Creating a robust and memorable visual experience through animation requires strong character development and visual storytelling that is well-supported by deep, engaging world-building. The world presented in an animated project may seem fantastical or ordinary, but it must still feel tangible and realistic to the viewer.
One of the key ways creators can support the reality of an animated world — especially one where the environment is far removed from our everyday experiences — is through props. These vital pieces of an animated world are more than just filler, background noise or something to keep a character busy. In this article, we’ll explore how thoughtfully designed props enhance storytelling, contribute to world-building, and elevate the overall impact of animated projects.
Understanding the Importance of Iconic Props in Animation
The world in which an animated story resides may cross deserts or entire galaxies, or take place inside a single room. In addition, the characters may find themselves in heart-wrenching or hilarious circumstances, and sometimes a prop may prove pivotal in the telling of their story.
Establishing a Fantastical Yet Believable World
Often, the world presented in an animated film is much like our own but inhabited by talking animals. Talented animators have found it easy to lure viewers into their stories and keep them enthralled despite every viewer knowing that there’s no such thing as talking lions, fish or dogs.
One of the tools that animators have to create a believable world is props that would otherwise look right at home in a human-based story. Consider the Kung Fu Panda series of films from Universal Pictures. Of course, pandas can’t talk, but the world in which these pandas live is believable because it resembles historical China. As one article from the Frontiers in Business, Economics and Management scholarly journal asserts, “The film integrates Chinese culture with the spirit of the age; more specifically, by using digital film technology professionally, Chinese culture is embodied in the elements of the film, such as characters, dialogues, actions, music, scenes, etc.”
Strengthening Character Identity
Sometimes, it’s impossible to separate a prop from its owner, wearer or creator. For example, Darth Vader’s mask in the Star Wars series will only ever belong to one iconic character. Likewise, the classic hockey mask worn by the character Jason in the Friday the 13th series wouldn’t bring to mind any other villain.
In some cases, a prop performs a service to allow a character to come into their own. Perhaps a little league kid doesn’t know his own strength until he takes his father’s bat to practice and hits a home run, or maybe a student doesn’t know they have an innate talent for photography until they find an old camera in an attic.
For instance, in the early 1980s Don Bluth animated feature The Secret of NIMH, this rather dark film has a key prop in it that helps one of the main characters save the day at the end. The prop is a red amulet with magical properties that change depending on who’s using it.
At the conclusion of the film, which features a family of field mice, the mother mouse panics when she sees the small house she shares with her family sink into a pool of mud. Fearing them lost forever, she remembers she has the magical amulet and holds it high in the air.
She has no idea what will happen, but the amulet gives her the power to lift the house out of the mud and save her family. She displays her inner strength with the help of the amulet. The amulet is vital to the story and is a notable visual part of the mouse’s identity.
Key Elements of Effective Prop Design
Creating a memorable prop can elevate a story into something memorable for a generation, but the prop should never exist wholly and separately outside the narrative. The prop is a device to enhance the story and character of the film, and designing an effective prop means adhering to some critical elements.
First, the prop should function naturally within the world in which it exists. Even if the prop is something fantastic that no character has ever seen, it must operate naturally within the story. A prop may feel like an extension of a character’s innate personality, but the character won’t feel like a natural part of the story if their signature prop feels out of place within the world of the story.
In addition, a truly impactful prop shouldn’t just exist as a device or tool used by a character. The prop should transcend its usefulness and carry some symbolism that ties it to the character, story or origin.
Finally, the prop should fit logically into the animated world even if the animated world is completely imagined or the item wouldn’t normally appear in such a world. Let’s take the Mr. Peanut character, the symbol of the Planters snack company. Peanuts don’t wear monocles, top hats and fancy white gloves, but the whole persona fits together naturally despite its absurdity.
Balancing Aesthetics and Function
How does an animator create an iconic prop without creating an aesthetic imbalance that forces the audience to focus too much on the prop to the detriment of the character and their story? Balancing animation aesthetics with the function of a prop isn’t an exact science, and the final animation design often just comes down to personal feelings.
The aesthetics of a prop are defined by its shape, texture, size and color, and those characteristics must feel noticeable but also blend in naturally with the story and the character’s need for the prop. Think of the iconic rose in the beginning of Disney’s film Beauty and the Beast.
It’s easy to decipher the meaning of the rose as a symbol of the Beast’s tenuous hold on true love, but would it have had the same impact if it had been a black rose or any other shade than red? The rose is intimately and innately connected to the Beast’s story even though the rose is a delicate creation, and the Beast is nothing of the sort.
Color, Texture, and Shape
Decisions made on color, texture, shape and shading in animated prop-making are an extension of aesthetics, but one of the interesting facets of these characteristics is that they can create dual impacts on characters within the story as well as on the viewers.
A prop that’s cold to the touch can create shivers within the character that uses it and make the audience feel the same way. Similarly, a prop created in a notable color can draw the attention of a character as much as it can the audience. Perhaps a prop makes itself known to the audience even before a character has the chance to use it.
