The Bouncing Ball Exercise
An Introduction to Animation
by Chris Gargiulo
One of the classic exercises found within the curricula of many animation schools is the bouncing ball, where the goal is to take a basic circle or image of a ball and to bring it to life. It is a great way to get your feet wet and learn the basics of animation in a simple applied context. This exercise can be done independent of technology on paper or using your technology of choice.
There are many different ways to animate a bouncing ball. There is no right or wrong way, although some techniques may be easier and faster to implement than others. The final result is what matters in the end. To acheive quality results, the key is to make sure that you apply the basic principles of design and animation.
Video Demo:
Elements and Principles
In this exercise we will focus on the following:
- Elements of Design: Color & Shape
- Principles of Design: Scale
- Principles of Animation: Squash and stretch, Staging, Straight ahead action and pose to pose, Slow in and slow out, Arcs, Timing, & Exaggeration
The Basics
There are many properties that can be keyframes and animated, but the basic ones to focus on when beginning to learn how to animate are:
- Position
- Scale
- Rotation
Making Inanimate Objects Come To Life
Learning how to make animations appear more natural/realistic is an art form. The basic things to focus on when beginning to learn how to animate are:
- Staging &Timing (position)
- Squash, Stretch, & Exaggeration (scale)
- Slow in and Out (easing)
Video Lesson:
Below is a video lesson using After Effects demonstrating one way to do the bouncing ball exercise.
The Bouncing Ball Step-by-Step Process:
1. Analysis
- Choose a type of ball and a type of bounce (ie. a tennis ball bouncing from the left to right until rolling to a stop).
- Study how this ball moves in real life (ie. study video footage).
2. Basic Setup
- Create the ball
- Set the primary position key frames (staging, timing, pose-to-pose)
- Adjust the paths for each position keyframe (arcs)
- Adjust the easing of each position keyframe (i.e. slow in and out)
3. Refinement
- Set the secondary properties of the ball by adding individual keyframes for each property (ie scale for squash/stretch/exageration, rotation)
- Add audio sound effects for each bounce.
Exercise Files:
Conclusion
The bouncing ball exercise is a great way to get your feet wet and learn how to animate. There are many different ways to animate a bouncing ball, so do not be afraid to experiment and try different techniques. For example, you may want to try exaggerating your squashes and stretches, or your easing, just to have fun and see the results. In the end, the goal is to learn the basics of animation in a simple applied context.