Introduction to Animation

I will be using this blog to document the research and work on my first actual animated short. Even though I previously did small animations spanning a few seconds each, for this project I decided to start from the beginning once again.

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

- Walt Disney

I started out with doing research on the different animation types that exist in modern media, just to see what kind of techniques are possible for this project.

The main animation types are as followed:

1. Traditional 2D Animation: Also called cel or hand-drawn animation. Traditional 2D animation is basically just frame by frame animation. Sub categories include: whiteboard animation, which is mostly done in black and white and, as the name suggests, on a whiteboard. Then a photo is taken of each relevant drawing, sometimes even while the illustrator is drawing, and later on combined into a video. Cutout animation, where the animator simply moves characters and objects cut out of paper. And silhouette animation, where the characters are only visible as solid black silhouettes.
2. Digital 2D Animation: Also called vector-based animation. Typically drawn and animated on a computer, but with the use of traditional animation techniques, i.e. any technique used in traditional 2D animation can be adapted to digital 2D animation in some form or another. Techniques unique to digital 2D animation would be kinetic topography, which is used to deliver a message just by animating words on a screen in a special way, and motion graphics, which usually involve animating images, texts, or video clips, e.g. animated logos, film opening titles, explainer videos, with smooth motions through tweens.
3. 3D Animation: Also called CG(I) animation. Made by generating images (digitally modelled characters and environments) using computers. More similar to stop motion animation, since both deal with animating and posing models. 3D animation is also used with motion capture technology, where an actor equipped with special sensors on their body is used to film the motions of a 3D modelled character.
4. 2.5D Animation: Also called pseudo 3D. A mixture of 2D and 3D animation, which simulates a 3D effect. Another use would be the integration of 2D characters and objects onto a 3D background.

Even though we are supposed to animate using 2D techniques, the research helped me understand the different techniques that evolved over time. Furthermore, it made me discover rarer animation techniques that, although they aren't used much anymore, still have interesting aspects about them.

Sources:

Bloop Animation

Student World Online 

Bread n Beyond 

Wikipedia 

Explainer Videoly