B: Explain and evaluate in detail each of the animation techniques:
Point - evidence - example
Zoetrope:
A Zoetrope is one of several pre-cinema animaton devices that produce the illusion of motion by displaying a sequence of
drawings or photographs showing progressive phases of that motion. The zoetrope consists of a cylinder with slits cut vertically in the
sides. On the inner surface of the cylinder is a band with images from a
set of sequenced pictures. As the cylinder spins, the user looks
through the slits at the pictures across. The scanning of the slits
keeps the pictures from simply blurring together, and the user sees a
rapid succession of images, producing the illusion of motion.
Kinetiscope:
The Kinetoscope was designed for films to be viewed by one individual at a time through a peephole viewer window at the top of the device.The Kinetoscope was not a movie projecter but introduced the basic approach that would become the standard for all cinematic projection before the advent of video.
Flick Book:
A flip book or flick book is a book with a series of pictures that vary gradually from one page to the
next, so that when the pages are turned rapidly, the pictures appear to
animate by simulating motion or some other change. Flip books are often
illustrated books for children, but may also be geared towards adults
and employ a series of photographs rather than drawings. Flip books are
not always separate books, but may appear as an added feature in
ordinary books or magazines, often in the page corners. Software
packages and websites are also available that convert digital video
files into custom-made flip books.
Cel Animation:
A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid (consisting of cellulose nitrate and comphor)
was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was
flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate. With the advent of computer-assisted
animation production, the use of cels has been practically abandoned in
major productions. Disney studios stopped using cels in 1990 when Computer Animation Production System(CAPS) replaced this element in their animation process.
Rotoscoping:
Rotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over footage, frame by frame, for use in live-action and animated films.
Originally, recorded live-action film images were projected onto a
frosted glass panel and re-drawn by an animator. This projection
equipment is called a rotoscope, although this device was eventually
replaced by computers.
In the visual effects industry, the term rotoscoping refers to the technique of manually creating a matte for an element on a live-action plate so it may be composited over another background.
Drawn on film:
Drawn-on-film animation, also known as direct animation or animation without camera, is an technique where footage is produced by creating the images directly on film stock animation,
as opposed to any other form of animation where the images or objects
are photographed frame by frame with an animation camera.
Claymation:
Clay animation or claymation is one of many forms of stop motion animation. Each animated piece, either character or background, is "deformable".
Traditional animation , from cel animation to stop motion, is produced by recording each frame, or still picture, on film or digital media and then playing the recorded frames back in rapid succession before the viewer.
Digital applications:
Digital application is any cartoon made on a computer in the past 5 years for example toy story, despicable me, the incredibles.
Evaluation
of the technique (what is good about the technique/ animation? what
could be some of the problems with this techniques/ animation?)
Source or web link must be included
Animation 1.
The Simpsons
The animation technique used in The Simpsons is Drawn on film animation.
The Pros about about this technique is it is an basic method and can be an inexpensive way to produce a film; it can even be done on
outtakes, or discarded film strips from other projects. It is a form of
animation that is inviting to beginners.
In this episode of The Simpsons the robot from the Fox TV show Futurama captures bart simpson, ties him up and hangs him up in the basement. When the robot goes to drink one of homers' beers homer suddenly pops out of no where and hits im with a broom.
When homer hits the robot bart makes a sly comment that homer did not like then homer turns his attention to bart then him and the robort starts to hit bart.
The animation technique used in Wallace & Gromit is Clay animation.
A consistent shooting environment is needed to maintain the illusion of continuity: objects must be consistently placed and lit, and work must proceed in a calm environment.
A subvariation of clay animation can be informally called "clay melting". Any kind of heat source can be applied on or near (or below) clay to cause it to melt while an animation camera on a time-lapse setting slowly films the process.
In this clip of Wallace & Gromit, gromit wakes up early because its his birthday. He puts some toast in the toaster then walks over to his callander which is in the kitchen and his puts a cross on the date of his birthday. It then switches scenes to wallace who is sleep fast asleep in bed. Gromit goes over to the post box and flicks through the post and stubbles upon a letter which is for him, he opens to letter to find out that it is a birthday card that he does not like so much. Wallce wakes up and his bed tilts upwards and he falls through a hold in the floor which leads into his kitchen. He lands on a chair and a robot puts on his clothes when he is fully dressed the toast pops out of the toaster in front of his face and gromit squirts some sauce on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk6zbY8i4_8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_animation
Animation 3.
Cleveland Show
The animation technique used in The Simpsons is Drawn on film animation.
A mistake in a traditional animation requires you to repeat the whole drawing instead of deleting and correcting mistakes. The repetition of work can become tiresome and time consuming.
In thes episode of The Cleveland Show Junior gets into a rap battle with famous rapper Kanye West. The whole rap battle started because cleveland tried to take to Kanye Wests' girlfriend & Kanye did not like that so he made some bars dissing Juniour. After he said his bars everyone was laughing at Juniour so he felt like he needed to speak up and defend himself so he said some bars and everyone liked it by the end of them two going back and forth they realised they made a good rap team so they became friends.
A mistake in
traditional animation requires you to repeat the whole drawing instead
of deleting and correcting a mistake. The repetition of work can become
tiresome and time consuming. Artistic corrections for quality animations
are costly, as they demand repetition of an entire task. Repetition of
tasks to correct mistakes involves a large crew incurring the production
more costs.
The
introduction of 3-D animation at the end of the 20th Century led to the
decline of traditional, or hand-drawn, animation. The disadvantages of
traditional animation encouraged artists to embrace computer animation.
As an artist, you should understand both advantages and disadvantages of
traditional animation.
Animators draw individual frames for each scene. The large numbers of
drawings and the photography time required in completing a production
consumes schedules and can result in delays. Reliance of a large crew of
animators makes it difficult to speed up production as each animator
works at a different speed. Traditional animation takes more time
compared to computer animation, which uses animation software to speed
up the process.
The
introduction of 3-D animation at the end of the 20th Century led to the
decline of traditional, or hand-drawn, animation. The disadvantages of
traditional animation encouraged artists to embrace computer animation.
As an artist, you should understand both advantages and disadvantages of
traditional animation.
Animators draw individual frames for each scene. The large numbers of
drawings and the photography time required in completing a production
consumes schedules and can result in delays. Reliance of a large crew of
animators makes it difficult to speed up production as each animator
works at a different speed. Traditional animation takes more time
compared to computer animation, which uses animation software to speed
up the process.
A mistake in
traditional animation requires you to repeat the whole drawing instead
of deleting and correcting a mistake. The repetition of work can become
tiresome and time consuming. Artistic corrections for quality animations
are costly, as they demand repetition of an entire task. Repetition of
tasks to correct mistakes involves a large crew incurring the production
more costs.
