This week, we covered pendulums and how applying essential animation principles like overlapping action, counteraction, drag and breaking of joints can produce a convincing pendulum animation. This exercise helped drill in the importance of timing between moving parts and how it reveals complexity in an otherwise simple concept.
I began by focusing on overlapping action, having different parts of an object moving at staggered intervals. First, I selected all the joints and rotated them so that they moved in unison.
Then, I experimented by just shifting the keyframes accordingly to give a clean, yet oversimplified look. The main principle here is that the motion of each pendulum ball or joint doesn’t stop simultaneously but rather follows a hierarchy. This staggered approach, drawn from the Animator’s Survival Kit, makes the motion more feel organic and dynamic.
Counteraction was another principle that I wanted to apply in order to maintain balance and realism in the animation, the ball is weighted and therefore will act on the joints in a way that cannot be replicated purely by artificially staggering keyframes. I used this reference below so that I can understand this better, being that the root of the pendulum is moving, as is the animation I want to produce.
My first attempt was intentionally completely done frame-by-frame, ensuring that I don’t rely on oversimplification and applying the breaking of joints principle to a higher standard. The main crits were that the waves were inconsistent and unnatural. I intended to do this by eye and not to rely too heavily on animation principles, apply constructive feedback, and adjust my perspective accordingly in order to produce a better product.
By further analysing the reference video and applying feedback, I improved and finalised the animation. Ensuring I utilised all the appropriate principles and engaging critically both on a micro and macro scale.
By starting with a study of animation principles, analyzing reference videos, and instinctively trying to capture the right feel, I began to understand what makes animation effective. Incorporating feedback and applying these principles more rigorously helped me close the gap between my perception of good animation and what good animation truly is. These first weeks in the MA 3D Computer Animation program have been valuable in helping me identify how I learn best and in developing a structured approach to improve my skills.