Animation

"Animate" redirects here. For other uses, seeAnimate (disambiguation)andAnimation (disambiguation).

Animationis a filmmaking technique by whichstill imagesare manipulated to createmoving images.Intraditional animation,images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets (cels) to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animation has been recognized as an artistic medium, specifically within theentertainment industry.Many animations arecomputer animationsmade withcomputer-generated imagery(CGI).Stop motion animation,in particularclaymation,has continued to exist alongside these other forms.

2D computer animation moving at 10 frames per second (FPS)

Thebouncing ballanimation above consists of these six frames repeated indefinitely.

Animation is contrasted withlive-action film,although the two do not exist in isolation. Many moviemakers have producedfilms that are a hybrid of the two.As CGI increasinglyapproximates photographic imagery,filmmakers can easilycomposite3D animations into their film rather than usingpractical effectsfor showyvisual effects(VFX).

General overview

Computer animationcan be very detailed3D animation,while 2D computer animation (which may have the look of traditional animation) can be used for stylistic reasons, low bandwidth, or fasterreal-time renderings.Other common animation methods apply astop motiontechnique to two- and three-dimensional objects likepaper cutouts,puppets,orclay figures.

Acartoonis an animated film, usually short, featuring anexaggerated visual style.The style takes inspiration fromcomic strips,often featuringanthropomorphic animals,superheroes,or the adventures of human protagonists. Especially with animals that form a natural predator/prey relationship (e.g. cats and mice, coyotes and birds), the action often centers onviolentpratfallssuch as falls, collisions, and explosions that would be lethal in real life.

The illusion of animation—as in motion pictures in general—has traditionally been attributed to thepersistence of visionand later to thephi phenomenonandbeta movement,but the exact neurological causes are still uncertain. The illusion of motion caused by a rapid succession of images that minimally differ from each other, with unnoticeable interruptions, is astroboscopic effect.Whileanimatorstraditionally used to draw each part of the movements and changes of figures on transparent cels that could be moved over a separate background, computer animation is usually based on programming paths betweenkey framesto maneuver digitally created figures throughout a digitally created environment.

Analogmechanical animation media that rely on the rapid display of sequential images include thephenakistiscope,zoetrope,flip book,praxinoscope,and film.Televisionandvideoare popular electronic animation media that originally were analog and now operatedigitally.For display on computers, technology such as theanimated GIFandFlash animationwere developed.

In addition toshort films,feature films,television series,animated GIFs, and other media dedicated to the display of moving images, animation is also prevalent invideo games,motion graphics,user interfaces,andvisual effects.

The physical movement of image parts through simple mechanics—for instance, moving images inmagic lanternshows—can also be considered animation. The mechanical manipulation of three-dimensional puppets and objects to emulate living beings has a very long history inautomata.Electronic automata were popularized byDisneyasanimatronics.

Etymology

The word "animation" stems from the Latin "animātiōn", stem of "animātiō", meaning "a bestowing of life".The earlier meaning of the English word is "liveliness" and has been in use much longer than the meaning of "moving image medium".

History

Main article:History of animation

Before cinematography

Main article:Early history of animation

Long before modern animation began, audiences around the world were captivated by the magic of moving characters. For centuries, master artists and craftsmen have brought puppets,automatons,shadow puppets,and fantasticallanternsto life, inspiring the imagination through physically manipulated wonders.

Prof. Stampfers Stroboscopische Scheibe No. X(1833)

A projectingpraxinoscope,from 1882, here shown superimposing an animated figure on a separately projected background scene

In 1833, thestroboscopicdisc (better known as thephenakistiscope) introduced the principle of modern animation, which would also be applied in thezoetrope(introduced in 1866), theflip book(1868), thepraxinoscope(1877) andfilm.

