Why Animators Should "Make it Funnier"

On the set of "Robots" at Blue Sky Studios, Fox Animation studio head Chris Meledandri always seemed to give the same note to the animators and the story team: "make it funnier".  Chris always wanted more jokes, more comedy, more entertainment.  

"Make it funnier" is not a bad note. As they say in Hollywood, "funny is money". Animators should always remember that at the end of the day we are working in the entertainment industry; once we have mastered the body mechanics and the technical skills to make our characters move convincingly, we have to give a great performance, make our work fun to watch. 

In the end, audiences don't care that much about technical skills - they just want to be entertained.

Study the masters

Animators should study physical comedy, the work of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton - and their modern day reincarnation - Mr Bean.  To see more about why animators should study Charlie Chaplin, see this blog post. 

Pixar Animation

Pixar's Ralph Egglestone said that the team on Wall-e watched all the Chaplin films before they made Wall-e, because their film was essentially a silent film, and they needed to understand the secrets of Chaplin's success. Good animators "learn to make films read well without sound", because "the best animated acting is expressed through pantomime".

What Do Cinesite Look for in an Animation Reel?

Cinesite's Head of Animation Eamonn Butler explained to our students a few years back what Cinesite looks for in an animation reel.  Butler explained that he is always “searching for entertainment”. Or, rather, he is looking for animators who can “create entertainment”. It’s all well and good to know the principles of animation, but “there has got to be a reason for everything”. 

In other words, good animators are “not just technicians – you must communicate something”. For example, there “must be a reason for a walk cycle”, to make it interesting. A walk cycle “should not be just a technical exercise”, because Eamonn “won’t be impressed by that”. The shot needs “tone, mood and atmosphere”. And, “if you don’t have that, I can’t give it to you”. 

To find out more about Animation Apprentice, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions. To sign up for our November 5th classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link.