Lesson Objectives
Overview
Rotoscoping animation can be very time consuming if you are making a complex animation so get started as early as possible. Hopefully it will be a fun exercise for you!
Rotoscoping is a technique that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce realistic action. The action can be very carefully constructed to flow smoothly, such as in old Disney animated films or can be simple with a looser movement, which gives the output an interesting and hands-on look and feel.
Watch this in-depth overview of rotoscoping animation from The Little Big Screen:
In practice, the idea is not necessarily to trace the exact likeness of the image behind, but the essence of it. Watch this short group example with many different styles and levels of fidelity applied to the same simple running cat video.
A student in this class shared this awesome find from a class in Australia who collaborated using rotoscoping animation on a Bruno Mars song:
Rotoscope Animation Example and Process
Historic Examples
Rotoscope as Video FX
Additional Resources
Historic Examples
Rotoscope as Video FX
Additional Resources