Advancements in Animation PDF

Advancements in Animation Standard Picture Film - 1900 James Stuart Blackton was an Anglo-American film producer, most notable for making the first silent film that included animated sequences recorded on standard picture film. His silent film, "The Enchanted Drawing", was the first animated sequen...

Advancements in Animation Standard Picture Film - 1900 James Stuart Blackton was an Anglo-American film producer, most notable for making the first silent film that included animated sequences recorded on standard picture film. His silent film, "The Enchanted Drawing", was the first animated sequence shot on 35mm film. James Stuart Blackton James Stuart Blackton 1900 - First silent film that included animated sequences recorded on standard picture film. - "The Enchanted Drawing" - First animated sequence shot on 35mm film. Lightbox - 1908 Émile Cohl, dubbed "the Father of the Animated Cartoon," is a French cartoonist and animator. His first cartoon, "Fantasmagorie" (1908), used a lightbox to create a sequence of progressing drawings, which incorporated all of the essential elements of animated cartoons. Cohl accomplished this by tracing 700 consecutive drawings with the necessary variations to show movement on an illuminated glass plate. This makes "Fantasmagorie" the world’s first fully animated film. Lightbox - 1908 Émile Cohl, "the Father of the Animated Cartoon," First cartoon, "Fantasmagorie" (1908), used a lightbox to create a sequence of progressing drawings. Cohl accomplished this by tracing 700 consecutive drawings "Fantasmagorie" the world’s first fully animated film. World’s First Keyframe Animation - 1910 The Keyframe animation was invented by Winsor McCay. Gertie the Dinosaur, is the world’s first keyframe animated cartoon. A keyframe in animation is a drawing that defines the starting and ending points of a smooth transition in an animation. Inbetweens are the drawings between the keyframes which help to create the illusion of motion. World’s First Keyframe Animation - 1910 Invented by Winsor McCay Gertie the Dinosaur, is the world’s first keyframe animated cartoon. A keyframe in animation is a drawing that defines the starting and ending points of a smooth transition in an animation. Inbetweens are the drawings between the keyframes which help to create the illusion of motion. Assembly Line Animation Process - 1914 John Bray, founded the very first animation studio in America. He was called the “Henry Ford of American animation,” as he was the very first to organize an assembly line to mass-produce cartoons. Bray Studios was the first to attempt modern assembly-line animation process, assigning tasks like painting and inking to separate art departments. The assembly line method is essentially how all commercial animations are created to this day. Layer Animation - 1914 John Bray had created a system whereby a single background image would be reprinted on hundreds of sheets of tracing paper, creating a series of translucent overlays which were then combined with animated characters to fit together in a scene. This technique saved time as the background was not redrawn for each frame. Pegbar - 1914 Raoul Barre introduced standard perforations in the drawing paper and "peg bars" to hold the paper in place which eliminated jerkiness when going from one image to the next. A peg bar is usually made of metal, but less expensive, plastic bars are also available from animation supply houses. The peg bar enables the animator to keep a whole bunch of drawings in perfect register, and since a peg bar is also used on the scanner or camera, the positioning will always be correct even in later phases of the production. Cels - 1915 Earl Hurd is the inventor of the Cel animation. Cel animation was a major technical breakthrough in hand drawn animation. In this technique the animations are drawn and painted on transparent acetate sheets called cels, placed over background and photographed frame by frame. Cel animation has been the standard technique for studio animation since its invention in 1915. Rotoscope - 1917 Rotoscoping is an animation technique that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce realistic action. Animators projected photographed live-action movie images onto a glass panel and traced over the image. This projection equipment is referred to as a rotoscope, developed by American animator Max Fleischer. This device was eventually replaced by computers, but the process is still called rotoscoping. Synchronized Sound - 1928 'Steamboat Willie' was the first animated film to include synchronised sound, and it makes excellent use of it. We see Mickey Mouse whistling a cheerful melody in the opening scene. Whistles blow, cows moo and hens cackle, as we watch. All noises are perfectly synchronised with the moving visuals owing to the innovation of the click track. The click track is a set of auditory cues that are used to synchronise sound recordings, and occasionally with moving images. Disney’s Steamboat Willie - 1928 Storyboarding - 1930 Special effects pioneer Georges Méliès is known to have been among the first filmmakers to use storyboards and pre-production art to visualize planned effects. However, storyboarding in the form widely known today was developed at the Walt Disney studio during the early 1930s. Early Disney storyboards were a collaborative process between the writer and animator, making it easy to visualize ideas by shifting scenes, and adding and deleting drawings. Over time, the