Is Rotoscope Animation Back? (And How to Get Started Today)
Rotoscope animation is experiencing an unexpected resurgence in these image-saturated times, though its popularity with animators once towered over the industry like a colossus. For decades, this method was a staple in making realistic animation by hand scanning over live-action footage frame per frame. Nowadays, though, a revival of rotoscope animation is taking place due to the resurgence of affection for things pure in the 80s/90s. So what exactly is fueling this resurgence and how can animators just starting out follow suit?
Return of the Rotoscope Animation
Rotoscoping is back, but why? The reason for that is its unique appearance. Audiences crave hand-crafted and nostalgic content. Rotoscoping animation effectively achieves this by combining naturalistic movements with a stylized appearance, creating the perfect balance of recognition and intrigue. Moreover, with the ascension of blogging and YouTubing, TikTok-ing and Instagramming as some platforms that increasingly supported artist growth through style experimentation rotoscoping too became a definitive standout by videographers to deliver visceral short-form material.
Getting Started with Rotoscope Animation
Have you ever thought about making your projects come to life with a rotoscope approach? Here’s how to get started:
Understand the Basics
Before going more in-depth on the technical side, take a look at what rotoscoping actually means. In a nutshell, it is animated realism. If you want to get started, maybe take a look at some masterpieces like The Lord of the Rings.
Shoot Your Footage
The first stage involves the capture of live-action footage. Select scenes that have movement easy to follow as moving shots make easier traces. If you are a beginner, try making simpler movements (like walking or waving) before moving on to more complex ones.
Start the Tracing Process
Get your footage into your preferred software and start tracing frame by frame. Rotoscoping is an involved and time-consuming process. Try different designs and thicknesses of lines to discover your original art style.
Add Your Final Touches
Once the outline of the animation is finished with basic tracing you can make your animations colorful and more effective. You can also use various effects to give your rotoscoped video a more unique and polished look.
Wrapping Up
As nostalgic marketing becomes more and more prevalent, rotoscope animation provides a visual callback to traditional films and TV that many viewers hold so dear. In fact, brands and filmmakers often use this nostalgic factor to connect with the audience emotionally.
Someone who is dealing in traditional digital animation will never get the magic that comes along with rotoscoping where everything goes realistic but then again there are some quirks left. That means giving those animators a frame-by-frame reference of what realistic human movement looks like — but with stylistic touches thrown in, ideal for projects wanting to differentiate themselves.
