When an animation studio like Pixar has multiple dozens of people, all with their own styles, working on a project, how do they keep everything uniform?
In: 10205
Think of it like this. Say you’re shooting your own short with your own phone. And in one shot you’re walking normally. And in the next, you’re walking with giant steps and you’re like, “wow, this isn’t consistent and it looks weird.” So you set up some rules about how you walk. And you shoot your shots again. Now everything looks consistent. And you’re not paying attention to how weird the walks are. You’re paying attention to the story.
Same with animation. Your project leads will create some characters that follow some precise rules. They’ll make expression sheets that show how someone should look when they’re happy, sad, confused, etc. They’ll talk about things the characters do when they move. Basically, they’ll set up rules for everyone to follow. And so long as every artist down the line follows the rules, it looks the same. Because the goal isn’t to stand out as an individual like if you were doing your own short, but to collectively pool your talents to make a larger vision come to life.
In a 3D film, they create a 3D model that the animators work off of, so everyone has the same character to start with. In 2D, you have a model sheet or a rig, and you have to use your expertise to stay in the style of the project and keep the look consistent.
And within those rules, you’ll find animators have their own style and touches that make them unique, though it’s very subtle. Another way to look at it: when you walk into Best Buy, you know the employees because they’re wearing a blue shirt. Everyone has their own flare, but what matters to everyone walking in looking for help is seeing someone with a blue shirt. The artists are just wearing the blue shirt of Pixar’s style or Dreamworks’s style.
Latest Answers