Silent era

Fantasmagorie(1908) byÉmile Cohl

Whencinematographyeventually broke through in the 1890s, the wonder of the realistic details in the new medium was seen as its biggest accomplishment. It took years before animation found its way to the cinemas. The successful shortThe Haunted Hotel(1907) byJ. Stuart Blacktonpopularizedstop motionand reportedly inspiredÉmile Cohlto createFantasmagorie(1908), regarded as the oldest known example of a completetraditional (hand-drawn) animationon standard cinematographic film. Other great artistic and very influential short films were created byLadislas Starevichwith his puppet animations since 1910 and byWinsor McCaywith detailed hand-drawn animation in films such asLittle Nemo(1911) andGertie the Dinosaur(1914).

During the 1910s, the production of animated "cartoons"became an industry in the US.Successful producerJohn Randolph Brayand animatorEarl Hurd,patented thecel animationprocess that dominated the animation industry for the rest of the century.Felix the Cat,who debuted in 1919, became the first fully realized animal character in the history of American animation.

Feline FollieswithFelix the Cat,silent, 1919

American golden age

Main article:Golden Age of American animation

In 1928,Steamboat Willie,featuringMickey MouseandMinnie Mouse,popularized film-with-synchronized-sound and putWalt Disney's studio at the forefront of the animation industry. AlthoughDisney Animation'sactual output relative to total global animation output, has always been very small; the studio has overwhelmingly dominated the "aesthetic norms" of animation ever since.

The enormous success of Mickey Mouse is seen as the start of thegolden age of American animationthat would last until the 1960s. The United States dominated the world market of animation with a plethora of cel-animated theatrical shorts.Several studios would introduce characters that would become very popular and would have long-lasting careers, includingWalt Disney Productions'Goofy(1932) andDonald Duck(1934),Fleischer Studios/Paramount Cartoon Studios'Out of the Inkwell'Koko the Clown(1918),BimboandBetty Boop(1930),Popeye(1933) andCasper the Friendly Ghost(1945),Warner Bros. Cartoon Studios'Looney Tunes'Porky Pig(1935),Daffy Duck(1937),Elmer Fudd(1937–1940),Bugs Bunny(1938–1940),Tweety(1942),Sylvester the Cat(1945),Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner(1949),MGM cartoon studio'sTom and Jerry(1940) andDroopy,Universal Cartoon Studios'Woody Woodpecker(1940),Terrytoons/20th Century Fox'sMighty Mouse(1942), andUnited Artists'Pink Panther(1963).

Features before CGI

Italian-Argentine cartoonistQuirino Cristianishowing the cut and articulated figure of his satirical characterEl Peludo(based on PresidentYrigoyen) patented in 1916 for the realization of his films, including the world's first animated feature filmEl Apóstol

In 1917, Italian-Argentine directorQuirino Cristianimade the first feature-length filmEl Apóstol(nowlost), which became a critical and commercial success. It was followed by Cristiani'sSin dejar rastrosin 1918, but one day after its premiere, the film was confiscated by the government.

After working on it for three years,Lotte Reinigerreleased the German feature-lengthsilhouette animationDie Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmedin 1926, the oldest extant animated feature.

In 1937,Walt Disney Studiospremiered their first animated feature (using the Rotoscope technique invented by Max Fleischer in 1915)Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,still one of the highest-grossing traditional animation features as of May 2020.The Fleischer studios followed this example in 1939 withGulliver's Travelswith some success. Partly due to foreign markets being cut off by the Second World War, Disney's next featuresPinocchio,Fantasia(both 1940), Fleischer Studios' second animated featureMr. Bug Goes to Town(1941–1942) and Disney's feature filmsCinderella(1950),Alice in Wonderland(1951) andLady and the Tramp(1955) failed at the box office. For decades afterward, Disney would be the only American studio to regularly produce animated features, untilRalph Bakshibecame the first to also release more than a handful features.Sullivan-Bluth Studiosbegan to regularly produce animated features starting withAn American Tailin 1986.

Although relatively few titles became as successful as Disney's features, other countries developed their own animation industries that produced both short and feature theatrical animations in a wide variety of styles, relatively often includingstop motionandcutout animationtechniques. SovietSoyuzmultfilmanimation studio, founded in 1936, produced 20 films (including shorts) per year on average and reached 1,582 titles in 2018. China, Czechoslovakia / Czech Republic, Italy, France, and Belgium were other countries that more than occasionally released feature films, while Japan became a true powerhouse of animation production, with its own recognizable and influentialanimestyle of effectivelimited animation.

