Level 1 Exercises

(Do not discount their simplicity! Here you have the principals of animation,
which all other animation is built on. They are worth your time and effort.)

60 frames a day 6 days a week.

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Ball Bouncing in place, no decay (loop)

Ball Bouncing across the screen
Brick falling from a shelf onto the ground
Simple character head turn
Character head turn with anticipation
Character blinking
Character thinking [tougher than it sounds!]
Flour Sack waving (loop)
Flour Sack jumping
Flour Sack falling (loop or hitting the ground)
Flour Sack kicking a ball

Level 2 Exercises
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Change in Character emotion (happy to sad, sad to angry, etc.)

Character jumping over a gap
Standing up (from a chair)
Walk Cycle [oldie but goodie!]
Character on a pogo stick (loop)
Laughing
Sneezing
Reaching for an object on a shelf overhead
Quick motion smear/blur
Taking a deep breath [also tougher than it sounds!]
A tree falling
Character being hit by something simple (ball, brick, book)
Run Cycle

Level 3 Exercises
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Close up of open hand closing into fist

Close up of hand picking up a small object
Character lifting a heavy object (with purpose!)
Overlapping action (puffy hair, floppy ears, tail)
Character painting
Hammering a nail
Stirring a soup pot and tasting from a spoon
Character blowing up a balloon
Character juggling (loop)
Scared character peering around a corner
Starting to say something but unsure of how
Zipping up a jacket
Licking and sealing an envelope
Standing up (from the ground)

28. Pressing an elevator button and waiting for it

Level 4 Exercises
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Character eating a cupcake

Object falling into a body of water
Two characters playing tug-of-war
Character dealing a deck of cards out
The full process of brushing ones teeth
A single piece of paper dropping through the air
Run across screen with change in direction
Sleeping character startled by alarm then returning to sleepy state
Opening a cupboard and removing something inside
Putting on a pair of pants
Opening the worlds best gift and reacting
Any of the above exercises using a very heavy character/object next to a very light character/object.
Enhance the differences the weight change makes!

::Basics:: (Be comfortable doing these before anything)

:::: Ball bouncing/Rolling
:::: Balls of different weights(basketball, tennis ball, bowling ball, beach ball, etc)
:::: Balls in an obstacle course
:::: Flour Sack
:::: Overlap/Follow through (hair, tails, etc)
:::: Weight shift
:::: Side step
:::: Hop-scotch
::Intermediate:: (Slightly more advanced, have a good grasp on the basics. Character
interactions, realistic weight, etc)
:::: Character lifting/pushing/pulling weight(give them a realistic situation, not just a
box in an otherwise empty room)
:::: Jumping and landing(straight up and down, across a gap, etc)
:::: Sword Lunge/Swing
:::: Character on a pogo stick
:::: Character using weighted objects (hammer, axe, etc)
:::: Baseball Throw
:::: Baseball Hit
:::: Discus/Javeline/Shotput Throw(or any number of other Olympic events)
:::: Sports (basketball, skateboarding, boxing etc)
:::: Character showing off on a diving board(does he fail or succeed? See Link on
Monsters vs Aliens for a fail)
:::: Changing from one emotion to another
:::: Being hit by a ball
:::: Throwing a heavy object
:::: Slumping into a chair
:::: Standing up (on the ground, in a chair, etc)
:::: Sitting down (on the ground, in a chair, etc)
:::: Diving for cover
:::: Answering the phone
:::: A giant falling over
:::: Bursting out through a door
:::: A character clutching its head in dispair
:::: Waiting for the results of a job interview or tryout
:::: A character slapping it head as if it just said something stupid
:::: Tasting something delicious or disgusting
:::: Watching a scary movie
:::: Trying to take operate a complicated DVD player
:::: Falling out of a chair
:::: Leaning on something only to find that it gives way and falls over

