Animation Essay
Animation has grown exponentially in the passed two decades. This has been because of the advent of computers and motherboard technology. Technology has dramatically affected how we make animations as well as how quickly we can produce one. Before the invention of the micro-chip and advanced computer assistance, animators had to rely of years of practice and a great deal of artistic skill in order to create animations at all.
The magic lantern (figure 1) is an animation viewing device that used semi translucent slides with images painted on them, the switching of the slides creates an illusion of animation in the image. The magic lantern was first used by showmen and entrepreneurs as far back as the 17th century.
(Figure 1)
It is a common misconception that animation was only pioneered a century ago by corporations like Disney. The exact origin of animation is not known although one could argue that cave paintings are a primitive version, because some illustrations are drawn while in motion. ( New York Film Academy)
¬¬It depends on the definition we have of what animation actually entails. After a number of pioneers began creating animated shorts in the early 20th century, Winsor McCay stood out from the rest with Gertie, The Dinosaur (1914). It was not the first animation of all time, although it did feature the illustration of a likable character, Gertie, who was the first to pioneer the cartoonist principles of characterization, leading the way for iconic cartoon characters that have developed into today.
El Apóstol was the world’s first feature length animation, running for 70 minutes, it was screened only once to a South American audience in 1917. It was the first commercially profitable animation, unfortunately it was destroyed in a fire at the production house before a second screening.
The founding of Disney is recognized as a major milestone in the progressive development of animation. They have generated productions that were revolutionary to the craft, defining animation as a medium. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is recognized as the world’s first feature length traditional hand drawn animation, each frame is made up of a layered composition of drawings, including the characters, background and colors respectively.
Before this, the 1920s were a period of experimentation for animation. It was during this time that techniques of rotoscoping were developed. This technique involves using a light table to illuminate a prerendered image in order to trace the figures, it is also useful for onion-skinning, which allows for an animator to reference previous frames will illustration the following.
Toy story was the first computer generated animation. It was released by Pixar in 1995, which is a subsidiary of Disney. The animation style was revolutionary for its time, having actual 3 dimensional characters rendered within a space, this creates an effect of realistic depth with which other animation styles cannot compete. It is the equivalent of having real actors in a real space. The progressive improvement of computer technologies has had a direct impact on the quality of animations that we are capable of creating. Computer generated animation improves exponentially, along with computer technology, which allows the animator to have increased opportunity to produce a greater level of detail. Photo-realism in textures and scene could not have been possible were in not for the graphics processor, which allows a computer to process more details at a faster rate. Therefore the graphics detail in games and animations improves with each year (figure 2).
(Figure 2)
“In 1965 Gordon Moore observed an exponential growth in the number of transistors per integrated circuit and predicted that this trend would continue. Computing power doubled every year until the late 70’s and the doubling period slowed to 18 months.” (http://www.utdallas.edu)
Moore’s Law has continued into the present, with transistors being made nearly to the size of atoms to fit onto computer chips. It appears that this method of creating computers is not sustainable, as the degree of improvement between generations of technology decreases with each year. At this stage, Intel, a leading computer chip manufacturing company is working to slow Moore’s Law by increasing the amount of time taken between the release of a new generation of technology.
“Computer animation is essentially a digital successor to the art of stop motion animation of 3D models and frame-by-frame animation of 2D illustrations. For 3D animations, objects (models) are built on the computer monitor (modeled) and 3D figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton.” (https://www.sciencedaily.com)
These virtual skeletons allow for the animator to manipulate the characters on the monitor seamlessly in real-time. Working with 3D animation is advantageous because it allows for the animator to have access to control of all the details in the scene, allowing them to move all of the objects and control the lighting and perspective at their own discretion.
Animation is evolving as quickly as the human race itself is. It is now used in many more fields other than just entertainment, it is used for education as well.
1. “Animation has become an international activity and is no longer the monopoly of Hollywood.
2. The development of computer-generated film will alter the form, as well as the content, of film animation.
3. Animation is no longer an arcane profession limited to animators
4. In addition to supplying entertainment in theatres and on television, and advertising spots for TV, animation has become an essential teaching aid in education and industry….
5. The four foregoing causes engender a fifth: animation is no longer looked down upon as the poor relation of live-action filmmaking.” (http://animationanomaly.com)
Animation is starting to define itself as a craft, separate to the subject of live-action filmmaking. This is beneficial because it reconsiders the application for animation and increases the level of reception with which it is received by audiences. As animation grows, people are starting to take it more seriously and use it to tackle more serious topics.
Animation is a good medium to use when conveying ideas because it involves illustration. An animation artist is able to design and represent the exact image of what they mean instead of having to refer to metaphorical imagery. This malleability of animation makes is arguably a more efficient method of storytelling than live action filmmaking.
Animation continues to improve as techniques are improved and principles of application are improved by building on observations of predecessors.
Virtual reality is gaining popularity as a medium. It is inevitable that animation will adapt to incorporate this trend. There have already been animations rendered to cater to this medium. They evolve the 3D animation traditions by making them more immersive, putting the audience inside of the animation.
Animation as a medium of storytelling continues to evolve. Its ability to adapt throughout the history of entertainment has allowed it to assume itself as a defined medium with its own principles and techniques. It has been with us for the longest but remains at the top as craft because of its fluidity. The malleability of illustration allows it to tell stories in a unique and more personal way.
References
http://animationanomaly.com
nyfa.edu – New York Film Academy
Google.Images.com
www.timeout.com
https://www.sciencedaily.com
softschools.com