Television

Animation became very popular on television since the 1950s, when television sets started to become common in most developed countries. Cartoons were mainly programmed for children, on convenient time slots, and especially US youth spent many hours watchingSaturday-morning cartoons.Many classic cartoons found a new life on the small screen and by the end of the 1950s, the production of new animated cartoons started to shift from theatrical releases to TV series.Hanna-Barbera Productionswas especially prolific and had huge hit series, such asThe Flintstones(1960–1966) (the firstprime timeanimated series),Scooby-Doo(since 1969) and Belgian co-productionThe Smurfs(1981–1989). The constraints of American television programming and the demand for an enormous quantity resulted in cheaper and quickerlimited animationmethods and much more formulaic scripts. Quality dwindled until more daring animation surfaced in the late 1980s and in the early 1990s with hit series, the first cartoon ofThe Simpsons(1987), which later developed intoits own show(in 1989) andSpongeBob SquarePants(since 1999) as part of a "renaissance" of American animation.

While US animated series also spawned successes internationally, many other countries produced their own child-oriented programming, relatively often preferringstop motionandpuppetryover cel animation. JapaneseanimeTV series became very successful internationally since the 1960s, and European producers looking for affordable cel animators relatively often started co-productions with Japanese studios, resulting in hit series such asBarbapapa(The Netherlands/Japan/France 1973–1977),Wickie und die starken Männer/ tiểu さなバイキング ビッケ (Vicky the Viking)(Austria/Germany/Japan 1974),Maya the Honey Bee(Japan/Germany 1975) andThe Jungle Book(Italy/Japan 1989).

Switch from cels to computers

Main article:History of computer animation

Computer animationwas gradually developed since the 1940s. 3D wireframe animation started popping up in the mainstream in the 1970s, with an early (short) appearance in the sci-fi thrillerFutureworld(1976).

The Rescuers Down Underwas the first feature film to be completely created digitally without a camera.It was produced using theComputer Animation Production System(CAPS), developed byPixarin collaboration withThe Walt Disney Companyin the late 1980s, in a style similar to traditional cel animation.

The so-called 3D style, more often associated with computer animation, became the dominant technique following the success of Pixar'sToy Story(1995), the first computer-animated feature in this style.

Most of the cel animation studios switched to producing mostly computer-animated films around the 1990s, as it proved cheaper and more profitable. Not only the very popular 3D animation style was generated with computers, but also most of the films and series with a more traditional hand-crafted appearance, in which the charming characteristics of cel animation could be emulated with software, while new digital tools helped developing new styles and effects.

Economic status

In 2010, the animation market was estimated to be worth circa US$80 billion.By 2021, the value had increased to an estimated US$370 billion.Animated feature-length films returned the highestgross margins(around 52%) of allfilm genresbetween 2004 and 2013.Animation as an art and industry continues to thrive as of the early 2020s.

Education, propaganda and commercials

The clarity of animation makes it a powerful tool for instruction, while its total malleability also allows exaggeration that can be employed to convey strong emotions and to thwart reality. It has therefore been widely used for other purposes than mere entertainment.

During World War II, animation was widely exploited for propaganda.Many American studios,including Warner Bros. and Disney, lent their talents and their cartoon characters to convey to the public certain war values. Some countries, including China, Japan and the United Kingdom, produced their first feature-length animation for their war efforts.

Animation has been very popular in television commercials, both due to its graphic appeal, and the humour it can provide. Some animated characters in commercials have survived for decades, such asSnap, Crackle and Popin advertisements for Kellogg's cereals.Tex Averywas the producer of the firstRaid"Kills Bugs Dead"commercials in 1966, which were very successful for the company.

Other media, merchandise and theme parks

Apart from their success in movie theaters and television series, many cartoon characters would also prove lucrative when licensed for all kinds of merchandise and for other media.

