Animation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D

artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The
effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of
persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several
ways. The most common method of presenting animation is as a motion
picture or video program, although there are other methods.

Contents
1 Early examples
2 Techniques
2.1 Traditional animation
2.2 Stop motion The bouncing ball animation (below) consists
2.3 Computer animation of these six frames.
2.3.1 2D animation
2.3.2 3D animation
2.3.2.1 Terms
2.4 Other animation techniques
2.5 Other techniques and approaches
3 See also
This animation moves at 10 frames per
4 References
5 Further reading second.
6 External links

Early examples
Main article: History of animation
Early examples of attempts to capture the phenomenon of motion
drawing can be found in paleolithic cave paintings, where animals
are depicted with multiple legs in superimposed positions, clearly
attempting to convey the perception of motion.
Five images sequence from a vase found in Iran
A 5,000 year old earthen bowl found in Iran in Shahr-i Sokhta has
five images of a goat painted along the sides. This has been claimed
to be an example of early animation.[1] However, since no
equipment existed to show the images in motion, such a series of
images cannot be called animation in a true sense of the word.[2]

A Chinese zoetrope-type device had been invented in 180 AD.[3]

The phenakistoscope, praxinoscope, and the common flip book
were early popular animation devices invented during the 19th
century.

These devices produced the appearance of movement from

sequential drawings using technological means, but animation did
not really develop much further until the advent of cinematography.
An Egyptian burial chamber mural, approximately
There is no single person who can be considered the "creator" of 4000 years old, showing wrestlers in action. Even
film animation, as there were several people ẁorking on projects though this may appear similar to a series of
which could be considered animation at about the same time. animation drawings, there was no way of viewing the
images in motion. It does, however, indicate the
Georges Méliès was a creator of special-effect films; he was artist's intention of depicting motion.
generally one of the first people to use animation with his
technique. He discovered a technique by accident which was to
stop the camera rolling to change something in the scene, and then continue rolling the film. This idea was later known
as stop-motion animation. Méliès discovered this technique accidentally when his camera broke down while shooting a
bus driving by. When he had fixed the camera, a hearse happened to be passing by just as Méliès restarted rolling the
film, his end result was that he had managed to make a bus transform into a hearse. This was just one of the great
contributors to animation in the early years.

The earliest surviving stop-motion advertising film was an English short by Arthur Melbourne-Cooper called Matches:
An Appeal (1899). Developed for the Bryant and May Matchsticks company, it involved stop-motion animation of
wired-together matches writing a patriotic call to action on a blackboard.

J. Stuart Blackton was possibly the first American film-maker to use the techniques of stop-motion and hand-drawn
animation. Introduced to film-making by Edison, he pioneered these concepts at the turn of the 20th century, with his
first copyrighted work dated 1900. Several of his films, among them The Enchanted Drawing (1900) and Humorous
Phases of Funny Faces (1906) were film versions of Blackton's "lightning artist" routine, and utilized modified versions
of Méliès' early stop-motion techniques to make a series of blackboard drawings appear to move and reshape
themselves. 'Humorous Phases of Funny Faces' is regularly cited as the first true animated film, and Blackton is
considered the first true animator.
Another French artist, Émile Cohl, began drawing cartoon strips
and created a film in 1908 called Fantasmagorie. The film largely
consisted of a stick figure moving about and encountering all
manner of morphing objects, such as a wine bottle that transforms
into a flower. There were also sections of live action where the
animator’s hands would enter the scene. The film was created by
drawing each frame on paper and then shooting each frame onto
negative film, which gave the picture a blackboard look. This makes
Fantasmagorie the first animated film created using what came to
be known as traditional (hand-drawn) animation.

Following the successes of Blackton and Cohl, many other artists

began experimenting with animation. One such artist was Winsor
McCay, a successful newspaper cartoonist, who created detailed Fantasmagorie by Emile Cohl, 1908
animations that required a team of artists and painstaking attention
for detail. Each frame was drawn on paper; which invariably required backgrounds and characters to be redrawn and
animated. Among McCay's most noted films are Little Nemo (1911), Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) and The Sinking of the
Lusitania (1918).

