Character Animation

I often find that a lot of my classes are connected in ways that aren't super obvious. Other than Motion Graphics & Animation, Program Development is the only other Park class I'm taking right now. In my class we come up with ideas for television shows, movies, documentaries, web shows, and many other types of visual media that can be sold. One of the fundamental elements to any story is character--people know this from a very young age. What I didn't realize was how much character affects every process in an animation.

This video gives a brief behind the scenes look at the making of the 2012 Pixar movie Brave. The narrator of this short video describes how every movement Merida makes reflects her character. I thought this was really interesting. I mean, it obviously makes sense but I guess when I'm watching the movie I'm so absorbed in the world that I'm not analyzing or thinking about things like that. I believe this is what makes an animated character seem so real and likable. The same goes for Anna in Disney Animation Studio's Frozen: Anna is energetic, quirky, and awkward so she does things like jumping on couches, stumbling around the castle she lives in, and accidentally throwing a bust into a cake. This part of an animated film is so essential and specific. A director can't rely on his actors to move like the characters, rather each movement has to be created. I guess my question is, whose job is that? Is it the responsibility of a person involved in the actual animating process, or someone involved in the writing process that works with an animator? 

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