Body Language research
May 5th
A while ago I got very interested in studying body language, believing it would drastically improve my animation skills. Knowing what visible signals the body is sending can be paramount in communicating with the audience (and with other characters). You’ve probably heard about Albert Mehrabrian’s study at UCLA which found that 55% of communication is through non-verbal cues*. So I thought the more I knew about non-verbal cues the better equipped I would be as an animator. I did some research on the subject.
As animators, I feel we tend to over-think every pose we use for our characters anyway. By studying acting we have a somewhat decent grasp on what pose a character should hold to communicate their feelings, and how to make a pose feel closed off or open. Therefore, studying body language did little to inform my animation choices but did aid me in social situations in my daily life. Basically, I find that social life is much more entertaining now.
Bonus: my animation improved “a little.”
That aside, for anyone else who might be interested in such an adventure I thought I might share some recommendations (and non-recommendations) so you get a more fulfilling experience and don’t waste your time in the wrong places.
What Every BODY is Saying
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about body language! It is written quite well, the author doesn’t talk down to you, and it is full of great information. To top it all off, the author is an ex-FBI agent who shares his experiences in the field and explains how his observation of body language helped him solve cases! Real cases! How cool is that? Who doesn’t love FBI stories and solving crime?! He explains how he was never really trained for body language, he just started to notice things about how people behaved when they knew something they weren’t saying. These observational skills helped him figure out what people weren’t telling him! The body language information is presented in a memorable way coupled with real life stories, which served to make it both informative and entertaining. I definitely recommend this book.
The Definitive Book of Body Language
This book bothered me. Unfortunately I read it first, but if I read it after What Every BODY is Saying I would have have just given up on it after a chapter or two. For the most part it is written from a perspective of how to succeed as a business person, which made it difficult to hold my attention. The worst was that the authors often talk down to you. They over explain things as if you are ten years old, repeat lots of information without presenting it in newer ways, and don’t give you enough credit as a reader. Additionally, they quote findings of many studies that are either unannotated or sound bias in their testing methods. Lastly, they often use pictures of high-profile people as examples and tell you what they are thinking. Immediately this sounds suspect to me. When you show me a picture of Hillary Clinton and tell me exactly what she is thinking, you lose credibility in my opinion. Unless you went up to her after the photo was taken and asked what she was thinking (they didn’t) then you have no idea what was really going through her head. Now, what you CAN tell me is what her body language is suggesting to the people around her. What she is projecting rather than what she is literally thinking. It’s a slight difference, but it is a difference. When the distinction between the two isn’t made clear it can be misleading. The stuff that’s actually helpful is the same information you’ll find in any other book or video. Skip this one.
The Secrets of Body Language
This is a dvd from the History Channel. It was amusing, but not much more than that. After reading the books it was all basically the same information. They take the high-profile approach again trying to play at our interest in public figures like political leaders and celebrities. I’m pretty sure one of the consultants and interviewee’s on the show was one of the authors of the Definitive Book of Body Language, but I don’t remember exactly. They talk a bit about cultural differences (for example, the last person to enter the room is a big indicator of status in the middle east) which isn’t really so much about our instinctual or subconscious non-verbal communicators as much as it is a conscious effort to display status. They also talk about politicians taking pictures with each other, and how they jockey for who gets to have the ‘power position’ in the handshake (palm facing downward), because of the message that this sends to the public. In this instance, it is a conscious decision to have a subconscious impact on the audience. Interesting.
There were a couple of gems but overall it didn’t quite feel worth the money. If you happen to catch it on tv then go for it.
Lie to Me is (was?) a TV show on FOX. It is loosely based on Dr. Paul Eckman and his studies on the human face and what it reveals about emotions. In the beginning episodes it focuses much more on what you can learn from body language, but as the series goes on it becomes much more about the relationships between the recurring characters just like any TV drama does. Some shows excel at this. For example, I don’t watch House M.D. for what I can learn about practicing diagnostic medicine, I watch it for the relationships between the characters which are extremely well executed. However, in this case I want to know about body language. Sure it’s entertaining, and Tim Roth does a pretty great job with his character, but if you’re in it to learn about facial cues you are better off getting your information elsewhere. (For example, Eckman’s books – which I have not yet read but will). Also, the show inherently has a fatal flaw; it features actors. The script will tell them they must flash a ‘micro-expression’ of disgust; an uncontrollable impulse as an emotional response. The actors must TRY to make this emotional flash look instinctual and incredibly quick. Sometimes it works well, yet sometimes… you wouldn’t need an ‘expert’ to determine what’s on the characters mind (haha). A lot of the times it’s like they beat you over the head with their ‘micro-expression’ which defeats the purpose. Overall, the ratio of ‘time spent’ to ‘what you learn’ isn’t worth it. Read a book.
