Why is the use of 3D Animation so effective in movies such as finding Dory?

Disney Pixar is well known for its animation both 2D and 3D but in more recent times 3D animation
has become increasingly popular and is their predominant film animation style. There are many
reasons for this but some of the main reasons are that 3-dimensional videos provide a better visual
recreation of characters, then other mediums such as 2D animation would. A good example of this
would be Dory in the film as with the use of 3D animation we can see her from all angles in
contrast to the 2 dimensional style of animation that previously consumed Pixar animation when
only the x and y axis can be used. In addition to this, when filming a 3D animation you are able to
give characters a considerable amount more depth then in other kinds of animation. 3D provides
much more scope for the animators to create and add volume to the character, meaning the
animator had a lot more detailed control on how the character aesthetically looks.

In the film Finding Dory the characters movements were modelled on real fish and studies were
carried out by observing different aquatic animals kept in the studio, as a result the characters
seem to mimic those movements of real fish, which makes the characters more realistic and
makes the film more plausible to an audience. With the use of 3D, the animator can also use more
lighting effects and create a never ending stream to the different types of texture that can be
created of different characters and scenery. This is beneficial as in most forms of animation you
can only use the X and Y axis, making it harder to create different shading and textures used some
sets in the film such as the coral reefs.

Also many audience members find films such as finding Dory more compelling to view then the
previous 2D animation films created by Disney Pixar. This is because the hardware and software
used in 3D animation is very advanced and means that more complex movements and facial
features that, used to animate characters such as the clown fish Nemo, mimic that of human
mannerisms and movement making the characters more relatable. That coupled with the
compelling storyline of Finding Dory create an enjoyable, empathetic and compelling movie.

Example of complex facial expressions example of the shading and depth of

seen on characters in the movie animation seen of sets such as coral
reefs in the films
The 3D animation Processes behind Pixar Finding Dory

The Pitch
Finding Dory all started when a Pixar employee pitched their idea of a sequel to Finding Nemo to
other members of the development team. As this was a success, the pitch then went on to the next
stage of development, which is creating a film treatment.

TREATMENT
The treatment for Finding Dory would have included details such as the summary of the main
idea of the plot line; where Dory experiences repressed memories and goes on a quest to find her
parents and to find out who she is and where she came from. It would have also provided multiple
different possibilities for endings of scenes and character development. Both concept artists and
story boarders would explore the different endings and stories and finalise in detail later in the pre
production process.

SCRIPT
The script for Finding Dory was then written after the treatment and plot was determined and a
team of script writers would have written dialogue for the characters that followed the storyline.
However as this film is a sequel they would have had to develop dialogue that both demonstrated
character development whilst staying true to the characters such as Dory and include popular
catch phrases such as Just keep swimming to give the film a sense of familiarity that the original
film Finding Nemo had.

CONCEPT ART
Concept art for all the new characters such as Hank in finding Dory were created. These were
sketches and ideas for what the new characters would look like.

STORYBOARD
A storyboard was then created for the movie, effectively being hand-drawn version of the movie
including features such as the action, camera angles, sound and dialogue. Each storyboard artist
receives script pages and a map of the characters' emotional changes and character development
that needs to be demonstrated through the character facial and actions. The artists then create and
their assigned parts of the film, effectively pitching their work to the director. This process is quite
long and in the case of this film it took.
VOICE TALENT
"Scratch" voices are recorded by Pixar artists for the storyboard reels, so that they can see the
flow of the movie and make any quick changes to dialogue or plot before bringing in the voice
actors. Then professional actors will be brought in to begin recording the character voices, reading
from a script and improvising. Actors must record lines several different ways, and the best
sounding and expressed line is eventually animated. This is scene in minutes 3:17 - 11 in the
youtube video FINDING DORY - Find out how they made the Disney Pixar family animated movie
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L423F8VU3kM)

REELS
The recorded dialogue is then placed over the top of the neatest version of the storyboard, giving
the production team a first video indication of what the film will look and sound like, as well as
giving a fairly accurate impression of how long the finished film will last.

