In this snippet from a live AnimSchool lecture, instructor Neave Lifschits offers his keen eye for detail and explains how animation, at its most basic level, is about forceful energy that pushes a shape change to deliver the idea of motion. Even simple lines can deliver a powerful performance and evoke an emotional response. After all, what is motion but an exchange of energy?
Lifschits uses an example from an animator who creates many compelling animations using simple lines and shapes to depict characters within an emotionally charged story. Though the animator neglects smaller details such as facial expressions, micro shapes within the body, etc., the gestures and overall shape language are enough to convey the artist’s message.
Lifschits also discusses Mike Mattesi’s book, Force: Dynamic Life Drawing, and relates the concepts back to animation. In the example from Mattesi’s book, different types of shapes with force are shown; this is similar to line of action, and simple vs complex shapes and poses within animation.
When animating a character in motion, consider what kind of force is being applied and in what direction. These forces can be physical, such as the body rolling over, or more abstract and emotional, like anger or tension. After determining the type of force and the direction, the poses can be fine-tuned to support that idea.
Shape change is the key to showing energy, strength, speed, and direction.
Lifschits explains that animators should always strive for some sort of shape change within a shot in order to avoid feeling rigid and add fluidity. Good shape change comes from paying attention to where contrast may be needed, as well as how the forces at play cause the change.
Watch the full clip from an AnimSchool lecture here:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
In the world cinematography, every choice, from the way a scene is shot to how the camera moves, plays a critical role in telling a story. In this clip from an AnimSchool lecture, AnimSchool Instructor John Paul Rhinemiller goes through the basics of cinematography and illustrates how film and videos games use camera movements to create a specific emotion and feeling. JP addresses the importance of having motivated camera movements that have a purpose and also add to a character’s personality or story.
One of the most subtle yet effective tools for filmmakers is the use of a “locked-off” camera, which stays in one place without movement. The key purpose of a locked-off camera is to create stillness, focusing the viewer’s attention entirely on the subject or scene at hand. However, despite the growing trend of fast-paced, dynamic shots in modern filmmaking, sometimes the most powerful storytelling comes from controlling the camera, rather than letting it move.
Ensuring that any camera movement (or lack thereof) has a purpose is key. Whether the camera is panning left to right, following a character, or offering a point-of-view shot, every movement must serve the story. For instance, moving the camera in a specific direction can subtly indicate unease or tension. Left to right feels more natural due to the way people read in Western cultures, whereas moving in the opposite direction can suggest that something is wrong or unsettling. In contrast, a stationary camera can communicate a sense of control and deliberation. This is especially important in dialogue-focused scenes where unnecessary movement may detract from the characters’ performances or the emotional depth of the conversation.
JP offers some camera tips:
Moving the camera during dialogue can be distracting
This is why the camera cuts many times during dialogue
Always focus on the person speaking
Never use longer than 50mm when two characters on screen (no limit with one character)
Lead and follow
Lead through a scene to suggest that the scene stays somewhat equidistant
Follow through a scene – common in 3rd person
In this example from Full Metal Jacket, JP explains that the camera moves backwards as the sergeant steps forward, creating a sense of unease and tension within the scene, reflecting the discomfort of the recruits.
In this example from God of War, JP points out how the camera is consistently equidistant from the character, with some flexibility in zooming in at different parts to emphasize the action, such as attacking.
Another camera technique is “rack focus,” which shifts the focus of the lens from one subject to another, is used to draw attention to a specific element within the frame. This subtle shift guides the audience’s gaze, highlighting important details and directing the flow of the narrative.
An example of rack focus from The Incredibles.
Ultimately, camera movement, when used with purpose and intent, becomes a vital tool in shaping the emotions and experience of the viewer. Whether through subtle shifts or deliberate stillness, the camera can profoundly impact how a story unfolds, making it an indispensable element in visual storytelling.
Watch the full clip from an AnimSchool lecture here:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
Creating clear and dynamic poses is essential to conveying character and emotion. In this clip from a live AnimSchool lecture, instructor Garrett Shikuma demonstrates how to move away from rotoscoping video reference and push the character’s silhouette and line of action to be better than the reference. He also emphasizes the importance of remembering to make intentional acting decisions while posing the character.
