What is animation?To breathe life into some thingAnimation is a visual technique that provides the illusion of motion by displaying a collection of images in rapid sequence Animation is not the art of drawings but the art of movement that are drawn. What happens between each frame is much more important than what exist on each frame.

Animation is generally defined as the creation of an illusion of movement by assembling a sequence of still images.

Types of AnimationStop-motion animation, 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

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.

Clay animationClay 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.

Wallace and GromitChicken run

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

Silhouette animation is a monochrome variant of cutout animation in which the characters are only visible as black silhouettes.

Model animation refers to stop-motion animation created to interact with and exist as a part of a live-action. Examples include the work of Ray Harryhausen, as seen in films such Jason and the Argonauts (1961), and the work of Willis O'Brien on films such as King Kong (1933 film).

Puppet animation typically involves stop-motion puppet figures interacting with each other in a constructed environment, in contrast to the real-world interaction in model animation. The puppets generally have an armature inside of them to keep them still and steady as well as constraining them to move at particular joints. Examples include Le Roman de Renard (The Tale of the Fox) (France, 1937), the films of Ji Trnka, The Nightmare Before Christmas (US, 1993), and the TV series Robot Chicken (US, 2005-present).

RotoscopeRotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films. Originally, pre-recorded live-action film images were projected onto a frosted glass panel and re-drawn by an animator.

Computer Animation2D animationFigures 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, Jib Jab, Mickey the Squirrel

3d animation3D animationDigital models manipulated by an animator. In order to manipulate a mesh, it is given a digital armature (sculpture). 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. Many 3D animations are very believable and are commonly used as special effects for recent movies.

History of AnimationA predecessor of today's comic strip can be found in an Egyptian wall decoration in circa 2000 B.C.

In 1600 BC the Egyptian Pharoah Rameses II built a temple to the god Iris. It had 110 columns. Each hold a painted figure of the Goddes in Changes position. To the horsemen riding past- Isis appeared to move.

History of AnimationIn one of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous illustrations, he shows how the limbs would look in various positions. The Japanese used scrolls to tell continuous stories. The ancient greeks sometimes decorated pot with figures in successive stages of action. Spinning the pot would create the sense of motion.

History of AnimationSince the beginnings of time, human beings have tried to capture a sense of motion in their art. From the eight-legged boar in the Altamira caves of Northern Spain 35000 years ago

The earliest form of animation is a 5,200 year old earthen bowl found in Iran in Shahr-i Sokhta has five images painted along the sides. When the bowl is spun, it shows a goat leaping up to a tree to take a pear.

History of AnimationIn 1640, a Jesuit priest named Athonasius Kircher invented a device called the Magic Lantern. It was a box with a lantern, and glass discs with images; essentially a slide projector.

History of AnimationBy late 17th century, Johannes Zahn mounted the glass slides on a revolving disc which gave the illusion of motion. These devices were used to entertain the royal courts in Europe.

History of AnimationIn 1824, Peter Mark Roget discovered Persistence of Vision With Regard to Moving Objects. Its about phenomenon that occurs in human vision where an image lingers even after the light from the source has ceased.

If this did not occur, we would see a pronounced flicker in all films and on all televisions and monitors. This phenomenon makes animation possible.

Persistence of Vision The principles gave birth to;The thaumatrope It was a disc with a string or peg attached to both sides. One side of the disc showed a bird, the other an empty cage. When the disc was twisted, the bird appeared in the cage The Flipbook familiar to most of us. Sequential images are stacked in a small book, and when you flip through the pages with your thumb, you can see the images animate

History of AnimationThe phenakistoscope, invented by Joseph Plateau in 1826, two disc mounted on a shaft- fornt disc has slits around the edge and the rear disc has a sequence of drawings. Look through the openings and as the discs revolve we have the illusions of motions

The Zeotrope. In 1860, Pierre Desvignes, inserted a strip of paper containing drawings on the inside of a drumlike cylinder. The drum twirled on a spindle, and the viewer gazed through slots ot the top of the drum. The figures on the inside magically came to life, endlessly looping in an acrobatic feat.