COLOUR SCRIPTS
Based on the treatment, storyboards, their concept art and the previous film, the Department of Art
begin properly illustrating and finalising the aesthetic of world and the characters.
On top of designing this they would also create a "colour script" for lighting, meaning they script the
shade and light of a scene. For example, they would have scripted the lighting in the two scenes
below. Lighting is important in these scenes as it directs the audience on what to focus on.
MODELS
Animation software is used to create 3-dimensional computer models of characters, props and
sets. The computer models demonstrate the shape and look of a character as well as
demonstrating the motion controls such as movement and facial expression. Since they are 3D
models they are created of 3 axis (X, Y and Z axes) which means they can be viewed from many
different angles. When building a model from scratch you begin by making a wireframe, for
example Hank in Finding Dory would have first been made using grey blocks that were moulded
into his basic shape, without colour and movement .
The models are then give "avars", or hinges, which the animator will use to make the object or
character move, this would take longer depending on what creature was being created. For
example, an octopus would need more hinges then a fish because they have more moveable
areas, more levers to move on top of the base level body and facial movement.

Example minute 1:31 - 1:35

SETS
After the sets are built in 3-dimensions they must be dressed with prop models, such as tags, tanks
and coral reefs. The sets are particularly important as they are what the the director and lead
animators use to block the key character positions and camera angles for each and every shot of
the film, so if the set is out of proportion or things are in the wrong place the blocking can go
completely awry.

SHOTS
This is the process where the 2D images from the story board are taken and then replicated into a
3D scene. There is a layout crew and they are responsible for coordinating where the characters
should be and move in the scene in accordance to a virtual camera that they will use to create
shots. In this process they have to follow the shots on the storyboard and still translate the original
emotion and mood of the scene through camera work.The layout team of finding dory often
created many different versions of shots to provide the editing department with option of picking
which shot was most effective for the scene. An example of where the shots process would have
been particularly important for the film Finding Dory is in the shots of Baby Dory as they often shot
from a high angle shot to make her seem smaller and cuter and cause the audience to care more
for the character.

ANIMATION
Using Pixar's animation software, they create the movements and facial expressions in each
scene. Pixar's animators code and create the action in the films scenes by specifying key frames
or poses in the scene. By utilising the software controls and the character avars' to construct key
poses. The software then creates the "in-between" frames, which the animator can adjust if
necessary.

SHADE
There are computer programs called shaders which add the different skin textures and shading
differentiations on characters skin/body and also the shading on the surrounding scenery. For
example on this image of hank we clearly see that his body has been shaded and different textures
have been created on his skin to replicate a slimy bumpy skin, also there are varying shade of
orange on his skin which show where his skin is stretched and also how the light is making him
appear. For the character Hank a skin texture effect was imperative in some scenes and the
characters skin would change colour to camouflage with his surroundings.

LIGHTING
Using "digital light", every scene is lit in much the
same manner as stage lighting. key, fill and bounce
lights and room ambience are all defined and used to
enhance the mood and emotion of each scene.
Lighting takes its inspiration from the colour scripts
created by the art department. Animators , use
ambient, omnidirectional and spotlights to create
depth, shadows and moods.

RENDERING
The next stage is to render all the files that make up a shot. Pixar used the software Render
Man on Finding Dory to translate all the files (sets, colouring, shading) into a sequence using all
the information in the files that make up the shots of a scene, (sets, colours, character movement),
into a single frame of film. Pixars Finding Dory was produced at a frame rate of 24 frames per
second.

FINAL TOUCHES AND MUSICAL SCORE

The final stage is where the SFX sequencing and music score is added to the film, along with the
with all the other sound effects needed, for example when Hank moves through the lab part of the
aquarium he sinks against glasses.Then special effects are layered over the top of the sequence
and the Photoscience Department records the digital frame to film or to a form appropriate for
digital production.
NARUTO PRODUCTION

Anime is a genre and style of animation the originates in Japan and as a result most anime series
are produced in Japan. Many people wander how anime has become so successful and remains
successful, even with advances in other kinds of animation and technology. However, Anime is
divergent from other types of animation unlike other animation techniques such s 3D animation,
you have more of an opportunity to experience anime, as not only are there TV and movies but
also also Anime Conventions, Cos play, Societies/Clubs, collectors, online forums and other
branches of media to get involved with that link to the anime culture, so that unlike most
animation like Disney Pixar, anime not only can provide an enjoyable, intriguing and potentially
addictive animation to watch but can also open up people to a community of people who all share
a common interest that is driven by the anime world and keeping up the latest animations.

Anime is made differently to most kinds of modern animation as it a predominantly hand drawn
animation that is then scanned into a computer. This means that a distinctive artist style can be
created and can be a hook and interest viewers, unlike a lot of 3D animation films where nearly all
look fairly similar.

