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

他曾說 動畫不是會動的繪畫藝術

but the art of movements that are drawn.

而是畫出律動的藝術

What happens between each frame is more important

每一格之間的變化

than what exists on each frame."

比每一格中畫出的內容更重要

What did he mean?

他說的是什麼意思呢?

Well, for an object to appear in motion,

嗯...一個移動中的物體

it necessarily has to change in position over time.

隨著時間改變 它位置會改變

If time passes and no change in position occurs,

如果時間改變而它位置沒變

the object will appear to be still.

這物體是靜止的

This relationship between the passage of time

時間的流逝和 這段時間內改變的程度

and the amount of change that occurs in that time

這兩者之間的關係

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

是任何跟時間有關的 藝術形式的重點

be it music, dance, or motion pictures.

譬如 音樂、 舞蹈或動畫

Manipulating the speed and amount of change

操控每一格間的速度

between the frames is the secret alchemy

和其改變的程度

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

這是讓動畫賦予生命錯覺的秘密

In animation, there are two fundamental principles

動畫有兩個基本原則

we use to do this:

通常是:

timing and spacing.

時間和間距

To illustrate the relationship between them,

解釋兩者間的關係

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

我們用一個永恆的例子 : 跳動的球

One way to think about timing

一個思考時間的方法

is that it's the speed, or tempo,

是在一個動作發生的時候

at which an action takes place.

考慮它的速度或節奏

We determine the speed of an action

多少圖像或多少格

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

決定了一個動作的速度

The more frames something takes to happen,

越多格

the more time it spends on screen,

在銀幕上出現的時間越長

so the slower the action will be.

動作越慢

The fewer frames something takes to happen,

越少格

the less screen time it takes,

在銀幕上出現的時間越短

which gives us faster action.

我們看起來動作越快

The timing is about more than just speed,

時間它不只是速度

it's also about rhythm.

還有律動

Like a drumbeat or melody only exists

有如鼓聲和旋律

when a song is being played,

只有當歌曲撥放時才存在

the timing of an action

動作所需時間

only exists while it's happening.

只有發生時存在

You can describe it in words,

你若用文字描述

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

可以說6格 18格等

But to really get a sense of it,

但若要真的感覺一下

you need to act it out

你需要做出動作

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

或當真實發生時體會它

Now, the timing of an action

現在動作的時間性

all depends on the context of the scene

取決於場景的內容

and what you're trying to communicate.

還有你想表達的東西

What is doing the acting, and why?

是什麼造成這些動作?為什麼?

Let's take our example.

舉例說

What makes a ball bounce?

球為什麼會跳?

The action we're talking about here

這裡我們所說的動作

is a result of interacting physical forces,

是物理力量交互作用的結果

a moving ball's tendency to stay in motion,

一個是驅動球體

or its force of momentum

持續跳起的動能

vs. the constant force of gravity

對抗將球帶回地面

bringing it back down Earth.

的地心引力

The degree to which these invisible forces apply,

這無形力量作用的程度

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

和球本身運動方式

all depends on the physical properties of the ball.

取決於球本身的物理性質

A golf ball is small, hard and light.

高爾夫球是小的、硬的、輕的

A rubber ball is small, soft and lighter.

橡皮球是小的、 軟的、更轻的

A beach ball is large, soft and light.

沙灘球是大的、軟的、輕的

And a bowling ball is large, hard and heavy.

而保齡球是大的、硬的、重的

So, each ball behaves very differently,

所以根據其性質

according to its properties.

每種球表現不同

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

讓我們感覺一下每一個球的視覺律動感

Each ball plays its own beat

每個有其跳動方式

and tells us something about itself

還有它通過銀幕所需時間

and the time it takes to travel across the screen.

這都告訴了我們它的特性

The visual rhythm of these hits is the timing.

每次反彈的視覺律動是時間

Okay, let's start animating our ball,

好 我們來模擬這顆球

bouncing up and down with a simple cycle of drawings.