Animation has traditionally been very closely related tocomic books.While many comic book characters found their way to the screen (which is often the case in Japan, where manymangaare adapted intoanime), original animated characters also commonly appear in comic books and magazines. Somewhat similarly, characters and plots forvideo games(an interactive form of animation that became its own medium) have been derived from films and vice versa.

Some of the original content produced for the screen can be used and marketed in other media. Stories and images can easily be adapted into children's books and other printed media. Songs and music have appeared on records and as streaming media.

While very many animation companies commercially exploit their creations outside moving image media,The Walt Disney Companyis the best known and most extreme example. Since first being licensed for a children's writing tablet in 1929, theirMickey Mousemascot has beendepicted on an enormous amount of products,as have many other Disney characters. This may have influenced somepejorative use of Mickey's name,butlicensed Disney productssell well, and the so-calledDisneyanahas many avid collectors, and even a dedicatedDisneyana Fan Club(since 1984).

Disneylandopened in 1955 and features many attractions that were based on Disney's cartoon characters. Its enormous success spawned several otherDisney theme parks and resorts.Disney's earningsfrom the theme parks have relatively often been higher than those from their movies.

Awards

Main article:List of animation awards

As with any other form of media, animation has instituted awards for excellence in the field. Many are part of general or regional film award programs, like the China'sGolden Rooster AwardforBest Animation(since 1981). Awards programs dedicated to animation, with many categories, includeASIFA-Hollywood'sAnnie Awards,theEmile Awardsin Europe and theAnima Mundiawards in Brazil.

Academy Awards

Main article:List of animated feature films nominated for Academy Awards

Apart fromAcademy AwardsforBest Animated Short Film(since 1932) andBest Animated Feature(since 2002), animated movies have been nominated and rewarded in other categories, relatively often forBest Original SongandBest Original Score.

Beauty and the Beastwas the first animated film nominated forBest Picture,in 1991.Up(2009) andToy Story 3(2010) also received Best Picture nominations, after the academy expanded the number of nominees from five to ten.

Production

Joy & Heron

The creation of non-trivial animation works (i.e., longer than a few seconds) has developed as a form offilmmaking,with certain unique aspects.Traits common to both live-action and animatedfeature filmsare labor intensity and high production costs.

The most important difference is that once a film is in the production phase, themarginal costof one more shot is higher for animated films than live-action films.It is relatively easy for a director to ask for one moretakeduringprincipal photographyof a live-action film, but every take on an animated film must be manually rendered by animators (although the task of rendering slightly different takes has been made less tedious by modern computer animation).It is pointless for a studio to pay the salaries of dozens of animators to spend weeks creating a visually dazzling five-minute scene if that scene fails to effectively advance the plot of the film.Thus, animation studios starting with Disney began the practice in the 1930s of maintaining story departments wherestoryboard artistsdevelop every single scene throughstoryboards,then handing the film over to the animators only after the production team is satisfied that all the scenes make sense as a whole.While live-action films are now also storyboarded, they enjoy more latitude to depart from storyboards (i.e., real-time improvisation).

Another problem unique to animation is the requirement to maintain a film's consistency from start to finish, even as films have grown longer and teams have grown larger. Animators, like all artists, necessarily have individual styles, but must subordinate their individuality in a consistent way to whatever style is employed on a particular film.Since the early 1980s, teams of about 500 to 600 people, of whom 50 to 70 are animators, typically have created feature-length animated films. It is relatively easy for two or three artists to match their styles; synchronizing those of dozens of artists is more difficult.

This problem is usually solved by having a separate group of visual development artists develop an overall look and palette for each film before the animation begins. Character designers on the visual development team drawmodel sheetsto show how each character should look like with different facial expressions, posed in different positions, and viewed from different angles.On traditionally animated projects,maquetteswere often sculpted to further help the animators see how characters would look from different angles.

Unlike live-action films, animated films were traditionally developed beyond the synopsis stage through the storyboard format; the storyboard artists would then receive credit for writing the film.In the early 1960s, animation studios began hiring professional screenwriters to write screenplays (while also continuing to use story departments) and screenplays had become commonplace for animated films by the late 1980s.

