The Laws of Physics in an Animation Universe

Physics in the Pixar Short, “Boundin’”

I. Introduction - A down-on-his-luck sheep finds sage-like wisdom in a mythical creature.

• a) Action/Reaction exaggeration
• b) Timing and Spacing
• c) Path of action (nature and gravity)
• d) Thesis statement

II. Action/Reaction exaggeration-Characters jump unbelievably high without preparation (crouching).

• a) Jackalope attains high altitude jump, without any kind of squash at the bottom of his fall.
• b) Gophers attain considerably lower altitude than Jackalope, but jump is still relatively high for the small amount of crouch presented.
• c) Sheep has a considerable amount more of squash than either Jackalope or Gophers, but is still disproportionate to the high apex of jump and time spent in the air.

III. Timing and Spacing - Characters slow in to and out from the apex of an action. It is exaggerated for comic timing.

• a) Owl jumps out of his hole. The speed near the bottom of the path upwards contains the principle of stretch, as demonstrated by the characters’ pose having a motion blur.
• b) Although the height of its jump and time spent in the air is exaggerated, the sheep’s jump is made believable by slowing into the apex, then slowing out of it.
• c) The fish swim back and forth in a synchronized dance. They slow in and out of each side as they move from once step to the next.

IV. Path of Action – Nature and Gravity dictates that objects follow a parabolic Arc.

• a) When the fish fly out of the water, they follow an arc. The fish is moving forward with continual spacing, but gravity is pulling the fish down exponentially.
• b) The Jackalope’s jump, although exaggerated in other aspects, retains believability because it follows an arc.
• c) The gophers, mimicking the Jackalope, jump into the air. Although in extreme perspective, we still see that they are following an arc.

V. Conclusion

• a) Laws of physics are greatly exaggerated in this short
• b) The actions are solid and are laws are bent to make certain aspects more endearing (realism vs. believability).