Thomas A. Edison develop the motion camera and projector provided the first real practical means of making animation.

animation was done in the simplest of means. Stuart Blackton, issued a short film in 1906 entitled Humourous Phases of Funny Faces,he drew comical faces on a blackboard, photographed them, and he erased it to draw another stage of the facial expression. This "stop-motion" effect astonished audiences by making drawings comes to life.

In 1873 Eadweard Muybridge conducted an experiment to resolve a friends bet about whether when a horse run, theres a point at which all four legs are off the ground.

Muybridge set up a row of cameras and was able to trigger them sequentially so that each camera captured a single frame of the motion.

This led to two folio sets of sequential photographs, Animals in Motion published in 1899, and The Human Figure in Motion published in 1901. Both of these volumes are still considered standard references today. In 1888, Thomas Edison produced a device for recording sequential images. The resulting images are then shown on a Mutoscope, which is a device somewhat like an automated flipbook. Mutoscopes were very popular in penny arcades.

In 1914, McCays film Gertie the Dinosaur revolutionized animation. McCay brought a sense of life and self-awareness to Gertie through the animation. Today animators still study his films to get insights in subtleties of character animation.

In 1915, Earl Hurd patented the clear celluloid sheet, also known as the cel.

it made it possible to draw the background only once, and animate characters on top of it.

Not only did this greatly reduce the work of retracing a background frame by frame, but it later led to the cartoon look of black outlines filled with color that we are used to today.

In 1915, Max Fleischer patented the Rotoscope.The rotoscope used a technique that involved filming live actors in costume, projecting the film frame by frame onto a glass plate, and tracing the figure adding other additions to create the final animated character.The result is very realistic motion. This technique is still being used, and is used in 3D animation software packages like Animation:Master.

Early Animation Studios

As people started going to movies, the demand for short animated films grew to a point where a real industry could develop, and animation studios could grow.

Fleischer Studio - 1916 through 1929 they produced the very successful Out of the Inkwell Koko the Clown. These films combined animation and live action.

Sullivan Studios and Otto Messmers created Felix the Cat films.

Messmer made Felix much more expressive. This led to Felix being the first real cartoon star.

Not only were the Felix films very popular, but so was the Felix merchandise. This was the first time that an animated character garnered as much or more attention than a movie star.

But Felix never adapted to sound this may led their popularity waned, unfortunately they stop felix in 1933

Disney Enters Picture The history of animation that most people are familiar with is the Disney version. You can clearly see that to this point, there were many people and studios that came before Disney. But, the influence of the Disney animated films should not be understated.

In 1920 Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks started the Laugh-O-Gram company in Kansas City.

During the end of this time, they produced the first Alice in Cartoonland film.

But, they had lost so much money with the earlier films that they declared bankruptcy in 1923.

Disney then moved to Hollywood, and continued making the Alice in Cartoonland series.

He was later joined by Ub Iwerks. The Alice films incorporated a live action girl in a cartoon world. Disney produced 57 Alice comedies between 1923 and 1927.

Disney started with a new character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. In the period from 1927 through 1928, they made 26 silent Oswald cartoons.Disney lost Oswalt to Universal

Disney designed a new character called Mortimer Mouse. He later changed the name to Mickey.

They produced two silent films with Mickey, but it was their third that was actually released first.

The third film was Steamboat Willie, which not only made Mickey a star, but also was the very first sound cartoon.

1928 through 1937 witnessed a remarkable transformation of animation innovation at the Disney studio.

Animated films went from silent, black and white cartoons with simple characters and simple motion cycles to a full color feature films with rich characters, music, and animated effects. During this time Disney produced a series of cartoons called Silly Symphonies.

In 1932 Disney released Flowers and Trees with Technicolor. it was the first film to win the Oscar for Best Animated Short.

