Live Action Ref Should Match the Camera Angle

Anim Ref and Anim by Elin Berrio Pena

Most experienced animators know about the importance of shooting live action reference to create great animation. 

However, to get the best out of your reference, you should always be sure to match the correct camera angle in your shot. If you don't, the reference you shoot won't be nearly as useful.

 

Live Action Should Match The Camera

Animation by Daniel Amor. Animation ref matches camera

One of the first things that any animator does when working on a new shot is to create a camera.  If you're working on a TV show or a movie, this will be done for you. If it's your own shot, make sure to create a camera first.  

Then, when you shoot your live action reference, make sure that the reference footage matches the camera you have selected in Maya. This way, when you import the reference footage onto an Image Plane in Maya, your reference will match the camera view. This makes it much easier to animate your shot and match the reference accurately. 

How to Use Live Action Reference

Kiwi animation by Oliver Canovas

To see how to use live action reference to create animation in Maya, read this blog post. All you really need is an inexpensive tripod and a smart phone. 

Find a Quiet Spot

To get started, find a quiet spot (your bedroom will do), close your bedroom door and do multiple takes until you feel comfortable. Delete the bad takes, import the best take into Premiere, sync it with the audio, and then export the footage into Maya. Now you have a basis on which to start planning your 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
• Why Animators Should Avoid Slow-Motion Reference 

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.