Thank You All!

I'd like to thank everybody that has viewed my blog and read it. It has been a pretty interesting experience writing a blog about the history of animation and what it has evolved into to this day. This is a topic that has been interesting and intriguing to me for a while, and i've learned a lot about the subject from writing this blog. I hope that you all have had a fun time reading this blog and have learned some things about animation like I have. I hope that you all continue learning more about this artform because it really is an interesting one. Farewell and thank you once again.

Are Holograms already in existance?

Holography as it is called, is the way of recording light that is scattered off of an object and being shown again to reveal an image as it already was seen, in the same position. This produces an effect that makes the projected/lit subject look 3-dimensional with depth. We've seen holograms presented in many films over the years. The main films in which we have seen holograms are the Star Wars films. In these films, the regular mode of communication between people is by way of hologram. The hologram is projected on a hand-sized pod and the two individuals are able to communicate and see each other clearly. But are holograms real? A supposed hologram was put into use during a clip in the news on CNN, but was it really a hologram? The answer is no, the supposed "hologram" wasn't a real hologram. What the viewers saw was only a projection that was layered onto the real-time interview tape. The people in the studio couldn't see the "hologram", but we could because it was slipped into the film. Although this was not a real hologram, there most likely are holograms in production somwhere. Maybe we will have holograms soon, who knows?

CNN "Hologram":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thOxW19vsTg

To learn more about Holography in a more in-depth way click the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holography

What is next for animation?

Animation has come from 2D, flat animation that has entertained us for a long time. Next it moved to flip-books that can be easily made by everybody. It then moved on to stop-motion animation and claymation that has let people show what they can create, as well as what major filmmaker and producers can make. Lastly it moved to computer-animated works and computer-animated images presented in 3D. The question remains: what's up next for the film industry in the animation field? The next big thing that is coming up in the filmmaking industry is Cinema 4D, a design system created by MAXON Computer GmbH in Friedrichsdorf, Germany. Cinema 4D is basically 3D animation and design, but a step ahead. It has all of the capabilities of 3D animation, but the presentation and detail in 4D animation is far greater. This 4D design has been applied to numerous advertisements in the media, producing intricate, smooth, and detailed images that catch the eye. With this 4D design, whole realistic worlds can be created on a computer. Cinema 4D will most likely make us wonder what else is possible in animation and film, what else can we grasp? What else will we get to in the future? Is there anything else we can make that is greater than 4D?

A demonstration of Cinema 4D:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJSOsyImbF0

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_4D

Disney Digital 3D

Because IMAX's popularity rose exponentially so quickly, other companies wanted to compete. The Walt Disney Company developed their own 3D system in the mid 2000's and began to work with it. Disney Pixar released the film entitled "Up" on May 29, 2009, which was the first film to be presented in 3D. Since then, Disney Pixar has made almost every film 3D presentable and they look quite good.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Digital_3-D

First Films Shown at IMAX

In June of 2006, the film entitled "Superman Returns" became converted into IMAX 3D format and was the first film to be shown in IMAX theaters in 3D. IMAX started to partner up with several movie theaters and began to install their IMAX equipment in the theaters to add more to the theater experience and to make the theaters IMAX compatible. In July of 2008, Warner Bros. Pictures got together with IMAX and made some parts of the film "Batman: The Dark Knight" with IMAX equipment. This film became the highest-grossing movie to be made with IMAX technology. To this day, IMAX continues to deliver amazing entertainment in 3D all over the nation.

Sources:

http://www.imax.com/corporate/history/

The IMAX Experience

Once computer-animated films were being produced and gained a lot of attention in the film industry, it was taken even higher. People in the film industry wanted to take computer-animated films to pop, they wanted them to stand out from everything else. The IMAX Corporation in Canada developed a 3D movie projection system that gives a film depth and life, it makes the images come out at the audience. The system is made of two lenses, one to represent the right eye, one eye to represent the left eye. These two lenses are separated by an interocular lense by a distance of 64 mm., the same distance tat is between the eyes on a person's face. The two lenses are fed different films and when they are shown at the same time they produce an image that pops out.

For more information and recent news about the IMAX Corporation visit the link below:

http://www.imax.com/corporate/history/

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAX#IMAX_3D

3D Animation

Now, back to 3D animation. 3D animation is animated images that are made via computer-generated images. These computer-generated images produce subjects/characters that appear to be 3D, or in other words, have depth and shape to them, unlike 2D animated images that are on flat paper. These images that were created using computer-generated images made their way to the film industry very quickly. One of the first 3D animated films was a short film entitled "Luxo Jr." that was released in 1986 by Pixar Animation Studios. This short film told the short story of two walking lamps and their endeavor with a rubber ball. This wide-known short film was followed up by another short film entitled "Tin Toy", a short film about a toy and his encounter with a baby, and how the baby reacts to him.

