At the heart of successful animation are 12 principles. One of them is exaggeration, which refers to the act of taking certain elements and extending them beyond the realm of the normal. All animation requires some form of exaggeration, even animation that strives to be realistic, because it’s the exaggeration that makes animation come to life, engage the audience, and add comic relief to intense scenes. However, poorly executed exaggeration can detract from an animated work’s appeal and impact rather than add to it. As a result, effective hype requires careful work on the part of the traditional animation studio. The following are some tips for successfully using exaggeration in any animated production.
Exaggerate the most important elements.
The first step in creating effective hype is choosing which elements to hype. The key when making this decision is to remember that the over-the-top elements will attract the most attention from viewers. Therefore, the element you choose will change the way the viewer understands the scene. As a result, you need to choose the elements that are most important to understanding the scene.
For example, if you’re animating a scene where a character is sailing, you might decide that the wave motions are the most important and exaggerate them. On the other hand, you may decide that the character’s reaction is more important and therefore focus on her facial features. In the first instance, the viewer learns about the environment the character navigates, while in the second, the viewer learns about the character’s personality. Making the right choice will allow you to create hype that adds to your work rather than detracts from it.
Know what your goals are.
Once you decide which elements to exaggerate, you need to decide how much exaggeration to use. To make this decision, you need to have a clear idea of what you hope to accomplish with the hype. Exaggeration can be used in different ways. For example, you can use it to add fluid movements that make the animation look more realistic. On the other hand, you can use it to create cartoony moves that add comedy or add personality and appeal.
Each of these goals, however, requires a slightly different use of hype. Take, for example, the sailor discussed above. If you want a realistic look, you can choose to exaggerate your facial expressions a bit. However, if you want to intersperse humor, you can use extreme exaggeration to give him comical facial expressions. The correct choice will be the one that best contributes to your overall goals for the scene.
Preserve the essence of exaggerated elements.
As soon as you decide to exaggerate an element, you are no longer bound by the strict parameters of reality. However, for its exaggeration to retain its appeal, it must still have some connection to reality. If not, the exaggerated object or character will become confusing to viewers, who will no longer be able to relate what they see on screen to the ground rules of reality to which they are accused.
For example, suppose you choose to exaggerate the facial features of the character sailing the ship. If you remove all the identifying elements of the face to make it a complete caricature of fear, surprise, or delight, you lose the essence of the character design. The viewer will no longer be able to identify or connect with them. As a result, when exaggerating any animated element, a good rule of thumb is to take what is already there in terms of expressions, physical features, or emotions, and exaggerate those elements. Doing so increases the appeal of the scene to viewers rather than detracts from it.
Create Balance.
Although animation viewers expect to see hype and fantasy, they also want to keep one foot in reality. As a result, another key to effective exaggeration is creating balance within the scene. You can do this by selecting just a few elements in each scene to exaggerate. The rest of the elements should remain more natural and realistic. Doing so will avoid an absurd or disturbing appearance that will leave viewers confused or dismayed by your work.
For example, if you exaggerate the facial features of your sailor character, you should refrain from exaggerating their other physical features. If you choose to exaggerate the movement of the waves, you may also need to refrain from exaggerating the character’s facial features. With a balanced scene, you draw the viewer’s attention to the elements they need to see and keep them grounded enough in reality to enjoy the exaggerated elements.
Keep your project attractive.
Finally, when using exaggeration in your animated production, you’ll need to keep it attractive. Attractiveness is a fairly subjective, but crucial element for animation. It’s what makes even a villain a character that viewers will enjoy watching. Making mistakes in the steps discussed above may result in a loss of appeal. For example, if you use too much hype, viewers will be less likely to enjoy the animated production.
As a result, the last question to ask yourself is how the hype contributes to the overall appeal of the scene. You can meet all of the above criteria and yet detract from the overall entertainment. On the other hand, you may find that pushing the limits a bit produces a bolder, more attractive look. As a result, exaggeration, as with any element of animation, requires careful crafting to achieve the most powerful and engaging artwork possible.
Exaggeration is an effective way to bring your animation to life, whether you’re doing video game animation, advertising animation, or a feature film. By exaggerating the most important elements, knowing what you want to achieve, retaining the essence of exaggerated elements, creating balance, and keeping your project attractive can help you create truly effective exaggeration in your animated art.