When refining poses and moving beyond rotoscoping, one critical element is improving the silhouette. A pose can be adjusted to make limbs and the body more distinguishable—particularly by adjusting the position of hands or arms that might otherwise get lost within the character’s body. Equally important is the angle of the character’s head. The way the character is positioned relative to the camera should communicate the right emotions and make it easy for the audience to read the character’s intentions. The right head tilt can direct the audience’s attention and set the tone for the scene.
Shikuma also touches on breaking a character’s body into three zones: top, middle, and bottom. By shifting these parts intentionally, animators can emphasize certain actions. For example, pushing the head or torso to imply a character’s internal state, like anticipation or conflict, can transform an otherwise static pose into one with deeper meaning.
From Walt Stanchfield’s Drawn to Life series
This principle also extends beyond full-body poses. In close-up shots, the same “push and pull” method can apply to minor movements, like a character’s head tilt or subtle gestures. For instance, in The Incredibles 2, Mr. Incredible’s poses are minimal yet powerful. While his body remains relatively still, small movements, such as a slight head nod, hold significant weight, which adds a layer of emotional depth to his character’s journey.
Ultimately, when designing poses, the goal is always to improve clarity, silhouette, and line of action, ensuring that each pose communicates exactly what the character is feeling or about to do. By pushing poses thoughtfully, animators can enhance not only the visual appeal of their work but also the emotional resonance it delivers to the audience.
Watch the full clip from an AnimSchool lecture here:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
Animating a new shot can be an incredibly daunting task. Not only do you have to figure out your staging, your poses, and your story, but in order to have a truly successful shot, you need to find your rhythm. What does rhythm have to do with animation?
Rhythm is how an animator can find drama and excitement in the smallest of actions. It is how emotion and movement can create tension or stillness. By using contrasting beats and a variation of rhythm to guide your character, the viewer is able to follow your characters seamlessly through their story. But how? There is no one way to show rhythm in animation but a great place to look is in body language and in the movement of the hands.
In this lecture, Animschool Instructor Brendan Kirschbaum uses feature film animation to demonstrate the successful use of rhythm to animate the smallest details of the hands. In his frame-by-frame analysis of The Incredibles, he dives past the scene audiences know and love to the complex and detailed rhythmic animation underneath.
The use of hands and body language helps build character identity and bring moments to life. In a particular scene from The Incredibles, Bob is shown entering the scene very casually and relaxed before being surprised by his wife and snapping into a surprised, ninja-like pose. His hands are used to support his poses and punctuate the scene to reveal aspects of his mindset. A seemingly simple gesture, like the way a hand rests or moves, can reveal a lot about how a character is feeling—whether relaxed, intense, or sarcastic.
Later on in the same scene, Helen makes a point to pick something small up from Bob’s clothing. The placement of her fingers in specific poses is deliberately designed to not only draw the viewer’s attention, but also create visually appealing shapes, making the character’s gestures feel more intentional and expressive. Small changes—such as separating a finger or slightly bending a hand—can drastically improve the appeal of a pose and make the gesture more believable.
As Bob and Helen continue to converse, Bob employs a subtle finger spread on the word “fire” to emphasize the seriousness of the situation. Albeit short, taking place over the course of just three to four frames, it accentuates the moment. Similar hand gestures are used throughout to highlight key points and convey nuanced emotions without overwhelming the overall scene – the balance here is crucial, as the overuse of hand gestures can create an unnatural feeling.
Ultimately, hands in animation are not just tools for communication—they are extensions of the character themselves. Whether used to express sarcasm, highlight a dramatic moment, or reveal a character’s inner world, the hands add complexity to animated performances, making them one of the most important elements in conveying story and emotion.
Watch the full clip from an AnimSchool lecture here:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
When your shot begins, you have an extremely limited amount of time to introduce your character to the viewer. The first time your viewer sees a character in front of them, they will immediately start to pick up small nuanced details that not only describe your character, but also how they fit into the story. Are they nervous, excited, scared, or calm? It only takes one clear and defined pose to place a character in your story. In this lecture, AnimSchool instructor Brendan Kirschbaum demonstrates how clear posing through Line of Action can be used to silhouette and place a character in a scene. By having a clean and strong line of action you not only show where your character is going, but where they have been. The ability to provide as much information as possible in a single moment not only allows your animations to look good, but also establishes your character in a story and allows the viewer to step into the moment and immerse themselves in a new world.