The production of animated short films, typically referred to as "cartoons", became an industry of its own during the
1910s, and cartoon shorts were produced to be shown in movie theaters. The most successful early animation producer
was John Randolph Bray, who, along with animator Earl Hurd, patented the cel animation process which dominated the
animation industry for the rest of the decade.

Techniques
Traditional animation
Main article: Traditional animation

Traditional animation (also called cel animation or hand-drawn animation)

was the process used for most animated films of the 20th century. The
individual frames of a traditionally animated film are photographs of
drawings, which are first drawn on paper. To create the illusion of
movement, each drawing differs slightly from the one before it. The
animators' drawings are traced or photocopied onto transparent acetate
sheets called cels, which are filled in with paints in assigned colors or tones
on the side opposite the line drawings. The completed character cels are
photographed one-by-one onto motion picture film against a painted
background by a rostrum camera.
An example of traditional animation, a horse
animated by rotoscoping from Eadweard The traditional cel animation process became obsolete by the beginning of
Muybridge's 19th century photos the 21st century. Today, animators' drawings and the backgrounds are
either scanned into or drawn directly into a computer system. Various
software programs are used to color the drawings and simulate camera
movement and effects. The final animated piece is output to one of several delivery media, including traditional 35 mm
film and newer media such as digital video. The "look" of traditional cel animation is still preserved, and the character
animators' work has remained essentially the same over the past 70 years. Some animation producers have used the
term "tradigital" to describe cel animation which makes extensive use of computer technology.

Examples of traditionally animated feature films include Pinocchio (United States, 1940), Animal Farm (United
Kingdom, 1954), and Akira (Japan, 1988). Traditional animated films which were produced with the aid of computer
technology include The Lion King (US, 1994) Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) (Japan, 2001), and Les
Triplettes de Belleville (2003).

Full animation refers to the process of producing high-quality traditionally animated films, which regularly use
detailed drawings and plausible movement. Fully animated films can be done in a variety of styles, from more
realistically animated works such as those produced by the Walt Disney studio (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin,
Lion King) to the more 'cartoony' styles of those produced by the Warner Bros. animation studio. Many of the
Disney animated features are examples of full animation, as are non-Disney works such as The Secret of NIMH
(US, 1982) and The Iron Giant (US, 1999), Nocturna (Spain, 2007)
Limited animation involves the use of less detailed and/or more stylized drawings and methods of movement.
Pioneered by the artists at the American studio United Productions of America, limited animation can be used as
a method of stylized artistic expression, as in Gerald McBoing Boing (US, 1951), Yellow Submarine (UK, 1968),
and much of the anime produced in Japan. Its primary use, however, has been in producing cost-effective
animated content for media such as television (the work of Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, and other TV animation
studios) and later the Internet (web cartoons). Some examples are; Spongebob Squarepants (USA, 1999–present),
The Fairly OddParents (USA, 2001–present) and Invader Zim (USA, 2001–2002, 2006).
Rotoscoping is a technique, patented by Max Fleischer in 1917, where animators trace live-action movement,
frame by frame. The source film can be directly copied from actors' outlines into animated drawings, as in The
Lord of the Rings (US, 1978), used as a basis and inspiration for character animation, as in most Disney films, or
used in a stylized and expressive manner, as in Waking Life (US, 2001) and A Scanner Darkly (US, 2006). Some
other examples are: Fire and Ice (USA, 1983) and Heavy Metal (1981).
Live-action/animation is a technique, when combining hand-drawn characters into live action shots. One of the
earlier uses of it was Koko the Clown when Koko was drawn over live action footage. Other examples would
include Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (USA, 1988), Space Jam (USA, 1996) and Osmosis Jones (USA, 2002).

