News 1 - Physics in Animation Part 1

*The contents below are my own opinions and not that of my employer*


What goes up...

 

Another GDC has come and gone, but this year's #AnimX talks really stuck with me. If you didn't get to check those out below you'll find the link to some excellent people talking about the video craft.

https://twitch.tv/videos/125470703

I wanted to shine some light on something that wasn't highlighted much during the animation talks, the principles of physics. They're everywhere in animation. Without proper physics, the animation can feel weightless or just come across as "odd" to the audience.  

Now I will be the first to say that in animation, we exaggerate the laws of physics a lot, whether it's to amplify a heavy object moving at high rate of speed or to sell how light something is.

The article below, TIMING, SPACING, AND SCALE, I found on the website "Animator Island." This is part one of a four-part series from San Jose State Professor, Alejandro Garcia, who teaches a course called "Physics of Animation."  A well thought out and nicely illustrated look into how physics work with animation.