Skip to main content
Vun-Hugh Vaw
Vun-Hugh Vaw
Participant
April 7, 2018
Answered

What exactly is the difference between 8 fps and 24 fps drawn-on-threes animations?

  • April 7, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 851 views

Is there any difference between an animation sequence drawn on threes (8 different drawings for a second of motion) that plays back at 8 fps and 24 fps?

As in after you draw 8 different drawings for a second of motion, which will be exported:

  • As 8 different image files for an 8 fps video
  • Vs as 24 image files which contain only 8 truly different image files (the rest are just graphical duplicates of those files) for a 24 fps video?

(For the sake of argument let's just forget the occasional need for drawn-on-ones drawings for smoother quick actions, and automated tweening, let's just talk about pure frame-by-frame animation manually drawn on threes (or twos in the case of Western animation))Moreover, is it correct to say most animations play at 8 or 12 fps or whatever while in fact they actually play 24 fps, only that every 3 or 2 of those frames are exact duplicates?Also, which is the more efficient way to compose an animation sequence, concerning file size, computing power (using whatever program like After Effects, Premiere Pro, Animate, Harmony, etc.), playback quality and compatibility to different setups or broadcasting standards (23.976 fps, 25 fps, for European TV, for North American TV, for YouTube, etc.):

  • Play 8 or 12 image files at 8 or 12 fps;
  • Or play 24 image files (of which 16 or 12 are exact duplicates) at 24 fps?
This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Colin Holgate

If the 8 repeats were marked as keyframes, that could make it more demanding than if it was one keyframe and 7 difference frames, even though they look identical. Because, a keyframe tells the player to draw everything from scratch. It doesn't analyze the image to see if they look similar.

I'm not an animator, but the way I think the feature will be used is that for a 24 fps composition, being worked on at the typical animation rate of 12 fps, the animator could create what they need on ones, then change the whole sequence to be on twos. It would then play at the right rate, and all the tweens you've done will be twice as smooth as 12 fps, but you didn't have to do the work needed for 24 fps ones.

1 reply

Colin Holgate
Colin HolgateCorrect answer
Inspiring
April 7, 2018

If the 8 repeats were marked as keyframes, that could make it more demanding than if it was one keyframe and 7 difference frames, even though they look identical. Because, a keyframe tells the player to draw everything from scratch. It doesn't analyze the image to see if they look similar.

I'm not an animator, but the way I think the feature will be used is that for a 24 fps composition, being worked on at the typical animation rate of 12 fps, the animator could create what they need on ones, then change the whole sequence to be on twos. It would then play at the right rate, and all the tweens you've done will be twice as smooth as 12 fps, but you didn't have to do the work needed for 24 fps ones.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices