Animation is the creation of an optical illusion of motion using rapid changes to still images or objects. Most widely known for its use in entertainment, it also a celebrated form of art. The illusion of movement in animation is based upon “persistence of vision” where the eye is fooled into seeing continuous movement because the brain stores images for a fraction of a second. Since animated frames are shot a rapid intervals, the brain perceives the illusion of movement.
There are three major types of animation:
1. Still image animation - flip book or flick book - cartoons
Enthusiasts claim that still image animation dates back to cave drawings where battle hunt scenes appear on cave walls. Most of us remember creating a series of still images with minor changes and stapling pages together to create the illusion of a moving image. This is called a flip book. Typically the book is held in one hand while the other is used rapidly flick thru the pages. Disney perfected this technique through cel animation, where celluloid sheets are laid over each other to create complex scenes and movement of characters. Cartoon animation is considered the most classic form of still image animation using hand drawn frames filmed at 24 frames per second. The more detailed the movement the more effort that has been put in by animators. This is 2-D animation or flat animation.
Stop motion animation is where a model is shot frame by frame to create the illusion of movement. The model could be a cut out figure, puppet or a clay figure (giving name to claymation). Will Vinton is widely recognised as the father of this art form. The most well known characters are Pokey & Gumby or the California Raisons. Claymation animated sequences tend to be shorter in length due the the amount of work involved in this art form. Claymation laid the groundwork for Computer Generated Imagery. While clay is certainly the easiest substance to form figures, puppets are also used to for stop motion animation. Stop motion has the advantage of giving 3-D to animation.
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These earlier techniques have given way to virtual animation using computer graphics to create computer generated imagery (CGI). Here 3-D figures are created or enhanced using the graphics capability of computers. Animators are able to work out precise and realistic movement using mathematical formula and “skeletons” using a 3-D coordinate system. Motion capture technology is used to understand the precise nature of movement of the object allowing animators to make non human characters much more lifelike than in the above two techniques. Four types of input methods are currently being used in motion capture algorithms: prosthetic, acoustic, magnetic, and optical. These inputs allow computer software to generate movement sequence using algorithims.
Animation is if you will the opposite of video. Video attempts to capture continuous motion into independent pictures, where as animation assembles individual pictures to give the illusion of motion.
A lot of pre-production effort goes into the creation of an animated sequence. If a motion is to last 3 seconds, the animator must create a series of 3 x 24 = 72 images to replacate that movement! To put the effort in perspective, the makers of James and the Giant Peach took one week to create 45 seconds of animation.