Before you start posing your character, consider some questions that will help you determine their motivation within the scene and inform your decisions:
Who is your character?
What are they thinking in this moment?
What is the context?
Is the subtext of the scene clear?
A crucial principle is the Line of Action, or the flow of energy in a pose. It serves as a guide for the viewer’s eye, directing their attention to the most important part of the image and creating clarity. A well-established line of action ensures that the character’s movement or intention is easily understood even without motion.
Consider these two poses of Tom. In the first, the pose is chaotic and confusing. The angles of his limbs are disjointed, and there’s no clear direction for the viewer’s eye to follow. In contrast, the second pose has a smooth, flowing line of action starting from his toe, moving up his leg, through his body, and to the tip of his newspaper. This clear line makes it easy for the viewer to anticipate what Tom is about to do, adding excitement and direction to the shot.
The Line of Action gives information about direction of force. Subtle cues within the pose allow the audience to understand the physical dynamics at play, even without additional animation or motion. A character’s posture, the orientation of their body, and the direction of their gaze all inform the viewer about the action, giving them a sense of movement and anticipation.
In The Incredibles, we can tell that Mr. Incredible is exerting force on a machine because his pose is fully extended, and the line of action clearly communicates the direction of that force. Similarly, in another scene from The Incredibles 2, Violet is pushed up against a wall, and we can see the direction of the force applied to her, as indicated by her body’s response and the motion of her hair.
The Line of Action can also tell us a lot about the relationship between characters and the emotions at play.
In the scene from Coraline, the mother’s posture dominates the frame, towering over Coraline with a threatening, predatory air. The mother’s higher position makes her seem more in control, while the sharp angle of her arm encroaching on Coraline reinforces her menacing nature. Coraline, on the other hand, is hunched in the corner of the frame, feeling small and vulnerable in contrast to the looming presence of her mother.
This interaction is not only expressed through the characters’ physical placement but through the subtext of their poses. The mother’s spider-like form creates an unsettling feeling, emphasizing her sinister role in the story. The way each character is positioned in relation to the other speaks volumes about their emotional states and the power dynamics between them.
Posing in animation is a powerful storytelling tool. Through line of action, animators can convey force, emotion, and character relationships in a single frame, making it a crucial element in bringing a story to life.
Watch the full clip from an AnimSchool lecture here:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
AnimSchool graduate Heather Vidal shares her experience working on an emotional scene using audio from the film Good Will Hunting (1997). Inspired by heartfelt stories about the struggles of unhoused people, she explains how she channeled her own hardships into her animation. Her shot was featured in the 2024 AnimSchool Student Showcase.
Vidal explains that she got her idea from YouTuber German in Venice, who interviews homeless people. One of the most common themes she noticed from these interviews was how individuals would often quit their jobs to take care of their loved ones. However, once their loved ones passed away, these caretakers would be left with little to no money between the medical bills and funeral costs, resulting in their current situation. Upon hearing the audio from Good Will Hunting, she remembered these stories and felt inspired to make such an emotionally charged animated shot.
Initially, Vidal mentions, she had only treated the dog’s character as a prop, making him move as little as possible. During development, her instructor gave her the idea to have the dog rest his chin on his owner’s knee at the very end—Vidal was very pleased with how it turned out.
Watch her featured clip here:
Watch the full AnimSchool Student Showcase Livestream here:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
AnimSchool graduate Lena Zahoruiko discusses her experience creating an emotionally driven animation using audio from the film Midnight Sun (2018). She dives into her process from start to finish, addressing the changes made and how that impacted the final scene. Her shot was featured in the 2024 AnimSchool Student Showcase.
Zahoruiko explains that this shot was her first ever attempt at a dialogue shot. She was cautiously excited about trying something new, and wanted to create a more emotional shot about two individuals—in this case, sisters—parting ways.
Zahoruiko adds that the biggest challenge that she ran into was filming reference footage – after discussing with her class, many mentioned that it would be beneficial if she had real crying to help push the emotional aspect of the shot. As a result, she cried on more consecutive days than she had ever before.
“It took me, I think, around three days to come up with the final version,” she says.