process was streamlined so that eventually all ideas submitted for review to Walt Disney were on storyboards. If approved by Disney, the boards were used to coordinate production. One of the earliest and most well-known uses of the modern storyboard was for the animated feature film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”. Storyboard played an integral role in the development of “Snow White, with thousands of sketches being generated to bring the story to life. Disney had the storyboard panels pinned to a wall, then he acted out the scenes of the movie to the crew working on the production. A storyboard is a graphic organizer in the form of illustrations displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture animation. Three Strip Technicolor Process - 1932 Technicolor three-strip cameras ran three rolls of black-and-white film past a beam splitter and a prism to film three strips of film, one for each primary color. Technicolor, motion-picture process uses dye-transfer techniques to produce a colour print. The Technicolor process, originally used a beam-splitting optical cube, in combination with the camera lens, to expose three black-and-white films, one for each primary color (Red, Green and Blue). The light beam was split into three primary colors, one beam favouring the red portion of the spectrum, one favouring the green, and one the blue. Each image was captured simultaneously on a three separate black-and-white films. The three strips were developed separately and printed, after which the prints were passed through their appropriate coloured dyes; when laminated together, they produced a reasonably faithful approximation of natural colour. Disney’s “Flowers and Trees” is a 1932 Silly Symphonies cartoon produced by Founded: Technicolor was founded in 1915. Initial Ventures: The company initially started with two-color processes, aiming to bring color to the black-and-white world of cinema. 2. Two-Color Technicolor: Introduction: The first commercially successful color process, Two-Color Technicolor, was introduced in 1917. Process: It used a bipack film stock and a two-color dye-transfer printing process. Limitations: Limited color reproduction compared to later processes. 3. Three-Strip Technicolor: Introduction: The breakthrough came in 1932 with the introduction of Three-Strip Technicolor. Process: Used three separate black-and-white films to record red, green, and blue color channels simultaneously. Printing: Dye transfer printing combined the three color channels, producing a full-color image. Success: Became the standard for color filmmaking during Hollywood's Golden Age. 4. Notable Films: Early Classics: "Becky Sharp" (1935) was the first feature film to use Three-Strip Technicolor. Iconic Productions: "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) and "Gone with the Wind" (1939) utilized Technicolor and are remembered for their vibrant color. Multiplane Camera - 1933 The first multiplane camera was invented by former Walt Disney Studios animator Ub Iwerks in 1933. The multiplane camera is a special motion picture camera used in the traditional animation process that moves a number of pieces of artwork past the camera Composite image as at various speeds and at various distances from one seen by camera another. This creates a three-dimensional effect. Another famous multiplane camera was invented by Walt Disney Studios’ William Garity and tested in a Lighting for silly symphony called "The Old Mill," which won the each layer 1937 Academy Award for Animated Short Film. Individual elements arranged in layers Multiplane Camera Xeroxing - 1957 Xerox had begun developing a photocopying process for businesses, but it focused on paper, not film. Ub Iwerks was impressed by what he saw to work with Xerox to adapt the technology for film, and the final process allowed animator drawings to be printed directly onto cels. Ub Iwerks adapted xerography to eliminate the hand-inking stage in the animation process by printing the animator's drawings directly to the cels. This accomplished two things: one, it freed Disney from the need to hand ink each and every animated cel by just photocopying them. Secondly, Xerography was also considerably cheaper, saving Disney millions in production costs. The process was so successful that Disney almost completely abandoned the process of hand inked cels, using xerography for almost all of their features. CAPS - 1980 The Computer Animation Production System (CAPS) was a digital ink and paint system used in animated feature films developed by The Walt Disney Company together with Pixar in the late 1980s. It succeeded in reducing labor costs for ink and paint and post-production processes of traditionally animated feature films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. CAPS was designed to replace the expensive process of transferring animated drawings to cels and painting the reverse sides of the cels with paint. Using CAPS, enclosed areas and lines could be easily colored in the digital computer environment using a colour palette. Transparent shading, blended colors, and other sophisticated techniques could be extensively used that were not previously available. Additionally, complex multiplane shots giving a sense of depth were possible. Unlike the analog multiplane camera, the CAPS multiplane cameras were not limited by artwork size. Extensive camera movements never before seen were incorporated into the films. The Computer Animation Production System (CAPS) was a digital