How to Render Animation "On Twos"

We've recently uploaded a new video tutorial on how to render animation to look as if it was animated on twos, with UG Program leader Michael Davies.  You can find the video at our Vimeo Channel here.

Animating "on twos"

Animation "On Twos"
This video tutorial shows how to render animation to look like it was "animated on 2's". Why would animators want to do this?

Animation, like film, generally runs at 24 frames per second, but traditional animation was often animated "on twos", holding each frame for 2 frames, saving on labour. The result is a more choppy graphic effect, an effect exploited in 1999 in "The Iron Giant" and also - more recently - in "Into the Spider Verse".

"Into the Spider Verse"
"Into the Spider Verse" was animated "on twos", meaning that every second frame was deleted.  Bob Persichetti, who trained with legendary Disney animator Glen Keane, was a strong advocate of this idea, to create a unique look for the film.

However, the camera and background elements needed to be rendered on ones, to make the film feel smooth; only the characters themselves moved on twos.

The idea was to “hold strong, dynamic poses as long as possible” and, with no motion blur, but “motion smears”, they recreated the feels of a 2D movie. In addition, the animators had sculpting tools so that many shots could be "sculpted for the camera" so that each pose "looked as much like a graphic comic book pose as possible". The lighting is real, or leaning towards real, but it’s a “maxxed-out version of reality, like a comic book”.

Michael Davies

About Michael Davies
Michael is our undergraduate program leader, and a digital artist with a long industry track record. His main areas of expertise are rigging and modelling, but he has also worked as a 3D generalist and supervisor. Michael is an Accredited Trainer for Maya at Autodesk, and also for Unreal Engine.

Michael has worked on many VFX blockbuster movies including Batman vs Superman, Doctor Strange and Thor Ragnarok.  He also rigged Smaug (The Hobbit) and The Minions for Illumination-McGuff.

Tutorial
You can find How to render animation "on twos" with Michael Davies at our Vimeo Channel here.

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To find out more about our new BA/MArt, now recruiting for September 2020, follow this link.   To apply, visit the official page here.