Stop motion

Main article: Stop motion

Stop-motion animation is used to describe animation created by physically

manipulating real-world objects and photographing them one frame of film at a
time to create the illusion of movement. There are many different types of
stop-motion animation, usually named after the type of media used to create
the animation. Computer software is widely available to create this type of
animation.

Puppet animation typically involves stop-motion puppet figures

interacting with each other in a constructed environment, in contrast to A stop-motion animation of a moving
the real-world interaction in model animation. The puppets generally coin
have an armature inside of them to keep them still and steady as well as
constraining them to move at particular joints. Examples include The Tale
of the Fox (France, 1937), The Nightmare Before Christmas (US, 1993), Corpse Bride (US, 2005), Coraline (US,
2009), the films of Jiří Trnka and the TV series Robot Chicken (US, 2005–present).
Puppetoon, created using techniques developed by George Pal, are puppet-animated films which typically
use a different version of a puppet for different frames, rather than simply manipulating one existing
 puppet.
Clay animation, or Plasticine animation often abbreviated as
claymation, uses figures made of clay or a similar malleable material
to create stop-motion animation. The figures may have an armature
or wire frame inside of them, similar to the related puppet animation
(below), that can be manipulated in order to pose the figures.
Alternatively, the figures may be made entirely of clay, such as in the
films of Bruce Bickford, where clay creatures morph into a variety of
different shapes. Examples of clay-animated works include The
Gumby Show (US, 1957–1967) Morph shorts (UK, 1977–2000),
Wallace and Gromit shorts (UK, as of 1989), Jan Švankmajer's Clay animation
Dimensions of Dialogue (Czechoslovakia, 1982), The Trap Door
(UK, 1984). Films include Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Chicken Run and The Adventures
of Mark Twain.
Cutout animation is a type of stop-motion animation produced by moving 2-dimensional pieces of material such
as paper or cloth. Examples include Terry Gilliam's animated sequences from Monty Python's Flying Circus (UK,
1969–1974); Fantastic Planet (France/Czechoslovakia, 1973) ; Tale of Tales (Russia, 1979), The pilot episode of
the TV series (and sometimes in episodes) of South Park (US, 1997).
Silhouette animation is a variant of cutout animation in which the
characters are backlit and only visible as silhouettes. Examples include
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Weimar Republic, 1926) and Princes
et princesses (France, 2000).
Model animation refers to stop-motion animation created to interact
with and exist as a part of a live-action world. Intercutting, matte effects,
and split screens are often employed to blend stop-motion characters or
objects with live actors and settings. Examples include the work of Ray
Harryhausen, as seen in films such Jason and the Argonauts (1961), and
A clay animation scene from a Finnish the work of Willis O'Brien on films such as King Kong (1933 film).
television commercial Go motion is a variant of model animation which uses various techniques
to create motion blur between frames of film, which is not present in
traditional stop-motion. The technique was invented by Industrial Light & Magic and Phil Tippett to create
special effects scenes for the film The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Another example is the dragon named
Vermithrax from Dragonslayer (1981 film).
Object animation refers to the use of regular inanimate objects in stop-motion animation, as opposed to specially
created items.
Graphic animation uses non-drawn flat visual graphic material (photographs, newspaper clippings,
magazines, etc.) which are sometimes manipulated frame-by-frame to create movement. At other times, the
graphics remain stationary, while the stop-motion camera is moved to create on-screen action.
Pixilation involves the use of live humans as stop motion characters. This allows for a number of surreal effects,
including disappearances and reappearances, allowing people to appear to slide across the ground, and other such
effects. Examples of pixilation include The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb and Angry Kid shorts.

Computer animation
Main article: Computer animation
Computer animation encompasses a variety of techniques, the
unifying factor being that the animation is created digitally on a
computer.

2D animation

2D animation figures are created and/or edited on the computer

using 2D bitmap graphics or created and edited using 2D vector
graphics. This includes automated computerized versions of
traditional animation techniques such as of tweening, morphing,
onion skinning and interpolated rotoscoping.

