Why Eye Lines Matter in Animation

Eye Direction Matters

One of the most common mistakes made by junior animators is getting the eye lines wrong - the characters on screen just aren't looking at each other. 

This was a problem on Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - a film I worked on back in 1987 (it was my first animated film).  One of the biggest challenges on the film was getting Roger and the other cartoon characters to look directly at Bob Hoskins and the other live action actors. 

Without clear believable eye direction, the characters didn't seem to be looking at each other, and the illusion failed. 

And if the illusion failed, the whole suspension on disbelief failed. 

Richard Williams' Animation Crew Memo

You can see the memo above from animation director Richard Williams to the animation crew, stressing the importance of eye direction in sustaining the illusion that live action and animation were occupying the same visual space.

Since Who Framed Roger Rabbit I've worked on dozens of animated films.  On every film it was important that the characters are really looking at each other, and that the audience believes it. 

Michael Caine - Acting in Film

As Michael Caine puts it in his famous 1980s tutorial "Acting in Film", the number one lesson for stage actors is to "hold on to each others' eyes". And, what is true for stage actors is true for animators. 

Animating Eyes and Expressions

Always Add a Blink on a Head Turn

For more on animating eyes and expressions, see these blog posts:

• How to Avoid "Zombie Eyes"
• Why Animated Characters Need to Blink on a Head Turn
• How to Use the Eye Direction Controller
• "Hold on to your Character's Eyes" - with Michael Caine
• How to Animate Eye Darts
• Why Eye Direction Matters
• How to Animate a "Two Shot"
• Why Animators Should Avoid a Profile View
• Why Thumbnails Sketches Need Facial Expressions
• Why Animators Should Do Facial Expressions First
• How to Create a Face Camera in Maya

For more on the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days, take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK.