Producing Independent 2D Character Animation: Making & Selling A Short Film (Visual Effects and Animation Series) (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation)

433 Pages·2003·36.24 MB·English

by  Mark Simon

Producing
Independent 2D
Character Animation
focal press visual effects & animation
Producing Independent 2D Character Animation:
Making and Selling a Short Film
Mark Simon
Animation in the Home Digital Studio: Creation to Distribution
Steven Subotnik
Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation
Susannah Shaw
A Guide to Computer Animation: For TV, Games, Multimedia and Web
Marcia Kuperberg
Essential CG Lighting Techniques
Darren Brooker
Digital Compositing for Film and Video
Steve Wright
Producing Animation
Catherine Winder and Zahra Dowlatabadi
The Animator’s Guide to 2D Computer Animation
Hedley Griffin
Visit focalpress.com to purchase any of our titles.
Producing
Independent 2D
Character
Animation
Making and Selling a Short Film
Mark Simon
with a Foreword by Linda Simensky
Senior Vice President, Original Animation, Cartoon Network
An Imprint of Elsevier Science
AMSTERDAM BOSTON LONDON NEW YORK OXFORD PARIS
SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE SYDNEY TOKYO
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier Science.
Copyright © 2003, Mark Simon. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the publisher.
Recognizing the importance of preserving what has been written, Elsevier Science prints its books on
acid-free paper whenever possible.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Simon, Mark.
Producing independent 2D character animation : making and selling a short film /
Mark Simon; with a foreword by Linda Simensky.
p. cm.—(Focal Press visual effects and animation series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-240-80513-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Animation (Cinematography). I. Title. II. Series.
TR897.5 .S54 2003
791.43¢3—dc21
2002033935
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
The publisher offers special discounts on bulk orders of this book.
For information, please contact:
Manager of Special Sales
Elsevier Science
200 Wheeler Road
Burlington, MA 01803
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
For information on all Focal Press publications available, contact our World Wide Web home page at:
http://www.focalpress.com
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in Italy
For years I have worked as smart and as hard as I thought
possible. A few years ago I became a father to identical twin
boys, Luke and Reece. I was suddenly hit with the urge to
provide more for my family, not to mention hit with large
bills. All of a sudden I was inspired to do more, faster. Reece
and Luke, I dedicate this book, and its proceeds, to you.
I love you.
Dad
This Page Intentionally Left Blank
Contents
Foreword by Linda Simensky ........................................... xi
Preface ........................................................................ xiii
Acknowledgments ......................................................... xix
Section A Before We Get Started ....................... 1
Chapter 1 Frame Rate ................................................. 3
Chapter 2 Time versus Footage ................................... 5
Chapter 3 DPI versus Pixels .......................................... 9
Chapter 4 Scenes ..................................................... 14
Chapter 5 File Organization ...................................... 16
Chapter 6 Tricks of the Trade ..................................... 20
Chapter 7 Supplies, Hardware, and Software .............. 37
Chapter 8 Production Crew ....................................... 43
Section B Pre-Production .................................. 47
Chapter 9 The In-House Pitch .................................... 49
Chapter 10 Character Design ...................................... 53
Chapter 11 Story and Storyboards ............................... 62
Chapter 12 Budget ..................................................... 76
Chapter 13 Crewing Up .............................................. 91
Chapter 14 Revised Storyboards .................................. 96
Chapter 15 Layouts ..................................................... 99
Section C Production ....................................... 105
Chapter 16 Directing Dialogue .................................. 107
Chapter 17 Audio Recording and Editing ................... 110
Chapter 18 Animatics ................................................ 119
Chapter 19 Animation Breakdowns, Slugging, or
Timing .................................................... 122
viii Contents
Chapter 20 Audio Breakdowns .................................. 126
Chapter 21 Assigning Production Work ...................... 134
Chapter 22 Key Animation ........................................ 139
Chapter 23 Rotoscoping ............................................ 145
Chapter 24 Effects Animation .................................... 152
Chapter 25 Pencil Tests ............................................. 154
Chapter 26 Enhanced Animatics ................................ 158
Chapter 27 Backgrounds ........................................... 160
Chapter 28 Inbetweens ............................................. 167
Chapter 29 Clean-Ups .............................................. 170
Chapter 30 Scanning ................................................ 174
Chapter 31 Digital Ink and Paint ................................ 183
Chapter 32 Composite and Export of Individual
Layers ..................................................... 196
Chapter 33 Camera Moves and Special Effects .......... 200
Chapter 34 Final Image Composite ........................... 209
Section D Post-Production ............................... 217
Chapter 35 Title Cards .............................................. 219
Chapter 36 Credits ................................................... 223
Chapter 37 Editing .................................................... 226
Chapter 38 Music and Sound Design ......................... 230
Chapter 39 Final Composite with Audio and Output
to Tape or Film ....................................... 236
Section E What Next? ..................................... 241
Chapter 40 Copyright ............................................... 243
Chapter 41 Festivals .................................................. 245
Chapter 42 Online ................................................... 250
Chapter 43 Pitching to a Studio, Network, or
Distributor .............................................. 254
Chapter 44 Portfolio Piece ......................................... 262
Contents ix
Section F Interviews ....................................... 267
Chapter 45 Craig McCracken, Creator of The
Powerpull Girls ........................................ 269
Chapter 46 Bill Plympton, Academy Award–Nominated
Independent Animator ............................. 280
Chapter 47 Craig “Spike” Decker of Spike & Mike’s
Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation .......... 288
Chapter 48 Linda Simensky, Senior Vice President
of Original Animation at Cartoon
Network ................................................. 300
Chapter 49 Rachelle Lewis, Director of Recruitment
for Klasky Csupo ..................................... 312
Chapter 50 Tom Sito, Co-Director of Osmosis
Jones ..................................................... 327
Chapter 51 David Fine and Alison Snowden,
Academy Award–Winning Producers of
Bob and Margaret ................................... 338
Section G Appendixes ..................................... 355
Appendix 1 Forms ..................................................... 357
Appendix 2 Digital to Film Transfer Facilities and Film
Recording Service Bureaus ....................... 359
Appendix 3 Supplies ................................................. 362
Appendix 4 Software ................................................. 365
Appendix 5 Books ..................................................... 380
Appendix 6 Periodicals .............................................. 387
Appendix 7 Animation Schools .................................. 390
Appendix 8 CD Contents .......................................... 393
Appendix 9 Patronage and Credits ............................. 396
Index ......................................................................... 399