Animation

The Camera

The cameras we are using are the Canon SL2 model. For high quality animation it is important to have fully manual cameras that perform well in low light.

Turning the Camera On +

This assumes that both the memory card and battery are inside the camera.

Remove the lens cap
Toggle the dial towards the left, into the on position

Set the Camera to Manual Mode +

Manual dial setting image is missing In order to maintain consistent settings, it is far better to set the important camera settings yourself. The automatic features on digital cameras are not consistent enough for animation purposes.

Shooting mode: Manual - set to (M) in the top dial (This allows us to have more control over the image and lets us keep our settings consistent)
Focus mode: Manual (MF) on the side of the lens (The camera's focus is not always accurate nor consistent so when animating we always want to set the focus ourselves)
- To actually change the camera's focus, use the focus ring at the very end of the lens
- To zoom in/out, turn the larger

When using the manual settings, you need to adjust the shutter speed, F-stop & ISO settings yourself - optimized for your lighting conditions. Always keep "Live View" turned off while setting manual controls. Press the "Q" in the bottom of the touchscreen window to enter "Quick Edit". Then press one of the 3 rows to set the focus. Quick edit image is missing

Shutter Speed +

Shutter speed represents how quickly the photo is taken:

Adjust to 125 (recommended setting) by using the control dial (top right on back of camera)
- High numbers are faster which allows less light into the camera
- Low numbers are slower which allows more light into the camera (motion blurs under a shutter speed of 125)

Aperture +

Apertures, also called f-stops, control how much light enters the camera and also the depth of field (how much is in focus at a time):

With the F-stop row active (middle row) drag the F-stop dial to the lowest setting available (this changes depending on the amount of zoom)
- Lower numbers allow more light and have a smaller range of focus
- Higher numbers let in less light and have a larger range of focus

ISO +

ISO - simulates the film speed setting used in film cameras. This has an impact on the quality of the photograph in low lighting.

With the ISO row active (bottom row) drag the ISO dial to 400 (outdoors) or 3200 (indoors); Press the back arrow to exit quick edit mode
- Lower numbers are higher quality but not always helpful in low light
- Higher numbers are better for low light but more grainy/noisy

Taking Pictures +

Turn on "Live View"
Zoom in/out and focus as necessary
Press the forwardmost button on the top right of the camera to take a picture
Press the Preview button (bottom right of the back of the camera) to review the photo - press Preview again to exit
Adjust camera settings/position if needed before taking more photos

Turning off the Camera +

Make sure to keep the camera off whenever you are not shooting to save the battery.

Toggle the dial into the off position
Replace the lens cap

Getting Pictures off the Camera +

Remove the camera from the tripod
Get the memory card out of the camera:
1. Open the bottom of the camera by pulling the small toggle to the other side
2. Press down lightly on the memory card to make it pop up
3. Completely remove the memory card from the camera
Place the photos off of the memory card onto the computer:
1. Place the memory card in the slot on the back of the iMac
2. On the Desktop, double-click on the icon for the memory card (or find it in the sidebar of Finder)
3. Look in the folders for your photos - the exact location may vary but should be something like this:
4. Select your photos
  - CMD+A to select all
  - Left-click on the first photo & SHIFT+left-click to select multiple consecutive
  - CMD+left-click to select non-consectutive photos
5. Drag them to a directory on the computer - ie. Photos
6. With all of the photos still selected in the new location, right-click & choose "New Folder With Selection"
7. With the folder still selected, click once on the folder name in order to rename the folder descriptively
Share the photos with the other members of your group:
1. Sign in to Google Drive
2. Drag & drop your new photo folder from its location in Finder to Google Drive
3. After the folder finishes uploading, open its sharing settings in Drive to share the folder with the members of your group
Remove the memory card from the computer:
1. Drag the memory card icon from the Desktop to the Trash icon in the dock - this removes the card without damaging its data
2. Pull out the memory card from the back of the computer
3. Place the memory card back into the camera

The Animation Stand

The animation stand (also called a copy stand) allows you to keep the camera in position above your animation.

Mounting the Camera +

The camera gets screwed into the arm of the animation stand facing downward:

Push the knob through the back of the camera rest
Line up the camera so that the metal hole on the bottom lines up with the knob
Rotate the knob to lock the camera securely in place

This picture should show mounting the camera part 1

This picture should show mounting the camera part 2

Camera Height +

This picture should show changing the height of the animation stand

The height of the camera can be adjusted:

Loosen the knob at the back of the stand
Adjust the vertical position
Tighten the knob

Camera Depth +

This picture should show changing the depth of the animation stand

The camera's depth can be adjusted:

Loosen the knob at the side of the arm
Push/pull the arm to adjust the position
Tighten the knob

Registration +

Take advantage of the grid to help you line up your drawings/other materials consistently from session to session:

Keep track of the vertical position (how many squares from the top or bottom)
Keep track of the horizontal position (how many squares from the left or right)

Lighting

There are 3 potential light sources for your animations:

The ceiling lights
The lamps set up by each animation stand
Lightboxes (for when backlighting is needed)

Whatever your source(s), make sure to keep the lighting consistent from animation session to session.

The lamps should always be kept in the same position - please do not try to adjust the angle or press up/down on the lamps
The lamps do rotate freely at base - if you notice a lamp has been moved out of position, make sure to gently rotate the lamp back into position
The lamps can be turned on by twisting the small knob at the top of the shade

Learn to Animate

Setting up your Workspace

The Camera

The Animation Stand

Lighting