Animation basics: The art of timing and spacing - TED-Ed

翻译人员: Yan Ge 校对人员: Amy H. Fann

Norman McLaren, the great 20th century pioneer of animation technique,

20世纪动画技术的先驱者，诺曼·麦克拉伦，曾说过

once said, "Animation is not the art of drawings that move,

“动画并不是绘画移动的一门艺术，

but the art of movements that are drawn.

而是将动态画出来的一门艺术。

What happens between each frame is more important

与每一帧上的内容相比，

帧与帧之间的联系更为重要。”

than what exists on each frame."

What did he mean?

这是什么意思呢？

Well, for an object to appear in motion,

是指，要想让物体看起来是在移动的，

it necessarily has to change in position over time.

它的位置必须随着时间的推移而变化。

如果时间变化而物体的位置却没有变化，

If time passes and no change in position occurs,

the object will appear to be still.

它看起来就是静止的。

This relationship between the passage of time

时间变化和这段时间中 物体位置变化的量之间的关系

and the amount of change that occurs in that time

is at the heart of every time-based art form,

是每一样以时间概念为基础的艺术形式的核心，

be it music, dance, or motion pictures.

比如音乐、舞蹈以及电影艺术。

Manipulating the speed and amount of change

控制两帧之间物体位置变化的速度和量

between the frames is the secret alchemy

是赋予动画生命的秘密法宝。

that gives animation the ability to convey the illusion of life.

在动画中，我们遵循两个基本原则

In animation, there are two fundamental principles

we use to do this:

来进行这一控制：

timing and spacing.

时间原则和空间原则。

为了说明这两者之间的关系，

To illustrate the relationship between them,

we'll use a timeless example: the bouncing ball.

我们举一个经典例子： 弹跳球。

One way to think about timing

我们可以这样看待时间：

is that it's the speed, or tempo,

时间，是一个动作的速度或者节奏。

at which an action takes place.

We determine the speed of an action

我们增减完成动作所使用的图片， 也就是帧的数量，

by how many pictures, or frames, it takes to happen.

以此决定动作的速度。

The more frames something takes to happen,

完成动作所使用的帧数越多，

the more time it spends on screen,

它在屏幕上呈现的时间就越长，

so the slower the action will be.

动作也就越慢。

The fewer frames something takes to happen,

反之，完成动作所使用的帧数越少，

the less screen time it takes,

它在屏幕上呈现的时间就越短，

which gives us faster action.

动作就会越快。

The timing is about more than just speed,

时间不仅仅指速度，

it's also about rhythm.

它也和节奏有关。

Like a drumbeat or melody only exists

鼓点和旋律只存在于播放的音乐之中，

when a song is being played,

the timing of an action

同样地，动作的时间只有在动作发生时才存在。

only exists while it's happening.

You can describe it in words,

你当然可以用文字来描述它，

say, something will take 6 frames, 18 frames, or so on.

比如，某个动作需要6帧或者18帧来完成。

But to really get a sense of it,

但要想真正理解这个动作，

you need to act it out

你需要在现实时间里再现或体验它。

or experience it as it would happen in, well, real time.

Now, the timing of an action

也就是说，动作的时间完全取决于 背景关联和表达内容。

all depends on the context of the scene

and what you're trying to communicate.

What is doing the acting, and why?

那这些动作是什么？ 又为什么会有这些动作呢？

Let's take our example.

让我们回到弹跳球的例子，

What makes a ball bounce?

球为什么会弹跳呢？

The action we're talking about here

这实际上是两股力量交互作用的结果：

is a result of interacting physical forces,

a moving ball's tendency to stay in motion,

一方面，运动中的球体由于动力作用想要保持动势；

or its force of momentum

vs. the constant force of gravity

而另一方面，地心引力却不断试图将其拉回地面。

bringing it back down Earth.

The degree to which these invisible forces apply,

这两方无形力量的作用程度

and the reason why the ball behaves the way it does,

以及球体的运动方式

all depends on the physical properties of the ball.

都是由球的物理特性决定的。

A golf ball is small, hard and light.

高尔夫球体积小、坚硬、质量轻；

A rubber ball is small, soft and lighter.

橡皮球体积小、 柔软、质量更轻；

A beach ball is large, soft and light.

沙滩球体积大、柔软、非常轻；

And a bowling ball is large, hard and heavy.

而保龄球则体积大、坚硬、非常重。

So, each ball behaves very differently,

所以，每种球都会因其特性而有不同的表现。

according to its properties.

让我们感受一下每种球运动的视觉节奏。

Let's get a sense of the visual rhythm of each.

每种球都有自己的节拍，

Each ball plays its own beat

and tells us something about itself

以此来告知我们其特性

and the time it takes to travel across the screen.

以及它们穿过屏幕所需的时间。

The visual rhythm of these hits is the timing.