Initially, Zahoruiko mentions, her animation lacked small gestures, and felt a bit stiff because of it. To overcome this, she layered in more hand and arm movement, such as a sweeping motion with the hand. As she played with the balance of exaggeration and subtle movements, she ultimately learned that, for such an emotionally driven shot, “less is more.”
Watch her featured clip below:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
AnimSchool graduate Fabiana Dell’Aquila animated a scene using audio from the TV show “Desperate Housewives” (episode aired 2009), and details all the changes that occurred in her creative process. Her shot was featured in the 2024 AnimSchool Student Showcase.
Dell’Aquila explains that, when starting the shot, she immediately knew that she wanted to work on a funny shot with personality. She got the chance to dive into a character and act as she never would in real life, which she saw as a self-confidence boost.
“I just had so much energy, so much desire to play with a bit of a more funny timing,” she notes.
Initially, Dell’Aquila had started with more of a slouched pose for her character. However, her instructor gave her a quick sketch of a much more dynamic pose, having the character adjust and admire her own appearance in a handheld mirror. From that drawing, she rebuilt the animation and added more dynamic movement within the arms. She mentions that she ultimately had a lot of fun playing with smaller, more subtle animations of the hands and face.
Watch her featured clip below:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
AnimSchool graduate Tommaso Maurutto shares insight for his animated shot, which features audio from the TV show “The Equalizer” (2021), and breaks down his creative process from ideation to the final animation. His shot was featured in the 2024 AnimSchool Student Showcase.
Maurutto explains that he started with an initial drawing/idea pass to get a feel for the timing, spacing, and how the characters would fit into the environment. He also mentions that it was his first time doing a shot where two characters interact, and he was interested in playing with their dynamic and how their individual personalities could be conveyed through the acting and animation.
Maurutto kept the camera movement simple with only two cameras, and focused on the change of expressions of each character. One of the challenges he ran into was conveying the nervousness and anxiety of one of the characters; his instructor ultimately helped him push the idea more with smaller, supporting actions such as rubbing his sweaty hands on his pants, a light tug on his hat, and other small movements.
Maurutto also modified the character rigs to better support the dynamic between the two characters, with one being more clumsy and the other as more of a dominant and confident character.
Watch his featured clip below:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
How do you animate a character that isn’t doing much? Using moving holds! Moving holds are crucial in animation – they provide the breathing space between high energy motions as well as making the characters look alive when they are in the background. AnimSchool instructor and professional animator Scott McWhinnie explains how he handles moving holds, and shows an example from his own shots to illustrate his methodology.
McWhinnie breaks down moving holds into four categories: momentum, breathing, eye darts, and head support, all of which are crucial to consider when animating a moving hold.
Momentum
A common pitfall when animating moving holds is disregarding or neglecting the previous movement and the momentum that leads from that. To avoid this, it’s important to keep in mind the “drift” follows the direction of the most recent momentum shift – it needs to work with physics. Try to keep things simple as a directional and rotational shift, and find a balance between the two to avoid overcomplicating the movements. Be careful not to start the drifting too early into the next movement.
Breathing
Even in stillness, small movements like chest or shoulder shifts suggest breathing. These tiny details make the character feel more grounded and dynamic, helping with transitions between holds and actions. Breathing also impacts the pacing of the animation, and can lead to a buildup of momentum that carries into the next action.
Eye Darts
Small, quick movements of the character’s eyes play a huge role in adding life to a seemingly inactive moment. These subtle shifts of attention can convey a character’s inner world, whether it’s curiosity, tension, or anticipation. Eye darts often signal that the character is aware of their surroundings or preparing to engage with something in the near future, and can help keep the audience engaged in what might otherwise feel like a stagnant moment.
Head Support
Ensure that the head moves in a way that supports the body’s direction – the character’s head should follow the same momentum as the rest of the body to maintain consistency. If a character is holding a pose and their head moves in a different direction without context, it can break the illusion of weight and consistency.
McWhinnie uses a scene he worked on from Ferdinand (2017) to demonstrate how he approaches a moving hold.
Watch the full clip from an AnimSchool lecture here:
At AnimSchool, we teach students who want to make 3D characters move and act. Our instructors are professionals at film and game animation studios like Dreamworks, Pixar, Sony Pictures, Blizzard & Disney. Get LIVE feedback on your Animation from the pros. Learn more at https://animschool.edu/
