UNIT -1

Introduction to Animation (Part1)

FILL IN THE BLANKS

1. Illusion of movement is caused because of a phenomenon called Phi

Phenomenon.

2. A sequence of frames makes an animation.

3. Digital media is non-linear which means it can be edited or played back

starting at any point.

4. The basic technique of animation remains a continuous loop of loading a

"frame” and displaying the "frame" onscreen

5. Animation is the process of displaying still images in a rapid sequence to

create the illusion of movement.

6. For smooth appearance, animation requires at least 24 frames per second.

7. stop motion animation is used to describe animation created by

physically manipulating real-world objects and photographing them one frame

of film at a time to create the illusion of movement.

8. A key frame is a single still image (frame) in an animated sequence that

occurs at an important point in that sequence.

9. Flipbook animation is a very primitive way of creating animation purely

with pencil, eraser and a stack of drawing pads.

10. Traditional animation is also called cel animation, hand drawn

animation, or classical animation.

11. Storytelling and creative writing are some of the more obvious ways to

use Claymation.

12. Computer Generated Imagery is the full form of CGI.

13. 2D graphics are still used for stylistic, low bandwidth and faster real-

time renderings.

14. The early zoetrope was invented by Ding Huan.

15. The cinématographe was a projector, printer, and camera in one

machine.

16. El Apóstol was a 1917 Argentine animated film utilizing cutout

animation.

17. The first film that was recorded on standard picture film and included

animated sequences was the 1900 Enchanted Drawing.

18. The author of the first puppet-animated film (The Beautiful Lukanida –

(1912) was Wladyslaw Starewicz.

19. The cinématographe is invented by history's earliest film makers,

Auguste and Louis Lumière, in 1894.

20. The first entirely animated film the 1906 Humorous Phases of Funny

Faces is created by J. Stuart Blackton.

21. In traditional animation the animators' drawings are traced or

photocopied onto transparent acetate sheets called cels.

22. The Beautiful Lukanida is the first puppet-animated film.

23. Limited Animation involves the use of less detailed and/or more

stylized drawings and methods of movement.

24. Tween frames are intermediate frames with the purpose of creating

smooth transition between two key frames.

25. J. Stuart Blackton is considered as the father of American animation.

26. Rotoscoping is a technique patented by Max Fleischer in 1917 where

animators trace live-action movement, frame by frame.

27. Pixilation involves the use of live humans as stop motion characters.

28. Brickfilm is a sub-genre of object animation involving using Lego or

other similar brick toys to make an animation.

29. In Europe, the French artist, Émile Cohl, created the first animated film

using what came to be known as traditional animation creation methods. Name

the film - Fantasmagorie.

30. Traditional Animation was the process used for most animated films of

the 20th century.

31. Randolph Bray and Earl Hurd are the patents of the cel animation.

32. Claymation is helpful for explanations of scientific processes, human

body functions, visualizing mathematical concepts such as fractions etc.

33. The praxinoscope invented in 1877 was one of the early animation

devices.

34. Object Animation refers to the use of regular inanimate objects in stop-

motion animation, as opposed to specially created items.

35. Silhouette Animation is a variant of cutout animation in which the

characters are backlit.

36. Graphic Animation uses non-drawn flat visual graphic material like

photographs, newspaper clippings, magazines, etc.

37. Charles-Émile Reynaud invented Théâtre Optique in December 1888.

38. Yellow Submarine is an example of limited animation film.

39. Live-Action Animation is a technique combining hand-drawn

characters into live action shots.

40. The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb and Angry Kid shorts are

examples of Pixilation.

41. Brickfilm A subgenre of object animation involving using Lego or other

similar brick toys to make an animation.

42. Pixilation involves the use of live humans as stop motion characters.

43. Stop-motion Animation is used to describe animation created by

physically manipulating real-world objects and photographing them one frame

of film at a time to create the illusion of movement.

 QUESTION & ANSWER

Q1. What is the difference between key frame and tween frame?

Ans.