球体连续撞击地面所产生的视觉节奏体就是时间。

Okay, let's start animating our ball,

现在，让我们用简单的绘画让这个球跳动起来。

bouncing up and down with a simple cycle of drawings.

We'll draw a circle here,

在这里画一个圆圈，作为点A，

call it point A, our starting point.

是运动的起始点。

We'll have it hit the ground here, point B.

我们让球体在这里接触地面，也就是点B。

假设球体从点A落下触地再弹回需要一秒钟。

Let's say it takes about a second

to hit the ground and come back up again.

This is our timing.

这就是我们所说的时间。

而空间则是指每一帧里点A和点B的位置关系。

Our spacing is where we position the circle

in the frames between point A and point B.

If we were to move our ball

如果我们让球体按等距离运动，

in evenly-spaced increments,

we'd get something like this.

就会得到这样的效果。

It's not really telling us anything about itself.

我们很难以此判断这究竟是什么：

Is it a bouncing ball or a circle on an elevator?

是一个弹跳球？ 还是电梯上的一个圆圈？

Let's look at our footage again

让我们再来看一下球弹跳的画面，

and think about what's going on

并且思考每种球到底是如何弹跳的。

as each ball bounces.

Following each impact with the ground,

在球体与地面接触后，

the ball's upward momentum

其向上的动势最终被地心引力消除。

is eventually overcome by gravity.

This happens at the peak of each arc.

此时球体达到弧线轨迹的顶点。

As things change direction,

球体改变方向的那一刻， 其运动速度最慢。

the motion is slowest.

在顶点附近，球的连续位置非常紧密。

We see here the successive positions of the ball

are close together.

The ball then speeds up as it falls,

此后球体下落，速度加快，

and is at its fastest

在它即将接触地面的瞬间，

when it's approaching and hitting the ground.

速度达到峰值。

远离顶点，球的连续位置则较为松散。

We can see here each position is further apart.

帧与帧之间物体位置的变化体现出空间原则。

The change in position between frames

is the spacing.

The smaller the change,

位置变化越小，动作显得越慢；

the slower the action will appear.

The greater the change,

位置变化越大，动作则显得越快。

the faster it will appear.

For an action to decelerate,

动作由快变慢，

each change in position must be less than the change before it.

位置变化必须逐渐减小；

同样地，动作由慢变快，

Likewise, for an action to speed up, or accelerate,

each successive change must be greater.

位置变化则要逐渐增大。

Let's change the mechanical spacing

让我们通过调节球体的位置变化

of our animated bounce

来表现此前在影片中所看到的球体运动。

to reflect what we observed in the footage.

Slow at the top, fast when it's hitting the ground.

到达顶端时速度放缓， 落向地面时速度加快，

Simply by adjusting the spacing,

仅仅通过调整空间关系，

we've succeeded in suggesting

我们成功地反映了动力与地心引力的作用，

the forces of momentum and gravity at play

and achieved a much more realistic motion.

并更为真实地表现了球体的运动。

运动时间相同，但空间变化不同，

Same timing but different spacing

gives us vastly different results.

所产生的效果也大不相同。

现实中的情况是，

And in reality, as a ball bounces,

the physics of gravity eventually defeat

地心引力终将完全消除球的动势。

the tendency of the ball to stay in motion.

You can see this here in the decreasing height

从球越跳越低的趋势中

of each successive bounce.

你就能看出这一点。

However, again, this decrease varies

但仍要强调，根据球特性不同，

according to the properties of the ball.

这种趋势也有不同的表现。

Even though these circles are the same size here,

虽然这两个圆圈大小相同，

they're each telling us a different story about themselves,

但仅仅通过不同的运动方式，

purely in how they move.

它们就能展现各自不同的特性。

这些时间和空间原则之间的关系

The relationship between these principles

of timing and spacing

can be applied in countless ways

能以无数种方式被运用，

and used to animate all types of action:

并可以用来为任何动作制作动画：

a yo-yo,

悠悠球，

a punch,

击打动作，

a gentle tap,

轻轻地敲击，

a push,

推的动作，

a saw,

锯子的运动，

the Sun traveling across the sky,

日升日落，

钟摆运动。

a pendulum.

Animation is a time-based art form.

动画以时间概念为基础的艺术形式。

它虽包含插画、油画等绘画艺术的审美元素，

It may incorporate the aesthetic elements

of other graphic arts,

like illustration or painting,

but what sets animation apart

却也有其独特之处，

is that, here, what you see

那就是，你在画面上没有看到的东西

is less important that what you don't see.

要比你所看到的更为重要。

An object's superficial appearance

物体的表象能告诉我们的东西有限；

only tells us so much about itself.

It's only when it's in motion

只有当它们运动起来，

that we really understand its nature.

我们才能真正理解其本质特性。