, in white pigment, can
be easily rubbed off with a paint rag, or cotton wadding, and then
another lightning-bolt drawn and photographed in the same way.
In some cases where a large volume of smoke is to be shown in hurried
movement, the animator draws the smoke in distemper pigment—sombre
dark grays, half-tints, or in white—on a blank sheet of celluloid
covering the scene. The effect of smoke moving very quickly could
also be drawn in progressive fragments on the upper surface of the
glass in the frame that is pressed down upon the drawings each time
that they are photographed. If it is a house burning, for instance,
the flames in white paint and the smoke in grays and black can be put
on its surface.
[Illustration: A cycle of three drawings is sufficient to give a
vivid representation of the puffing exhaust from an automobile.]
Little happenings that form part of a general scene are managed,
as a rule, too, by cycles of drawings or cycles of details in a
drawing. To specify a few things, we may cite puffs of vapor from an
automobile, steam pouring out of the spout of a teakettle, and smoke
from a chimney.
Vapor, steam, and smoke are best represented by pigment, as hard ink
contours are not exactly suited for such elements of a pictorial
composition. But such elements defined by ink lines in a comic
drawing are, of course, excusable. Sometimes to show smoke moving
where the drawings are all on paper, representing it by crayon-sauce
with a stump has been found to be effective.
[Illustration: AN EXPLOSION.]
If an artist is picturing in a comic cartoon the firing of a cannon,
he indicates a globular projectile leaving the cannon’s mouth. The
artist does not do this because of any scrupulous care in picturing
reality but merely that it seems in keeping with the idea of vivid
comic delineation.
In producing the appearance of a cannon-ball following its trajectory
off into the far distance he takes heed of the law of perspective
that requires an object to become visionally smaller as it nears
the horizon. This animation is easily managed. A certain number of
models of the missile are cut out of thin cardboard graduated in
size from the first that leaves the cannon’s mouth to the smallest
for the distance. They are used by putting one at a time in their
proportionate places under the camera in connection with the other
work during the photography. Not many of these models would be
required, as the action is so rapidly represented that almost any
sort of illusive effect will do for the purpose.
According to the popular idea, every comic scenario should provide
for some cataclysmic climax in which the entire picture area, or a
large part of it, is to be filled with the graphic symbols denoting
an explosion or any sudden occurrence or mishap. Such things for the
animator are not hard.
[Illustration: THE FINISHING STROKE OF SOME FARCICAL SITUATION.]
[Illustration: PIANO PRACTICE.
_A._ General effect of the animation.
_B._ Part of the design which is drawn on the transparent celluloid.
_Below_: Three separate drawings, used in sequence, with the design
on the stationary celluloid.]
Then radiating lines, exclamation-points, zigzagging lines, and
similar whimsical markings—shorthand signs emphasizing the comic
note—are ideographs of expression that the animator delights to put
into his work. Besides their forcibleness, they add variety to the
film.
[Illustration: These three drawings are used in sequence and repeated
as long as the particular effect that they give is desired.]
But bits of dramatic business like these should be used in moderation
and in their proper places and always at the right time. Besides,
being easily drawn, their accomplishment on the film presents no
difficulties.
The several methods by which they can be produced are: (1) To arrange
their components in cycles; (2) drawing them in their order under
the camera and photographing progressively; (3) have little cut-out
pieces to move about under the camera and photographed at each place
that they have been moved to.
[Illustration: A CONSTELLATION.
The four simple elements above give on the screen the lively
animation indicated by the lower sketch.]
Take for instance such a nonsensical conceit as that of having a
constellation of stars encircling a dazed man’s head. This could be
made by having (1) a cycle of drawings for the effect; or (2) drawing
it progressively under the camera over a piece of celluloid; or,
again, (3) by having a number of little stars cut out of paper and
moved around and manipulated the same as other cut-out models.
[Illustration: The simple elements, 1, 2, and 3, are used with sketch
_B_ to give the screen effect shown in _A_.]
One can see from all these particulars that making animated cartoons
is not always a matter of drawing, pure and simple. The animator
would make very little progress if he were to refuse to take
advantage of any proper expedients or tricks to accelerate his work.
[Illustration: The animator, as well as the comic graphic artist,
makes use of signs to elucidate the story.]
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS IN MAKING ANIMATED SCREEN PICTURES