Visual Breakdown

T-EXC-005-001

When adding dialogue to a scene, there is a lot of preparation and analyzing involved. First, it is important to know that the dialogue should be recorded before starting any animation. You need the sound file, so you can break down the dialogue into syllables and after that, turn those syllables into mouth shapes to be drawn on each frame. This must be included in the Xsheet before starting your drawings.

Once the actual dialogue is broken down, then you have to analyze it on a second level: what emotion do you want it to convey? You need to understand what your character is saying and exactly how you want the character to say it once animated. The last thing you want is for your character to stand and do nothing while he or she talks.

Listen to a voice track and analyze it to identify the important elements. Here are some things to look out for:

  • What is the timing of the dialogue? Is the manner of speech choppy and precise, or slow and sloppy?
  • How is the mood of the character to be reflected in the dialogue?
  • Where will the rest of the body be?
  • How will the body anticipate the dialogue?
  • What is the character doing and why?
  • Get inside your character!

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