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| Lamp hop by Lisa Springett |
A simple lamp hop exercise can be a great addition to your animation demo reel. One of the most iconic pieces of character animation ever created is Luxo Jr. — the hopping desk lamp that launched Pixar into the spotlight back in 1986.
Lamp Hop Compilation by Students at Animation Apprentice
Animating a lamp hop is pure performance. The lamp has no face, no arms, no squashy character rig to fall back on. To make a lamp “alive,” you must rely on timing, posing, anticipation, and clear silhouettes. If you can make an object act, think, and feel, you’re demonstrating real animation skill — and studios will notice.
The Lamp Hop Tests Animation Fundamentals
A successful lamp hop requires understanding of animation basics:
- Weight – how the lamp lands and compresses
- Balance – shifting the centre of gravity to sell movement
- Arcs & spacing – clean, appealing paths of action
- Clear staging – creating good clear silhouettes
It’s a deceptively simple exercise that reveals whether an animator understands these core principles.
Creative Storytelling
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| Lamp hop by Mike Acosta |
A lamp hop doesn’t have to be just a cycle — it can be a mini story. Is the lamp shy? Excited? Angry? Clumsy? Frustrated? You can express a surprising range of emotions and character types with just a few hops, head tilts, and pauses. A short 5–10 second lamp animation can show acting, intention, and storytelling.
Perfect for Short, Watchable Reel Clips
Recruiters like short, sharp shots that communicate personality. A successful lamp hop is easy to watch, easy to judge, and looks good on a demo reel. It shows variety, imagination, and a respect for animation history.
A lamp hop is more than a technical exercise — it’s a celebration of what animation truly is: the illusion of life.
To see more about the lamp hop exercise at Animation Apprentice, read this blog post.