More on Timing Sheets

[sensei]

One of the unresolved questions in the previous thread (started by Blaster) was what what was signified by one set of the numbers at the top of the sheet that was usually expressed something like "4 + 0." This discussion made me look more closely at the next timing sheet that I got in a lot, this one from one of the CGI episodes of Inuyasha.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/ ... esmall.jpg
[I just gave the link to cut down on bandwidth and loading time.]

As you see, this one is mostly in English -- I'd guess because some of the work was outsourced to another country, where English is more of a lingua franca than Japanese. The top row gives the episode number, the series title [Inuyasha], the cut number, and then "Second." The indication is “4 + 0.”

Then if you look down below, you'll see a series of columns under "Action" (the genga numbers), "Cell" (the douga numbers), and "Camera" (the note tells how quickly the background moves behind the character, who's walking through a forest). [On the right a second set of columns continues the animation from the bottom of sheet.]

Now, I noticed for the first time that the rows are divided into groups of six with darker lines, and then into four groups of 8 with a slightly darker line, with a tiny number 1, 2, 3, etc. in the blank column between "Action" and "Cell." Aha! And the animation comes to an end just as it reaches the little "4" in the second set of columns to the right. Aha again!

OK, what this means is that the cut lasts exactly four seconds. Since the douga image changes only every third row, that means there are eight images filmed per second in this cut.

An indication of "2 + 12" (which I've also seen on timing sheets), then, means that the cut lasts two seconds plus twelve frames, or 2-and-a-half seconds.

Interestingly, the 8 images per second animation is not at all a standard. In a CCS timing sheet that I have (a fairly complicated cut showing Yue being entangled by Sakura's magic at the climax of the Final Judgment scene) the studio did shoot a full 24 frames per second.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/ ... capts1.jpg
[Again, just a link.]

This cut is marked "2 + 15" so the cut, as filmed, lasts two and five-eighths seconds. Down below, you see that the Yue image (A layer) changes 12 times a second and the swirlies and swooshies surrounding him (C and D layers) change twice as often.

So I'm inferring from this that the camera shoots a standard 24 shots per second, but that the animator (or "animeter" as the Engrish on the Inuyasha timing sheet has it) decides how often the image layers change.

Interesting, no?

BTW, can anyone read in the first timing sheet what the kanji under "animeter" says? (I assume it's the name of the key animator.)

[RoboFlonne]

::Raises a hand::
Professor!

I'm really lost... I lost you right when you got to the little "4" in the second set of columns... Where is that?

I need a bigger picture too... My eyes can't see the little numbers... I need new glasses!

Aha! And the animation comes to an end just as it reaches the little "4" in the second set of columns to the right. Aha again!

OK, what this means is that the cut lasts exactly four seconds. Since the douga image changes only every third row, that means there are eight images filmed per second in this cut.

An indication of "2 + 12" (which I've also seen on timing sheets), then, means that the cut lasts two seconds plus twelve frames, or 2-and-a-half seconds.

Interestingly, the 8 images per second animation is not at all a standard. In a CCS timing sheet that I have (a fairly complicated cut showing Yue being entangled by Sakura's magic at the climax of the Final Judgment scene) the studio did shoot a full 24 frames per second.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/ ... capts1.jpg
[Again, just a link.]

This cut is marked "2 + 15" so the cut, as filmed, lasts two and five-eighths seconds. Down below, you see that the Yue image (A layer) changes 12 times a second and the swirlies and swooshies surrounding him (C and D layers) change twice as often.

So I'm inferring from this that the camera shoots a standard 24 shots per second, but that the animator (or "animeter" as the Engrish on the Inuyasha timing sheet has it) decides how often the image layers change.

Interesting, no?

BTW, can anyone read in the first timing sheet what the kanji under "animeter" says? (I assume it's the name of the key animator.)

[Blaster]

So that's how it works. It all sounds so simple, heh

Thanks for all the hard work and digging sensei!

[sensei]

::Raises a hand::
Professor!

I'm really lost... I lost you right when you got to the little "4" in the second set of columns... Where is that?

OK, can you see on the right where the numbers come to a stop? Then there's a place where there's a broad, light horizontal pencil stroke. That marks the end of the cut. Now look in the blank center column (with no lines). The teeeeeeeny number there is a "4." Go over to the left column, and there's another teeeeeny number, just above and to the left of the penciled "3" in the A "CELL" column. That's the "1." (The 2 and 3 are off the scan to the bottom.)

I need a bigger picture too... My eyes can't see the little numbers... I need new glasses!

Sorry: But I didn't want to overload people with something that would take forever to download. I figured this would be big enough to make the point, but if people want something slightly larger I could probably put something up roughly actual size. The "4" however is still going to be teeeeeeeny, as are the frame numbers.

[sensei]

Bigger scan (a little larger than actual size):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/ ... 88time.jpg

[RoboFlonne]

Bigger scan (a little larger than actual size):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/ ... 88time.jpg

Thanks! I can see it now!



I'm going to look as some of my timing sheets now! Maybe we can make a list of how many sheets per second on other anime's....

That would explain why some anime's have more sketches then others!