Ramona Flowers Acting

FACS breakdown blog

Found a great blog breaking down expressions using FACS https://melindaozel.com/

Gesture while speaking

Iconic - represent literal object like flat surface or car weaving through traffic
Metaphoric - symbolize abstract concept like before, after, or working together
Deictic - pointing to things, positioning yourself tothings
pragmatic - offering the floor, don't bother me
beat - rhythm of gestures matching stress pattern of speech

categories can coexist together

emblem- thumbs up, has to be the correct angle and finger

gesture accomplishes redundancy, re enforcing idea being communicated

also adds emphasis and importance, to communicate more clear, or even to help you think it through

sometimes you just need to point, and if you don't have your arms you'll use your face or your eyes

or acknowledge social norms (uncomfortable ideas show that you're nervous about what you are saying.)

Animation Acting Advice

treasure planet arms are shields for the shy, so keep them close to the body. What mannerisms do you have that someone immitating you would use. canceling a gesture Disney Singing deep diaphragm breaths for control, short tenser shoulder upper chest based gasps for intensity

Breakdown of Acting techniques

https://www.backstage.com/news/8-important-acting-techniques-gifs/

Nicolas Prothais Disney Animator Gesture Lecture CTN

Nicolas Prothais : Gesture Eloquence in Animation


animation is like driving a car, once you know the technical stuff you don't have to worry about it anymore.

Gesture Eloquence, the power to steer emotion
Since voice is provided, animator's provide the body language, which is stronger than the voice, because you can lie with the voice but not the body.
So really we only have posing and timing. And first posing, because can't time without poses. So Poses are the fundamental part of animation.
Body language driven by emotion, it can move very well but without emotion it's flat.
We cannot rely on instincts, very often we are outside of our comfort zone. (Trying to act like a little kid when you're not) And can not rely on luck. Have to plan.
So how do you start? Can try just jumping in with emotions and your first thoughts. Or try and narrow down possiblities. Approach left brain or right brain, and go back and forth carefully analytic and raw instinctual.
Big Hero 6. A character sits in a chair, no other direction. Different emotions and different personalities. A bazillion different people will come through, should come through if you're good.
He's big into Jungian Character archetypes
https://btleditorial.com/2016/12/05/common-archetypal-character/
Figure out the spcecifi emotion you're going for, excstatic vs overjoyed, nail that pose
body language speaks more about what we believe: "Do you understand?" while shaking head yes means I expect that you do, shaking head no means I don't think you get it
Animators job is to add that extra layer of knowledge to the performance. It's often not in the voice (for example indicator emotions they aren't feeling just referencing)
Took a line, and built the golden pose of that shot.
1st Who you are animating, what kind of character what kind of archetype?
2nd What you want to say as an artist, how is he feeling about what he's saying?
Sculpting isn't what takes a long time, it takes a long time to be sure the emotion is the one you want.
Films reference with actual voice then resyncs it to actual audio. (warps it in maya, (black and white runs faster also) the timing.) Then goes through and step keys it to just have key poses. So that's the blocking, just have to put it onto character. So now have poses blocked and timed. Puts vid ref away and breaksdowns and smooths with animation principles from here. (Blocking is pretty broken down, on 4's maybe, really ready for spline, but he says don't do that it becomes rotoscoped)

Disney has strong posing background.