In 1937 Disney produced The Old Mill, which won the 1937 Oscar for Best Animated Short.This film used the Multiplane camera, a new device patented by Disney. This device placed a camera at the top a tall rack, which then shot downward towards multiple layers of glass plates. Each of these plates could move independently, in three dimensions. This not only produced many layers of detail, but the camera could rack focus from foreground elements to background elements. It added a level of three dimensionality to cel animation. This concept continues today and is used as a feature of Animation:Master.

Multiplane camera

Other Studios Despite Disneys domination, other animation studios were also going strong.

The Fleischer Studios started making Betty Boop cartoons, which were very popular.

3D Animation

Another very important development was 3D animation and stop motion animation. The man considered the grandfather of stop motion is Willis OBrian. He used a combination of soft rubber, clay, and armatures with 3D sets. His first film was in 1917 and was called The Dinosaur and the Missing Link.

he is probably best known for King Kong in 1933. With this film, OBrian gave Kong a real personality, and was able to get audiences to really feel for him.

In 1949, OBrian animated another giant Ape in Mighty Joe Young. One of the other animators on this film was a young Ray Harryhausen, who later became legendary for the Sinbad films of the 1960s.

Mighty Joe Young went on to win the first Oscar for special effects in 1950.

In 1937 Disney broke new ground by releasing Snow White, their first animated feature film. It proved that audience could sit through long form animation and led to a long list of high quality Disney animated films. It also led to a great deal of research and development at Disney in the mechanics of motion and animation. A greater sense of weight, momentum and motion of humans and animals added to the quality of animation not only at Disney, but other studios as well.

The films that followed Snow White like Pinocchio and Fantasia in 1940,

Dumbo in 1941 and Bambi in 1942 contain what is still considered some of the best animation produced at Disney.

These sets the standard of animation

Fleischer Studios did their best to compete. In 1939 they released Gullivers Travels. Gulliver was animated using the rotoscope process with the rest of the characters being more cartoony. It was more rushed than Show White, so the animation quality is less consistent.

Then in 1941, they released Mr. Bug Goes to Town. This film has some interesting similarities to Pixars A Bugs Life.

The Golden Age of animation is generally considered to be the period between 1937 and the late 1950s. During this time the studios produced some of the best and funniest cartoons of all time.

Warner Brothers - Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and the Road Runner.Terrytoons - Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle cartoons in the 1940s and 50s.Disney - Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.

MGM -Tom and Jerry, Screwy Squirrel, Droopy, and Barney Bear.

Fleischer studios - Popeye, amazing Superman cartoons.

Walter Lantz - Woody Woodpecker cartoons.

TheDirectorsBob Clampett - Warner Brothers. Tex Avery - Warner Brothers, MGMChuck Jones - Bugs BunnyFriz Freleng - Porky Pig, Yosemite Sam, and SylvesterBill Hanna and Joseph Barbera - MGM

In 1941, the Disney studio was rocked by a strike by animators who wanted to unionize. Many animators got laid off. In 1943, they formed United Productions of America also known as UPA. Chuck Jones directed the first UPA film, which was a political ad for Frankin Roosevelt. The UPA films were a departure from the traditional cartoon style. They tended to be more political in nature, and ushered in a new style that was defined by stark colors, less realistic character motion, and very graphic look. It was a very anti-Disney look that caught on throughout the industry. The opening credits for Monsters Inc. are very much in the UPA style.

The Decline of the StudiosBy the late 1950s, the cost of producing animated shorts was getting prohibitive, and there was a drop in the movie theater audiences.

These factors combined to make the major studios shut down or significantly scale back their animation units. The Golden Age was over.

Movie theaters were seeing a decline in audiences because of television.

People were staying home more for their entertainment than going out.

This created a new demand, but required a new kind of studio, one that could produce a lot more animation in much shorter time.

Hanna-Barbera produced their first made for TV cartoon series in 1957.

