3D CGI Animation

What is 3D CGI Animation?

Computer animation, or CGI animation, is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. - Wikipedia

How does it work?

Modern computers aniamtion would use 3D computer graphics to make animations. 3D characters for animations such as video games are created on the computer but due to the advancement in technology they can now get actors to wear special suits that capture their movement and make the animation process a lot easier.

There are advantages and disadvantages to 3D CGI Animation

• Advantage is that its the most up to date way to make animation and is a great final product
• Disadvanatge is that it requires good equipment and skills

Early digital computer animation was developed at Bell Telephone Laboratories in the 1960s by Edward E. Zajac, Frank W. Sinden, Kenneth C. Knowlton, and A. Michael Noll. Other digital animation was also practiced at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. - Wikipedia

Two Well-Known examples of 3D CGI Animation are shown below:

Toy Story

Monsters Inc

Here is a video showing a 3D CGI Animation:

Here is a video showing what goes into making a 3D CGI Animation:

2D Computer Graphic Animation

What is 2D Computer Graphic Animation?

2D Computer Graphic Animation is animations or cartoons that have been created entirely on a computer and are not drawn or printed.

How does it work?

It works similar to stop motion animation and an image is created on a computer and the picture will be created around 12 frames per second. Again this is an illusion and ticks the brain and the eye into thinking its seeing a smoothly moving object.

There are advantages and disadvantage to this animation technique:

• The advantages are that its the modern way to make cartoons and less time consuming than other cartoon animation skills.
• The disadvantage is that it requires a computer and is a lot more expensive to make and more difficult.

Early digital computer animation was developed at Bell Telephone Laboratories in the 1960s by Edward E. Zajac, Frank W. Sinden, Kenneth C. Knowlton, and A. Michael Noll. Other digital animation was also practiced at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. - Wikipedia

Two well known examples are shown below:

The Simpsons:

Spongebob:

Here is a video showing a 2D Animation Graphic Animation:

Here is a video that shows what goes into making a 2D Computer Animation:

Cell Animation

What is a Cal Animation?

A Cell Animation or Celluloid is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid (consisting of cellulose nitrate andcamphor) was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate. With the advent of computer-assisted animation production, the use of cels has been all but abandoned in major productions. Disney studios stopped using cels in 1990 when Computer Animation Production System (CAPS) replaced this element in their animation process. - Wikipedia

How Does it work?

The characters for the animation are drawn on cells and then laid over a static background to prevent the same image needing to be drawn more than once. this is a more effeciient way to complete this animation as different specialized teams can work on different parts.

There are advantages and disadvantage to this animation:

• The advantage is that its more detailed and has a more crisper/cleaner look
• The disadvantage is that it is outdated and time consuming and has been replaced with computers

The credit of the cell animation goes to Earl Hurd and John Bray in 1915.

Two well known examples are displayed below:

Mickey Mouse:

The Jungle Book:

Here is a video showing the process that goes into making a cell animation:

Here is another example:

Stop Motion

What is Stop Motion?

Stop motion is an animation technique to make it seems an intimate object is moving on its own, when in reality individual photographs are being taken between small movements of the objects.

How does it work?

An object is photographed by a camera and then moved a tiny bit then another picture would be taken and so on till you have the movement you want your object to complete. Then once all the pictures are played through one after the other it will appear the object is moving by itself

They are advantages and disadvantages to this animation skill:

• The advantages are that its fun to watch, and fairly easy to make
• The disadvantages are that it requires a camera which costs money 

The credit of this animation skill can go to Albert E. Smith and J. Stuart Blackton for Humpty Dumpty Circus in 1898 which contains toys coming to life. 

Two well known examples are displayed below:

'Wallace and Gromit' is a popular Stop motion animation and is classed as a clay animation AKA Claymation.

Another example is 'Chicken Run' another Claymation.

Here is a video showing Stop motion animation is action:

Here is a video showing how to make a stop motion animation:

Flipbook

What is a Flipbook?

"A flip book or 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." - Wikipedia 

How does it work?

A flip book works by flicking through a series of pages really quickly and only requires a book with drawings/printed images. It totally rely's on persistence of vision to create the illusion to the person watching that they can see a continuous film when in reality they are seeing loads of images after another.

They're advantages and disadvantages to this animation skill:

• The advantages are its pretty cheap and fun to watch
• The disadvantage is it may be difficult to try and make one yourself

The first flip book appeared in September 1868 by John Barnes Linnett

Two well known examples are displayed below:

The Cop shooting a Criminal 

Mortal Kombat

Here's a video showing a complex flip book in action:

Here's another video showing how to make a basic flip book:

Zoetrope

What is a Zoetrope?

A Zoetrope is a device that produces a constant loop of film as long as you keep spinning it. It is made up of a cylinder with vertical slits cut in the sides and on the inside there are images that wrap around the inner portion of the cylinder and appear visible through the slits.

How does it work?

A Zoetrope works by spinning the wheel around which causes you to see a different image every split second through the slits with makes it seem the image is moving therefore creating a mini-movie.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this pre-film animation:

• The adavantages is its very cheap and easy to do and it cool to watch
• The disadvantge is its difficult to make

The credit of the invention originally goes to Ding Huan, a chinese engineer around 100 BC. However, The basic drum-like form of the zoetrope was created in 1833 or 1834 by British mathematician William George Horn

Two well known examples are displayed below:

The devil jumping in and out of a hat


Man riding a horse


Here's a videos showing how a Zoetrope works:

Here's another video showing how to make a Zoetrope:

Thaumatrope

What is a Thaumatrope?

Thaumatrope is a skill used in animation and was a toy that dates back to the 19th century. A thaumatrope is made up of a disc with two different drawings on each side and two pieces of string.

How Does it Work?

A thaumatrope works by the two pieces of strings being twirled causing the two separate images to appear as one.

There are advantages and disadvantages of this animation skill:

• The advantages are that its very cheap and easy to make 
• The disadvantage is that it requires fairly good artistic skills

The credit for the invention of Thaumatrope is given to either John Ayrton Paris or Peter Mark Roget and was first used in 1824 to demonstrate persistence of vision.

Two well known examples are shown below. One being the goldfish in the fish bowl (Left) and the other being the duck in the pond (Right)

Here is a video with many great examples.

 

Here is another video demonstrating how to make them.