Little Summary

This semester, in preparation for my thesis, I set out to investigate the various manifestations of cutout animation, and the methods used to create this look. As a part of this exploration, I opted to do a hands on comparison of 3 software packages that I was considering using for my thesis project: Flash, After Effects, and XSI.

I started with a simple animation that I had created in Flash using bitmap animation, and used that as the template to create similar versions in the other two packages. After creating the three animated loops that I've posted on this blog, I made simple and necessary discoveries that helped me figure out a flexible workflow to accomplish the look I want for my thesis film, as well as a method that will facilitate working in stereo.

On the most basic level, Flash seems like the most simple software to jump into for bitmap animation, but it's simplicity is it's downfall for cutout animation. The major shortfall of flash for cutout is the inability to parent objects...a feature available in both AE and XSI. The other limitation of Flash that is innate to both AE and XSI is the ability to create a 3D space, with lighting and camera options. And the final straw that ruled out Flash for my thesis film is there is no way to do stereoscopy.

As a long time Adobe user, in terms of comfortable workflow, AfterEffects was far more user friendly than XSI. I was able to put together the cutout animation far more quickly than using Flash, and add some depth using the 2.5D feature of AE. I really liked the look, however, the shortfall for AE was the inability to give the illusion of depth necessary to make it feel like a real piece of cardboard or wood.

XSI seems to be the best option for me to model the objects, and characters for my Thesis project. Not only can I create characters with a little bit of depth along the z axis, but I also learned of sophisticated lighting options from Daniel that will help me achieve the tinted film look I'd like. XSI also exports camera moves, and render passes that can ultimately be composited in After Effects with stereo video, and stop motion.

It's been an invaluable period of research and experimentation.

Lighting test in XSI

This is a lighting test that I did using a light as a projector. I'd like to simulate the look of tinted film for my thesis, and this is getting close to the look I'm aiming for.

Interview with Amy Lockhart

Above is an example of Amy Lockhart's work, Trixy recommended that I speak to her about her process as she generally mixes traditional cutout and composites them digitally.


A) Workflow for purely digital
> cutout animation, and the software packages that cut
> out animators gravitate to.

I am really into framethief and istopmotion. These are
programs you can download for cheap or free and use
with a digital video camera or digital still camera to
capture frames/images. I capture in these and then
bring them into final cut or imovie to make the
soundtrack, final piece etc.
These programs are great because they make animating
so much more accessible to people. and your set up can
be way more simple and nomadic. I am currently working
on a project that I have worked on in 4 different
cities at my home studio, in each.

B) How traditional
> Cutout animation is/can be an element of a larger
> digital composition - a more hybrid approach.

so my take on this is......

I am into traditional aniamtion over computer
animation because sometimes computter animation seems
like cheating. i.e. when flash does the inbetweening
for you or toonboom does the mouth movements for
lipsynching, etc. this offends my sensibilities,
heh...

I am really into using the tried and true animation
techniques. either drawn or under the camera, moving
things around as if I was using a film camera. then I
import these frames into final cut or after effects
and edit them together or else create different
layers, by doing digital multiplane. so shooting
different layers of animation seperately and putting
them all together as one image in after effects, etc,
using chroma key (blue screen) to erase the
backgrounds, etc.

basically i like to animate as if I am using film but
then do post in video, so addding effects, layers,
sound, etc...
i like the accessability and cheap cost of video over
film, but I like the traditional film way to animate
so i spend more time making art and animating in real
life rather than on the computer.

i am just babbling away, maybe we should talk about
this on the phone. tomorrow night might be good. or
sunday?
I can talk to you more about ow I actually used it to
do my cut out animation A SINGLE TEAR and also the one
I am working on now.

Dutch Dancer in After Effects

So I assembled the same materials in AfterEffects. What I like better about AfterEffects over Flash is that you can parent objects, so creating Keyframes and having AE do the in betweens isn't nightmarish like it can be in Flash where you may have to realign objects frame by frame to mimic parenting. XSI allows for the parenting as well, and keyframing the animation is as easy as using AE. The preview functions in XSI are cumbersome...but it's advantage over both Flash & After Effects is the ability to add a layer of thickness to the puppet parts. Please forgive the video quality...Bloggers Video compression harshly degrades the image.

First XSI test

The lessons with Daniel have been INCREDIBLY useful. He's really a thorough instructor. I'm really starting to feel more and more comfortable in XSI. However, as you can see from this clip, I still need to work on lighting, how light is accepted by objects, and camera focal plane.

Cutout in Flash

I've been using Flash for some time to accomplish animation in a cutout style. In fact, I used Flash as an initial testing ground for the animation I ended up doing under the camera for Production 1 to see if my puppet rigs would work. I also used flash to create several replacement cycles for both the girl and the possum in my film. I find flash real easy to use, and I can animate bitmaps quickly, but in the end, I'm not satisfied with the final look. It's very flat, the options for adding shadows aren't very useful, and their really isn't any options for camera moves, unless you fake it by creating backgrounds that can pan or tilt, or if you scale your whole set incrementally over time.

I made a little cutout piece for our flash class, I would like to see how this same layout could be achieved in a 3D program. I fear that it might be significantly more difficult than working in Flash, but I'm really curious of the options I'd have for manipulating depth, and camera moves/angles.

CutOut animation in Toon Boom

I came across this series of online tutorials about how to create a cutout style animation in Toon Boom. The process looks fairly similar to the one I have done in Flash. I haven't used Toon Boom yet, but I did read on the web that it allows for camera moves, dynamic digital shadows, and it allows you to animate cutout puppets using forward kinematics.

Part one of a three part tutorial on cutout animation in toon boom:
http://www.tallgrassradio.com/toonboom/2007/09/introduction-to-photo-cut-out-animation.html

Toon Booms Features page:
http://www.toonboom.com/products/toonBoomStudio/features.php

An old article about Digital Cutout Animation

As I was perusing the web, I came across this article written by the late Wendy Jackson. This article was published some time ago, and while I knew that Southpark was animated in Maya, I didn't have a clear sense why they decided to go with a 3D software until now. I also wouldn't have been able to appreciate this choice without having done some traditional cutout myself. Maya is used primarily due to it's ability to mimic the "no platen" look from traditional cutout animation. Certainly a similar look could be achieved now with the likes of After Effects, but I don't know if you could replicate it with the authenticity done in Southpark. When it first came out I was fooled completely that each episode was shot under a camera. I was relieved to know that it was actually done in the "safety net" world of digital animation. I'm in the process now of trying to figure out how to mimic this effect in XSI.

http://www.awn.com/mag/issue3.6/3.6pages/3.6digthis.html

2D/3D in the "Pearce Sisters"

I really was delighted by this Aardman Short, and I was also baffled as to how they accomplished such a stylized look that had such an organic feel, yet a sense of something that was assembled in a 3D software. Their website graciously gives the lo-down on how they accomplished this look, and of course, as is with most Aardman work, software offered no shortcuts. I realize this isn't a look that entirely mimics Cut Out animation...though the layering of backgrounds and the waves have a decidedly "diorama" look to them.

http://www.pearcesisters.co.uk/production.html

Cutout Animation in Game Design - Odin Sphere

Found this video game on youtube that is done with digital cutout animation. I emailed the company to see if I could establish contact with one of their game designers to inquire about their workflow as well as what percentage of their games are designed to be animated in cutout style.