:::: Trying to carefully remove a painting from the wall

:::: Waiting for a late bus
:::: Late for a bus that's on time
:::: Tuck and roll
:::: Trying to remember where they put something
:::: Trying to move against wind, such as from a giant fan, trying to reach a goal
:::: Catching a heavy object, such as a boulder
:::: Climbing a wall (different heights)
:::: Back/front flip
:::: Wall run/flip
:::: A tightrope walker
:::: Trapeze artist
:::: Weightlessness/underwater
:::: Running through/avoiding obstacles such as an obstacle course
:::: Having fun on a trampoline
:::: A character climbing a pipe such as on the side of a building
:::: Two characters of different strengths/sizes sawing a log
:::: Quadrupeds/Creatures
:::: Winged Creatures(dragons, birds, etc)
:::: Dropping something off at the mailbox
:::: Character tries to access a bank machine and it misbehaves
:::: Character tries to use a restroom and can't
:::: Character thinks they're going to sneeze, then not sneeze and then finally sneezing
:::: Character trying to swat a fly or catch a bug
:::: Stretching
:::: Coughing
:::: Laughing
:::: Lying down
:::: Kneeling down
:::: Rubbing your hands
:::: Checking the time
:::: Answering a phone
:::: Ducking under a swinging object
:::: Reaching into a cupboard
:::: Pulling out your keys
:::: Buttoning your shirt
:::: Brushing your teeth
:::: Flipping a pancake
:::: Turning on a light
:::: Opening a window
:::: Putting on a Shoe
:::: Putting on a Hat
:::: Putting on a Belt
:::: Putting on a Pants

:::: Putting on a Glove

:::: Putting on a Shirt
:::: opening a Soda (variation: it's been shaken)
:::: opening a Box of chocolate
:::: opening a Car Door (variation: for a date)
:::: opening a Jar (variation: it's stuck)
:::: opening a Bag (variation: it's a mystery what's inside)
:::: A character climbing a ladder, but has to jump and pull himself up to reach the
first few rungs.
:::: Dropping onto a soft surface, such as a giant pillow
::Advanced
:::: Walk cycle (show different attitudes)
:::: Run Cycle (same as walk)
:::: Lip Sync tests
:::: Coming to a stop from a walk/run
:::: Starting to run from a walk or stop
:::: A pace back and forth
:::: A Sneak
:::: Fight between two characters(big vs small, etc)
:::: Dancing(Any number of possible genres. Pay special attention to footwork)
:::: Parkour
:::: Two or more characters working together to reach a goal (i.e. a high place where
character a gives character b a boost with his hands, then character b pulls character a
up)

- A tree falling.
- A car speeding off.
- A bird landing.
- A plane crashing.
- A character getting angry, for that matter any and all emotional changes.
- A character being hit by a ball.
- A character throwing a ball.
- A character throwing a heavy rock.
- A character slumping into a chair.
- A character standing up.
- A character getting a fright.
- A character seeing a spider.
- A bag of microwave popcorn (being heated)
- A fish out of water.
- A frog in a sock.
- A ginade landing and exploding.
- A character diving for cover.
- A phone ringing.
- A character answering the phone.
- A character agreeing with what they are hearing, or disagreeing.
- A giant stomping on a house.
- A giant falling over.
- A character bursting out through a door.
- A character clutching its head in dispair.
- A character slapping it head as if it just said something stupid.
- A character threatening to poke someone in the eye.
- A character who has just taisted something disgusting or delicious.
- A character who thinks it is smarter than who it is listening to.
- A character swelling up with pride as it recieves some praise.
- A character watching a scary movie.
- A character trying to take operate a complicated DVD player.
- A character doing or failing to do a rubics cube.
- A character trying to catch a fly with chopsticks.
- A character falling out of its chair.
- A character leaning on something only to find that it gives way and falls over.
- A character who is a burgler trying to carefully remove a painting from the wall.
- A casual glance.
- Noticing something amazing.
- Noticing something disgusting.
- Indigestion
- A burp
- Remembering something amusing.
- Remembering a past love.
- Starting to say something but then forgetting what you were going to say.

- Observing something cute.

- Trying to remember where you put something.