Examples: Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Danny Phantom,

Waltz with Bashir, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy

Analog computer animation

Flash animation
PowerPoint animation A short gif animation of Earth

3D animation

3D animation are digitally modeled and manipulated by an animator. In order to

manipulate a mesh, it is given a digital skeletal structure that can be used to
control the mesh. This process is called rigging. Various other techniques can be
applied, such as mathematical functions (ex. gravity, particle simulations),
simulated fur or hair, effects such as fire and water and the use of Motion
capture to name but a few, these techniques fall under the category of 3d
dynamics. Many 3D animations are very believable and are commonly used as
Visual effects for recent movies.

Terms
A 3-D computer animation of
Photo realistic animation, is used primarily for animation that attempts to hypercube
resemble real life. Using advanced rendering that makes detailed skin,
plants, water, fire, clouds, etc. to mimic real life. Examples include Up (2009, USA), Kung-Fu Panda, Ice Age
(2002, USA).
Cel-shaded animation, is used to mimic traditional animation using CG software. Shading looked stark and less
blending colors. Examples include, Skyland (2007, France), Appleseed (2007, Japan), The Legend of Zelda: Wind
Waker (2002, Japan)
Motion capture, is used when live action actors wear special suits that allow computers to copy their movements
into CG characters. Examples include Polar Express (2004, USA), Beowulf (2007), Disney's A Christmas Carol
(2009 USA), Avatar (2009, USA).

2D animation techniques tend to focus on image manipulation while 3D techniques usually build virtual worlds in which
characters and objects move and interact. 3D animation can create images that seem real to the viewer.

Other animation techniques

Drawn on film animation: a technique where footage is produced by creating the images directly on film stock,
for example by Norman McLaren, Len Lye and Stan Brakhage.
Paint-on-glass animation: a technique for making animated films by manipulating slow drying oil paints on
sheets of glass, for example by Aleksandr Petrov.
 Erasure animation: a technique using tradition 2D medium, photographed over time as the artist manipulates the
image. For example, William Kentridge is famous for his charcoal erasure films.
Pinscreen animation: makes use of a screen filled with movable pins, which can be moved in or out by pressing
an object onto the screen. The screen is lit from the side so that the pins cast shadows. The technique has been
used to create animated films with a range of textural effects difficult to achieve with traditional cel animation.
Sand animation: sand is moved around on a back- or front-lighted piece of glass to create each frame for an
animated film. This creates an interesting effect when animated because of the light contrast.
Flip book: A flip book (sometimes, especially in British English, called a flick book) is a book with a series of
pictures that vary gradually from one page to the next, so that when the pages are turned rapidly, the pictures
appear to animate by simulating motion or some other change. Flip books are often illustrated books for children,
but may also be geared towards adults and employ a series of photographs rather than drawings. Flip books are
not always separate books, but may appear as an added feature in ordinary books or magazines, often in the page
corners. Software packages and websites are also available that convert digital video files into custom-made flip
books.

Other techniques and approaches

Character animation
Chuckimation
Multi-sketching
Special effects animation
Animatronics
Stop motion

See also
12 basic principles of animation
Adult animation
Animation database
Animation software
Architectural animation
Tradigital art
Avar (animation variable)
Computer generated imagery
History of animation
International Tournée of Animation
List of movie genres
List of animation studios
List of animated feature-length films
List of animated shorts available on DVD
List of animated short series
List of animated television series
List of computer-animated films
List of stop motion films
List of traditional animated feature films
List of motion picture topics
Wire frame model
Motion graphic design
Motion capture
Model sheet

References
 1. ^ Tehran Times Art Desk (2008-03-04). "CHTHO produces documentary on world’s oldest animation"
(http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=164429) . Tehran Times. http://www.tehrantimes.com
/index_View.asp?code=164429. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
2. ^ Cohn, Neil (2006-02-15). "Burnt City animation VL" (http://www.emaki.net/blog/2006/02/burnt-city-animation-vl.html) .
Emaki Productions. http://www.emaki.net/blog/2006/02/burnt-city-animation-vl.html. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
3. ^ Ronan, Colin A; Joseph Needham (1985). The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 2. Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-31536-4.