same line, different subtext

Navone, Hartline CTN talk 4 animators approach same scene

CTN 4 anim

ators
Aaron:
3 things going into shot, Rig, Audio, & word: Villain
First rough lip sync
Allows to not overanimate, having some sync makes it easier to sit a pose longer and watch him talk.
Focus on key words where the acting will be strongest
Lipsync first moves you forwards towards deadline while still allowing you to think about things.
Next: Poses, characters zero, Big lebowski. (could take a day or 2)
Needs to let you go someplace, be able to introduce the layers and figure out who he really is
Simplify: don't put to many keys in, name that tune
what can I pull from my experience to fill in this character (Hanibal lecter (I didn't try to be evil, I just tried to not blink and blink very controlled) And Aunt Nancy (just a flash of rage occasionally)
Does it have a progression, go somewhere?
Ask around, get advice.
Rob: Job Applicant
think of the context, putting self in situation what are the pressures what are your goals.
Can I find a single pose to take me through the whole shot? How does it look with dialogue played over?
Thinking about the metaphor for entire shot of the fine line between cocky and confident, it's a question of back posture.
Lighthouse, the most important control as reference for all the rest. In this shot used the neck (like a chicken or bedroom intruder) so he uses the neck a lot for this guy doing a job interview. Animating the neck first out of the key pose. Then copy paste that around and adjust it, using forwards motions as basis for torso or head.
Then what details can be sprinkled on top. (spinning in chair, nodding yes but saying no)
Don't forget your instinct gut ideas, dont' let them get washed away in the repetition.
Victor: Polititian
likes the idea of a person with high status
First start with research of similar things (politicians speaking, what common hand gestures?) Adding paint to pallette, gathering ideas for possible gestural language.
Think about restrictions of scene, and backstory of character.
think about status in multi character shot
Goals wants to be confident and rebut attack but stay seeming nice -> which goes into subtext he in insinuating his opponents an idiot
A lot of thumbs. A lot of vid ref (10 minutes) try different versions.
wasn't feeling a throughline, so broke down the dialogue into subtext to choose poses to underline the subtext, thumbs gesture for each subtext
sketch blocking
Michael: Mentor
who is the character and what do they need to do. Never betray the character, only do what the character would do.
Get to know the char, list actors or family you know well, list adjectives that describe the char
So if need to know how your char would do something can go to how the actor has already done something (Kahn reacting to kirk being alive = Ego reacting to ratatoiulle)
Pays attention to energy of dialogue, low energy = small gestures big WHAT?! = big gesture
Focus on inward/outward talking to self or other (thinking vs delivering)
Timing and Texture
Balance the energy, an old man will move slow but he might blink fast so it's not boring.
Progression A to B to C is too straightforwards, put an A1/3 in there. (thirds are more dynamic than 1/2) breaking it up like that reduces the energy and adds texture.
relatability: how closely the audience can relate to what the character did (I would never do that, that's evil)
Characters choices are greatly based on where they came from, what their history is
Think then Act (or else it looks like a bad actor who memorized lines)
Status (control, who can most easily do or stop someone else from doing, who is doing the least and accomplishing the most)

Eye Dart = Thought

every time the eyes move, it's because a new thought has occurred. (a potential way to block out a subtle performance)

Michael Amos Action Analysis

Michael Amos has a blog that has some interesting posts.  (podcast with him here)

Such as this one about mouths.

Convos with my Child

My wife just showed these to me, they are fantastic, because they take the regular power interplay between kids and their parents, and with both parties being equal you can see how much of a status interaction it is. Also these will be AWESOME for pulling clips to animate from "I'm naked, so I'm the boss."

Daniel Gonzales notes

ran across animator Daniel Gonzales blog

he has a summary of Glen Keanes rhythm tilt twist
 rhtyhm - " So in a drawing, every line flows and curves into each other creating a rythm. it'll capture your eyes lead it around the drawing in a sort of dance."
 tilt - contraposta, keep things from being stiff
 twist - don't keep things flat


 and a good group of animation excercises that mostly don't require special models

Basics
Bouncing ball (loop) (squash and stretch/spacing)
Bouncing ball across the screen (2 bounces) (squash and stretch/spacing)
Cinder Block sliding off a shelf, hitting the floor. (spacing, form)
Flour Sac Jump (mass)
A blink (spacing/squash and stretch)
A head turn (transitions/ arcs)

breaking a sweat
walk cycle (technical)
run cycle (technical)
character jumping (physical/ spacing)
Suicide backwards fall off a ledge (subtle delays and overlap)
A character getting up from a chair (physical, anticipation)
A smile (face muscles, appeal)
A sneeze (exaggeration and timing)
Do an action that requires a 'smear' (technical)
Laughing (reference studying)

Marathon training
Animate a hand doing something-close up (anatomy)
character lifting a heavy object (weight)
animate a dog shaking after a bath (overlap follow through)
hammering a nail (timing spacing)
character blowing up a balloon (physicality)
piano falling on a character (timing weight)
character brushing their teeth (personality)
character eating a sandwich (personality)
getting up out of bed (physical personality)
waiting for the bus stop (entertainment/ appeal)

Quitters quit, winners win
character throwing a bucket of water on another (physical acting)
tug of war b/w two characters (tension)
character drinking wine (research)
character making an egg- full process from fridge to mouth (rhythm and timing)
A feather falling and being blown by the wind (reference)
character reacting to "your parents are dead" (acting)
putting on a pair of pants (physical)
sleeping character being startled, then going back to sleep (rhythm and texture)


and some nice acting clips

and this idea of organizing time I've been trying to re track down for a few years now

Colin Firth on acting

League of Legends New Dawn

really interesting idea that they built in the character by finding moments to show emotional reactions

yeah, this one is ridiculous, tried to just get her expression, but the software (gifyoutube) I was using wasn't fine enough

Screentakes

Jennine Lanouette  has some pretty clear videos about story and acting.