Key frame:

A key frame is a single still image (frame) in an animated sequence that occurs at an
important point in that sequence. Key frame is always drawn or constructed by the user. Key
frames are defined throughout an animation and they define crucial points of motion, for
example start of a motion and end of a motion. In hand-drawn animation, an experienced
animator would draw key frames and beginner animators would draw tween frames (also
known as in-between frames). In computer animation, user of an animation program would
draw key frames and computer would insert tween frames

Tween frame:

Tween frames actually create illusion of motion. Tween frames are intermediate frames with
the purpose of creating smooth transition between two key frames. For smooth appearance,
animation requires at least 24 frames per second (fps). For example, you can create only two
key frames, one to begin and one to end a movement. Computer program will then create
remaining 22 tween frames.

Q2. How analog medium differs from digital medium?

Ans.

● Animations can be recorded on either analog media or on digital media.

● A typical analog device is a clock on which the hands move continuously around the
face. In contrast, a digital clock is capable of representing only a finite number of times (for
example, every 10th of a second).
● VCRs, tape players, and record players are analog devices. This is because they
record data linearly from one point to another.
● All analog audio or video media must be converted to digital to work on a computer.
Once the information is digital, computers can be used to edit the data and create effects that
were never possible with analog media. Digital media is non-linear, which means it can be
edited or played back starting at any point, which can be a huge time saver compared to
working with tape.
● Digital information also does not "wear out" after repeated use like tapes or records
do, which results in much better longevity for digital media.
● Digital recordings are made with ones and zeros, while analog recordings are made
with linear bumps and dips.
● Digital media is more compatible and does not degrade over time therefore, it has
become the common choice for today's audio and video formats.

Q3. What are the different types of animation?

1. Flipbook animation

2. Traditional animation

3. Stop motion animation

1. Puppet Animation

2. Clay Animation, or Plasticine animation

3. Cutout Animation (Silhouette Animation is a variant of Cutout animation)

4. Model Animation (Go Motion is a variant of Model animation)

5. Object Animation (Brickfilm is a sub-genre of object animation)

6. Graphic Animation

7. Pixilation

4. Computer animation

1. 2D animation

2. 3D animation

5. Motion graphics

Q4. Write a note on Flipbook animation.

Ans. Flipbook animation is a very primitive way of creating animation purely with pencil,
eraser and a stack of drawing pads, such as post-it pads. It is cheap and readily available at all
stationery stores. It helps you to use your existing drawing skill and you can easily
understand the basic concept of animation
Q5. What is hand drawn animation (Traditional animation)?

Ans.

● Hand drawn animation is also called as Traditional animation or cel animation or

classical animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand.
● This was the process used for most animated films of the 20th century. To create the
illusion of movement, each drawing differs slightly from the one before it.
● The animators' drawings are traced or photocopied onto transparent acetate sheets
called cels, which are filled in with paints in assigned colors or tones on the side opposite the
line drawings.
● The completed character cels are photographed one-by one against a painted
background by a rostrum camera onto motion picture film.

Q6. What do you understand by the terms ―full animation and limited animation?

Ans. Full Animation refers to the process of producing high-quality traditionally animated
films that regularly use detailed drawings and reasonable movement. Fully animated films
can be made in a variety of styles, from more realistically animated works, such as those
produced by the Walt Disney studio (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King) to the more
'cartoon' styles of the Warner Brothers.

Limited Animation involves the use of less detailed and/or more stylized drawings and
methods of movement. Pioneered by the artists at the American Studio United Productions of
America, limited animation can be used as a method of stylized artistic expression, as in
Gerald McBoing Boing (US, 1951), Yellow Submarine (UK, 1968), and much of the anime
produced in Japan. Its primary use, however, has been in producing cost-effective animated
content for media such as television and later the Internet (web cartoons).

Q7. What do you understand by the term Claymation?

Ans.

