COMIC & ANIMATION

COMIC

Definition: Set of dawings arranged in a timeline story; also we can say that it is a set of pictures arranged in sequences in order to transmit information and feelings. Comic, like cinema, is made up of sequences, so, try to tell a story through a time. Comic uses written and visual language in a narrative structue narrativa which show clearly the character´s actions and thoughts.

The Yellow Kid the first comic published by Richard Felton Outcault in The New York Journal in 1896, but we can consider older comic precedents: cave paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphics and medieval altarpieces.

COMIC ELEMENTS

PANEL & SEQUENCE

SEQUENCE

PANEL

Each panel shows a part of the story; but, sometimes, a single one is enough to tell the whole story.

A sequence is a group of panels that are associated within a portion of time. Sequences, are arranged in pages. Most of the panels are rectangles or squares in a square grid layout, although from XXth 60¨s, new shapes and designs try to avoid monotony.

Calvin y Hobbes created by Bill Watterson

Ussually panels are separated by boxes, but sometimes, panels are "separated" by the drawing itself, which is useful to get a a more meaningful sequence.

In the first panel Calvin is shouting "¡NO ES JUSTO". First panel function is to show the set and main character of this comic strip is made up of drawings and texts.

In this sequence are three panels that have a narrative relationship.

BALLOONS

Inside is the verbal speach of the character.

The balloon tail points at who is speaking.

According their shape, show a talk an unison chatting, an scream, an off voice, a weeping, a thought or a whisper .

ONOMATOPOEIAS

They are the verbal expression of a noise.

The noise characteristics are suggested with visual features like shape, size, or colour, with inner text, such: ¡CRASH!, ¡GONG!, ¡BOOM!..

.Sometimes onomatopeia becomes main actor in a story.

MOVEMENT or ACTION

You can express the movement feel by action lines, or graphic symbols which give dynamism and emphasis to the story. These examples are from Mortadelo y Filemón by Francisco Ibañez:

IMPACTS

Ussually is represented by the beater thing within an irregular star .

PATHS

One or several lines to show graphically the space go down by an objet in a short period of time.

CLOUDS

They come along the character path in a dust cloud.

VIBRATION

Línes dirawn along the outline of the character or the object vibrating by fear, cold....

ANIMATION

When talking about animation we ussually refer to "cartoons". Animation is the proccess to give movement to drawings or still objets. This is possible because a pitfall in our brain perception called sight persistence . Our brain can perceive limited stimuli per second, f.eg. still pictures from real movement, and the brain links them in a continuum of action. If we take 24 photos (frames) and editi them in a sequence to last in total 1 second, our sight understand them as a movie. In films we use 24 frames per second (f.p.s.), in animation are above 16 f.p.s

In early XXth century animation evolve, arose studios to product cartoons for TV and cinema screen, At the beginning were técnicas classic techniques de with tracing paper or acetates, but currently are almost digital productions.

We can create a flipbook with very few elements and resources. To get animation is neccessary to draw a lot of pictures and flip the corner with the proper speed

you can´t notice the small gaps in between.

Animation types :

• 2D Animation
• StopMotion
• Pixelation
• Rotoscope
• Cut out Animation
• Sand Animation
• 3D Animation

Here you can watch a flipbook animation of Sonic, each sheet of paper is a small variation of the pose or "frame"

2D ANIMATION

Consists in drawing frame by frame. 2D animation is flat, characters and objects have only height and width.

It´s the classic style known from XIXth.

"Hair love", short animaction winner 2020 Oscar prize

STOP MOTION

Instead drawings, photos of dolls, mainly plasticine dolls, with different poses are taken .

‘El Cazo de Lorenzo’, based in a Isabelle Carrier´s tale:

PIXELATION

Variation of stop-motion where objects replace dolls or models, instead objects can appear people.

.

"Her Morning Elegance" by Oren Lavie

ROTOSCOPE

Consists in redoing outlines of frames by hand, frame to frame, taking sequence previously filmed.

"Take On Me" by A-ha

CUT OUT ANIMATION

It is a variation of stop motion, taking photos from the top of flat shapes. Most common are pieces of cardboard, paper, fabric or photos .

Argentinian Quirino Cristiani was who first released a whole film with this technique:"El Apostol".

"Year of the Dog" by The Lovely Sparrows

SAND ANIMATION

Consists in creating drawings with sand onto a glass table with bottom lighting. Artists use their hands, while showing in an screen in real time.

"Zepo" by César Díaz Meléndez

3D ANIMATION

This technique consists in create pictures by computer. It is a complex that join a lot of different works like sketching, design, modeling, rendering ... With this kind of animation is possible to create new pictures never seen before or tell stories in a way you could not imagine.

To get the final outcome animators follow 3 stages:

• Modeling: consists in giving shape and form to individual objects that take part in the scenes.

• Lighting light and shadows of different kinds, directions, to create volumen, related with colour...

• Rendering by using digital programs, digital pictures are got from 3D models or scenarios . The goal is get a realistic picture that can be seen from infinite points of view.

Pixar first release in 1995 was Toy Story which set the basis of 3D animation for decades. Also Final Fantasy , released in 2000, it is the first film only by computer.

FROM COMIC TO ANIMATION ANIMATION ANIMACIÓN

Adaptations from comic to animation, are frequents. Everybody know about superhero comics (X-Men, Hellboy, Wonder Woman, Thor, Batman...) and their cinema adaptations become even more popular.

Cuando el viento sopla tells the story of Jim and Hilda Bloggs an old retired couple who live in a faraway rural area in the UK before a nuclear war starts.

Deeply patriots, they trust absolutely in Goverment but just in case Jim is building an antiatomic shelter

Arrugas tells the friendship of Emilio and Miguel, 2 elders secluded in a residential home. Emilio, just arrived in an initial stage of Alzheimer is helped by Miguel and his friends to avoid the upper floor where terminal patients are.

Their crazy plan is a mixture of comedy and tenderness in a boring and sad place