In 2D animation, an assistant often adds information to what the animator has blocked in. When animating a character jumping into a 180-degree turn, landing and recovering safely you have to make several decisions, including when the character looks back, starts to lean into the direction of the jump, crouches, jumps, when the body begins to twist and initiate the turn, how does the body stop its rotation during recovery, do both feet land at the same time…and on and on? The computer will only know what you tell it. How does it move within the world and situation?Īnimators must decide what happens whenever there is a force and change in force to be represented. How does the character show that it is aware of its world and situation? These forces are internal and external and can be exaggerated, but must remain consistent throughout the shot. An animator’s responsibility is to visually represent the forces that create movement. We want to believe that the character moved, not that someone moved the character. Learn how he breaks down a good body mechanics shot and what lies behind the intention of the character and how that affects the body. Wayne Gilbert is a valuable contributor for Animation Mentor and is currently the Head of Animation of Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (VanArts). Hello Animation Afficionados! Today’s post is from a newsletter tips & tricks article back in 2010 from our very own Wayne Gilbert.