Paul Schwarz

Can you introduce yourself and your work/profession?

Hello, my name is Paul Schwarz, I’m from Germany and I have been working as a 2D animator for about 15 years.

Do you remember your first steps in animation? What was the project and how did it go?

I learned how to animate by attending a one year intensive 2D animation program at VanArts in Canada.
The first assignments were, as usual, the bouncing ball and jumping flour sack. We animated everything on paper and got taught how to use Flash at the end of the year where we individually had to make a short film to graduate. It was exciting and fun to make a film, even though we had very little time—about 6 weeks I think.

How did you discover Callipeg and what made you want to try it?

About four years ago, I was looking for a new tool where I could sketch or animate for fun after work. I began looking for animation apps for my iPad, but they were all very basic when it came to timeline management. I couldn’t really shift or switch and rearrange my drawings quickly. Then, I discovered Callipeg! The timeline functions were amazing and had everything I needed. Features like shifting sheets, looping, and copying were elegantly implemented and I could rearrange everything with ease.
I started animating a short clip for fun and used Callipeg as a sketchbook to learn more about the app.

I actually didn’t think that I would use my iPad for animation that much, but Callipeg was so clear and comprehensible, while also very powerful, that I started using it more and more. Adding more details and backgrounds with every new clip.
When the layer modes, like multiply, were added, l knew that I could theoretically make an entire film in the app.

Can you present a shot/project you made with Callipeg and tell us more about how you made it?

After drawing the animatic in one file and adding sound to it, I time the individual storyboard sheets and plan the whole sequence. Using this timing, I proceed to create individual files and copy & paste the storyboard drawings from the animatic into the new files.

The start could also be a very rough idea like a run cycle. You can draw the movement very loosely, then refine the lines and proportions and add more details as you go along.

What are the features that are most useful to you and how do you use them?

The feature that is most useful to me is the timeline.
When you work in animation with a lot of drawings, it is essential that you can switch sheets, or add drawings somewhere quickly. Callipeg's timeline is very well done.

Another fantastic feature is the ability to quickly erase something when you touch and hold the screen (on the iPad version.) You can get into a great uninterrupted drawing flow that way.
Also, the ability to have a small window for your reference is essential to me, and to be able to quickly flip the canvas.

Could you give advice for animating characters? Tips that help you when you work on a shot.

Think about what the character is thinking and feeling. How would a character really act having these emotions? The shot has to feel right in your gut. If you have doubt or something feels off to you, then you probably have to find an expression, pose, or movement more suitable.
Achieving that "That's exactly it!" feeling, which brings a smile to your face, or tears to your eyes, is the most rewarding experience.

Any advice to prepare a shot, before starting the animation?

Luckily you don’t have to do a lot of preparation, as you can change and adjust everything later. Gather your reference for the character if needed and get started. You only have to plan ahead how large your canvas should be, if you want to implement a camera move.

Set the framerate to 8 if you want to animate on 3s, or 12 if you want to animate on 2s. I sometimes start with 8 frames per second, and later switch back to 24fps and adjust the exposure of the drawings, which can be easily done thanks to the fantastic timeline management in Callipeg.

What advice would you give to a person who is starting out in animation?

After learning the basic principles, try to animate to a sound clip. I learned a lot from animating to sound, and used to participate in the "11 second club" challenge, where you get an 11 second long sound clip, usually from a movie, and can animate anything you like to it. It can also be music or just sound effects. Try to draw very rough first, and then develop your idea further.

Discover Paul's work on Instagram.