● Clay animation, also known as Claymation is any animation done using a character or
characters created out of clay.
● Traditionally, claymation has been associated with the time-consuming techniques of
stop motion video, but with the advent of affordable computers, digital cameras, and easy-to-
use software like Frames Claymation is accessible to almost every classroom.
● Storytelling and creative ―writing are some of the more obvious ways to use
claymation.
● It is also helpful for explanations of scientific processes, human body functions,
visualizing mathematical concepts such as fractions, recreating historical time periods and
events, and demonstrating physical activities such as proper exercises and stretches.
● Each object or character is sculpted from clay or other such similarly flexible material
as plasticine, usually around a wire skeleton called an armature, and then arranged on the set,
where it is photographed once before being slightly moved by hand to prepare it for the next
shot, and so on until the animator has achieved the desired amount of film.
● Upon playback, the human mind of the viewer perceives the series of slightly
changing, rapidly succeeding images as motion.

Q8. Describe Stop Motion Animation

Ans.

● Stop-motion Animation is used to describe animation created by physically

manipulating real-world objects and photographing them one frame of film at a time to create
the illusion of movement.
● There are many different types of stop-motion animation, usually named after the
medium used to create the animation.
● Computer software is widely available to create this type of animation, however,
traditional stop motion animation is usually less expensive and time-consuming than the
computer animation.
● Stop motion animation is animation that is captured one frame at time, with physical
objects that are moved between frames.
● When you play back the sequence of images rapidly, it creates the illusion of
movement.
● The basic process of animation involves taking a photograph of your objects or
characters, moving them slightly, and taking another photograph.
● When you play back the images consecutively, the objects or characters appear to
move on their own.
Q9. What are the different types of stop motion animation?

Ans. 1. Puppet Animation

2. Clay Animation, or Plasticine animation

3. Cutout Animation (Silhouette Animation is a variant of Cutout animation)

4. Model Animation (Go Motion is a variant of Model animation)

5. Object Animation (Brickfilm is a sub-genre of object animation)

6. Graphic Animation

7. Pixilation

Q10. Describe the terms Puppet Animation, Clay Animation, Cutout Animation, Model
Animation, Object animation, Graphic Animation and pixilation.

Ans.
Puppet Animation typically involves stop-motion puppet figures interacting in a
constructed environment, in contrast to real world interaction in model animation. The
puppets generally have an armature inside of them to keep them still and steady as well as to
constrain their motion to particular joints.

Clay Animation, or Plasticine animation ( claymation), uses figures made of clay or a similar
flexible material to create stop-motion animation. The figures may have an armature or wire
frame inside, similar to the related puppet animation that can be manipulated to pose the
figures. Alternatively, the figures may be made entirely of clay, such as in the films of Bruce
Bickford, where clay creatures morph into a variety of different shapes.

Cutout Animation is a type of stop-motion animation produced by moving two-dimensional

pieces of material such as paper or cloth. Silhouette Animation is a variant of cutout
animation in which the characters are backlit and only visible as silhouettes.

Model Animation refers to stop-motion animation created to interact with and exist as a part
of a live-action world. Intercutting, matte effects, and split screens are often employed to
blend stop-motion characters or objects with live actors and settings.
Go Motion is a variant of model animation that uses various techniques to create motion blur
between frames of film, which is not present in traditional stop-motion. The technique was
invented by Industrial Light and Magic and Phil Tippett to create special effects scenes for
the film The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

Object Animation refers to the use of regular inanimate objects in stop-motion animation, as
opposed to specially created items.

Brickfilm -A sub-genre of object animation involving using Lego or other similar brick toys
to make an animation. These have had a recent boost in popularity with the advent of video
sharing sites like YouTube and the availability of cheap cameras and animation software.

Graphic Animation uses non-drawn flat visual graphic material (photographs, newspaper
clippings, magazines, etc.), which are sometimes manipulated frame-by-frame to create
movement. At other times, the graphics remain stationary, while the stop- motion camera is
moved to create on-screen action.

Pixilation involves the use of live humans as stop motion characters. This allows for a
number of surreal effects, including disappearances and reappearances, allowing people to
appear to slide across the ground, and other such effects. Examples of pixilation include The
Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb and Angry Kid shorts.

