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Planning Animation at 6 fps

I’ve experimented with a lot of different frame rates over the years, but my favorite has become 6 fps. It allows me to focus more on the design of each drawing, the acting of the sequence, and proper balance with the audio. The key to making it work is planning the timing and spacing of the drawings correctly.

I start by listening to the track in loops of one second. As the loop plays back, I jot down the sounds and mouth shapes being made on a chart listing each frame (0-1, 0-2, 0-3…0-6, 1-1, etc).

The storyboard usually has the major dialogue beats mapped out, so I thumbnail the key frames from that and consider whether any others should be added.

The key frames in my work come from the stress in the voice. Every major action is designed to link up with a point of emphasis in the voice. If I respect each frame and look for ways to ride the flow of the voice track with smaller gestures — the opening and closing of a clenched hand, the raising of the eyebrows, a shift in posture — the end result is so tightly tied to the audio that the relatively low frame rate is acceptable to the eye.

I think of the performance as a kind of choreographed dance. Our characters often talk for as long as thirty seconds without the camera ever moving or cutting. Their performance must be compelling, without gaps or redundancy.

The following video is the finished animation for the sequence shown above. As you can see, I push the finished drawing past what I’ve indicated in the thumbnail. The biggest addition in this sequence was the shifting of his weight and darting looks over the shoulder. I also made an effort to push the composition of the movement, making the action read more clearly through silhouette.

Everyone has different processes and preferences when it comes to planning animation. What are yours? Do you have a frame rate that you swear by? Let me know in the comments!

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