Bouncing a Ball
Frame by Frame Analysis Using The 12 Fundamental Principles of Animation:
Squash and Stretch
In frames 11 and 12, I squish the ball as it hits the ground and then stretch it as it goes back upwards. By doing this, it makes the ball look bouncy and flexible.
Anticipation
In frames 1 through 7 I use anticipation to prepare the audience for the fast fall of the ball. In the beginning, the ball slowly rolls and then quickly drops in order to make the action appear more realistic.
Staging
In my final rendering of the bouncing ball, I added a gradient. This gradient gives a vignetting effect that draws the eyes to the top left corner (where the gradient is the lightest) so that the viewer immediately sees the beginning movement of the ball.
Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose
In this animation, I used straight-ahead action. I did this by animating each individual frame of the ball.
Follow Through and Overlapping Action
In the middle frame we can see follow through and overlapping action as the back end of the ball "lags" behind the front of the ball making it "stretch."
Slow In and Slow Out
In this animation, I used slow in and slow out by drawing more frames for slower movements. For example, the end of the animation (where the ball rolls to a stop) has many more frames than when it is initially falling.
Arc
When a ball falls down and bounces back up, it follows a set trajectory of arcs. By applying these "arcs" to the movement of my bouncing ball, I can create a more realistic "bounce."
Secondary Action
In these frames, the secondary action of the ball falling is the "stretch" and "squish" of the ball. By exaggerating these secondary movements it makes the main movement (the ball falling) more realistic.
Timing
In this animation, I use the number of frames to determine the speed or the "timing" of an action. For example, the falling of the ball has far fewer frames then the rolling of the ball.
Exaggeration
Exaggeration is used to make motions that look static and dull come to life. An example of exaggeration can be seen above, in the screenshot where the ball is squished. By squishing the ball more than reality, it makes the effect of the motion seem more realistic.
Solid Drawing
Solid drawing means that the animator takes the 3D properties of an object into account when animating. I do this in my animation, by squishing the ball as it hits the ground. This makes the ball seem like it has real weight.
Appeal
In order to add appeal to my animation, I used vignetting, moody lighting, and high contrast colors. By adding these factors it gives the animation an intense feeling that makes a ball bouncing seem more significant then it actually is.