Those who are interested in the animation industry also know the 12 Principles of Animation. So what are the 12 Principles of Animation? And How do the best animation studios use the Squash and Stretch principle in these 12 principles? Let’s find out with Animamost Studio in this article!
12 Principles of Animation – The Illusion of Life
In the 30s of the last century, as pioneers in their field, Walt Disney – one of the Best animation studios – and his associates (Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and others) created and developed a list of – 12 Principles of Animation. Published in the book “The Illusions Of Life”, this is what has laid the foundation and core direction of the animation industry throughout its history of nearly a century.
As pioneers full of enthusiasm and passion, Walt Disney did not “naturally” invent these 12 principles, but it is the result of a whole process of understanding, analyzing, and summarizing through these 12 principles by Walt Disney Studio. Walt Disney wanted to find ways to create “real”, soulful motion, and even convey the essence and personality of the character – a truly ambitious vision when the animation industry was still very young.
Although nearly 100 years have passed, people still refer to the 12 principles of animation as a “bible” for enthusiasts. During that time journey, all the cartoon products that we have ever seen, including historical films, legendary movie characters, etc., were built from that background of Walt Disney.
Those principles have all been “instilled” by the animators in the training process so that in discussions when it comes to “anticipation” or “follow-through”, everyone understands what they are talking about – 12 principles of animation have entered the subconscious of animators as a common language.
If you find it useful, please follow Animost’s website to learn more! For now, let’s start with the Squash and Stretch principle.
How do the Best Animation Studios use the Squash and Stretch principle?
What is Squash and Stretch principle?
Squash and Stretch (or S&S) is the principle of applying contrasting shape changes – from a changing “Squashed” pose to a “stretched” pose – to create a feeling of softness and flexibility. If Squash and Stretch principle is not applied, the movement of the figure will give a feeling of rigidity.
The application of the Squash and Stretch principle and the transformation of the shape between the two states break away from the rigidity commonly found in CG animation.
The Best Animation Studios applying Squash and Stretch in animation
To best illustrate the application of Squash and Stretch – animators often use the basic Bouncing Ball exercise. When the ball falls (with gravity and acceleration) and makes contact with the ground, the ball will be in a Squashed state to create a motion effect before being bounced.
In addition, just before and after the ball makes contact with the ground (while falling or bouncing in the air), the ball will be Stretched in the direction of travel to create the necessary contrast for the movement. Thanks to the application of Squash and Stretch, the image of the ball falling and bouncing becomes more flexible.
Just with one A little Squash and Stretch effect can make a difference to movement, by adding the movement to the subject some much-needed stretch – the object doesn’t look as stiff as a stone. Squash and Stretch principle breathes life into an object’s movement and adds flexibility, but Squash and Stretch’s power goes even further. This principle can also help animators convey the material of the object.
Applying Squash and Stretch principle to an object also requires animators who are very knowledgeable about the material of the object to be able to convey the most realistic way (thereby not applying too much or too little).
Why Squash and Stretch principle is necessary?
The application of the Squash and Stretch principle is very important in animation because it has the power to “breathe” characters or objects (whether inanimate) to create a feeling of life and animation. Squash and Stretch principle can be applied to small parts of the character’s body (eyeballs, fingers, arms, etc.) or even to create a pose.
The use of S&S in the poses of characters and objects can be said to be extremely basic and important for every animator – and also the reason why every animator during training must take the dough test.
How do the Best Animation Studios breathe life into the motion of an object?
Character structure
However, animators still need to be careful when overdoing the Squash and Stretch effect in animation is also a basic mistake that is often made. The S&S is truly a useful tool and incredibly fun to use, so many inexperienced animators often go overkill as a way of showing off. However, if overdone, the S&S effect will backfire when the audience no longer feels like the real thing and loses the connection with the character.
One thing animators often talk about in discussions about Squash and Stretch: “feel it, but don’t see it”. The idea behind that is that S&S should be applied just enough, to create a genuine “feeling” at a glance, but not directly “see it with your own eyes”.
If the S&S effect is too obvious, it’s a sign of over-application or too long motion timing. Therefore, when applying S&S, animators need to pay attention to “feel it, not see it” by giving the object/character a quick response to “excessive” pose states. This makes the movement more “bounce” and smoother, making the audience feel it without directly seeing the Squash and Stretch pose for too long.
Maintain the volume of the object
Another important factor in applying Squash and Stretch is “maintaining volume”. Animators should note: when squashing and stretching an object’s shape while applying this effect, it must be remembered that matter is “neither created nor destroyed”.
If it makes the viewer feel that the object or character is naturally getting bigger or walking in a stretched pose or squashed pose, that’s when the animators don’t pay attention to maintaining the volume of the object. When applying Squash and Stretch principle, the object will be stretched in one direction, but will also be squashed in the perpendicular direction, in order to maintain the “real” movement.
Related post: How do the best animation studios use the staging principle in animation?
CONCLUSION
Squash and Stretch can be said to be the most important principle that animators in the Best animation studios need to know (and master) among the 12 principles of animation that Walt Disney and his associates set. Applying Stretch and Squash to the movement of an object or character has a “superpower” that breathes life into the image, and makes the image much more flexible and alive.
However, if the S&S is applied excessively, the effect will risk backfiring. Therefore, animators need to deeply understand the movement of objects and use Squash and Stretch skillfully to create a vivid feeling for the viewer without being too obvious.
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