Q11. What is Animation? (Write a note on animation)

Ans. Animation is the process of creating a continuous motion and shape change illusion by
means of a rapid display of a sequence of static images that minimally differ from each other.
The illusion rely on the phi phenomenon. These images can be hand drawn, computer
generated, or pictures of 3D objects. There are three main types of animation: traditional, stop
motion, and computer generated. Each can be used to make 2D or 3D images. There are also
other less common forms, many of which focus on using an unusual medium like sand or
glass to create the images, as well as combination of live action and drawings or computer
created images.

The basic technique of animation remains a continuous loop of two steps:

1) loading a"frame"
2) displaying the "frame" onscreen

A frame is defined by a combination of the image to be displayed and the time the image is to
be displayed. A sequence of frames makes an animation. Each frame is displayed on the
screen until the next frame overwrites it. Since each frame remains displayed on the screen
for a tiny but finite time period, you can think of an animation as frames displayed at discreet
intervals of time in a continued sequence. There are two types of frames: key frames and
tween frames.

Q12. What is Phi phenomenon?

Ans. The phi phenomenon is the optical illusion of perceiving continuous motion between
separate objects viewed rapidly in succession.

The basic technique of animation remains a continuous loop of two steps:

 loading a "frame"

 displaying the "frame" onscreen

Q13. Define the following

1. Frame - A frame is uniquely defined by a combination of the image to be displayed and

the time the image is to be displayed. A sequence of frames makes an animation. Each frame
is displayed on the screen until the next frame overwrites it. Since each frame remains
displayed on the screen for a tiny but finite time period, you can think of an animation as
frames displayed at discreet intervals of time in a continued sequence.

2. Frame Rate - The frame rate of an animation is the number of individual images (or
frames) that are being displayed over the span of one second. It is a setting you can adjust in
the animation software.

3. Working on One's & Two's - Working on One's or Two's is a term used in hand drawn
animation. Working on one's would mean doing a new drawing over every single frame of
the animation.

Working on twos means holding each drawing for two frames, so one second of animation at
24 frames per second would only be 12 drawings, not 24.
In 2D animation working on two's looks fine in most instances, and there are even cases
where drawings can be held longer. In 3D, though, working on one's is the standard.
Animation is usually done in 24 frames per second (FPS).

4. Onion Skinning - When animating, it's very useful to be able to see more than one frame
at a time. In paper animation this is done by having multiple drawings on a light table, but in
modern animation programs there's often a feature called onion skinning. It lets you see semi-
transparent representations of the frames behind or ahead of the current frame you're working
on.

5. Motion graphics - Motion graphics focuses on making dynamic and interesting

presentations of moving text logos and basic illustrations.

Motion graphics can be both 2D and 3D, and they are used in commercials, explainer videos,
sporting events, the news and other TV productions.

Proper character animation is generally outside the scope of motion graphics, but many of the
core animation principles apply to motion graphics too.

Q14. What is the important characteristic of stop motion animation?

They all have to be shot straight-ahead, which means starting at frame one and shooting each
frame, one after another, all the way through the end of the scene.

If a mistake is made on one frame, it's very difficult to fix it without having to start all over
again. You can't just redraw that frame like you can in 2D animation. This makes this type of
animation particularly intense and it requires a lot of patience.

Q15. Write the advantage of Flipbook animation.

 Flip books offer the most versatility and creativity in hands-on animation projects
because they are not limited in length or materials, as is the case with some other
techniques.
 They're inexpensive to create with common materials and require no viewing devices.
 Most important, the process used to make a flip book forms the basis for all of the
more sophisticated animation techniques, including filmed animation
Q16. What is Computer Generated Imagery or Computer Animation?
Ans.
● Computer Imagery Animation or CGI Animation is the process used for generating
animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer-generated
imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only
refers to moving images.
● Modern computer animation usually uses 3D computer graphics, although 2D
computer graphics are still used for stylistic, low bandwidth, and faster real-time renderings.
● It is now possible for animators to draw directly into a computer using a graphics
tablet or a similar device, where the outline drawings are done in a similar manner as they
would be on paper.
● Computer animation is essentially a digital successor to the stop motion techniques
used in traditional animation with 3D models and frame-by-frame animation of 2D
illustrations.
● Computer generated animations are more controllable than other more physically
based processes, such as constructing miniatures for effects shots or hiring extras for crowd
scenes, and because it allows the creation of images that would not be feasible using any
other technology. It can also allow a single graphic artist to produce such content without the
use of actors, expensive set pieces, or props.