Sympathetic Doesn't Have To Mean Likable from Jennine Lanouette on Vimeo.

It's not that he was likeability that pulled the audience in, it was his vulnerability.

Show your main character at a power disadvantage, even for a moment, and the audience will get on board, we all love an underdog.

Some characters don't immediately illicit sympathy.

in Margin Call, the characters are all rich and powerful, but we are introduced to each one in a vulnerable moment (ones dog is dying, one has bad nicotine withdrawal etc)

How bout james bond (invulnerable) we see him at the mercy of his boss

Once you show your character at a power disadvantage they can be a dick afterwards, just have to introduce them in a position of vulnerabllity.

The examination of human deviance is as essential as the triumph over adversity and the glorification of strength.

For the viewer it needs to be personal, a practical matter for the writer. By engineering a sympathetic attachment you enable your viewer to stay with your deviant character and outrageous behaviour in order to  reveal the larger cultural meanings contained in their story.


Who Has the Power? from Jennine Lanouette on Vimeo.

power shift on an action is stronger, because it's understood visually also



Lesson One - Visuals and Action from Jennine Lanouette on Vimeo.


have to show how tough max is but also his humanity

we saw him make a decision visually. We understood what he was thinking because of what we saw, how important gas is, and that he messed with this guy. So we know how important both things are and understand what his thoughts are as he considers both.




Dialogue as Action from Jennine Lanouette on Vimeo.

acting thoughts: Ed Hooks, Ken Fountain

Read Ed Hooks review of Frozen over at Cartoon Brew.

He says that in our every day lives things are alive, but that's not enough to make it interesting, so recreating an illusion of life of reality is not enough to entertain. We should strive for "theatrical reality".
"Theatrical reality has structure and is selective, showing only the parts of reality that are necessary for telling the story and illuminating character."
Okay I'm on board this far, 'film is reality with the boring bits taken out'.

"There is a widely held misconception among animators that, if they can endow their character with emotion and an illusion of life, that equates to good acting. The fact is that mood is not acting at all, and emotion alone has zero theatrical value. There are sequences in Frozen during which Anna or Elsa is alone and depressed, very sad (see 10:40, end of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”). Those are moments in time, expertly animated, but they are only that. As a character animator, you do not want to hang your acting hat on a moment during which the audience is feeling sorry for your character. Yes, the audience can empathize with a character being sad but, in life, emotion tends to lead to action. The longer the mood and negative behavior persist, the further removed will be the possibility of the audience feeling empathy." I've already written about my thoughts on his emotion leads to action.

Throughout his review Hooks mixes his critique of animation with his critique of the writing, as if one person would have control over both. But okay fine, the pro's can turn a poorly written character good with their acting choices. "Emotion alone has zero theatrical value" is a bit stretched though, I think in order for the audience to suspend desbelief, develop empathy for a character, and be at all engaged then the characters have to have believable living emotions, so even if they aren't advancing the story they are still drawing people in. But I take his point that the goal should be to do both.

"emotional states (ie "I'm confused") are not theatrically valid answers. Acting is doing. If a character is not doing anything to achieve a definable and provable objective, he is not acting. Emotion tends to lead to action."
He says strong acting is action in pursuit of an objective while overcoming an obstacle. "Ideally, an animator should be able to freeze frame a character at any time and ask, “What are you doing?” "
If we freeze frame Anna the moment she calls for her horse, her answer would be: “My objective is to find Elsa; my action is to get on my royal horse and locate her; my obstacle/conflict is with the situation.”

I don't think he's saying it clearly. Maybe something like: it's better to be verbing towards a goal than adjectiving about it. It's better to be intimidating the meter maid instead of being angry about the ticket.


"A scene is a negotiation."  each character is pursuing their objective, which may hinder or be in conflict with the other character


----------------------------------------------
I was rewatching Ken Fountain's tutorial.
"Rats" Final Render from Ken Fountain on Vimeo.


