Animation

by Miranda Morris

Traditional Animation:

Traditional animation began with each frame being painted and then filmed. Cell Animation developed by Bray and Hurd in the early 1900s sped up the process by using transparent overlays so that characters could be moved without having to repaint the background for every frame. Traditionally animated productions would usually begin with a storyboard, then a soundtrack, with the story reel developed after both. After the story reel is approved and the designs are completed, layout begins. In the cell animation technique, different characters are designed on separate transparent sheets. These, put together with backgrounds, are photographed together to form the image.

Computer Animation:

Computer animation has advanced rapidly, and is now at the point where movies can be created with characters so lifelike as to be hard to distinguish from real actors. This is done by way of 3D graphics, rather than 2D. Computer animation combines vector graphics with programmed movement. It can be created with a computer and animation software such as Maya (3D), 3D Studio Max (3D), and Flash (2D).

Professional animators creation animations with high detail, so high it would take 100s of years to create on a home computer. For this reason, graphics workstations are used instead. A single workstation can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $16,000. Often a large number of workstations are networked together to form a giant computer. This way a production can be completed in one to five years.

Stop-Motion Animation:

Stop-motion animation is a technique that allows static objects appear to move. One form on stop-motion animation is claymation. In Claymation, each object is sculpted in clay and then arranged on the set. A single shot is taken, and the object or character is moved very slightly, with another shot being taken with the object in its new position. Producing this type of animation is extremely laborious. Some famous claymations include: Gumby, Chicken Run, and Wallace and Gromit.