In the 1960s as animation production in Hollywood declined, animation studios started to thrive around the world. The National Film Board of Canada financed a number of films in Canada, many of which were very experimental and really pushed the medium.

Eastern Europe and Russia also experienced a boom in animation. Despite the tight control the Soviet government had over filmmakers, animators seemed to have much more leeway because they often got around the censors with symbolism. Stop motion also became quite popular there.

Another part of the world that saw an explosion of animation was Japan. This was the true birth of Anime. Anime grew to encompass not only animated entertainment for children, but ultimately covered drama, comedy, action, and even x-rated films. It is definitely, not just for kids.

The 1970s

During the 1970s the bulk of animation was on Saturday morning and dominated by Hanna-Barbera and Filmation produced kid-oriented fare. Disney continued to make animated features, but they had dropped in quality and popularity.

But, the 70s also saw the rise of independent animators that wanted to shake things up. Ralph Bakshi was one of the most prolific. After getting his start at Terrytoons, he produced the first R-rated cartoon with Fritz the Cat in 1972. Many of his films had a gritty New Yorker urban feel including Heavy Traffic, Hey, Good Lookin and American Pop. He also delved into fantasy with Wizards and The Lord of the Rings. All of his films after Fritz the Cat used the Rotoscope technique, so they had a stylized live action feel mixed with the animation.

In 1977, the world changed with Star Wars came out. This really ushered in the age of the special effects movie. Phil Tippett was the lead animator and did the animated chess game between C3PO and Chewbacca.

The 1980s

Hollywood movies heavy on animated special effects really took off after Star Wars. With the Star Wars films, Indiana Jones films, Close Encounters, ET, Poltergeist, and countless other blockbusters, animation moved towards effects. Industrial Light and Magic, founded by George Lucas, dominated this field. Much like Disney did in the 1930s, they invested a lot of energy and money into R&D, and greatly improved the quality and quantity of animated visual effects.

Computer animation also took off. The original CG studios did animation for commercials, and flying logos for network TV. And as the computer hardware dropped in price, newer CG studios came to take their place. Studios like Pixar, PDI, and Blue Sky began during this time. Also, in the late 1980s personal computers were becoming more capable, and the first desktop CG animation tools started coming out, like Hashs Animation:Apprentice. Most of todays 3D tools can be traced back to these programs.

The end of the 80s also saw some new animated features that breathed new life into the industry and inspired a whole new generation of animators. These were Roger Rabbit in 1988, and Little Mermaid in 1989. There was a measurable boost in interest of CG animation tools, and many young animators that got started learning animation on personal computers are now the animators at the top animation studios.

The 1990s To Infinity and Beyond

As the 90s began, the animation world was rocked by Ren and Stimpy. The man behind this was John Kricfalusi. In the late 80s, he was director of animation on Ralph Bakshis The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse. His influence in that series was clear. Clearly there was a level of humor that was not directed at children, but more towards teenagers and adults.

Ren and Stimply ushered in the sick and twisted cartoon. Kricfalusi combined a strong graphic style with Bob Clampett animation sensibilities and teenager level humor. Most of todays cartoon series are influenced by this show.

The 90sIn 1995, Pixar proved that a CG feature film was not only possible, but could be profitable. Taking a lesson from the early Disney days, story is the most important element to an animated film. Its a lesson that Disney also seemed to relearn when they released The Lion King. It was the most profitable film they ever made. Many of their previous films had actually lost money.

But, Pixar opened the door to many other CG feature film, not just from them, but from studios like PDI/Dreamworks, and Blue Sky.

The Principles

12 principles of animation

Squash and stretch Anticipation Staging Straight ahead action and pose to pose Follow through and overlapping action Slow in and slow out Arcs Secondary action Timing Exaggeration Solid drawing Appeal Notes

Squash and stretchDefining the rigidity and mass of an object by distorting its shape during an action. Although the squash and stretch effect can be exaggerated, it is important that the mass of whatever is being transformed is preserved.

