Posing Part 1 - the language of posing Preston Blair's examples shown Bodies should flow with the action. Things are in motion so we emphasize with "line of action". Clear lines of action support quick registry of emotion and idea pick up each emotional "beat" Guide the eye eg: Every line guides you to the boy's face Fine Art Pose and the use of tension Norman Rockwell - two boys playing each other chess lines of leg and spine arc moves the eye to the critical part of the story use of tension in certain body parts can also be effective to draw the eye Norman Rockwell - boy about to get spanked tension in face Properties of a pose should also derive from the unique qualities of each character Drive to make characters unique... uniqueness can tap into the universal cliche poses on the other hand do not resonate So ask questions... Why is the character doing what it is doing? What is unique about the character? Is there a story behind every pose? eg: Holding breath contest All of the characters are holding breath but each is very unique Silhouette Idea is to stage yourself toward the "camera" If you just create an outline of the character, can you still figure out what is going on? Part 2 - Static images as done by animators Pushing the pose Simple drawing that includes all of the above... but we can add to it Our characters are going to be in motion... So stretch the pose to the limit... create force and energy! Not necessarily the focus of fine-art posing Eg: Glen Keene Beast in "Beauty and the Beast", "Tarzan", "Alladin"... etc Top 2D animator Disney Make poses interesting Every appendage should support the pose. Eg: Milt Kahl 101 Dalmations, Medusa, the Rescuers - One of the great classicist Recommended DVD: "Beauty and Beast - Work in progress" Part 3 - Poses over time Cartoon Artist (eg. comic books) Sequential frames but not continuous motion Eg. Loisel - French Bandes Desinees Artist - Cinematic qualities in each pose Animator can be thought of as filling in the space between the comic book frames You know you're getting close when a comic book feels like a shot in a movie. Part 4 - Animation Clips analyzed for poses: John Lasseter - Luxo Jr. Lamp discovers death and the audience can feel it. Great example of posing... and with lamps happy hopping entrance... sad hopping exit A great lesson in simplicity and minimalism Charlie Chaplin - finding money and pick it up trip -> focus on ground cane -> supports pose hand up for consideration bend over to examine coin (huge exageration) compound actions of picking up the coin simplified into single components Chuck Jones - Bugs bunny/daffy duck/elmer fudd sequence Tension in daffy to uncomposing himself Persuasion of Elmer... Eye contact with audience... Example of "Who has the power in the scene?" Charlie Chaplin Tramp takes home a drunk millionaire Rings doorbell to let him in... butler kick tramp out Second sequence, he gets kicked out again But consider how the same actions can be told by different poses Notice the twisting motif in the poses Live Action Example - Ethan Hawke... "Twinning" - when both sides of body are doing the same thing - not always effective... but it can be. Breaks out of twinning for pose with hair, but largely an exercise of twinning throughout scene. Progression of twinned poses leads to dramatic effect when twinning is broken Power in the Scene - Glengarry Glenross - Kevin Spacey - Jack Lemmon Lemmon with condescension, use of hands to draw eye, closing distance, escalating gestures, London gains power Spacey tries to deflect, looks away, walks away, gets cornered Lemmon dimissively walk away. Spacey shifts the power from a simple pose shift from looking away to making eye contact. Lemmon starts to shift head a lot, subordinated to Spacey, takes off his glasses Spacey drops hands, closes distance, taller Lemmon seated, picks at his teeth, self-concious Spacey hands up, accusatory Face as a posing Tool - scene from the UK show "The Office" Can be posed just like the body. Milt Kahl - Winnie the Pooh (Tigger) (1971) Tigger Poses (Story telling poses) Break out each poses and you can see the story being told honey -> jump -> eye contact to honey -> the anticipation of the grab -> the grab -> the pull -> anticipation of the honey jar plunge -> the arm plunge -> the lift anticipation to taste the honey -> taste the honey Keene - Tarzan meets Jane (1990) Pixar - Woody and Buzz get lost at the gas station (1995) Modern day animation but watch the gestures and poses and there origins.