The Layout Artist

The Layout Artist

The Layout Artist sets the stage for the animation. They render pencil background layouts for each

 production scene, referring to the story sketch and research materials gathered

 on the relevant geography or time period. Although the rendered layouts never

 appear in the final production, they are the catalyst for both the positioning

 and perspective of the animation, and the design of the final painted

 backgrounds.

Layout is the art of background

 design for animation. These designs are executed in graphite pencil on punched

 animation paper of various sizes, depending on the requirements of the scene.

 Part of the Layout Artist’s responsibilities, besides drawing, is to determine

 how to construct the scene technically for the camera in order to capture the

 intentions of the story sketch. At the “bluebook” meeting held at the initiation

 of every sequence of the film, each scene is analyzed in the company of the

 Director, Scene Planner, Special Effects Supervisor, and Layout representatives,

 to establish a game plan including how Layout should set the scene up.

The layout drawing provides a

 stage in which the animators will animate their characters and effects, as well

 as a blueprint or under drawing, to be rendered in color by the Background

 Painters. Thus, Layout is the fork in the road which feeds two branches of the

 animation production process. The following illustrates this chain.

Layout Process Chart:

Layout Elements:

The Layout Artist often layers

 a scene with several levels of artwork which will move separately, or through

 which characters move. The following planning diagram is attached to layouts to

 indicate these various levels, layout and animation, the order in which they

 will work, and the registration pegs that will hold them (top or bottom).

PIC

The Layout department is

 responsible for preparing these levels:

Background (Bg):     

This is the bottom-most element of the scene, to be painted on board, on top

 of which all the plastic cell levels are placed (plastic cells have been

 superceded these days by scanning the artwork into a computer, eliminating

 restrictions on the number of levels that can be laid across the background -

 cells would create a bluish tint with more than 5 levels. Also, this allows all

 background elements to be painted on boards and transparent areas are matted out

 digitally).

Underlay:        This is

 a cell level depicting a prop or piece of background - separated for the sake of

 separate movement or background correction - that works above the background,

 but under animation levels.

Overlay/Underlay:   

A cell level portraying a prop or background element that works above one

 level of animation, but below another.

Overlay: Cell level

 portraying a prop or background element that works over all animation in the

 scene.

Model for Effects:    

 When part of the background setting needs to be animating, Layout draws a

 reference drawing for the special effects animators to help them match the style

 and design of the background.

Multi plane Levels:  

 The multi plane camera set-up involves three planes of animation artwork at

 different vertical positions beneath the camera. The purpose of multiplane is to

 create a dimensional life-like effect, and requires special planning by layout.

Plane 1: This is the

 plane on which the artwork is placed in normal scenes. For multiplane scenes,

 this functions as the bottom-most plane, on which the background and furthest

 elements will lie. The maximum paper size useable for plane 1 is 16-field (16.5″

 x 13.5″).

Plane 2: This is the

 center plane in a multiplane set-up. The maximum paper size (camera view) usable

 for layouts intended for plane 2 is 12-field (12.5″ x 10.5″)

Plane 3: The uppermost

 (closest to the camera) plane also uses 12-field sized paper, although the

 camera will only see an 8-field section in the center of that paper (meaning 8″

 x 5.76″).

The sizes listed above are for

 a 16-field production using a rostrum camera. The advent of computers in

 animation allows us to use several different sized layouts, some much larger

 than actual camera size - which in our recent past has been 25-field- these can

 then be scaled down to fit the scene. It has become complex, but the ratios

 generally remain consistent with those listed above. Though a little dated, this

 provides a solid basis of multiplane concepts.

Layout Considerations:

In staging the scene, there are

 several considerations the artist must explore.

Staging: How can the

 background best support the animation and direct the viewer’s attention to the

 important action of a scene?

Perspective:   How can

 we best give the illusion that the characters are in a three-dimensional

 environment rather than a flat drawing?

Setting: How can we

 create a living world for the characters, and what props and elements would best

 fit that world? (For example: The architecture and props of An American Tail had

 to reflect 19th century New York.) Research is often necessary to create

 accurate settings.

Mood: How can the layout

 best enhance the dramatic intent of a scene? (Comical, sad, scary…)

Technical: How must the

 scene is designed to achieve the desired effect within the limitations of the

 animation camera

Layout Requirements:

A Layout Artist requires a

 working knowledge of perspective, design, and the workings of the animation

 camera. Also, they need to understand the jobs of the character animation,

 effect animation, inking and background painting. They must also have the

 ability to draw a wide variety of subject matter in many different styles. The

 new trainee will be shown the gamut of the animation process and the animation

 camera. This training program will be accompanied by numerous discussions and

 demonstrations, was well as considerable on-the-job training.