Avoid Slow-Motion Live Action Reference

Leopard Animation Using Live Action Ref by Daniel Amor

One common mistake made by junior animators using live action reference to plan animation for the first time is to use slow-motion live action reference.  Slow motion reference is very common, because complex actions - especially action shots or animal reference - can be hard to see in real time. 

Animators should avoid slow-motion reference because the vast majority of the time we want our animation will be in real time. If you download slow-motion reference, you will have to re-time your animation, which adds an extra layer of complexity to the shot.

Animal and Creature Animation

Learn to animate butterflies at Animation Apprentice

Let's say - for example - you want to do some butterfly animation, and you search YouTube for reference. Most (if not all) of the footage you find will be slowed down, to make it easier to see the motion. 

But slo-mo is useless for reference, as 90% of the time our job is to animate in real time. So the trick is to find the right reference - in real time - and use that for our animation. 

Using Live Action Reference in Animation

For more information on how to use live action reference for animation, follow the links below:

• Using Live Action Reference to Plan Animation
• How to Use Live Action Reference to Plan Animation
• How to Fix Floaty Animation Based on Live Action
• Live Action Reference with Pernille
• How FrameStore Animators Use Live Action for Animation
• A Great Inexpensive Tripod for Filming Animation
• Endless Reference - Live Action Reference Resource for Animators
• Edward Muybridge - The Animator's Photographer
• How Disney Animators Used Live Action to Animate "Frozen"
• Live Action Reference for Character Walks

Planning Animation

To see some examples of how to plan animation (including how to use thumbnail sketches and live action), follow these links:

• Medusa Thumbnails by Milt Kahl
• Why thumbnail sketches need facial expressions
• Thumbnail sketches by Pixar's Victor Navone
• Thumbnailing Mrs Copperbottom from "Robots"
• Thumbnailing "Boog" from "Open Season"
• How to Animate a Dialogue Shot
• How to Plan a Pantomime Shot
• How to Plan a Creature Animation Shot
• How to Use Live Action Reference to Plan Animation

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