All images are from Producing Independent 2D Character Animation: Making and Selling a Short Film by Mark Simon. Reprinted with permission.

This is the sixth in a series of 12 excerpts from Mark Simon’s book, Producing Independent 2D Character Animation: Making and Selling a Short Film. This book is a full-color, concept-to-pitch guide that teaches animators, students and small studios the art and business of producing short, cel animated films. Animation producer Mark Simon has detailed the process in an accessible how-to manner using his award-winning series, Timmy’s Lessons In Nature, as a guide. This 432-page book contains more than 600 full-color images, interviews and a CD-ROM containing sample animation, animatics and sample software described in the text.

The real fun begins when truly talented animators take a scene and make magic with it. Animators will often adjust the original timings of scenes while they are animating to take advantage of the inspiration they get while drawing. The better prepared each scene is, the easier any potential changes are. The only timing animators shouldn’t change is the lip-synch.

In key animation, the animators take the character sheets and start roughing in the actions of the characters (Figure 1). Rough animations allow animators to quickly capture the character’s motions without worrying about the details of the character. While working, they place the background layouts under their animation to make sure the characters line up with the proper background elements.

[Figure 1] Rough animation of the fox’s head talking to Timmy.

Animators use either the top or bottom pegs when they animate. Each style has its value. Using the top peg allows you to draw without your hand hitting the pegs and tightening a screw on the bottom. It also allows you to flip as many sheets as your pegs will hold (Figure 2). Many golden age (1940s-1960s when most animation shorts were produced for theatrical distribution) animators could flip the drawings at the exact projection speed of 24fps. Animating with the bottom pegs allows you roll the drawings while you work. This is helpful for keeping a good feel of the motion while you’re working. However, you can only roll about five pages at a time (Figure 3).