Techniques

Traditional

Main article:Traditional animation

An example of traditional animation, a horse animated byrotoscopingfromEadweard Muybridge's 19th-century photos

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, 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 calledcels,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 against a painted background by arostrum cameraonto motion picture film.

The traditional cel animation process became obsolete by the beginning of 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 traditional35 mm filmand newer media withdigital video.The "look" of traditional cel animation is still preserved, and thecharacter animators' work has remained essentially the same over the past 90 years.Some animation producers have used the term "tradigital" (a play on the words "traditional" and "digital" ) to describe cel animation that uses significant computer technology.

Examples of traditionally animated feature films includePinocchio(United States, 1940),Animal Farm(United Kingdom, 1954),Lucky and Zorba(Italy, 1998), andThe Illusionist(British-French, 2010). Traditionally animated films produced with the aid of computer technology includeThe Lion King(US, 1994),The Prince of Egypt(US, 1998),Akira(Japan, 1988),Spirited Away(Japan, 2001),The Triplets of Belleville(France, 2003), andThe Secret of Kells(Irish-French-Belgian, 2009).

Full

Full animationis the process of producing high-quality traditionally animated films that regularly use detailed drawings and plausible movement,having a smooth animation.Fully animated films can be made in a variety of styles, from more realistically animated works like those produced by theWalt Disney studio(The Little Mermaid,Beauty and the Beast,Aladdin,The Lion King) to the more 'cartoon' styles of theWarner Bros. animation studio.Many of theDisney animated featuresare examples of full animation, as are non-Disney works,The Secret of NIMH(US, 1982),The Iron Giant(US, 1999), andNocturna(Spain, 2007). Fully animated films are often animated on "twos", sometimes on "ones", which means that 12 to 24 drawings are required for a single second of film.

Limited

Main article:Limited animation

Limited animationinvolves the use of less detailed or more stylized drawings and methods of movement usually a choppy or "skippy" movement animation.Limited animation uses fewer drawings per second, thereby limiting the fluidity of the animation. This is a more economic technique. Pioneered by the artists at the American studioUnited Productions of America,limited animation can be used as a method of stylized artistic expression, as inGerald McBoing-Boing(US, 1951),Yellow Submarine(UK, 1968), and certainanimeproduced in Japan.Its primary use, however, has been in producing cost-effective animated content for media for television (the work of Hanna-Barbera,Filmation,and other TV animation studios) and later theInternet(web cartoons).

Rotoscoping

Main article:Rotoscoping

Rotoscopingis a technique patented byMax Fleischerin 1917 where animators trace live-action movement, frame by frame.The source film can be directly copied from actors' outlines into animated drawings,as inThe Lord of the Rings(US, 1978), or used in a stylized and expressive manner, as inWaking Life(US, 2001) andA Scanner Darkly(US, 2006). Some other examples areFire and Ice(US, 1983),Heavy Metal(1981), andAku no Hana(Japan, 2013).

Live-action blending

Main article:Films with live action and animation

Live-action/animationis a technique combining hand-drawn characters into live action shots or live-action actors into animated shots.One of the earlier uses was inKoko the Clownwhen Koko was drawn over live-action footage.Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks created a series ofAlice Comedies(1923–1927), in which a live-action girl enters an animated world. Other examples includeAllegro Non Troppo(Italy, 1976),Who Framed Roger Rabbit(US, 1988),Volere volare(Italy 1991),Space Jam(US, 1996) andOsmosis Jones(US, 2001).

Stop motion

Main article:Stop motion

Stop motionis 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 materials used to create the animation.Computer software is widely available to create this type of animation; traditional stop-motion animation is usually less expensive but more time-consuming to produce than current computer animation.