When creating a prop, an animator should purposefully create every characteristic of its existence during physical and digital illustration. So, an old spellbook used by a wizard should feel heavy, look dusty and appear ancient so as to convey the weight and worth of the words inside it.
Examples of Iconic Props in Popular Animation
Classic Cartoon Favorites
It’s difficult to separate some of the most iconic cartoon characters from their props, even though those props have sometimes been quite ordinary items.
The always down-on-his-luck Wile E. Coyote in his quest to catch the Road Runner is another example from Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes where the set of props play an important role for the characters Would Wile E. Coyote have had nearly as much fun without his Acme anvils, rocket skates and invisible paint?
In more recent animations, a favorite series Adventure Time is known for its iconic swords wielded by the main character Finn. His main sword, known as the “Golden Sword of Battle,” is just one of many that he collects throughout the series. Over time, fans have gravitated toward specific swords as their favorites, and they’ve become an inseparable part of Finn’s character.
Modern Animated Series and Films
It can be difficult for an animator to “future proof” a story that takes place today or in a sci-fi realm. However, it’s not necessary to create unique props or devices to denote a modern or futuristic environment. Creating something unique and futuristic isn’t as important as creating an item that feeds the story and helps character design.
Additionally, something ordinary on the surface can serve as an incredibly creative element. Just watch any of the Studio Ghibli films where everyday items may take on a magical quality. The animators are so adept at this practice that they can take an inanimate object and give it humanlike properties.
Practical Tips for Designing Memorable Props
Every prop in animation won’t gain the status of Finn’s Golden Sword, but animators must make an effort to ensure each item used by every character is as natural as an extension. Here is a brief list of considerations and animation techniques that can help an animator design a memorable yet natural prop that will enhance character personality traits and further the story.
- Design from the character’s needs. The prop should feel like an extension of the character. It might not be a third arm, but the character should feel like they are without an arm if they don’t have that prop or don’t get to use it when they need it.
- Ensure the prop functions naturally. A prop should always function in a believable manner, whether the prop is pure imagination or something the viewer may see at any time in the real world.
- Give the prop unique properties. A truly memorable prop may look just a little different than the audience expects, or it might have unique characteristics of size, shape or color.
- Make changes when necessary. Never become so married to a prop that it becomes more important than the story or the characters. A prop is always malleable and should serve the characters and story rather than the other way around.
Collaborating Across the Production Pipeline
There is no single moment in the animation production timeline when a prop may come into existence. It may appear as part of the initial story and screenplay or it might come about in a discussion of characters, particularly in the creation of long-form content and television series.
Therefore, it’s essential to ensure multiple parties are involved in the design process when collaborating with a creative animation team. Input on the design and functionality of the prop may come from different groups, and the animator may need to combine the comments of completely different creators into one cohesive idea.
In circumstances where multiple props may significantly impact the story, creating a style guide can ensure everyone is on the same page. However, remember that design choices can change over time — which means animators must remain open to making updates despite already having put substantial work into the design and development of a prop or story element.
Concept Testing and Iteration
Initial testing of props may occur with real-life models or in a digital space, and the initial concept art for animation may change dramatically over time. Initial testing may identify problems with an idea that sounded great in someone’s head but required significant change before it felt natural within the story.
A prop may undergo several versions of testing during the iterative design process, especially if it’s an integral part of the story. For example, something as important as the ship in the early-2000s film Treasure Planet probably went through several design phases before the production settled on the final design for the R.L.S. Legacy.
Animators may find it helpful to maintain a record of the changes and updates made during the creation process. Not only will this record give the designer the opportunity to backtrack if needed, but it’s possible to reference the creative process used to create a prop on one production and employ that same deductive process on another.
Consistency and Scalability
Consistency in the creation of props as they exist in an animated world ensures that the world isn’t static and that animators may build upon their initial creations. The best time to create a style guide with standards for colors, textures and shapes is at the start of creating the world rather than after the process is well underway.
Although it’s natural to expect updates and changes to an animated world as the production heads from pre-production into actual production, those changes may continue well into post-production and beyond. Nothing is certain about a film before its release date, and animators must be willing to take change requests throughout the entire production cycle.
In modern animation, one of the vital aspects of being ready for changes and updates at any time is version control. Maintaining a record of every change and update made to a prop not only ensures animators can take a step backward if necessary but it also helps avoid conflicts when someone on the team requests a previous version.
Once an animator has created a system of version control, they may employ that system on future projects, helping ensure an efficient process each time. Strict version control also lends itself naturally to concepts of scalability where the animator may employ a library or set of tools to create props within a specific world.
Ensuring visual consistency in an animated world requires a significant level of focus, organization and recordkeeping — which may feel like it gets in the way of a spontaneous creation but remains essential in a world where smooth production workflow actually leads to more time spent on creative endeavors.
Start Pursuing an Animation Degree Today
Looking to further your formal knowledge of animation elements and techniques? Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design offers students the opportunity to learn animation online or on campus with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2D Animation or 3D Animation. Students emerge from the program ready to launch a career based on modern animation techniques and trends used in the animation industry today. Request information about these degree programs today.