A very large majority of the information is the same across the board, the difference is how it’s presented. If anyone else has any other recommendations (or disagreements with mine) please contribute and post in the comments! If you’ve read Eckman’s books tell us what you thought and how they compare to these. Thanks, and enjoy.
-Jacob
*There is controversy surrounding these findings when applied to day-to-day interaction and not controlled experiments. Mehrabrian himself states “Please note that this and other equations regarding relative importance of verbal and nonverbal messages were derived from experiments dealing with communications of feelings and attitudes (i.e., like–dislike). Unless a communicator is talking about their feelings or attitudes, these equations are not applicable.” You can find several sites that debunk these findings in greater depth. Here is one.
Animation is like an Onion
Apr 18th
Oh I get it, It has layers! Today I wanted to talk about a concept that really helps me when I’m animating. I don’t know if it has a term but I like to think of it as layers of character. I know some people like to animate in layers, but what I want to talk about is not a workflow but rather a way to understand all the things that make up your character. The better you know your character, the better the performance you’ll be able to give.
The bottom layer is the “what” layer. What is your characters physicality? What your character is and how it’s built will describe how the character moves. For example, Shrek and Donkey. They are not built the same, they won’t move the same way either. Some things to keep in mind are: Age, Sex, Weight, Height, Physical ability, ect. If you are animating an animal do your research. The more you know about how that animal moves the better off you’ll be. All of this may sound obvious, but I’ve seen this layer forgotten. For example, an old man won’t move the same as a child and women don’t walk the same as men, yet I have seen these types of characters animated interchangeably many times.
The middle layer is the “who” layer. Who is your character? This layer is all about personality. Just like in the “what” layer it’s important to do your research and know everything there is to know about your character before you start animating. Your character’s personality will determine how they interact in their world. It defines how they see themselves and how the world sees them. Even the character’s silhouette should tell you something about their personality. Take Eeyore and Donkey for example. Both are donkeys (I know one is stuffed) but they both have drastically different personalities. You can see this in the way they move and how they carry themselves. Donkey is more like a dog, very playful and has a bounce in his step. That doesn’t mean that they will only display one emotion, and that leads me into the last layer.
The top layer is the “How” layer. How does your character feel. This layer is all about emotion. How your character is currently feeling about something is the strongest driver in the performance. Characters are not flat, they can feel the same range of emotions as you do. It’s their personality that will define how they show them. Donkey isn’t happy all the time and Eeyore can feel joy. It’s how they show these emotions that tells you more about their character. Your characters current emotional state is the strongest driver in how they will interact. Emotion drives motion!
Here is one last example to help tie this all together. Take Bagheera from The Jungle Book. He doesn’t just move like a believable panther, he moves and performs like a stuffy panther. When he gets angry he isn’t just an angry panther, but a stuffy, angry panther. It all layers on top of each other.
So that’s layers of character and how I approach all of my shots. I hope it gives you something to think about when you start your next shot and can help you keep character in mind and the multiple ways we can show it. Just remember: What, Who, and How!
-Stephen
Inspiration: Bill Watterson (Part 1)
Apr 8th
Bill Watterson's process
My good friend Christian Reese pointed out a speech to me recently that I had not read in a long time. I looked on the article and struggled to recall anything other than a vague emotional reaction I once had after reading it some time ago. At that point I decided to drop whatever I was doing and surrender to inspiration.
The speech I read was one that Bill Watterson, creator of the famous comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, gave to the graduating class of Kenyon College in 1990. Watterson is very reclusive and there are very few interviews with him anywhere. The few times he does speak, his words are lean, with purpose and full of wisdom. I had to reread quite a number of parts of his speech to fully digest his meaning. Needless to say, I was inspired.
Here is the speech: http://www.serverunderground.com/2009/11/16/speech-by-bill-watterson/
Or on our server: http://www.speakingofanimation.com/storage/watterson.html
I also have pulled out a few select quotes that I thought were particularly poignant.
- If I’ve learned one thing from being a cartoonist, it’s how important playing is to creativity and happiness.
- Our idea of relaxing is all too often to plop down in front of the television set and let its pandering idiocy liquefy our brains. Shutting off the thought process is not rejuvenating; the mind is like a car battery-it recharges by running.
- To endure five years of rejection to get a job requires either a faith in oneself that borders on delusion, or a love of the work.
- We all have different desires and needs, but if we don’t discover what we want from ourselves and what we stand for, we will live passively and unfulfilled. Sooner or later, we are all asked to compromise ourselves and the things we care about. We define ourselves by our actions. With each decision, we tell ourselves and the world who we are. Think about what you want out of this life, and recognize that there are many kinds of success.
- …having an enviable career is one thing, and being a happy person is another.
- To invent your own life’s meaning is not easy, but it’s still allowed, and I think you’ll be happier for the trouble.
- Your preparation for the real world is not in the answers you’ve learned, but in the questions you’ve learned how to ask yourself.
Watterson’s words remind me of why I’m doing animation. Animation is what I love and for most of you I’m sure the same is true. Watterson speaks to a way of life that centers on loving what you do and following your dreams. While this comes across as cliche, I feel it speaks a very deep truth. Many times in animation, when we are lost in the principles and long hours at the computer/animation desk, it’s easy to lose sight of why we are doing what we’re doing. Remember why you fell in love with animation because it will show you how the “problems” you’re dealing with in your shot are the good problems.
“Ok Ben, that’s enough sappy stuff. Get to showing us those awesome Calvin and Hobbes strips.”
I hear you. 
I will get to some of the awesome Bill Watterson art that is Calvin and Hobbes in a later post, but for now I just wanted to touch upon the roots of why we do what we do. Animation, just like any artform, requires countless hours of work and dedication. It requires a level of love that is irrational and unwavering. I feel that if you begin with that as a base, you are that much more prepared to soak up inspiring material.
My last note is something that I am beginning to consciously think about when blocking out a shot. Watterson says,
“…it’s been liberating to put myself in the mind of a fictitious six year-old each day, and rediscover my own curiosity. I’ve been amazed at how one idea leads to others if I allow my mind to play and wander.”
The intent is to allow your mind to think unconventionally. So often our minds are bound by reality and we don’t think to explore the impossible. Sometimes thinking like a child can allow you to explore new and fresh opportunities in your animation.
|Ben
P.S. I implore you to read the whole speech. It’s completely worth it and you’ll be glad you did.
Specificity in Character part 2
Feb 24th
Let’s elaborate on specificity in character. In my first post I said it wasn’t enough to just slap a lab coat on the rig and call him a doctor. He has to be a specific person. A specific doctor. A unique character.
This is not a concept exclusive to animation. Live action actors must also accomplish the same sort of specificity to be successful*. Not being a live action actor myself, I can’t venture a guess how one ‘becomes’ a character; though perhaps when they put on a lab coat it actually changes the way they feel and informs their choices. However, I do enjoy watching talented actors portraying wide varieties of roles, and even though I don’t fully understand the intricacies of the process, I am entertained by the results and fascinated by specificity.
For example, in my personal opinion, Philip Seymour Hoffman (imdb here) is a talented actor capable of such transformations between characters. He successfully communicates his characters to the audience on a number of levels. For the sake of argument, I found four images from four different films:
Essentially, the same ‘rig’ is being used in each film. He is the same height, weight, skeleton, hair color, etc. And sure, the costume is changed in each – but that’s not enough, remember? To me, the overwhelming concept in these images is not how he’s dressed, it is how he is posed. How he carries himself is what communicates his character. In fact, two images feature a character dressed in drab clothing, and two feature a character in elegant, powerful wardrobe. Yet, despite some costumes being practically interchangeable, none of these characters feel similar. He has found unique and specific ways for each character to behave.
