Category: Animation Shot Analysis

Vlad Vladikoff is one of the funnest characters from Blue Sky’s Horton Hears A Who.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” — Dr. Seuss

Blue Sky Studio’s 2008 film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who is a visually underrated, animated treat. Loaded with beautiful color, sets, characters and delightfully inventive animation, it’s a film that showcases loads of creative fun while remaining faithful to the essence of Dr. Seuss, both thematically and graphically.

Today, we’ll dissect a sequence of shots from Horton Hears A Who performed by then Supervisor Animator, Aaron Hartline (who currently resides at Pixar Animation Studios). Aaron is a tremendously talented and devoted animator whom I had the privilege to sit next to during my time at Blue Sky Studios many years ago. It was one of the most enjoyable working arrangements I’ve ever experienced.

Now, let’s breakdown this beautiful shot and decipher the amount thought, deliberation and creativity that flows from one set of actions to another:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzsZDnAX_ws

The shot sequence in its entirety. Aaron Hartline’s shot is a marvelous demonstration of careful planning, dynamic staging and sharp timing applied to character animation.

(Note: The following divisions made here are arbitrary and don’t necessarily represent how the artist constructed or executed his shot)

Section 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXO-s3DN310

Here you can see how the character sharply pops into position (perfectly staged on thirds) right in front of Sour Kangaroo’s moving position, ending with his swooping wings and cowered vampire-like position before slowly revealing the prop in his hand. The snappy entrance, held pose, and slow reveal give the entrance punch, clarity and texture.

Section 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdKuYEx-yFY

This second section is both more elegant in movement and sophisticated in execution. Here, the artist chooses to showcase some playful action with a prop (a bone). He does so first, with an assertive grip which is confirmed by the attitude of the body language and stern facial expression. Then secondly, he tosses the prop up and catches it before lowering the overall body position in a lovely display of weight transfer. This sets up the big dramatic duo-wing pose and forward head motion as he delivers the words “DEVOUR IT,” which is followed by the final flourish of some chomping jaw action. The balanced yet textured rhythm closes out the sentence that precedes the wild events that are to follow.

Section 3:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Ldi-jFi0c

This is where the big change of mood and energy occurs in the sequence. The visual comedy begins with a sudden unexpected cackle, which Vlad first contains. He subsequently loses control/comfort — which is depicted by the awful face in the second choking — before a third, monstrous cough forces him to completely abandon his wide-winged stance to one of a more humble position. A series of head/neck gestures and a quick glance of embarrassment then forces him to retreat to far screen left, where he hides behind his cloaked wing. The final choke and smile he delivers as he looks back to Kangaroo re-affirms his embarrassment before we cut to her tepid response.

Section 4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfkLmT2Oy8Y

I love how this new cut starts with him central in the composition, with his back facing the camera. The head peaking out to screen left directs your attention of where to expect subsequent action. The dialogue “HOLY MOLY” reads beautifully in profile after the wonderful shrug of the shoulders. Then comes another cough which is more severe, built up nicely with the exaggerated action of the body first, then anticipating the next major action with the claws flexing in open isolation before a ‘grab the chest’ move leads us to a discharging action reminiscent of a horrible sneeze. The final extra ‘flop’ of the head/jaw gives the scene a wonderful flair before showcasing the stuck bone in his throat which he pulls out in a textured sequence of pause, snap and crackle.

Section 5:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3HWcRPDWNA

In the concluding action, Vlad regains his composure and gets back into his fiendish pose. He thrusts forward with speed and confidence but then hesitates — his eyes and head shift in search for answers before the light bulbs flash inside and he thrusts upwards in sudden discovery saying proudly “I WILL DEVOUR IT.” The following move forward is another nice touch by the artist. As he says “SECOND TIME” he does so in an expression of self-assertion and persuasion — like when one tries so desperately to convince someone of something that’s in doubt. The final expression — which is preceded by a stupid yet genuine face that all dumb henchmen do when they suddenly figure out the math — is triply stated with a goofy face, forward nodding head and fork-like display of his two claws. It’s a great finish.

The Reference:

Character sketches of Vlad by Sang Jun Lee. Property of Blue Sky Studios.

Photo reference of the iconic Bela Lugosi in his 1930’s role as the immortal Count Dracula. Property of MGM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFrO-OgzeLw

Video reference performed by Supervising Animator Aaron Hartline. Notice that his video serves primarily as a base for the acting, as his timing, graphic choices and details all surface later in the process. Creation is often a multi-tiered process. (Thank you Aaron for kindly providing the extra references to this shot. What a most welcome update!)