AnticipationThe preparation for an action. to direct the attention of the audience to the right part of the screen at the right moment. This is essential for preventing the audience from missing some vital action.

Anticipationemphasize heavy weight, as for a character picking up an object that is very heavy a device to catch the audiences eye, to prepare them for the next movement and lead them to expect it before it actually occurs. Before a character reaches to grab an object , he first raises his arm as he starts at the article, broadcasting the fact that he is going to do

StagingStaging is the presentation of an idea so that it is completely and unmistakably clear. To stage an idea clearly, the audience's eye must be led to exactly where it needs to be at the right moment

Andrea cute's scratch was staged to the side (in "silhouette") for clarity and because that is where his itch was.

StagingIt is important, when staging an action. that only one idea be seen by the audience at a time If a lot of action is happening at once, the eye does not know where to look and the main idea of the action will be overlooked.

Straight ahead action and pose to poseStraight Ahead Straight Ahead action usually has a fresh spontaneous look to it.Pose to Pose creates quite a controlled clean look.

Straight ahead action and pose to poseStraight ahead animation starts at the first drawing and works drawing to drawing to the end of a scene. You can lose size, volume, and proportions with this method, but it does have spontaneity and freshness. Fast, wild action scenes are done this way. Pose to Pose is more planned out and charted with key drawings done at intervals throughout the scene. Size, volumes, and proportions are controlled better this way, as is the action.

Follow through and overlapping actionWhile anticipation is the preparation of an action, follow through is the termination of an action. Actions rarely come to a sudden and complete stop, but are generally carried past their termination point.

In figure movement, actions of the parts are not simultaneous, some parts initiate moves, while others follow. For example, the wrist leads the hand and fingers in a gesture.

overlapping actionAn action should never be brought to a complete stop before starting another action. Overlapping maintains a continual flow between whole phrases of actions

slow in and outThe ball on the left moves at a constant speed with no squash/stretch.The ball in the center does slow in and out with a squash/stretch.The ball on the right moves at a constant speed with squash/stretch. in animation, the acceleration and deceleration of action, i.e. the way that an action begins slowly, moves quickly through the main action, and then slows down as it comes to a stop rather than moving linearly from one position to another.

in animation, the acceleration and deceleration of action, i.e. the way that an action begins slowly, moves quickly through the main action, and then slows down as it comes to a stop rather than moving linearly from one position to another.

in animation, the acceleration and deceleration of action, i.e. the way that an action begins slowly, moves quickly through the main action, and then slows down as it comes to a stop rather than moving linearly from one position to another.

ExaggerationThe meaning of exaggeration is, in general, obvious. However, the principle of exaggeration in animation does not mean arbitrarily distorting shapes or objects or making an action more violent or unrealistic. The animator must go to the heart of anything or any idea and develop its essence, understanding the reason for it, so that the audience will also understand it. If a character is sad, make him sadder; if he is bright, make him shine; worried, make him fret; wild, make him frantic.

ExaggerationIf he is angry, make him furious

ARCSExpressive Motion The visual path of action from one extreme to another is always described by an arc. In nature, arcs are the most economical routes by which a form can move from one position to another

secondary actionA secondary action is an action that results directly from another action. Secondary actions are important in heightening interest and adding a realistic complexity to the animation. The secondary action of Luxo Jr's forward motion is the rippling of his power cord.

secondary actionGenerally, in facial animation, the movement is a secondary action, subordinate to the bodies movement. The danger with facial animation isn't that it will dominate the scene, but that it will not be seen. The change in expression should happen before or after a move, changes in the middle of a major move will mostly likely go unnoticed.

AppealWhere the live action actor has charisma, the animated character has appeal.Audiences like to see a quality of charm, pleasing design, simplicity, communication, or magnetism. A weak drawing or design lacks appeal. A design that is complicated or hard to read lacks appeal. Clumsy shapes and awkward moves all have low appeal

Drawing Animation