Number one would never hold a glass like number two. He just wouldn’t. Nor would three or four. I don’t feel like number four could be as internal and reserved as number three (or hold his own hand in such a gentle, comforting way). And I can’t see number two holding his arms above his head in the way number four does. In fact, I don’t think number two would ever raise his arms above his shoulders, no less his head. Number one feels more shy and introverted while four feels extroverted and loud. I could go on and on, but look for yourself and find more specificity dividing these characters. Now think about this: all of these are just still images. We are only looking at how these characters hold themselves in a freeze-frame! Apply motion to it and the differences become exponential. Then you can find specificity in movements, not just posing. As animators we control movements on a frame-by-frame basis. There is no reason not to make posing, and movements, unique to a character.
-Jacob
*successful artistically. You can be also wildly successful in hollywood if you are very attractive and have marginal talent.
Movie still-frames:
Image 1: Boogie Nights
Image 2: Capote
Image 3: Doubt
Image 4: Along Came Polly
Inspiration: Victor Borge
Jan 25th
I want to take a moment to talk about inspiration. As an artist, you rely on inspiration to guide you and motivate you. Sure principles can guide you as well, but they are not always the best motivators. I recently found some inspiration that i wish to share with you. It also happens to correspond nicely with our upcoming podcast on comedy.
About a week ago I watched a PBS telethon which aired some clips of Victor Borge. I remember watching him when I was a child on the same PBS telethon. Not having seen him for a while, I was given an opportunity to watch his performance with a fresh, new perspective.
My conclusion?
Victor is a genius. His comedic timing is spot on and I couldn’t help but be inspired. While there are many things to take away from his brilliant performances, I found myself focusing on three particular aspects. These aspects are his truthfulness of character, setup and delivery, and pure mastery of craft.
Truthfulness of Character:
Comedy, in the same way as any type of performance, relies on the character being truthful to who they are in order to be believable. For example, Superman would never do anything unjust and/or unethical. He can never lie, cheat or steal. If you animate him doing any of these things, he ceases to be believable. While this example might be broader, character comes out in subtleties as well. If he even wavers one bit from being honest or upstanding, you will lose credibility. This is so important for great animation and for great performances.
Victor, through all of his productions, remains true to the character that he has created. He sets up rules for his character and never strays from them. You would never imagine his character to be mean, nor would you expect him to stay on task. While these aren’t complicated ideas, they are guidelines that Borge constructed to give the audience someone to empathize with. His believability and genuine nature keep you interested.
Setup and Delivery:
Central to comedy is the concept of setting up something to be one way and then delivering something completely unexpected. Borge uses this idea a lot in his sketches. In the quick clip of him playing on the piano and getting the notes wrong, you assume he is going to look up the score and find that he is mistaken. Then you find out that he as actually playing the music the right way according to his sheets. Now this joke works on two fronts that I can see. For one, you laugh at the unexpected outcome. Two, you laugh at the idea that he continues to play with music that is obviously wrong. This also points back to the truthfulness of his character in the way he displays a certain simplicity and naivete. As animators, we should remember this idea of contrast and misdirection. Delivering animation in a plain, straight-forward manner doesn’t make for an entertaining piece. In many ways, this encourages us to keep an open mind when looking at the world around us. There is never one way of looking at or approaching something. Remembering that is so very important. While I might not always be able to come up with something completely unique and different every time I animate, keeping my mind wrapped around this concept will most certainly make for better acting choices.
Mastery of Craft:
This last topic has less to do specifically with Victor Borge, but more in a general sense with anyone who is very good at what they do. Watching how comfortable Borge is performing and the amazing skill to which he accomplishes such is something that should inspire anyone in a skill related craft. As animators and artists, we must never become stagnant. We should always strive to learn and grow. To see another person master their craft always amazes me and drives me to be better in return.
Inspiration comes from anywhere as long as we are willing to acknowledge it. While inspiration many times finds us, it is also not lost to search for it ourselves. In fact, many times on our journey for one type of inspiration, another form of inspiration finds us anyway.
For some other good clips, search “Phonetic Punctuation” and “Inflationary Language” on YouTube for some other funny clips by Victor Borge. Also, his two part series with Marilyn Mulvey is hilarious and worth a watch.
Cheers,
|Ben
