What Is Animation?
People have all kinds of different associations when they hear the word “animation.” Some might think of a famous studio, like Disney or Pixar. Others will think of a movie or a TV series, like Shrek or The Simpsons. Consulting the dictionary definition won’t help much, as it gets rather technical: “a way of making a movie by using a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of objects (such as puppets or models) that are slightly different from one another and that when viewed quickly one after another create the appearance of movement” (Webster’s Dictionary).
I prefer this definition: Animation is the art of creating life.
I believe it does a better job of capturing an animator’s true goal, which is bringing things to life. Bringing things to life can happen by making inanimate objects feel like they’re alive, or by humanizing otherwise non-human living creatures.
Examples of the first way (giving life to inanimate objects) are Wall-E the robot, the flying carpet from Aladdin, or the ball and a cube in my own animated short film “Lift Up.” Examples of the second way (humanizing non-human creatures) are Bambi, Donkey from Shrek, or Sid the sloth from Ice Age. When we see these animals in their movies, the animators are doing their best to humanize the animal, making it act more like a person.
Thus, animation is the process of bringing something to life, humanizing it, and by doing so making it relatable to the viewers. When we can feel what the character feels, understand what motivates them, and see the emotional change they go through, the animators did their job.
You Don’t Need to Know How to Draw to Be an Animator
Let’s take a quick break at this point and break a very common myth: No, you don’t need to know how to draw to be an animator. I clearly remember the moment I found out what 3D animation is all about, and how even someone like me with basic drawing skills can become an animator. But before we get into that story, let’s look at why people mistakenly believe this myth.
When animation first started, and especially when it was popularized by the Walt Disney Studios, the common (and correct) notion was that you have to be an amazing artist to work in animation. The founding fathers of the Disney animation style (known as the Nine Old Men) were all incredible draftsmen, with superb drawing skills. These artists had to draw every single frame of animation by hand, requiring deep understanding of anatomy, perspective, and composition. But things changed when computer animation came along. Drawing skills are always a great skill for any kind of animator, but it’s important to know that there are no drawing skills required to do 3D computer animation. Here’s how I came to find that out.
I was never great at drawing. Yes, I went to art school for four years and enjoyed drawing from a very young age, but I was never a prodigy. Even at my best, I’m not half as good as I’d need to be to do any industry-level 2D animation. I simply don’t have that gift. As a kid, I watched animated movies religiously. They made me want to get into animation. But as I got older, I realized that I’ll never be able to reach that level of craftsmanship, as hard as I might try to. Few people do.
So I pushed that dream aside and picked a different path. Even to this day I find it hard to believe it, but when I first enrolled into art school, it was for an advertising major. I figured it was creative enough to enjoy but wouldn’t require amazing drawing skills. Plus, there’s more than enough money in it to get by. But during my first year of school, while taking a class at the Computer Arts department, something happened. I stumbled into 3D animation.
I learned that the process of 3D animation was completely different from 2D animation. Instead of drawing the characters the animators simply move its parts around in 3D space, like a puppet. I could do that, I thought.
I dropped out of advertising and switched majors after one semester. 3D computer animation gave me the freedom to do what I always dreamt of doing. Finally, I could animate. With the technical obstacle of drawing out of the way, I could focus on the characters and experiment with what I could get out of them. As I said before, animating is about creating life—and drawing is not the only way of doing that.
Did I get you all excited about animation? I hope so! But I also don’t want you to think I’ve cheapened the process of 3D animation. It’s a craft like any other, and requires years to master. I still believe drawing skills are a huge plus, and a solid understanding of figures and body mechanics is crucial. During my years in art schools I took many life drawing classes, and while I wasn’t the most talented participant, I got better at depicting and understanding human anatomy. Composition skills are also incredibly important. As an animator you’ll need to pose and place a character in a compelling way, and that takes learning and practice. And lastly, if you can work on your drawing skills, regardless of the type of animator you’d like to be, that will go a long way into making you a better animator.
But with the myth of brilliant drawing busted, I hope you are feeling more empowered to pursue a career in animation, regardless of your artistic skills, or at the very least to keep reading this book. We have a lot to cover!
