Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago

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These characters are from another dimension... Pixar's latest film Soul had some very creative character designs and animation. Let's learn from a scene with Jerry and Terry about character animation, acting for animators, rhythm and the struggle of tucking away edge points.

In this video we have a look at the following character animation topics:

00:00 - Intro
01:45 - Acting for Animators: Changing Objectives
06:34 - Exaggerated and abstract animation
10:00 - Leading the eye
14:05 - Rhythm
19:00 - Line of action
22:07 - Technology: Struggling with bezier curves

Some animation lessons and tips from the video:

## Acting for animators

Characters try to achieve an objective until it's achieved or replaced

Intention Cue: A body part is indicating what a character really wants to or is about to do next.

Characters are in the middle of something before they are shown.

## Composition and Timing

Lead the eye by moving one element or character after the other.

Vary the rhythm in which poses are hit to follow the energy of the scene.

## Posing in animation

Use a variation of subtle and strong changes in the line of action to tell a progression.