用圓圈上下跳動來表示

We'll draw a circle here,

我們畫個圓

call it point A, our starting point.

A 是起點

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

落底地面時是B

Let's say it takes about a second

落底擊地再彈起

to hit the ground and come back up again.

這大約花一秒鐘

This is our timing.

這是我們所需的時間

Our spacing is where we position the circle

圓圈在A和B間的來回

in the frames between point A and point B.

是我們的間距

If we were to move our ball

若將球

in evenly-spaced increments,

在均勻間距中跳動

we'd get something like this.

我們看到像這樣

It's not really telling us anything about itself.

但這沒有任何意義

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

只不過是個跳動球或是 電梯中跳動的圓圈

Let's look at our footage again

讓我們再來看一下鏡頭

and think about what's going on

每次球反彈

as each ball bounces.

想想是怎麼回事

Following each impact with the ground,

每次與地面撞擊之後

the ball's upward momentum

球反彈向上的動力

is eventually overcome by gravity.

終究抵抗了地心引力

This happens at the peak of each arc.

尤其是在弧線的頂點

As things change direction,

當方向改變時

the motion is slowest.

速度是最慢的

We see here the successive positions of the ball

在高點我們捕捉到 球的連續位置

are close together.

越來越重疊靠緊

The ball then speeds up as it falls,

當下墜時 球開始加速

and is at its fastest

當接近撞擊地面時

when it's approaching and hitting the ground.

球速是最快的

We can see here each position is further apart.

球落地前的連續位置越來越分開

The change in position between frames

在格與格間的位置改變

is the spacing.

叫間距

The smaller the change,

間距改變越小

the slower the action will appear.

動作越慢

The greater the change,

間距改變越大

the faster it will appear.

動作越快

For an action to decelerate,

對減速中的動作

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

每次位置的改變 會比前次改變的少

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

同樣的 對加速的動作

each successive change must be greater.

連續位置改變越來越大

Let's change the mechanical spacing

讓我們改變

of our animated bounce

模擬跳動的間距

to reflect what we observed in the footage.

來驗證鏡頭中的觀察結果

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

在頂點很慢 當它擊中地面時速度快

Simply by adjusting the spacing,

只要調整間距

we've succeeded in suggesting

我們已成功說明

the forces of momentum and gravity at play

動力和重力的交互作用

and achieved a much more realistic motion.

可達到更真實的動作

Same timing but different spacing

同樣的時間但不同的間距

gives us vastly different results.

會有相當不同的結果

And in reality, as a ball bounces,

真實中 當一個球反彈時

the physics of gravity eventually defeat

物理重力勝過了

the tendency of the ball to stay in motion.

球想保持運動狀態的傾向

You can see this here in the decreasing height

你可看到連續反彈時

of each successive bounce.

高度漸漸減少

However, again, this decrease varies

然而高度減少多少

according to the properties of the ball.

取決於球本身的物性

Even though these circles are the same size here,

縱使這圓圈是同樣大小

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

每個都會有不同結果

purely in how they move.

純粹在於如何移動

The relationship between these principles

時間和間距

of timing and spacing

兩者間的關係

can be applied in countless ways

可應用在無數的地方

and used to animate all types of action:

和模擬所有的動作

a yo-yo,

回力球

a punch,

拳擊

a gentle tap,

輕輕觸碰

a push,

推力

a saw,

拉鋸

the Sun traveling across the sky,

太陽劃過天空

a pendulum.

鐘擺

Animation is a time-based art form.

動畫是時間相關的藝術形式

It may incorporate the aesthetic elements

它可以結合

of other graphic arts,

其他圖像藝術的美學元素

like illustration or painting,

像插圖或繪畫

but what sets animation apart

但 是什麼讓動畫有別於他

is that, here, what you see

就是 重點不是你看到的

is less important that what you don't see.

而是你沒看到的

An object's superficial appearance

我們在物體外表所看到的

only tells us so much about itself.

就是它的全部

It's only when it's in motion

只有在移動中

that we really understand its nature.

我們才真的了解它的本質