ANALISIS EKSPRESI VISUAL DAN AKTING ANIMASI KARAKTER KUCING DALAM FILM ANIMASI PENDEK “PUT AND PUS” SEBAGAI REPRESENTASI EMOSI PADA HEWAN

Animation is a visual medium that conveys emotions through movement, expressions, and character acting. In non-human characters such as cats, animators must balance natural animal behavior with clear emotional communication. This study aims to implement the visual expressions and animation acting of a cat character in the 3D animated short film PUT AND PUS as a representation of animal emotions. Using a descriptive qualitative approach and Gustami's creative method (exploration, design, and realization), data were collected through observations of cat behavior and literature on animation and feline behavior. Emotional expressions were based on Nicholson and O'Carroll's (2021) feline emotion indicators: fear, anger, joy/play, contentment, and interest. The results show that visual expressions, body language, gestures, and animation principles such as timing, anticipation, secondary action, and appeal effectively communicate the emotions of the character Mpus without dialogue. This study is expected to serve as a reference for designing expressive animal characters while preserving their natural characteristics.

Animasi merupakan media visual yang menyampaikan emosi melalui gerak, ekspresi, dan akting karakter. Pada karakter non-human seperti kucing, animator perlu mempertahankan perilaku alami hewan sekaligus membuat emosi mudah dipahami penonton. Penelitian ini bertujuan menerapkan ekspresi visual dan akting animasi karakter kucing dalam film animasi pendek PUT AND PUS sebagai representasi emosi hewan. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan metode penciptaan Gustami melalui tahap eksplorasi, perancangan, dan perwujudan. Data diperoleh melalui observasi perilaku kucing dan studi pustaka, dengan acuan indikator emosi kucing menurut Nicholson dan O'Carroll (2021): takut, marah, gembira/bermain, puas, dan tertarik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penerapan ekspresi visual, bahasa tubuh, gesture, serta prinsip animasi seperti timing, anticipation, secondary action, dan appeal mampu merepresentasikan emosi karakter Mpus secara jelas tanpa dialog verbal. Penelitian ini diharapkan menjadi referensi dalam