In conclusion, it’s good to note that complicated shots and sequences like this require a serious knowledge and search for what ‘makes’ the character. Only a detailed exploration via video reference and intensive visual foraging for the best possible layout of the various phrases of action on paper can yield shots like this.  Aaron Hartline’s animation, like those of other top flight animators out there, are well worth the time studying in detail. You learn both craft and appreciation. It’s also a reminder of the kind of fun we can have with the job that we do.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” — Dr. Seuss

Ice Age: Collision Course is Blue Sky Studios’ latest Scrat short, directed by Michael Thurmeier and Galen Chu, both tremendous talents in the animation industry.

“Go graphic; make the eyes tell the story.” – Mike Thurmeier

Today we’re gonna look at a shot from Blue Sky Studio’s 2005 animated feature, Robots – a show that featured a tremendous group of young talent and some of the finest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. First and foremost is one of the leaders of studio (and long time figurehead of the animation department) Michael Thurmeier, one of finest and most talented people in the industry. Mike is someone whom I’m personally forever indebted to for giving me my own break in the feature animation business and has been a friend and inspiration for a long time. Due to his talent and the weight of the studio sitting heavily on his shoulders (at least early on in its development) we don’t get to see too much of Mike’s animation anymore since he’s moved on to full-time direction. He’s one of the rare animation artists who have received Annie Nominations for both Best Character Animator and Best Short Film (which also garnered an Oscar nomination).

So, I dug up this old shot of his for the purposes of our study. As you will see, there is both brilliant thought, acting and execution in his animation.

https://youtu.be/oDIdARuFkRE

This shot of Rodney’s dad, Mr. Copperbottom (voiced by the wonderful Stanley Tucci and animated by then Supervising Animator Mike Thurmeier) shows all the good things that great animators do – create texture, weight, balance, emotion and appeal. From Blue Sky Studios’ 2005 animated feature, Robots.

Here is a breakdown of some of the key moments of the scene:

As you can see, Mike begins with a clearly balanced triangular composition and starts the scene in mid-action.

Beautiful and slight rotations of the head create interest, as we go into a hold, and arm gesture pushes through the action. Line of action (LOA) changes.

The momentary stillness as he says “Robot City” gives the scene a temp break in the action, as he looks downwards, indicating feeling and thought. This creates visual interest during the pause in physical activity.

When Copperbottom pushes forward again, his eyes reconnect with Rodney as their hands meet.

Here, the body and head rise, building anticipation for the next big expression as he gathers emotional strength and support (for his son.)

Excellent reversal of line of action again, as the character pushes forward and outward. The weight shifts forward and his hand compresses onto Rodney’s shoulder, which depresses, confirming the reality of the forces at play.

Rotation inward and down form a nice reversal again as the head and body masses visually combine creating a nice ‘squash’ before the stretch. Face compression amplifies the expression.

The body and head spread out, as the character first pushes up and then down, as it builds into another anticipation of forward movement. The facial expression hints at confidence and belief.

The movement here is particularly nice, as Mike chooses to uses a scooping motion down and then upwards towards Rodney, giving variety to the combination of actions, as well indicating a kind and gentle support for his son, already hinted by tone of the monologue.

Beautiful twists and turn of the body and head lend force and weight to the movement. The second hand reaching out and pressing on the shoulder increases the connection between the characters.

The action follows thru, and the eyes connect looking upward as the body, head and hands settle into a short hold. Careful profile position of the head retains perspective and appeal.

The large anticipation backyards prepare for the final expression of encouragement. Shoulders and head lift high and back while the head rotates to form a nice strong torque. Facial expression is loaded.

Beautiful arc and flow of the forward movement give this last big expression force and intensity.

Last movement that finishes the scene, as the body rises up to the final position. Elements of the head and face drag giving weight.

Final settle position is high and close, as the facial expression indicates connection, hope and trust between the two characters.

A quality shot like this is rare. The best animators, like Mike Thurmeier, deliver them with surprising consistency (Mike’s work in particular has the best lip sync I’ve seen of any animator). As one can see, there is an obvious amount of planning involved along with detailed execution. Excellent acting, well-defined weight, strong use of forces, as well as concepts like lead and follow, solid posing, and varied timing, are what make shots like this so good.

An aspiring animator would do well to study scenes of this caliber. Don’t expect that following formulas or letting the computer do the work is gonna make you good. Work that features rich analysis, solid planning and expert execution can teach you a lot about what it takes to make art that connects.

“I don’t like to let the computer do too much for me, and I’ll have an idea what I want the character to look like going from one pose to the other.” – Mike Thurmeier.