Something I caught this time that I didn't pick up the last time was he was talking about when she shifts from internal focus to external focus. (An idea I first heard from Michael Makarewicz) In Fountain's animation the shift happens from when she's snarking at her little brother then she slowly stops paying attention to what she's saying as she gets sucked into watching the rats. Makarewicz had pointed out you can be focused outwardly on the things around you trying to affect them, or internally more aware of what's happening inside. Still hard to really articulate. But here was an visual example.

Ted Ty Masterclass

  Ted Ty - Genuine acting from iAnimate on Vimeo.

 some notes I jotted down while listening to Ted Ty doing a masterclass

what I felt like I was close to understanding was the difference between a test shot that is solid animation and physics wise, but lacks anything to make it stand out. What I think I got from it is that you have to imbue authentic feeling into your scene, and the way to do that is to catch it in vid ref, and the way to do that is to really try and use your emotional memory to summon it and always run the camera.


volume change signals accent

physically difficult to make a deep vocal sound with head up or high pitch with head down

as if: thought process   walk up show badge,  think, channel specific emotion that you need from specific true moment from your past  when you think of a situation you've been in it adds the drop of reality to change the same ol same ol reference you've been doing before 

your'e trying to make it real enough for yourself as you're acting that you are authentically broadcasting the line so well that you are broadcasting it nonverbally (facially or physically) make it so real that you could drop the audio and still feel it strong enough to see what's happening

it's very fleeting because we're not actors so we can't turn on the juice for real

watch your takes that don't work and figure out why they don't, compared to the takes that do

every shot has some gold in it, closing  a car door can be a great shot if you think about the why of it, like closing it gently so as not to wake up a sleeping passenger

Ken Fountain - Splat Frog

Ken Fountain's got a site where he's offering tutorial vids (which I recommend, I thought they were great). and also some free video podcasts with some tricks

Min Hong

min hong mind blowing animation

Min's character animation demoreel 2013 from Min Hong on Vimeo.





push the twists, she's already kind of twisting back and forth, push those poses even more, like glen keane says twist adds appeal

to make b m p stronger  puff up the cheeks right before release

Tangled Unofficial Animator Commentary

 man, HOORAY for Clay Katis!!!! I've learned so much from his animpodcast. Latest one included.

Since clearly Glen Keane is a god who helped push this movie beyond, here's the solid Glen Keane notes again (collected at Art of Glen Keane but originally from Mark Kennedy's site) (and then the old ones from animation meat )


here's the notes I took listening to the podcast:


glen was less concerned with the motion and more concerned with designing the appeal in the design of the golden poses

Glen always started with drawing the eyes, most of the time he spent on the poses, only 5% on the animation

It was frustrating to take Glen's drawings back and try and push the CG model into it, because the automatic deformations would make the model look really weird, so had to find a balance

a lot of what I learned working with Glen was appeal, and now when I work on a shot I tend to look at the facial expressions a lot, especially the eyes, and even the eyelashes. Really paying attention to the appeal of the face and how it works in the scene.

The director's called for a lot less "we don't want a gesture festival, just have him standing in this one pose" which felt like we weren't doing enough, but then watching it sequence it totally works

this is the first musical a lot of people worked on, we didn't realize how important the inhales are to animating to a song, the big gasp right before belting it out was really important

I used to think it was enough to  move the body as a whole believably, but Glen really showed us that the body the hips and torso and all could work together to express emotion and they could work together harmoniosly. Glen would always say TILT RHYTHM AND TWIST something you could apply to the face or any part of the character, or the whole character, those are the kinds of things that Glen would drill into us (what would glen do, that) general assymetry in the mouth, looking for appeal and focus in the eyes. That's one thing in Disney's DNA, the characters beyond just being well designed, they are posed within their own design that makes sense for who they are. How the characters occupy their own body. In terms of minimalism, Glen would show a drawing that looked so good just as a drawing that it didn't need to move so much

I remember Glen drawing the shoulder way up by the head and you're thinking "what the heck is he doing, he's pushing way to far" but then it all comes together and works beautifully. He's so good at zeroing in on the storytelling pose

animating songs? was it different?
the rhythm of the shot is a little easier to find because it's predfined (like the difference between a pantomime shot and a dialogue shot)

Adam Rodriguez

You wanna know why Adam's reel is the bomb (yeah, dropped some '90's slang ;) the reason he got hired? The way the woman moves her head, especially when she says "voice" and the way the elevator operator bites his hand when he's so excited. Those unique ticks that each of us have, he captured them and gave them to his characters.