Animation and VFX History Quiz

General Information

• Mock exam duration: 45 minutes
• Students must place their student ID on the table
• Notes, books, and smart phones should be left under the chair
• Exam format is 2 hours long
• 10 Multiple Choice questions (20%)
• 3 Short Questions (50%)
• 1 Long Question (30%)
• Be punctual, arrive at least 15 minutes before exam starts
• Bring student ID
• Answer every question
• Do not engage in dishonest behavior
• Apply for deferral if unable to attend the exam

Animation and VFX History

• Animation is the creative interpretation of motion
• Drawings, objects, or characters are filmed frame-by-frame
• Alterations to materials between frames create movement illusion
• Emile Cohl (1857-1938, French): Known as "The Father of the Animated Cartoon," created a surrealistic cartoon style before Disney/Warner Bros realism, and famous work "Fantasmagorie" (1908)
• J. Stuart Blackton (1875-1941, American): Made the first silent film with animated sequences "The Enchanted Drawing" (1900), considered the father of American animation, used both stop-motion and drawn animation, founder of Vitagraph Studios, famous work "Humorous Phases of Funny Faces" (1906).
• Winsor McCay (1871-1934, American): Started as a newspaper cartoonist and achieved national reputation ('Little Nemo in Slumberland' and 'Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend'), spent four years and created four thousand drawings to make his first animated cartoon 'Little Nemo' in 1911, and famous work "Gertie the Dinosaur" (1913)
• John R. Bray & Earl Hurd: Collaborated, inventing and patenting the use of large background drawings and panning cameras in 1915, which remained the animation standard. Patented Translucent Cels and Registration Peg for drawing alignment

Golden Age of American Animation

• (1930s-1960s)

Walt Disney (1901-1966)

• Born in Chicago
• Entrepreneur, animator, film producer
• Pioneer of the animation industry
• Walt Disney Company subsidiaries include Pixar, Marvel, Lucas Film, Disneyland Resorts, ABC network, ESPN
• Worth US$74.9 billion
• Heavily invested in advanced technologies
• One-feature-film-a-year model
• Set up animation assembly lines
• Character-centric strategy
• Business model (copyright-centric) for animation studios
• Nurturing talents (funded CalArts)
• "Flowers & Trees - Silly Symphonies" (first full-color film using Technicolor)
• First animated film to receive an Academy Award for animation

The Nine Old Men

• Les Clark, Eric Larson, Marc Davis, John Lounsbery, Ollie Johnston, Wolfgang Reitherman, Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Ward Kimball: Essential Disney animators

Disney's Legacy

• Established standard for top-notch animation assembly lines
• Raised the bar for feature animation
• Created many cartoon superstars
• Developed the business model for animation studios
• Funded CalArts

Other Animation Pioneers

• Max Fleischer (1915): Invented rotoscope technique for lifelike animation (tracing motion picture footage).

UPA Limited Animation

• Broadcast medium (theater vs. television)
• Frame per second (2/3 limited to 8 frames)
• Horizontal movement (limited perspective)
• Repeated footage (running gag)
• Interesting background music and dialogue

Warner Bros Cartoons

• Many creative staff members, including directors, animators: Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson, Tex Avery, Robert Clampett, Frank Tashlin

Test your knowledge on the history of animation and visual effects with this quiz. Learn about key figures like Emile Cohl and J. Stuart Blackton, and explore the evolution of animated cartoons. Perfect for students interested in animation and film studies.