Why do you suggest to avoid symmetries? I notice that most animation curves have a slow ease in or easy out, but is this purely aesthetic or is this also some sort of performance improvement as well?
tom5079
I think symmetry makes it unnatural as rarely anything in nature is perfectly symmetric
emily-xiao
I think there is more nuance to the symmetry argument—why is it that symmetry in Wes Anderson films is a mark of auteurship but is less accepted as an animation principle? Are there any notable counterexamples of animation that do strongly use symmetry for appeal?
muuncakez
I would like to add that while Wes Anderson is known for symmetry, if you look closely at a lot of his scenes, the shots are balanced but not actually symmetrical. And even during a truly symmetrical scene you have so much to look at that adds to the story telling besides just the movement and/or symmetrical composition (aka the visual weight of scene is symmetrical but the scene itself may not be actually symmetrical by definition) From the narration, shot placement (either head on or exact side profile), to of high contrast colors, his film style is very much like a picture book which adds the appeal of his films. So in this sense, he is still adhering to some appeal one could want for their animation. He has a staple look similar to how Disney has a staple look it's maintained from its traditional to digital 2D to digital 3D animation that has an appeal to an audience of people.
jacky-p
Upon first hearing that Appeal involves avoiding symmetries I was confused because I had assumed people find symmetries appealing, as in they believe it looks nicer and more attractive. But after thinking about it I finally understand that symmetry most likely make things look "boring" and thus loses appeal. In animation one would want to make it look interesting.
JunoLee128
I'm also confused about adding symmetries. I heard that symmetric things are perceived as more beautiful. Does this mean that the model/form should be symmetric, but it should be positioned in an asymmetric angle (like 3/4 angle in photography)?
Why do you suggest to avoid symmetries? I notice that most animation curves have a slow ease in or easy out, but is this purely aesthetic or is this also some sort of performance improvement as well?
I think symmetry makes it unnatural as rarely anything in nature is perfectly symmetric
I think there is more nuance to the symmetry argument—why is it that symmetry in Wes Anderson films is a mark of auteurship but is less accepted as an animation principle? Are there any notable counterexamples of animation that do strongly use symmetry for appeal?
I would like to add that while Wes Anderson is known for symmetry, if you look closely at a lot of his scenes, the shots are balanced but not actually symmetrical. And even during a truly symmetrical scene you have so much to look at that adds to the story telling besides just the movement and/or symmetrical composition (aka the visual weight of scene is symmetrical but the scene itself may not be actually symmetrical by definition) From the narration, shot placement (either head on or exact side profile), to of high contrast colors, his film style is very much like a picture book which adds the appeal of his films. So in this sense, he is still adhering to some appeal one could want for their animation. He has a staple look similar to how Disney has a staple look it's maintained from its traditional to digital 2D to digital 3D animation that has an appeal to an audience of people.
Upon first hearing that Appeal involves avoiding symmetries I was confused because I had assumed people find symmetries appealing, as in they believe it looks nicer and more attractive. But after thinking about it I finally understand that symmetry most likely make things look "boring" and thus loses appeal. In animation one would want to make it look interesting.
I'm also confused about adding symmetries. I heard that symmetric things are perceived as more beautiful. Does this mean that the model/form should be symmetric, but it should be positioned in an asymmetric angle (like 3/4 angle in photography)?