Stop motion

Typically involves stop-motion puppet figures interacting in a constructed environment, in contrast to real-world interaction in model animation.The puppets generally have anarmatureinside of them to keep them still and steady to constrain their motion to particular joints.Examples includeThe Tale of the Fox(France, 1937),The Nightmare Before Christmas(US, 1993),Corpse Bride(US, 2005),Coraline(US, 2009), the films ofJiří Trnkaand the adult animated sketch-comedy television seriesRobot Chicken(US, 2005–present).

Puppetoons

Created using techniques developed byGeorge Pal,are puppet-animated films that typically use a different version of a puppet for different frames, rather than manipulating one existing puppet.

A clay animation scene from aFinnishtelevision commercial

Clay animationorPlasticineanimation

(Often calledclaymation,which, however, is atrademarkedname). It uses figures made of clay or a similar malleable material to create stop-motion animation.The figures may have anarmatureor wire frame inside, similar to the related puppet animation (below), that can be manipulated to pose the figures.Alternatively, the figures may be made entirely of clay, in the films ofBruce Bickford,where clay creatures morph into a variety of different shapes. Examples of clay-animated works includeTheGumbyShow(US, 1957–1967),Mio Mao(Italy, 1974–2005),Morphshorts (UK, 1977–2000),Wallace & Gromitshorts (UK, as of 1989),Jan Švankmajer'sDimensions of Dialogue(Czechoslovakia,1982),The Trap Door(UK, 1984). Films includeWallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,Chicken RunandThe Adventures of Mark Twain.

Strata-cut animation

Most commonly a form of clay animation in which a long bread-like "loaf" of clay, internally packed tight and loaded with varying imagery, is sliced into thin sheets, with the animation camera taking a frame of the end of the loaf for each cut, eventually revealing the movement of the internal images within.

Cutout animation

A type of stop-motion animation produced by moving two-dimensional pieces of material paper or cloth.Examples includeTerry Gilliam's animated sequences fromMonty Python's Flying Circus(UK, 1969–1974);Fantastic Planet(France/Czechoslovakia, 1973);Tale of Tales(Russia, 1979),Matt StoneandTrey Parkerthe first cutout animationSouth Park(1992), the pilot episode of the adult television sitcom series (and sometimes in episodes) ofSouth Park(US, 1997) and the music video Live for the moment, from Verona Riots band (produced by Alberto Serrano and Nívola Uyá, Spain 2014).

Silhouette animation

A variant of cutout animation in which the characters are backlit and only visible as silhouettes.Examples includeThe Adventures of Prince Achmed(Weimar Republic,1926) andPrinces et Princesses(France, 2000).

Model animation

Stop-motion animation created to interact with and exist as a part of a live-action world.Intercutting,matteeffects and split screens are often employed to blend stop-motion characters or objects with live actors and settings.Examples include the work ofRay Harryhausen,as seen in films,Jason and the Argonauts(1963),and the work ofWillis H. O'Brienon films,King Kong(1933).

Go motion

A variant of model animation that uses various techniques to createmotion blurbetween frames of film, which is not present in traditional stop motion.The technique was invented byIndustrial Light & MagicandPhil Tippettto createspecial effectscenes for the filmStar Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back(1980).Another example is the dragon named "Vermithrax" from the 1981 filmDragonslayer.

Object animation

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.

Brickfilm

A subgenre of object animation involving usingLegoor other similar brick toys to make an animation.These have had a recent boost in popularity with the advent of video sharing sites,YouTubeand the availability of cheap cameras andanimation software.

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 effects.Examples of pixilation includeThe Secret Adventures of Tom ThumbandAngry Kidshorts, and theAcademy Award-winningNeighboursbyNorman McLaren.

Computer

Main article:Computer animation

Computer animationencompasses a variety of techniques, the unifying factor being that the animation is created digitally on a computer.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.

2D

Main article:2D computer graphics

A 2D animation of two circles joined by a chain

2D animationfigures are created or edited on the computer using 2Dbitmap graphicsand 2Dvector graphics.This includes automated computerized versions of traditional animation techniques,interpolatedmorphing,onion skinningand interpolated rotoscoping. 2D animation has many applications, including After Effects Animation,analog computer animation,Flash animation,andPowerPoint animation.Cinemagraphsarestill photographsin the form of ananimated GIFfile of which part is animated.

