The Little Things In Simpsons Animation

[zach]

is it just me, or do you like the little things in animation too. the little things that don't add anything to the story, but are a nice little animation feature. like the picture above. homer just sitting there reading the paper while bart and lisa watch tv, plus the remote control on the floor. i think it's fantastic. it's just a nice little scene that makes me smile.





just like little details like homer eating a bowl of popcorn...



...then the popcorn is gone...



...only to see that it's empty on the floor.





another one i like is when bart is just sitting there drinking a soda with a straw...



...they could have just had bart sitting there without nothing in his hand, but they added that drink. i think that's pretty cool.





lastly, this one really makes me laugh. homer lying in his socks, but not plain white socks, socks with red tips, with got a pillow behind his back, just drinking a beer not watching tv, all while marge is just dusting.



so do you guys like these things? do you not notice them? hate them? think they are a waste of time?

[Dandu386]

I love little additions like that. The show feels more human with slight touches and is one of my main criticisms for today's episodes. The current episodes seem stark and robotic compared to the older episodes.

I especially enjoy watching season one episodes and freezing the frames during regular conversation as I love the expressions on the character's faces when they talk. I also enjoy the background art in some of the earlier ones.

[Zombies Rise from the Sea]

I love when they focus on small attention to detail things in animation, really makes the scene feel more special because you can just tell that they cared for their product as if it was their own child. It's a shame we don't see attention to detail like this anymore, the animators don't seem to have the spirit they had in the past; rather they treat it as just another paycheck.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Damn that last one looks comfy.

[Sonic]

There's a reason why by season 14, everything starts to look quite sterile.

[The Thompsons]

I really find the "bit from the animators" feature on the DVD's really interesting. I like how the directors describe how they layout scenes and add in the little details. I wish they could do a whole episode but then it might take hours just to get through one episode.

[zach]

he's reading the back of a cereal box, in bed, and marge doesn't say a thing.

[Friz]

[babywithacrowbar]

It's always been one of the top reasons why I liked The Simpsons in the first place.

To me, it's a comfort thing. You get this nice feeling when you see a character doing something like when you see Bart drinking the soda, look at Homer. He is just leaning on the back of the couch like most people do. Or when he's lying on the couch while the kids watch TV, one knee is bent and the other straight. I don't consciously go "wow that's amazing", I just automatically feel better with the way that a peaceful or relaxed atmosphere is portrayed without it being shoved into our faces.

I think Homer's half-glasses are the ultimate mood-setter, always make me giggle like a schoolgirl.

[Insecthero]

I agree, I love the little touches like that. Even when you don't notice them, they add a lot to the scene. Then you do notice them, and you fall out of your seat!

[ANdre1001]

This is actually one of the things I loved about this show, all of these details have been there since season 1, and these little details makes the overall watching of the show 10 times better!

Great thread BTW

[Boris Johnson]

I do enjoy those nice little touches. I mean, maybe someone's flicking through channels and thinking, "awww, nothing good's on", then they spot a frame like the ones you have posted as they switch to Simpsons and are like, "hmmm, this looks good!".
It's that first impression, isn't it? I can pause at any one frame of Simpsons animation, usually, and pick out something I like. So, when you're flicking through channels, you'll see a few of these beautiful frames and your first impression of this show is positive.

[Cam23]

...The Simpsons must have hundreds of little pieces of animation magic scattered throughout all the episodes.One of my favourites is in "Some Enchanted Evening" when Maggie walks down the stairs sideways one step at a time,just like a real toddler would.It would have been easier for the animators to just show her walking normally,or even to have omitted the scene altogether,but someone took the time to do it right.(And yes,she falls at the last step)

[zach]

Great thread BTW

thanks.


great responses from all.

[zach]

bart's just eating a block of cheese.

[zach]

maggie in the back playing with a brush.

[cloneasaurus]

The woman behind Marge being annoyed at Marge's hair.

[Rara]

I like the last one, Homer just chilling out on the couch.

[Mozy]

You've made quite the quality thread, Jerkass. I've noticed some things in the episodes but I haven't noticed that it happens so frequently! They're testing us!

[irvine_11]

bart's just eating a block of cheese.

Oh, wow... this entire time, I thought that was a giant cookie.