Animation Techniques

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File: e23fb22c02cc7d1⋯.jpg (27.81 KB, 320x240, 4:3, autobot_matrix_of_leadersh….jpg)

File: 0d258ba0dcaf3e0⋯.jpg (31.91 KB, 898x470, 449:235, matrix.jpg)

Animation Techniques Anonymous 11/27/18 (Tue) 16:06:50 No.1037864

How was this effect achieved? I saw it quite often in cartoons from the 80's an 90's. Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night used it as well and so did the second Care Bears movie. I'm pretty sure it was used to a lesser extent in other cartoons as well.

It looks very similar to the Automan effect. Is it done in a similar way to that?

Anonymous 11/27/18 (Tue) 17:18:57 No.1037867

If I recall correctly parts of the cels were left unpainted, and one underneath was painted with oils or something so they could shoot those frames on a lightbox.

Anonymous 11/27/18 (Tue) 21:07:20 No.1037906

File: 0f7e543505ae531⋯.png (1.2 MB, 759x551, 759:551, widget.png)

File: 51b9056db3ff1cb⋯.png (1.06 MB, 720x514, 360:257, widget2.png)

File: 3b09ce506752fdd⋯.jpg (9.6 KB, 471x350, 471:350, widgetworldwatcher1.jpg)

File: cf8177768b2d00b⋯.jpg (60.75 KB, 542x387, 542:387, scanmatx.jpg)

>>1037864

>How was this effect achieved?

I done the same research years ago and find out they were using Video synthesizer analog computers the most notable will be Scanimate for these effects in the 60s until the end of 80s beeing slowly replaced by digital computers.

Many 80's intros were done with video synthesizer. Example: The pics related I posted are from Widget the world watcher intro.

>Is it done in a similar way to that?

I don't know precisely how it's done but similar like this poster said >>1037867 Left the area unpainted and shine this area with video synthesizer.

It's possible to replicate these effects with digital computer today but most modern motion artists are just lazybones.

Anonymous 11/27/18 (Tue) 21:26:42 No.1037911

File: 18bde2a87382000⋯.jpg (37.58 KB, 570x440, 57:44, Angry_Emperor_of_the_Night.jpg)

File: 203c808795f717e⋯.jpg (33.44 KB, 580x450, 58:45, The_Emperor_of_the_Night's….jpg)

File: fa30936392ec3a3⋯.jpg (61.52 KB, 592x448, 37:28, pinokkio-i-imperator-tmyi.jpg)

>>1037906

>video synthesizer

Yeah. I guessed something like that with how the inside of The Emperor's robes but I wasn't entirely sure for other effects that I mentioned. I guess things like actually lit up glowing eyes and pure light sparkles are done the same way then.

>It's possible to replicate these effects with digital computer today but most modern motion artists are just lazybones.

I was wondering about that too.

Anonymous 11/27/18 (Tue) 21:35:16 No.1037914

Invidious embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>1037911

I drop this video about scanimate. At the timestamp 9:44 they were doing these effects which you mention.

Anonymous 11/28/18 (Wed) 10:01:14 No.1037980

I remember watching Grand IGPX as a kid and I wondered how they incorporated the CGI mech racers with the 2D characters. Is it separate frames? They draw the characters first then put the CGI mech in later by layering or something?

Anonymous 11/28/18 (Wed) 10:42:50 No.1038005

File: dd7f77a2633290a⋯.jpg (19.63 KB, 400x327, 400:327, Pinocchio-the-Emperor-of-t….jpg)

Interestingly it seems less like they left parts of the cel unpainted and more like they "set black to alpha", at least in the case of The Emperor himself.

>>1037914

Thanks. I'll check this out.

>>1037980

>They draw the characters first then put the CGI mech in later by layering or something?

I think it's done the other way around.

Anonymous 11/28/18 (Wed) 11:08:08 No.1038029

Care Bears had a couple of good tricks. I remember the same studio did Rock N Rule and used the same trick of putting cotton wool on the glass slides of the multiplane camera that simulates depth of field.

In Rock n' Rule the demon was a layer of calf brains…

Anonymous 11/28/18 (Wed) 11:13:29 No.1038031

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Anonymous 11/28/18 (Wed) 21:25:48 No.1038140

>>1037980

CG frames are rendered first, then animators draw over it.

Anonymous 11/29/18 (Thu) 02:10:51 No.1038195

What was the name of the technique that Don Bluth used to make similar lighting effects in Secret of NIMH and An American Tail? Backlighting?

Anonymous 11/29/18 (Thu) 03:36:52 No.1038201

File: 17bf2cdb621581d⋯.jpg (68.52 KB, 745x600, 149:120, cel.jpg)

File: af6062120e3e1f8⋯.jpg (38.16 KB, 1042x531, 1042:531, Scenelightning.jpg)

>>1038195

>Backlit Animation, using animated mattes shot with light shining through color gels to produce glow to recreate artificial lighting or fire effects; and Multiple Color Palettes, in order to reflect differences in characters due to different lighting situations (including underwater; minor character Mr. Ages had 26 palettes alone).

Source: http://www.hdnetmovies.com/bts/an-animation-story-don-bluth-and-the-disney-defectors/

Anonymous 12/31/18 (Mon) 01:40:04 No.1043091

>>1038201

Dear god those cels looks so crisp in real life. I can't believe film back then couldn't replicate that crisp quality.

Anonymous 12/31/18 (Mon) 04:57:32 No.1043103

Is that how they put the sparkles on Jessica Rabbit's dress?

Anonymous 12/31/18 (Mon) 07:06:58 No.1043116

File: b464b3fb9fed588⋯.jpg (633.54 KB, 1200x1643, 1200:1643, RogerRabbit_opticalcomposi….jpg)

File: c48de01fef70a1b⋯.jpg (61.38 KB, 640x433, 640:433, 2zdvlds.jpg)

>>1043103

The movie was a compositing hell, a lot of layers to animate.

>Is that how they put the sparkles on Jessica Rabbit's dress?

It's different. Here a quote from The cinema of Robet Zemeckis about the effect

>One of the most difficult effects in the film was Jessica's dress in the nightclub scene, because it had flashing sequins, an effect accomplished by filtering light through a plastic bag scratched with steel wool

Anonymous 12/31/18 (Mon) 13:13:59 No.1043140

>>1043116

>an effect accomplished by filtering light through a plastic bag scratched with steel wool

You really have to admire that ingenuity, I'd wager my left foot most of the contemporary animation industry couldn't come up with an idea like that if their jobs were on the line.

Anonymous 12/31/18 (Mon) 20:51:51 No.1043230

>>1043116

Neat.

Anonymous 01/01/19 (Tue) 00:29:18 No.1043272

>>1043116

Are you telling me that Jessica Rabbit was wearing a garbage bag throughout that movie?

Anonymous 01/01/19 (Tue) 14:18:53 No.1043366

>>1037906

>with digital computer today but most modern motion artists are just lazybones.

Just shove it in blender and call it a day.