Final lineadvectionanimation is a technique used in 2D animation,to give artists and animators more influence and control over the final product as everything is done within the same department.Speaking about using this approach inPaperman,John Kahrs said that "Our animators can change things, actually erase away the CG underlayer if they want, and change the profile of the arm."

When working with game animations,skeletal2D animations are commonly created using tools like Spine, DragonBones, Blender COA Tools, Rive, and the built-in Unity editor. The primary benefit of this approach is the ability to reuse images, which reduces the amount of graphics stored in RAM. This principle of maximizing resource efficiency means that by reusing existing elements, you can enhance the visual appeal of animations without needing to create additional graphics.

3D

Main articles:Computer animationand3D computer graphics

Caminandes | Llama Drama

3D animation is digitally modeled and manipulated by an animator. The 3D model maker usually starts by creating a 3Dpolygon meshfor the animator to manipulate.A mesh typically includes many vertices that are connected by edges and faces, which give the visual appearance of form to a 3D object or 3D environment.Sometimes, the mesh is given an internal digital skeletal structure called anarmaturethat can be used to control the mesh by weighting the vertices.This process is called rigging and can be used in conjunction withkey framesto create movement.

Other techniques can be applied, mathematical functions (e.g., gravity, particle simulations), simulated fur or hair, and effects, fire andwater simulations.These techniques fall under the category of 3D dynamics.

Terms

• Cel shadingis used to mimic traditional animation using computer software.The shading looks stark, with less blending of colors. Examples includeSkyland(2007, France),The Iron Giant(1999, U.S.),Futurama(1999, U.S.)Appleseed Ex Machina(2007, Japan),The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker(2002, Japan),The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild(2017, Japan)
• Machinima– Films created by screen capturing in video games and virtual worlds. The term originated from the software introduction in the 1980sdemoscene,as well as the 1990s recordings of thefirst-person shootervideo gameQuake.
• Motion captureis used when live-action actors wear special suits that allow computers to copy their movements into CG characters.Examples includePolar Express(2004, US),Beowulf(2007, US),A Christmas Carol(2009, US),The Adventures of Tintin(2011, US)kochadiiyan(2014, India)
• Computer animationis used primarily for animation that attempts to resemble real life, using advanced rendering that mimics in detail skin, plants, water, fire, clouds, etc.Examples includeUp(2009, US),How to Train Your Dragon(2010, US)
• Physically based animationis animation usingcomputer simulations.

Mechanical

• Animatronicsis the use ofmechatronicsto create machines that seem animate rather than robotic.
  • Audio-Animatronicsis a form ofroboticsanimation, combined with 3-D animation, created byWalt Disney Imagineeringfor shows and attractions at Disney theme parks move and make noise (generally a recorded speech or song).They are fixed to whatever supports them. They can sit and stand, and they cannot walk. An Audio-Animatron is different from anandroid-type robot in that it uses prerecorded movements and sounds, rather than responding to external stimuli. In 2009, Disney created an interactive version of the technology called Autonomatronics.
  • Linear Animation Generatoris a form of animation by using static picture frames installed in a tunnel or a shaft. The animation illusion is created by putting the viewer in a linear motion, parallel to the installed picture frames.
• Chuckimationis a type of animation created by the makers of the television seriesAction League Now!in which characters/props are thrown, or chucked from off camera or wiggled around to simulate talking by unseen hands.
• TheMagic Lanternused mechanical slides to project moving images.Christiaan Huygenswas thought to have invented the Magic Lantern in the mid-1600s.

Other

World of Colorhydrotechnics atDisney California Adventurecreates the illusion of motion using 1,200 fountains with high-definition projections on mist screens.