ink and paint system developed by The Walt Disney Company in collaboration with Pixar. It was introduced in the late 1980s and played a significant role in revolutionizing the way animated feature films were produced. CAPS represented a transition from traditional hand- drawn animation techniques to digital methods, bringing about improvements in efficiency, quality, and creative possibilities. Here are some key features and aspects of the CAPS system: Digital Ink and Paint: One of the primary functions of CAPS was the digitization of the ink and paint process in traditional animation. Instead of manually inking and painting each frame on a celluloid sheet (cel), artists could now create and manipulate these elements digitally. Integration of 3D Animation: CAPS allowed for the integration of three-dimensional computer-generated imagery (CGI) elements into traditional two-dimensional animation. This blending of 2D and 3D elements expanded the creative potential of animated storytelling. Background Painting: Backgrounds, traditionally painted on canvas, were also created digitally within the CAPS system. This not only streamlined the production process but also provided animators with greater flexibility and control over the visual elements of a scene. Cost Efficiency and Time Savings: By transitioning to a digital workflow, CAPS significantly reduced the time and labor required for traditional animation processes. The system automated many tasks, leading to cost savings and a more efficient production pipeline. Consistency in Line Quality: The digital nature of CAPS ensured consistent line quality in the animation, eliminating variations that could occur in traditional hand-drawn methods. Disney Classics Produced with CAPS: CAPS was used in the production of several Disney classics, including "The Little Mermaid" (1989), "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), and "The Lion King" (1994). These films showcased the capabilities of the new technology and contributed to the success of Disney's Renaissance era. Influence on the Industry: CAPS had a profound impact on the animation industry. Its success at Disney influenced other studios to adopt digital technologies, marking a shift in the way animated films were produced. Legacy: While specific implementations of CAPS may have evolved or been replaced by newer technologies over time, its legacy continues. The innovations introduced by CAPS set a standard for digital animation production and contributed to the ongoing evolution of the industry. CAPS marked a transformative period in the history of animation, showcasing how technology could enhance the creative process and open up new possibilities for filmmakers. 3D Animation - 1988 Tin Toy is a 1988 American computer-animated short film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter. What is CGI or Computer Animation? Computer animation is the art of creating moving images via the use of computers. Increasingly it is created by means of 3D computer graphics. It is referred to as CGI, Computer-generated imagery. How does 3D Animation work? For 3D animations, models are modelled on the computer monitor and 3D figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton. Then the limbs, eyes, mouth, clothes, etc. of the figure are moved by the animator on key frames. The differences in appearance between keyframes are automatically calculated by the computer in a process known as tweening or interpolation. Finally, the animation is rendered. For pre- recorded presentations, the rendered frames are transferred to a different format or medium such as digital video. The frames may also be rendered in real time as they are presented to the end-user audience. 3D Animation - 1988 What is Texturing? Texture mapping is the process of adding graphics to a polygon object. These graphics can be anything from photographs to original designs done in photoshop. Textures can help age your object, and give them more appeal and realism. What is Rendering? Rendering is the process of generating an image from a 3D model by means of computer programs. Motion Capture - 2000 Motion capture (Mo-cap) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people and using that information to animate digital character models in 2D or 3D computer animation. “Sinbad: Beyond The Veil of Mists” is the first feature length computer animation film created by Pentamedia, India using motion-capture. Though the film did utilise traditional animation in places, most of the character movement was filmed with a groundbreaking 3D optical technique, whereby actors played out their roles on camera covered in dozens of tiny reference markers and their movements captured on a computer. Questions Part A 1. What is synchronised sound and name the first animation to have synchronised sound? 2. Write a short note on CAPS system. 3. Write a short note on computer animation. 4. Explain texturing and rendering in computer animation? 5. Write a short note on Mo-cap and its application in animation. Part B 1. What is Xeroxing? Who introduced this technology for animation and why? 2. What is CAPS? How did CAPS change the way we do animation? 3. What is three strip technicolor process? 4. Write a short essay on the introduction of storyboarding in animation films. 5. Explain Xerography and how it revolutionized cel animation. 6. Write a short note on multiplane camera with a neat diagram. Part C 1. Write an essay on the advancements in animation since the advent of standard picture film.