Math as Art

When a client asks Kmotion Media to create a motion graphics animation we often use a technique called “keyframing”. To produce a keyframe animation, the animator creates the movement of an object manually by placing what are called “keys” at key points in the animation. There are times however when other methods of animation are better suited for the task at hand. This may involve “cell animation” where each frame of an animation is meticulously created by hand. Or it may involve creating procedural animations which are driven by mathematical formulas. Stunning visuals can be achieved by combining the use of mathematical formulas with traditional animation. For instance, the animation below is the result of a mathematical formula. These results of which would have been difficult to achieve with traditional key frame animation, however, quickly achieved using procedural animation.

To produce this type of animation the animator provides the initial conditions and runs a simulation to see the result. This type of animation can also be useful for simulating physics, cloth, hair, liquids, and even abstractions as seen in the example above.