PRE-PRODCUTION
At the beginning of pre-production the Anime is much like the production of Finding Dory. For
example, it all starts with an original concept/idea being pitched to a team of people. For example,
before going into production the series of Naruto was pitched to both the animation studios as well
as the sponsors of Naruto.

After this, the core team for making the anime is formed, this would include Directors, Producers
and Leading Artists. This core team then creates the storyline of the series episode by episode.
The Animator and Director will get together for meetings in order to go over key production
elements such as the schedule, budget and quality of the anime.

CONCEPT ART
The next step is to start actually designing the Anime using concept art. In this stage the artists
start to design character looks, costumes and props. Character designers either have the task of
simplifying manga/illustration designs so that they are suitable for animation, this happened in the
case of the Naruto Shippudan films. However in the case of the original Naruto (2002), the
designers had to come up with entirely original and new set of characters and world based on
descriptions from the director/producers.

STORYBOARD
The next stage is the first step in the actual production phase of the Anime and it is creating the
storyboard. The storyboard is there to combine the the vision of the artists, animators and directors
together to give the first impression of what the episode will look and flow. Storyboards for Naruto
take 3 weeks to create per episode and artists are employed specifically to create these. In the
case on Anime, unlike those used in 3D animation the storyboards can be very basic and include
simple sketches and hand drawings meaning that they can be produced at a faster rate than those
of 3D animation. The criteria of the storyboard is that is needs to be produced quickly but be
accurate and clear enough to easily read.

LAYOUT PROCESS
Once the storyboard is complete the next stage is the layout process, which is essentially the
beginning of art production. In this stage the layout and look of Naruto (2002) was further
developed, each cel of the storyboard is proportioned and positioned so that they can be used in
the cut. Here the artists an also see see where the background art is needed to give the most
detailed impression and how final shot will look. If the cel is approved and to be used in the final
production, it is then drawn to the scale of the animation paper in addition to the exact details of cel
placement. This also includes high levels of description on the camera movement and other
important features of the shot.

The next part of this stage includes drawing in basic background. As well as some other features
of the shot are drawn or written to help describe the cut. Quite often in Naruto multiple stages of
the storyboard were represented on a single layout drawing. They shaded cels in warm colours
and backgrounds in cool colours to avoid confusion.

KEY ANIMATION
The next step is called Key Animation, where Key Animators use the storyboard to start creating
the actual animation drawings. Each Key Animator working on Naruto is assigned a certain number
of different cuts by the lead Key Animation Artist. Key Animators don't draw all of the frames of the
episode, they draw the essential frames that mark a distinct position or expression of a cel/
character in the sequence.

IN-BETWEEN
The next stage in the animation process is the in-between stage. This is where the in-between
movement that takes place between the key animation cels are created. The in-between animators
take the key frames and neatly trace/draw by hand the in-between stages of motion into the key
frame. This is done by a team of people as each episode is 20 minutes long and that is roughly
28,800 frames per episode, so to get the show to meet deadline a team of people are employed
to make sure that its all drawn on time.

COMPOSITION
Then the next stage is the composition stage. For Naruto the frames are finished on computer
software. Once, the in-between stage is finished the hand drawings are checked and then scanned
in to a computer to be digitised. Once digital, the frames can be coloured and textures added to
make the final frames that go into the animation.

ANIMATION
Once all the frames are coloured and finished, they can be processed as animation using a
software package. Background drawings are hand drawn and painted separately to the
foregrounds and have already been filmed. As a result now the shots can be completed digitally
and the background art can be added on the computer.

EFFECTS
Then after this effects are added. Although visual effects may not seem like they are prominent in
Naruto, basic things like ambient lighting, flare, backlight, the glint on a sword, blur, and many other
effects are all added so that scenes such as fight scenes seem more visually exciting .

FINAL TOUCHES AND MUSIC

Then the final stage in creating an episode is dubbing sound and music to make sure the voice
matches the audio. Unlike 3D animation, in Anime the vocals do not need to replicate the facial
expression and mouth movement precisely as the characters are already human and therefore are
straight away easy for the audience to relate to. The audiences for both 3D animation and Anime
prioritise different elements of the animation, whilst 3D viewers are expecting sympathy and
lifelike movement to make the animation seem seamless, the Anime viewers are generally more
focused on art style and storyline. Then also the final stage of editing such as adding the beginning
credits and cutting the episode to incorporate add breaks.