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AnimationTyme — Timing and Spacing Chart Tutorial For Beginners
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Published: 2020-10-24 08:50:58 +0000 UTC; Views: 2272; Favourites: 12; Downloads: 0
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Description
Surfing dA and didn't find anything for beginners on Timing and Spacing Charts.Primary Purpose:
Timing and Spacing charts are a form of "After-the-fact Post-it Notes"
instructions from an animator on how to complete an unfinished specific
animation action to another person, such as, an Animation Assistant, or
Inbetweener. The TaS chart(s) are placed vertically in the upper right
corner of the first drawing of the animated action; although, they can
be placed horizontally. Chart(s) could be placed right next to whatever is
being animated.
***
What Timing and Spacing charts are not:
Timing and Spacing charts are not the initial blueprints to plan, layout,
position, or create an animation action - although, beginners try to use them
as such.
Timing and Spacing charts by themselves contain no guidance information as
to how to initially create a Timing and Spacing chart.
For example, Timing and Spacing charts contain no initial information, like:
- How to determine total time duration of the animated action
- How to determine number of drawings, or frames, needed for the animation
- How to determine if the animation action is animated on 1's, 2's, or 3's
- How to determine where the drawings are positioned, (ie, spaced)
- How to determine if there is a slow-in, a slow-out, both, or none at all.
- How to determine matching frames to dialogue.
That "How to determine" guidance information comes from the research and
planning phase that takes place before any animation is started.
The research and planning information will be used to create the initial blueprint
for the animation which is written down, again, before any animating is done. (In a
studio setting that initial blueprint information would be registered into a
document known as an Exposure Sheet.)
Hence, the very basic steps to create an animation are:
1) Research and plan out the animation to create the initial blueprint
information.
2) Document the initial blueprint information, such as,
- time duration for each animated action
- number of drawings, or frames, needed for the animation
- animation action, animated on 1's, 2's, or 3's.
- where key frames are spaced.
- slow-in, a slow-out's needed.
- frame location for dialogue, if any.
3) Start the animation process with the initial blueprint information.
4) Create the Timing and Spacing chart as the animated action progresses.
In short, Timing and Spacing charts are not created first, followed by drawings.
So what is the point in creating TaS charts? See above Primary Purpose.
***
Neatness and precision in marking up a TaS chart:
Not too much. TaS charts need to be readable. For example, tick marks placed
on the vertical line are rarely equally spaced, hence, the need for half-loops that hop
from mark to mark that indicate equal spacing between frames.
Also, remember, the length of the vertical line denoting the time duration of the
action is symbolic. There is no line length measuring scale, as in, 1/2 inch equals
1/2 second, or anything like it. The line needs to be long enough so all symbols
placed on the chart can be read clearly.
***
Physical Rulers:
The animation industry through-out the world uses one of the most sophisticated
measuring tools in existence to measure spacing between objects on animation pages,
including Timing and Spacing charts. The tool is called.......eyeballing.
Just about everything is done by eyeballing the spacing needed for animating the
character or object from page to page.
Rulers can be used, but it's rarely done. One place where rulers are used is
when a scene has panning. There are usually two rulers with 1/20 inch markings
attached above and below a professional animation disc which are used for
panning.
***
[Quick Side Note: Exposure Sheets
Exposure sheets are used in traditional, hand-drawn, 2d animation
containing the detailed initial blueprint instructions for creating the
animation. Exposure sheet formats can vary from studio to studio and
from studios in Europe and Asia. Everyone has their own idea of what
makes a good exposure sheet format.
In a studio setting, exposure sheets are also used to keep everyone on the
'same page' as the animation progresses.
Exposure Sheets are also known as X-Sheets, or Dope Sheets as in, any dope
can do it...which...is not exactly true. (If one wants to terrorize a group of
animators, experienced or novice, tell them that exposure sheets will be
utilized and everyone is expected to use them. Watch as crestfallen faces
fill the room.)
With computer animation programs, exposure sheets are mostly a thing of the
past, but some studios still use them - such as, overseas studios.]
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