Further reading
Anderson, Joseph and Barbara, "The Myth of Persistence of Vision Revisited", Journal of Film and Video
(http://www.uca.edu/org/ccsmi/ccsmi/classicwork/Myth%20Revisited.htm) , Vol. 45, No. 1 (Spring 1993): 3-12
Culhane, Shamus, Animation Script to Screen
Laybourne, Kit, The Animation Book
Ledoux, Trish, Ranney, Doug, & Patten, Fred (Ed.), Complete Anime Guide: Japanese Animation Film
Directory and Resource Guide, Tiger Mountain Press 1997
Lowe, Richard & Schnotz, Wolfgang (Eds) Learning with Animation. Research implications for design
Cambridge University Press, 2008
Masson, Terrence, CG101: A Computer Graphics Industry Reference (http://www.cg101.com/) Unique and
personal histories of early computer animation production, plus a comprehensive foundation of the industry for
all reading levels. ISBN 978-0-9778710-0-1
Serenko, Alexander, The development of an instrument to measure the degree of animation predisposition of
agent users (http://foba.lakeheadu.ca/serenko/papers/Serenko_Animation_Scale.pdf) , Computers in Human
Behavior Vol. 23, No. 1 (2007): 478-495.
Thomas, Frank and Johnston, Ollie, Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life, Abbeville 1981
Walters, Faber and Helen (Ed.), Animation Unlimited: Innovative Short Films Since 1940, HarperCollins
Publishers, 2004
Williams, Richard, The Animator's Survival Kit ISBN 978-0-571-20228-7
Bob Godfrey and Anna Jackson, 'The Do-It-Yourself Film Animation Book' BBC Publications 1974 ISBN
978-0-563-10829-0 Now out of print but available s/hand through a range of sources such as Amazon Uk.
Lawson, Tim and Alisa Persons. The Magic Behind the Voices: A Who's Who of Cartoon Voice Actors.
University Press of Mississippi. 2004. (A history of cartoon voice-overs and biographies and photographs of many
prominent animation voice actors.)
Ball, R., Beck, J., DeMott R., Deneroff, H., Gerstein, D., Gladstone, F., Knott, T., Leal, A., Maestri, G., Mallory,
M., Mayerson, M., McCracken, H., McGuire, D., Nagel, J., Pattern, F., Pointer, R., Webb, P., Robinson, C.,
Ryan, W., Scott, K., Snyder, A. & Webb, G. (2004) Animation Art: From Pencil to Pixel, the History of
Cartoon, Anime & CGI. Fulhamm London.: Flame Tree Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84451-140-2
Crafton, Donald (1982). Before Mickey. Cambridge, Massachusetts.: The MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-03083-0
Solomon, Charles (1989). Enchanted Drawings: The History of Animation. New York.: Random House, Inc.
ISBN 978-0-394-54684-1

External links
Animation (http://www.dmoz.org/Arts/Animation/) at the Open Directory Project
Experimental Animation Techniques (http://web.archive.org/web/20080307025951/http:
//academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/eat/handouts/Pictures/CutSandPaintRules.pdf)
Chronology of Animation (http://www.houstonanimation.com)
How An Animated Cartoon is Made (http://www.sci.fi/~animato/cartoon/cartoon.html)
"Animando" (http://www.nfb.ca/film/animando_english/) , a 12-minute film demonstrating 10 different animation
techniques (and teaching how to use them).
CARTOON (http://www.cartoon-media.eu/) , the European association of animation film, organising
coproduction forums and training seminars for animation professionals.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation"
Categories: Animation | Film and video technology | Stop motion

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