How-to-create... 2D Digital Cut-out Animation in Maya 2018

After the success of last years Exquisite Corpses Halloween Intervention Day (see earlier posts) with the Animation, Stop Motion and Games Animation students at Staffordshire University I have been super keen to get this style of character creation going again but with animation as well.  

Having toyed with the idea of using DuIK through After Effects and a few other options I finally went for my usual weapon of choice; Maya 2018. 

The following images are the lecture notes / guide that was given to the students; some of which are not natural CG animators. The results were great and I will posting them as a single film once they are compiled together and edited.

This project is by no means over and will continue (hopefully soonish) with boned IK limbs, animated textures and Set driven keys to control animated textures.

Anatomy of a Shot: 'Spirited Away'; Staging of the balcony meal and use of 'Ma!'

A big part of my teaching work is trying to get students to break down the animation, composition and timing of well known, and not so well known, performance animation from around the world. Whether it is a short cartoon, in-game or a feature film, you can learn so much from studying the work of others.

This post breaks down a shot to show the rhythm created by combining thoughtful staging, production design, strong key-frames and character performance. It uses the environment as a method of framing parts of the scene and also as a way to bring the characters together.

The example is Studio Ghibli's 2001 film 'Spirited Away', directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

The scene is a peaceful interaction between sen and Lin after a crazy day at the bath house.

Exterior Wide Establishing shot

Long shot

...Lin walks in carrying steamed buns...

Top railing follows rule of thirds

Lin's face framed by railings

Lighting & doorway also frame Lin

Sen is constricted into a corner of a frame...

However, Sen is now part of Lin's silhouette...a sign that they are growing closer together...

Lin passes food to Sen THROUGH the railings...

Rather than being a passive object throughout the scene the railings become an integral part of the performance from this point; the characters reaching through, rest arms on them and even dangling their legs through them.

This makes a visually mundane scene way more appealing and dynamic, without compromising the pace of the performance to accomplish this.

shows reaching out & a desire to give comfort.

As Sen joins in…

They strike new poses..

Ma! Lin is inclined towards Sen, Sen is more relaxed…

Miyazaki

‘…non-stop action … it's just busyness. but if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension.’

‘We have a word for that in Japanese. It's called ma. Emptiness.’

Sen now commands the negative space…The scene becomes hers again…

(This towel exists to fill this gap, not distracting)

Reverse angle, double lighting change and more Ma!

The lighting change here is particularly interesting as it puts the audience in the scene. As the lights go out behind us; our eyes adjust to the night scene and the view over the water becomes visible.

The rest of the scene plays out...

Scenes like this make my day!