I find the art of making movies fascinating. I’m one of those weird people who likes to watch the special features on how a movie was made; sometimes before I actually watch the movie itself! There are many different styles, skills and techniques involved. One of the most difficult types of movie to make well is hand drawn animation.

The animators of those movies spend hours and hours drawing characters one frame at a time. (One second of film requires 24 frames.)

The animators face many challenges in making the character “work” correctly. They’re drawing a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional character. Each frame must relate correctly to the previous frame to create the illusion of smooth motion. Mouth movements must match the timing of the actor’s pre-recorded voices. Facial expressions must match the character’s emotions. Body movements must appear relatively natural. Even character designs must bear some similarity to real life creatures they are supposed to represent.

When animation is done well, the viewing experience is almost magical for the audience, transporting them into the world of the story. But if done poorly, the animation can become a distraction from the story and can ruin the viewing experience.

Animators have developed a wide variety of techniques over the years to aid them in their quest for high quality animation. They look at and draw people of all shapes and sizes. If they’re drawing animals, they visit a zoo or some other place where they can actually see the animals and how they move. They video tape those animals and people. When a character is designed, the designers create a three dimensional model — called a maquette — of the character. It is common for actors to be video taped as they record their lines. When figuring out how a character’s body needs to move, animators often shoot video of themselves acting out the part.

At the animator’s desk, you will usually see the maquette sitting in a prominent location. You will also see a mirror which the animator uses to check his own expressions. As the animator is drawing you will see them flipping back and forth between the frame they’re drawing and the previous couple of frames; sometimes as often as two or three times for each frame.

All of these techniques share one thing in common. They are all references the animators look at extensively to make sure their drawings look right. They study those reference materials constantly, checking them if there is even the slightest question of how something should look. Though I don’t know for sure, when you consider the hours spent studying character designs, video tape, and test sketches it appears that animators actually spend significantly more time checking their references than actually drawing.

This was the image that came to mind after considering 2 Corinthians 3:18:

But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

(2Cor. 3:18, NASB)

The concept of the passage of scripture preceding this verse is that before we turn to the Lord, we unable to understand Him. But thanks to the sacrifice of Christ, that veil of misunderstanding is removed when we turn to Him. As Christians, we can now see and understand His character.

Just as those animators need to constantly refer back to their reference materials, we also have the opportunity and need to refer back to the ultimate in reference materials: God‘s image in the mirror of scripture. I wonder what this world would be like if those of us with “unveiled faces” spent as much time looking at the image of God as animators spend looking at their references.