Descending Energy Ball Bounce Practical Applications

Standard ball bounce
Here is the ball bounce as just the single ball. I used 41 drawings and shot them all on twos.

Once you have completed the descending energy ball bounce assignment you can modify it to suit a number of different practical applications.

On this page I've done a few different ones to give you a start off point to do for yourself.

These demos were done in my 1st year class. I did two in each demo session.

Basically, I just went right in and added the second balls and a tail (or ears, or antenna as the character required) as straight ahead animation. I started on drawing #1 and went through adding on the secondary actions.

I went into the classes with a basic idea of what I wanted to do, but I didn't have a solid idea as to who the character would be until just after I had completed the first bounce. The action pretty much told me who the character would be.

As I went on through the remaining bounces, it simply became a matter of "cause and effect". What would the other parts do when "this" (the action) happens?

As each bounce gets smaller, so too does the reaction of the second ball and "tail".

         
   

Cat Bounce
For the first demo, I had the second ball trailing after the primary ball. I imagined that the primary ball was the chest and the second ball was the hips. I added on the tail after I had completed all the second balls and then went back in and drew on a few heads and legs to the first bounce.

This first version is shot all on twos, just like the standard ball bounce. I then went back and adjusted the timing, putting some of the drawings on ones to make it faster, and some on threes or fours to slow things down. When I go back to finish the animation, I'll add in the appropriate numbr of inbetweens to smooth it all out.

On twos, threes, and fours:

   
         
    Rabbit Bounce
For this version, I had the second ball act as the head of a rabbit and rather than drawing a tail, I drew on ears. The second ball stays on top of the primary ball at all times to keep the character upright, but bending when necessary.


Here's the same animation but with modified timing. Notice that the timing here does not have the same changes as I did to the Cat bounce.
   
         
   

Bug Bounce
In my second class, I did a version where the second ball follow but then bounces in front of the first one, causing it to flip. I decided to turn this one into a but that had smashed through a window.

Bug Bounce Modified Timing
In this version I sped up the initial drop, then slowed down the top arc of the second bounce.

   
         
    Catepillar Bounce
For this one, I added a ball to both the front and back as a head and tail.

Modified Timing
I changed the speed so it was faster at the top of the 2nd and 3rd bounce and I slowed down the end turn.


   

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