Production: Render (3D)

For 3D, the final process in the Production pipeline left is to render out the animation sequence. Rendering means to put together an animation sequence and output it to a file type specified by the user (Quicktime MOVs or Windows AVIs) and have it ready for the Post production sequence. It is a lengthy process which can take up to hours to do for something as simple as a 30 second animation. For industries, they only render animations bit by bit instead of one whole chunk as this can take a very long time. Below is an example of what the render settings for Cinema 4D look like. 

Cinema 4D can render out movies in different formats. From standard vision to HD vision, the render settings can be changed to suit the animator. 

Production: Lighting (3D and Stop Motion)

3D 

The process for 3D lighting comes after the animation and texturing is done. The reason is because adding lights before texturing can be unhelpful for trying to figure out if something looks right when using a spot light or a sun light. This image on the left shows where the lighting is placed for that specific scene so that Puss' shadow can be seen on the floor. Some other areas that lighting affects is on the man's hat closest to the camera shot (on the right of the photograph) where the middle part of it has some natural shadows behind it.

Stop Motion

Lighting in Stop Motion exists before animation because it is needed. The reason because the camera's own flash cannot affect the image or else it will be spoilt and thus lights will be placed around the scene. The only visible light in this image from Tim Burton's Coraline is the kitchen light. The intensity of the lights surrounding it aren't interfering with the scene.

Production: Texturing (3D)

Because animating takes time to do, tasks like texturing and tweening can be added in. For 3D, it is mostly texturing. The example of how texturing looks is shown below.

It is explained on the Dreamworks website about after animation comes texturing on their slides. It shows how each texture looks different for either character or object, so the fur on Tigress and the beard hairs on Stoick have bumps on that make it look as though they are real, and the apples have a reflective surface on against the lights in that scene.

Production: Animation (2D, 3D and Stop Motion)

As explained in the previous blog of Keyframing, animation can now begin to happen. All three styles of animation are shown on how to animate differently. 

2D 

There are two ways to animate in 2D Flash: Frame by frame or tweening. In this example of a 2D animation, the traditional method of animation is done frame by frame starting at the first frame, drawing in the beginning and then selecting a final frame and drawing that. The animator would then go to the frame in between the two and draw that, then so on until all frames are filled. 

The other way to animate is to add tweens in and letting the computer decide how to animate that specific movement, in which case the animation frame the first frame to the last will turn into a blue segment, showing the tween. This is in the 2nd picture below the first. Once the tween has been made, the animation can be manipulated by the easing of the animation. 

3D 

3D animation is the same as the tweening animation method in 2D, where one movement will be at the first frame and the next movement at the beginning of the last frame, then the computer will then automatically tween that animation. This can be manipulated by changing the ease of the animation or making it constant (the computer automatically eases in at the beginning and eases out towards the end). 

Stop Motion 

For stop motion animations, the task of animating is very difficult if an animator wants smooth and precise animations. The set up is to use a camera, a scene and the models. Here is an animator steadily moving one of his models to make another movement after he captured the first. This process is very lengthy, especially if there are more than one model to animate. 

Production: Keyframing (2D and 3D)

Once models, rigs and armatures are ready, the animation process can begin. For 2D and 3D computer animation, an important process called Keyframing is used to help define where movements are going to be. Keyframing means to make one movement at the first frame and however long the frame length of that movement is, the final movement will be keyed. Before computer animation, the Keyframing process was to place inbetweens until all the frames have been filled between the first and last frames. The shorter the Keyframe, the quicker the movement is. Below are how Keyframes look in Adobe Flash and Cinema 4D.

2D

In Adobe Flash, the Keyframes are highlighted on the image to the left showing that the next movement would occur at frame 10. These would then be animated by a way called "Tweening", which is shortened by inbetween. 

3D

In Cinema 4D, there are two ways of keyframing. One is the traditional way in computer animation, which is to go to a frame, make a movement and click the keyframe button, or auto-keyframe movements by going to a frame and making that movement. Both are equally good at keyframing. 

Production: Armature (2D, 3D and Stop Motion)

To help models or animations move, a special mechanism is made to help with these called an armature. Armatures are essentially skeletons of a model and can help move certain points of a character. Below are the different armature models I have found. 

2D

Characters designed in Flash can generally be made with an armature to help move it. These two models on the left are of what a armature looks like on a fully characterised model and one of a mannequin to show where the armatures are. These help when going to a specific frame, moving that body part and allowing the program to tween the animation.

Stop Motion 

To help models move freely, a metal skeleton is made of a character and modelled around it. To the left is what an armature looks like Sparky from Frankenweenie showing where the skeleton is exactly. Like the armature for the 2D animations, the skeleton is designed to help move the model freely instead of having to guess where the next movement is.

3D

As shown before in the rigging post, the armature is most helpful in moving a 3D character easily. The nine panel example of Alex the lion from Madagascar shows what his armature looks like and then an example of how his arms, tail and legs move.

Production: Rigging (3D)

In 3D computer animations, rigging is very essential for making a character move in the animation part of the production pipeline. Rigging a character can determine how they move and at what speed, as well as keeping in mind the principles of animation (secondary motion, follow throughs, timing, arcs etc.) so that the model can move well. The rigging is always done with the wire mesh so that the animator can pick out the specific areas of that model and move them around (like an arm, or a leg). Below is what a rigging looks on Kitty Softpaws from Dreamworks animation Puss in Boots.

Notice how the arms and legs have a skeleton like structure inside the model itself, these are the body parts that get rigged by the animator. 

Production: Modelling (3D and Stop Motion)

Once everything in the pre-production pipeline has been completed (Planning, Story Arcs, Scripts, Mood Boards, Concept art, Storyboards and Animatics), production of the film/game/cartoon can now begin.

It is always essential that the modeller has the concept and the final designs of the character or the scene they are modelling in either 3D computer animation or Claymation.

3D
Models for a computer animated film, game or cartoon always start off with a clay base (without any textures or colours added) before moving on. This is so the animators can see if the model works well and if not, go over that specific area (maybe an arm looks very misshape and needs to be modelled better). The picture below shows Dreamworks models from their different films.

Stop Motion

The other side of modelling is Claymation (stop motion animations done with clay models). This also has to be modelled but around a wire skeleton for armature movement. This method is always used in Aardman animations for Wallace and Gromit. Below is what Gromit looks like under a wire skeleton and his model.