# Waking Life - Howd they do it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-life-howd-they-do-it/179659 "2003-06-04T18:10:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-life-howd-they-do-it/179659/21 "2003-06-08T06:25:43Z")
> [@](#): > > **GuanoLad:** Well can you give me an example? And maybe a cite? Fair enough: > [@](#): > > Well, the drawing was an awful lot of fun. But to get the spacing and the timing and the picture, for instance, how long - how many frames - would that be held so the audience would get it…the timing of it (was more challenging). The rotoscope, of course, gave you a great deal of help. But it didn’t give you the psychology of the thing. And we had to put in the accents. [—_Disney animator Grim Natwick_](http://www.animationartist.com/InsideAnimation/DavidJohnson/InterviewNatwick3.htm) (Re: Snow White) Which is exactly the point. Poor use of rotoscopy is hell on the eyes, but it can be used to great effect. Don’t be so quick to judge _Waking Life_ if you’ve only seen a few clips-- the “rotoshopping” was done by a number of extremely talented artists, and they do a great job of exaggerating and augmenting the scene. It is most definitely _not_ just tracing – especially with some of the more manic characters. Facial expressions and physical gestures are sometimes hugely exaggerated, and extra elements are added in. Don’t misinterpret me, I’m not making a case for “Rotoscoping is great!” Anybody who’s seen _Heavy Metal_ knows that most of the time it sucks like Saucy Nancy. _Waking Life_, contrariwise, is great. Check it out sometime. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-life-howd-they-do-it/179659.md?page=1)