● To create the illusion of movement, an image is displayed on the computer monitor

and repeatedly replaced by a new image that is similar to it, but advanced slightly in time
(usually at a rate of 24 or 30 frames/second). This technique is identical to how the illusion of
movement is achieved with television and motion pictures.
● For 3D animations, objects (models) are built on the computer monitor (modelled)
and 3D figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton. For 2D figure animations, separate objects
(illustrations) and separate transparent layers are used, with or without a virtual skeleton.
Then the limbs, eyes, mouth, clothes, etc. of the figure are moved by the animator on key
frames. The differences in appearance between key frames are automatically calculated by
the computer in a process known as tweening or morphing. Finally, the animation is
rendered.

● For 3D animations, all frames must be rendered after modeling is complete. For 2D
vector animations, the rendering process is the key frame illustration process, while tweened
frames are rendered as needed. For pre-recorded presentations, the rendered frames are
transferred to a different format or medium such as film or digital video. The frames may also
be rendered in real time as they are presented to the end-user audience. Low bandwidth
animations transmitted via the internet (e.g. 2D Flash, X3D) often use software on the end-
user’s computer to render in real time as an alternative to streaming or pre-loaded high
bandwidth animations
● The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated
than any other forms of animation. Depending on what project and which 3D animation
studio is involved, the number of steps may vary.
● The 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project are:
1. Concept and Storyboards
2. 3DModelling
3. Texturing
4. Rigging
5. Animation
6. Lighting
7. Camera Setting
8. Rendering
9. Compositing and Special VFX
10. Music and Foley
11. Editing and Final Output
Q17. Explain the difference between 2D Animation and 3DAnimation.
Ans.
● 2D animation is the traditional animation. It is one drawing followed by another in a
slightly different pose, followed by another in a slightly different pose, on and on for 24
frames a second.
● 2D animations deals more with drawing and framing and is the base of 3D animation.
● 2D animators create frames to define a sequence that are then moved at varying
speeds to create the illusion of motion. Traditionally these were put together in an amazing
process where artists drew pencil drawings of every frame of film, then these images were
painted onto clear plastic sheets called ‘cels‘, and each of the thousands of hand drawn and
painted cels were photographed one at a time over a hand painted background image and
those thousands of images compiled to run as film at 24 frames a second.
● Today most 2D animation involves using computer software to one degree or another,
from just digitally colouring the cels to be photographed in the traditional method, to doing
every single element in the computer.
● 2D Animation Examples
o Bugs Bunny
o Daffy Duck
o Elmer Fudd
o Snow White
o The Jungle Book
o The Little Mermaid
o The Simpsons
o Family Guy
o South Park
● 3D or three-dimensional animation has more depth and is more realistic. The texture,
lighting and colour of the 3D objects are modified using software programs.
● Film, advertising, video and gaming are the fast growing fields for 3D animation.
● 3D allows you to do things that simply are not possible in 2D animation.
● 3D objects, once modeled, can be treated almost as a physical object. You can light it
differently, you can move a camera to look at it from above, or below.
● 3D allows you to create realistic objects. You can use textures and lighting to create
objects that appear solid, and can even be integrated seamlessly into live video elements.
● 3D Animation Examples
o Toy Story
o Shrek
o The Incredible
o Jurassic Park (the dinosaurs)
o The Transformers (the robots)
Q18. What are the steps involved in producing a 3D animation project?
Ans. The 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project are

1. Concept and Storyboards

2. 3DModelling

3. Texturing
4. Rigging

5. Animation

6. Lighting

7. Camera Setting

8. Rendering

9. Compositing and Special VFX

10. Music and Foley

11. Editing and Final Output