[Cid]in' picture restrictions...

[shirenomad]

I've been working on this icon for hours, trying to make my first smooth animation. I think it rocks as it is, but damned if I can get it under the 40 KB size limit without making it totally ugly. If I yank out too many frames, the animation gets choppy. If I cut down the number of colors below 32, it's a gravelly mess (and even 32 is a little scratchy). Part of the problem is that the background isn't even a constant, because the entire scene wobbles (for those who never saw the "AzuDai Web" mini-episode, Tomo's filming all this with a video camera and a somewhat unsteady hand). I briefly toyed with the idea of cutting the background out of every last frame, but after attempting it with just one, I realized it would a) be a LOT of work and b) look really weird when I was through.

Ironically, this was going to be my new "angry/frustrated" icon.

Anyone have any suggestions? I've gotten it down to around 50 or 60 KB; any additional ideas might be enough.

[EDIT: Here's the smallest version I've been able to create so far. Still slightly over the limit...]

[EDIT 2: It's up! Thanks, Shadey!]

Comments

[shadeykins.livejournal.com]

Is there any reason you need to keep her the frames of her moving up and down for the first second or so? Why not cut that out and just keep the kick?

[shirenomad]

That's how I got it down to the 50-60 range.

[shadeykins.livejournal.com]

Hrm..

Crop it to make it smaller?
There's no rule saying LJ icons have to be that size.

I dunno though, I've never done too much messing around with animations.

[shirenomad]

...

*"why didn't I think of that" look on his face*

[capheine.livejournal.com]

I've seen all of Azumanga twice, and I can't place where those screens are from...

[shirenomad]

Special short episode, distributed as "Azumanga Web Daioh". Only about four minutes long; basically Tomo running around the class with a video camera and goofing off.

[dizzybum.livejournal.com]

Can you reduce the color count? The fewer colors used, the smaller the filesize.