#animation principles

This is why good riggers (sometimes called technical animators) and animation engineers are among the more well-paid roles in game dev. The animation engineers work hand in hand with the riggers in order to set up animation systems and rig constraints such that the skeletons move believably, rather than "jank". Jank is what you get when a joint moves in a direction that isn't believable, like a knee or elbow bending the wrong way. The constraints on range of motion placed on the bones in the animation rig and those translations to the game engine are the primary means by which we ensure animations consistently look good in game.

[Join us on Discord] and/or [Support us on Patreon]

Got a burning question you want answered?

Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter

Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on BlueSky

Long questions: Ask a Game Dev on Tumblr

I've been very busy with wrestling picking up and so many Halloween events right now, but I am taking animation in my high school, so I got some practices to show. They're not great because I was limited on time, and I have to learn a whole new program and I'm on a different device, but they aren't terrible.

Principle 1- squash and stretch

Principle 2- Anticipation

Principle 3- staging (I Dunno how but I got to animate something from my take on the trash talking animation meme, this started as a flip book, and she actually let me use that for this project.) This is my favorite one I've done so far :)

Principle 4- (we had to pick an element I chose smoke and animate it without in-betweens)

walk cycle- (I actually hate this one cuz I've done cycles much better than this)

Animation principles~

Animations I made for class this semester c: The last two lack personality/are pretty basic, but they were all fun to make!

But in seriousness heres the problem of remaking an animated film like The Lion King in live action

In the original, the designs are very expressive and distinct, each character looks different/has different body language and facial features that display their character perfectly

Scar is sly and cunning, so his mane, body, movements, and expressions all match that perfectly. His animation during the line “Why if it isn’t my big brother....” comes to mind

Whereas Mufasa is respectable and powerful but wise, hence he’s always upright, has a powerful build and thicker mane, and can easily go from looking stern af to looking friendly and calm.

The stellar voice cast also played a part in this

In the live action trailer, There’s no emotion in the characters faces, all their expressions look the same to me, even when they’re in peril or emotional distress

Particularly at 1:00 when Scar tells Simba to leave, and Simba has a normal ass lion expression whereas in the original he was clearly crying and scared

Or I can’t even tell what they’re expressing because they look like normal ass animals. That’s boring!

A film like The Lion King does not work in live action, nor do most of the live action remakes Disney is churning out.