Eddy Okba wants to know: How quickly does a dog’s tail wag when it’s excited? How gloppy does ice cream get if it’s left out in the sun? How shaky are your hands while carrying a really heavy box?
These questions might seem random. But for animators like Eddy, the answers can help bring a character to life.
Eddy has made the Minions run and jump in Despicable Me 3. He’s helped Miles Morales swing through the city in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He’s even made emotions like Joy and Envy laugh and cry in Inside Out 2. We asked him how he does it.
Can you describe how animation works?
Imagine taking 24 pictures of a ball while it’s bouncing. Typically, in an animated movie, every second you see is made up of 24 pictures, or frames. It’s my job to help create those frames.
What is your work process like?
Usually, I’ll get assigned a scene. Maybe a character is saying yes to something, but they really mean no. I have to figure out how to show that. Do they nod their head yes but frown a little? Maybe they start to sweat? Once those frames are created, I share them with the team. Then we go back and forth, making changes until we’re happy with it.
How long does it take to animate one scene?
That can depend on what’s happening and how many characters are involved. I might spend a whole week animating just 3 or 4 seconds of a movie. One movie can have an average of 60 to 80 animators working on it. For Inside Out 2, we had closer to 120!
