Bouncing Tennis Ball Trial 1, 2, & 3

Finally got around to posting this. I have been SWAMPED already. I mean, if I want to get to bed at a decent and consistent time (which I'm trying to make a routine of) then I am not going to have time to write my blog post.

My first 2D animation assignment is a simple bouncing ball. Pretty typical to do the classic, most basic and so necessary animation test. It was definitely weird using paper (whoa) and... wait for it.... pencil! I am honestly spoiled by the computer and god bless CTRL + Z. I'll be honest though, it really wasn't that bad. I thought I would be feeling the effects more of missing the technology to animate, but I actually still had a lot of fun. (perhaps this is just because I was only needing to draw a little ball and nothing too complex and annoying to have to redraw).

Probably the most painful thing about it was just the knowledge that I was wasting paper. It seriously killed me every time I had to throw away a whole piece of animation paper that only had a couple marks on it. But for animation's sake, it was no good. I threw away so many of those in deleting and redoing frames. I think what adds to the pain of it is just the fact of how expensive the paper is. I had originally assumed that I could just take my own paper and use the special hole-punch. I learned quickly though how much time it saves to buy it pre-punched as you can only punch about 3 sheets at a time. Also, as the noob that I am, I learned that the paper I need is a very specific size for 12 Field. (that makes carrying it around a pain as it can't safely fit into my backpack).

When it came to the actual animating, I had to first make the plan of action for the ball. My professor was very clear that we would have to figure this out on our own. Animation is trial and error and we must suffer the way he did. I respect that.

That being said, no hints were to be given. So I just sat there and tried to sketch out how I thought a tennis ball would bounce. I watched some reference video I found on YouTube to get an idea of how it would go. I found that the ball bounced significantly lower than its dropping point. And that, children, is why you should always consult reference footage.

My first plan was not correct at all.

The arcs were too even and all over unrealistic.

Not to mention, it is blatantly obviously I didn't know what I was doing and had no sense of the lighting or how to position the camera properly. I didn't even realize that it wasn't cropped correctly because the window wasn't open all the way.

I started working on the project the day it was assigned. So I began Thursday night. I totally just let go of any inhibitions I had or insecurity or fear that I looked like a complete idiot noob. (because I am one, I just didn't want it to be obvious) and I just let myself go ahead and mess it up and make a really bad animation. I'm really glad I did this because in all honesty, I felt a lot better afterward. I got myself familiar and comfortable with the room and the equipment and just the feeling of sitting down at the light board to animate. Letting go of that fear of failure and anxiety over being a beginner, is something that I just need to get used to. Everyone has started out here and really listening to my professor talk about exactly that idea in class was really helpful too.

The next day I went back to the lab and started completely over, which I had originally planned before I had even started the first trial anyway. I knew I would have to scrap the whole thing and redo it. But just in doing it that one time I had figured out so much and the second animation looked so much better.

In this one "simple" assignment alone I've already felt so much better about animating. I can't say I have it perfect now. Come critique day, I'll find out everything I effed up on.

Nonetheless, I feel good about having figured out what I have on my own.

Trial 3 was spent entirely just trying to fix the end. The second to last arc had to be narrowed and then the very last few frames the ball looked like it was rolling off (which it should NOT). I was getting nervous that having half of a 6th contact point would get me in trouble, but I made it work and I'll just see what happens. We're going in blindly here with no guidance. There's no expectation that it will be perfect.