Exposure Sheets

[Simon Edmondson]

I have no experience of using full exposure sheets, but begin to feel that I should be using them.

I have been trying to follow an article on AWN about setting up a spreadsheet in Exell to make an exposure sheet template. Only slightly more experience of spread sheets, mean that its proving awkward. A few questions if I may,

 

Can anyone kindly point me to a resource on how to use x sheets and how to set up and use them in exell ?

 

I will be using it with AM but the immediate use is for a Stop frame project as a means of getting familiar with the process.

regards

simon

[detbear]

Just do a search on the internet.

 

There are a bunch of internet sites and videos on X-sheets. If you're looking for a more traditional style

X-sheet, I think Don Bluth has some YouTube videos that incorporate X-sheet work.

 

The "Dope Sheet" in A:M is like an X sheet in that it allows you to pre-define when the mouth sounds are

taking place.

 

Also, there are loads of books on traditional animation which all have some emphasis on the usage of X-sheets.

[Simon Edmondson]

...

 

There are a bunch of internet sites and videos on X-sheets. If you're looking for a more traditional style

X-sheet, I think Don Bluth has some YouTube videos that incorporate X-sheet work.

...

 

Thank you for your reply.

I tried google and youtube, as you suggest, and found several sources. I was particularly interested in doing it using Excel as, I need to learn how to use that for a developing project and ,if done that way, it might prevent me shredding paper ( and hair ) in the process ?

regards

simon

[robcat2075]

When you say "use Excel" what do you mean other than reproducing the layout of the paper sheet?

 

 

My own feeling is that exposure sheets are of less value in CG. They needed them in hand drawn days to create some sort of visible representation of the sound track vs. time for the animator to match since he had no real-time access to it.

 

But now that we can put the audio clip directly in our time line and scrub it in real time to locate important moments, an exposure sheet to do that for us isn't needed.

[itsjustme]

There are several examples here, here, here, here and here.

 

Hope that helps.

[Simon Edmondson]

David and Robert

Thank you for your replies and examples, I shall follow them up this evening.

 

I'm trying to develop a big project that will take most of next year or more to do and will need to use Excel to keep it under control. The Ex sheets were to be used in that and in future AM work. As I've barely used it ( once five years ago ) finding out how to use it for the ex sheets seemed a good intro to learning a bit about it? If it was possible to do in Excel, rather than on paper, that seemed a better, tidier way to do it ?

 

The immediate use for the ex sheets is for a stop frame idea using clothing pegs, to animate them against a music track. The idea was to analyse the track, and go through on the sheets marking where the beats fall and the sections start and finish, then start to work out the moves appropriate to that, noting them along the way. I guess that could be done in AM but the computer used for the stop frame doesn't have AM on it. I also need to get more organised and do less improvising !

 

Pegs_.mov

 

This was a test from a few weeks back with the sound added afterwards. A friend has recorded a fresh, guitar based, version of the same music and that is what will be animated to. I hope...

regards

simon

[robcat2075]

I forgot you mentioned the stop-mo project. Yes, an exposure sheet would be necessity for that.

 

 

The clothespins are cool!

[Simon Edmondson]

I forgot you mentioned the stop-mo project. Yes, an exposure sheet would be necessity for that.

 

 

The clothespins are cool!

 

Robert

Thank you. They were improvised to test the space and webcam setup a couple of months ago and a friend has recorded a 'ska' version of the music to animate to. Swan Lake is no longer in copyright ( I hope !) and it will be fun ( I doubly hope ) to get clothes pegs doing ballet or attempts thereof. I might go even greyer in the process too...

regards

simon

[Tore]

Not exactly an exposure sheet, but nonetheless a usefull tool:

 

http://animationtiming.blogspot.dk/

[Simon Edmondson]

Not exactly an exposure sheet, but nonetheless a usefull tool:

 

http://animationtiming.blogspot.dk/

 

 

Tore

Thank you for your reply and the link to the stop watch.

I've not used the method a lot but, from reading about it, the stop frame animators sometimes use a stopwatch to time their movements before transferring them to the ex sheet. They do the action 10 times, with the watch running, then divide the total to get the average time. Convert that to frames and use that as the starting reference. If you see footage of Nick Park walking around at Aardman when directing, he's always got a stopwatch around his neck or in his hand.

regards

simon

[Rodney]

It's easy enough to set up an excel spreadsheet as an xsheet but I have a question concerning usage of your proposed excel xsheet.

Is this xsheet something you expect to print out and reference during production or do you expect it to be a living document that changes as the production progresses?

 

If the latter then you may want to explore other options.

If the former then...

 

There are several considerations to work out before using/planning any exposure sheet. The primary consideration for xsheets is largely lost by computer animators today because cg timelines/dopesheets/xsheets are often a byproduct of animation (the animator adjusts the xsheet ) rather than as an established plan created prior to the execution of any animation.

