Blocking is an
animation
Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
technique in which key
poses are created to establish timing and placement of characters and
prop
A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...
s in a given scene or shot. This technique is most commonly used in
3D computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating Film, moving images. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both still images and moving images, while computer animation refers to moving images. Virtu ...
, where it is sometimes referred to as ''Stepped animation''.
Blocking is often the first step in the
pose-to-pose style of animating, as opposed to the
straight-ahead style of animation (though it sometimes plays a role in straight-ahead as well). Blocking poses are not necessarily exclusively
keyframes. Blocked-in poses may also include important in-betweens, extremes, and breakdowns necessary to establishing the flow and timing of a particular shot.
In 3D, the animation curves of a blocked shot are often created using "stepped" or "square" tangencies, which provides no
interpolation
In the mathematics, mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a type of estimation, a method of constructing (finding) new data points based on the range of a discrete set of known data points.
In engineering and science, one ...
between animation poses. This allows the animator to see the poses of the animation without any strange and/or unintentional automatic interpolation. While this is sometimes problematic due to
gimbal lock
Gimbal lock is the loss of one degree of freedom (mechanics), degree of freedom in a multi-dimensional mechanism at certain alignments of the axes. In a three-dimensional three-gimbal mechanism, gimbal lock occurs when the axes of two of the gi ...
, seeing the poses in this way allows the animator to adjust the timing of an animation quickly, without the distraction of the
software
Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications.
The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...
's automatic interpolation. In some cases, interpolation in 3d animation is avoided all together to create the illusion of 2d animation with 3d models. Instances of this occurs in the animated movie,
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and in the game,
Guilty Gear Xrd.
See also
*
Blocking (stage)
In theatre, blocking is the precise staging of actors to facilitate the performance of a Play (theatre), play, ballet, film or opera. Historically, the expectations of staging/blocking have changed substantially over time in Western theater. Pr ...
References
Animation techniques
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