• Hydrotechnics:a technique that includes lights, water, fire, fog, and lasers, with high-definition projections on mist screens.
• Drawn-on-film animation:a technique where footage is produced by creating the images directly onfilm stock;for example, byNorman McLaren,Len LyeandStan Brakhage.
• Paint-on-glass animation:a technique for making animated films by manipulating slow dryingoil paintson sheets of glass,for example byAleksandr Petrov.
• Erasure animation:a technique using traditional 2D media, photographed over time as the artist manipulates the image. For example,William Kentridgeis famous for hischarcoalerasure films,andPiotr Dumałafor his auteur technique of animating scratches on plaster.
• Pinscreen animation:makes use of a screen filled with movable pins that 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-lightedpiece of glass to create each frame for an animated film.This creates an interesting effect when animated because of the lightcontrast.
• 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,they also are geared towards adults and employ a series of photographs rather than drawings. Flip books are not always separate books, they 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.
• Character animation
• Multi-sketchanimation
• Special effectsanimation
• 2.5DAnimation:A mix of 2D and 3D animation elements that emphasize the illusion of depth utilizing the pseudo-3D effect.During the 1970s, the term “2.5D” started to gain recognition.But its background comes from anime and manga during the 1920s where theatrical stage productions were popular.Stage adaptations of well-liked anime series featured live performances by voice actors called 2.5D.

See also

• Animated war film
• Animation department
• Animated series
• Anime
• Architectural animation
• Avar
• Independent animation
• International Animation Day
• International Animated Film Association
• International Tournée of Animation
• List of film-related topics
• Motion graphic design
• Society for Animation Studies
• Twelve basic principles of animation
• Wire-frame model

References

Sources

Journal articles

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• Serenko, Alexander (2007)."Computers in Human Behavior"(PDF).The Development of an Instrument to Measure the Degree of Animation Predisposition of Agent Users.23(1): 478–95.Archived(PDF)from the original on 19 October 2013.

Books

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• Finkielman, Jorge (2004).The Film Industry in Argentina: An Illustrated Cultural History.North Carolina: McFarland. p.20.ISBN978-0-7864-1628-8.
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• Lowe, Richard; Schnotz, Wolfgang, eds. (2008).Learning with Animation. Research implications for design.New York: Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-85189-3.
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Online sources

• Amidi, Amid (2 December 2011)."NY Film Critics Didn't like a Single Animated Film This Year".Cartoon Brew.Retrieved19 February2016.
• Ball, Ryan (12 March 2008)."Oldest Animation Discovered in Iran".Animation Magazine.Retrieved15 March2016.
• Beck, Jerry (2 July 2012)."A Little More About Disney's" Paperman "".Cartoon Brew.
• Bendazzi, Giannalberto (1996)."The Untold Story of Argentina's Pioneer Animator".Animation World Network.Retrieved29 April2016.
• "Animation"(PDF).boi.gov.ph.Board of Investments. November 2009. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 19 October 2012.Retrieved24 July2012.
• Brown, Margery (2003)."Experimental Animation Techniques"(PDF).Olympia, WA: Evergreen State College. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 7 March 2008.Retrieved11 November2005.
• Carbone, Ken (24 February 2010)."Stone-Age Animation in a Digital World: William Kentridge at MoMA".Fast Company.Retrieved7 March2016.
• Kenyon, Heather (1 February 1998)."How'd They Do That?: Stop-Motion Secrets Revealed".Animation World Network.Retrieved2 March2016.
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• McDuling, John (3 July 2014)."Hollywood Is Giving Up on Comedy".The Atlantic.The Atlantic Monthly Group.Retrieved20 July2014.
• McLaughlin, Dan (2001)."A Rather Incomplete But Still Fascinating".Film TV.UCLA. Archived fromthe originalon 19 November 2009.Retrieved12 February2013.
• O'Keefe, Matt (11 November 2014)."6 Major Innovations That Sprung from the Heads of Disney Imagineers".Theme Park Tourist.Retrieved9 March2016.
• Watercutter, Angela (24 May 2012)."35 Years After Star Wars, Effects Whiz Phil Tippett Is Slowly Crafting a Mad God".Wired.Retrieved6 February2016.
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External links

• The making of an 8-minute cartoon short
• "Animando",a 12-minute film demonstrating 10 different animation techniques (and teaching how to use them) (archived 1 October 2009).