 

Once upon a time...

I thought using an Excel spreadsheet as a 'live' xsheet might be optimal but (IMO) the gap between planning and execution hasn't quite been bridged in an optimal way yet for CG animation. The use of smartphones and handheld computers could easily change this because any easily referenced plan will streamline the production of animation as it constantly reminds the animator of their paramaters/goal for any given frame of animation. The xsheet is a great tool if the animator can easily see that on frame 175 a specific movement, motion or event should happen.

 

Lipsync is one of the primary reasons to create and reference an xsheet. (To date lipsync software has provided perhaps the closest bridge to usage of xsheets as seen in traditional animation... the xsheet drives/dictates the animation)

Layering (and use of multiplane effects) is another use. (On any given frame it's good to know what should be emphasized... the focus... is the most important element of the shot in the foreground, the mid ground or the background? Not sure? Forgot? Check the xsheet... it knows.)

 

The xsheet takes the guess work out of animation because any trained animator can pick up an xsheet and execute that action.

 

If you are going to print the excel spreadsheet and then reference/write on that sheet of paper creating that xsheet in MS Excel is very straightforward.

Here it can help if you have some specific type of xsheet to model your spreadsheet after.

I lean toward use of the classic Warner/Disney xsheet formatting because in the usage of those you're also training yourself to be able to read and interpret xsheets used in the creation of animated shorts/films of the past. This is no small thing where it comes to studying animation as it provides a key to unlock the Timing Charts used to break down and inbetween the extreme (golden) poses... and a bridge to storyboarding and creation of animatics... of any filmmaking/animation.

 

Sorry for the long post.

I'm not entirely sure ms excel is what you need here but if it is it's pretty straightforward.

If sharing the xsheet with someone else you can even use Google Docs.

 

Edit: For the uninitiated Dan Kuenster and Jon Hooper provide a very basic intro to use of xsheets online:

 

XbBwuPX3UyM

 

[Simon Edmondson]

Rodney

Thank you for your reply and information.

In trying to find out how to use Excel, the idea is to prepare for a bigger project were I thought it might be a good way to keep track of the project as it develops and changes as well as use it for an Ex sheet. A bit like doing the briefs ( which I hope to resume next week ) its finding out the things I need to know before getting lost at sea.

The intended project ( Charlie's Birthday ) is a combination of CG and stop frame and I need to develop a file system that allows me to keep track of all the things included in each scene, cg and stop frame. When I discussed the problem with family members, they thought that Excel might be a way to do that If it can be set up correctly. Might you know of another, more appropriate method ? I have next to no knowledge of spreadsheets or their use, it was anticipating future problems from past experience that suggested this route.

 

I've produced storyboards and will start to make them more extensive. From reading about traditional methods it seemed like an EX sheet might be the way to go for planning each scene in detail. Production is likely to be frequently interrupted so a detailed plan should help on return ? Its not the way I normally do things but, if I want to get it done, its not only the animating and model making skills that need to improve but the management and organisational ones too.

regards

simon

[Tore]

Simon,

I don't know if you're aware of the "Springboard" software. I have used it for a couple of years now, and I find it very usefull for all kind of preproduction and timing. It is a kind of animatic/storyboarding/scripting tool with precise timing. Its possible to make freehand drawings as well as inputting sound, pictures and text, and then playing back the storyboard in real time.

It is very reasonably priced.

Maybe it could be massaged to be used as an exposure sheet of sorts...

 

You can find it here: http://6sys.com/springboard

 

 

[Simon Edmondson]

Simon,

I don't know if you're aware of the "Springboard" software. I have used it for a couple of years now, and I find it very usefull for all kind of preproduction and timing. It is a kind of animatic/storyboarding/scripting tool with precise timing. Its possible to make freehand drawings as well as inputting sound, pictures and text, and then playing back the storyboard in real time.

It is very reasonably priced.

Maybe it could be massaged to be used as an exposure sheet of sorts...

 

You can find it here: http://6sys.com/springboard

 

Tore

 

Thank you very much for your reply and the info. I shall follow it up later this afternoon.

My initial training was in painting and my temperament preferences were for the more improvisational type of work. After 20 odd years of that, the more precise timing and organisational skills required for animation don't come very readily. Getting there slowly though.

regards

simon

[Simon Edmondson]

Stop frame is another world altogether !

This afternoon's first test with an ex sheet.

 

Worked out the frames in FC express.

Then messed it up in the shooting...

Hey ho.

Pegs_Test.mov

[NancyGormezano]

cute!

[Gerry]

Very nice test, Simon!

[Simon Edmondson]

Nancy and Gerry.

Thank you.It was supposed to have sound and be synchronised to the first two bars of drum intro. Ill have another bash at it next weekend.

Its good to get away from the computer and do something analog once a week.

regards

simon