Expression and Emotions

Adam Sale

Compilation Paper

Once your script has been finalized and all other possibilities for expressing emotion have been thoroughly examined, it is time to come down to the value of the total expression; the use of eyes, eyebrows, the mouth, arms, legs torso and their relation to one another. Imagine a character whose brow is furrowed with cheeks down. The expression changes so that the inner brows are raised, thus widening the character's eyes. A viewer of this scene would more than likely deduce that the character had just had a change in thoughts through the change in his expression.

In the early formative days of animation, animators primarily used six loose expressions in any number of combinations. They were happy or sad, fear or anger, and worry or cockiness. In order to accentuate these emotions, animators also added actions such as tears, perspiration or trembling knees. This canon was adopted for many years before it was discovered that a character communicated emotion far better through the entire figure, rather than just the face alone.

For one, many expressions just do not seem to work in animation. They may be too obscure or too difficult to parlay. In cases such as these, it is often easier to capture a simpler expression, one that allows for more caricature. These are simpler to express through the posing of the entire body. You must thumbnail dozens of possible poses and determine which one best captures the thought. It is only through diligent experimentation that the ideal pose can be determined. All of the principle of composition as well as the principles of animation apply when trying to strike that ideal pose.

The animators at the Disney Studios followed these guidelines when staging an expression.

1) Avoid the temptation to hit the expression of the thought or idea in a single drawing. All that is needed is for it to be quickly and simply read. If the drawing or posing is beautiful, yet it does not fit the action, discard it. It's the idea that is key here; we must not lose sight of that, which leads us into the second guideline

2) The expression must not conflict with the dialogue. This is one of the most distracting and confusing things one can do to an audience. You do not want to deflect the meaning of an idea by some erratic movement that does not contribute to it. It is the sitting, walking and listening that reveals the words meaning.

3) Capture the expression in the entire body as well as in the face. For example a look of defiance can be communicated through the eyes, furrowed brow, set mouth, head held high, raised cheeks. If any more of the body is shown in the shot, it too must be defiant. A clenched fist, shoulders back, feet apart and a belligerent thrust to all of the related parts.

4) Expressions are weakened if they are only shown in the face, and can be totally nullified if the body, or any part of the body is contradictory

Thus far, I have been talking about expression and the importance of the relationship to the whole in order for them all to work in harmony. It is now time to begin breaking the expression down into its base components. Just as a salt molecule is composed of sodium and chloride, so too an expression is made of many ingredients. I will begin with the eyes.