Introduction to

Animation

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Definition
Persistence of Vision: How
Animation Works
Types of Animations & Examples
How to Create an Animation
Storyboard and comparison with
Comic Strips
Use and Impact of Animation

A DEFINITION

Animation is the creation

of the illusion of
movement using a
series of still images

USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

CLAYMATION

When the characters and

scenes are made from clay the
term used to describe the
animation is Claymation

USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

PERSISTENCE OF VISION

Refers to brain retaining the

image of what eyes see even
after the image is no longer
visible.
The brain can only process a
certain number or images at a
time.
Brain can recognize images as
separate images if they are
viewed at 12 or fewer images

PERSISTENCE OF VISION

If the pictures appear faster

than 12 per second they begin
to merge into each other
creating the illusion of
movement.
Television and movies are
usually created at 24 to 30
images per second

HOW MANY STILL IMAGES?

12 frames
per second
(fps)
10 frames per
second
2 frames per second

3 TYPES OF ANIMATION

Historically there are 3 major

types of animation:
1.Hand Drawn Animation
2.Stop Motion Animation
3.Computer Animation

HOW WERE CARTOONS MADE?

Felix The Cat: appeared in Theatres in

1919

Created by Pat Sullivan & Otto

Messmer

HAND DRAWN ANIMATION

Done by an artist who draws each character
and movement individually
Very time consuming to have to draw, then
colour, then photograph each picture
Draw pictures fi rst, then colour them on
celluloid, then they take pictures and animate
them
Very expensive due to hours of labour
involved
Examples: Older Disney Movies i.e. Bambi,
Fox and Hound, Cinderella etc.

HAND DRAWN ANIMATION

STOP MOTION ANIMATION

Can be done by virtually anyone, with
no extensive training
Does not take that much time relative
to the other 2 methods
Uses jointed fi gures or clay fi gures
that can be moved to make motions
Take still pictures of the individual
movements, then use relatively
inexpensive computer software to
animate

STOP MOTION ANIMATION

We use Movie Maker Software to
complete our animations
Not very expensive because all you
need is a digital camera and the
software comes with Windows XP
operating system
Examples: Star Wars, Robot
Chicken, Old Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeer

STOP OR MODEL ANIMATION

COMPUTER ANIMATION

All characters and movements

are generated using computer
animation software
Can also be very time consuming
as they can get very complicated
in movements and effects
All characters are fully animated
with no still pictures

COMPUTER ANIMATION
Can be very expensive because of
the complexity of the stunts and
animations being done
Huge budgets because the
animation sequences more
complicated these days eg. the war
scenes in Lord of the Rings etc.
Examples: Toy Story, Finding
Nemo, Matrix, Lord of the Rings

COMPUTER ANIMATION

ANIMATION STORYBOARDS

A storyboard is a series of
sketches that can be used as a
guide for making a film or video
It contains the action and
dialogue of the film
Can also include the music,
narration, special effects
information etc. for the person to
guide them in creating the film

COMIC STRIPS

Felix The Cat

First comic
strip (1922)

COMIC BOOKS AND COMIC STRIPS

Are they more like an animation
sequence or a storyboard?
They are more like a storyboard because they
DO NOT SHOW CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT

It shows the person or object in one

place and then in another and the
sequence between is left to the
imagination to make the link from one
picture to the other

GREATEST IMPACT FOR TODAY?

Animation is NOT just for kids
It has become mainstream and kids,
teenagers, adults and seniors.
When most teachers today were
kids it was very odd for a parent to
be sitting with their children and
watching an animated show.
Now adults take their kids to the
movies and watch with them and
there are often inside jokes for
adults too

ANIMATION USES
Animated Movies: Million dollar
industry;
1- 20 millions spent on each movie
Animation & Computer Graphics
Effects are used in movies
frequently

ANIMATION USES
Video games
TV Programs (e.g. Weather, News)
Used online (images, ads, chatting)
Simulations (Science & Engineering)
Virtual reality (e.g. second life)