Link to watch "Luxo Jr.":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_oL_27KqgU

Link to watch "Tin Toy":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNZtl5SZvbM

Sources:

http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/history/87.html

Flip Book Animation

Another type of animation that we have probably all seen is flip book style animation. This type of animation takes the same approach as traditional, fram-by-frame animation in that everything is drawn frame by frame on different pages of a little book like a storyboard. Once the drawings are done, the pages of the flip book are flipped through rapidly and ultimately unveil a series of images that move. Below are two flip book animation videos taken from YouTube.

Flip Book Matrix Style:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UocF4ycBnYE

Flip Book with geometric shapes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSrDnIVgVv0

Claymation on the Web

Claymation has also taken many internet websites by storm. Many people have started using this filmmaking technique to make unique and fun videos. Due to clay's elastic nature, it is easy to warp it into any shape that you want it to be. Therefore, clay would make a great substance to use in making a stop-motion animation video because it is easy to bend the figure from one shape to the other, making the trasition from one frame to the other fluid and effortless.

Below is a claymation video found on YouTube that uses claymation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UDbhDemWRA&feature=channel

Stop-Motion Animation Involving 2D Subjects

Stop-motion isn't just limited to image sequences taken as real-time footage, stop-motion projects can involve taking pictures of 2D subjects to make a stop-motion project. Many artists today have taken their art from still, flat images to moving 2D images on video. This has given artists a chance to expand to other dimensions of art. The stop-motion animation video entitled "Muto" involves the use of graffiti on walls to produce a series of smooth flowing images that show that 2D images really can come to life and blend well with video.

Stop-Motion Animation piece entitled "Muto":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuGaqLT-gO4&feature=related

Stop-Motion Animation

Stop-motion animation has become quite a popular method of producing video and film. The internet has become an outlet for many to show their artwork, a lot of which is stop-motion animation video. Numerous people have contributed their stop-motion animation work to the internet and it has become more recognized and popularized because of the internet. Here is quite an amazing stop-motion animation video called "T-Shirt War".

"T-Shirt War": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKWdSCt4jGE

Stop-Motion Animation

Stop-motion animation has played a large role in filmmaking for quite a while. Stop-motion animation is an animation technique in which an object is barely manipulated/moved so that when photographed, these images appear to be moving. Stop-motion is like 2D animation, but it involves real people that are captured in images as well as clay figures, which have been used a lot in the film industry due to their ability to reposition easily. The use of clay figures in film is often referred to as claymation. The first time that stop-motion animation was used was in The Humpty Dumpty Circus in 1898, which Albert E. Smith and J. Stuart Blackton are credited. The first time that i saw claymation/stop-motion animation was during Christmas time. Most of the films that were shown during the Christmas holiday were developed using claymation. These films included Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and more. More recently, films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Coraline, James and the Giant Peach, and Chicken Run. Advancements in technology and computer software has helped to make the stop-motion animation and claymations processes more refined and has allowed films made with these techniques to be edited to move more smoothly.

Below is a link to watch a beautifully done video using stop-motion animation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_motion

Impact of Animation Companies on the Film Industry

Disney and Pixar are two of the most successful companies in the film industry. Disney's work has ranged from 2D animated cartoons to real-time films, and Pixar's works have always been computer-animated films and videos. These two companies by themselves pumped a lot of life into the television and film industries, and together they have produced many popular films that have gotten audiences coming back for more each time that they produce a new animated film. Basically, Disney and Pixar are the most popular and dominant companies in the film industry and will continue to produce works that will keep audiences coming more and more, gaining popularity and becoming more successful.

Pixar Studios

Pixar Animation Studios was one of the first companies/studios to rise in the film industry. Pixar was purchased by Steven Jobs, the head of Apple Computer, and the company was named Pixar after its Pixar computer. Pixar was given many awards for its computer animation softwares including RenderMan, Marionette, and Ringmaster. The company made several commercials for other companies, but then collaborated with Disney to make computer-animated films such as Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, and other films. More recently, Pixar and Disney have made Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up, and Toy Story 3. In partnership with each other, Pixar and Disney have proceeded to dominate the animated-film sector of the film industry.

Sources:

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Pixar-Animation-Studios-Company-History.html

Big Animation Companies - Walt Disney Studios

A man by the name of Walt Disney arrived in California in 1923 with the a driven mindset, determined. With his many ideas for shows, he and others helped to make many cartoons, starting with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and continuing with Steamboat Willie with other Mickey Mouse cartoons, and Silly Symphonies. Walt then stepped up and made full-length films such as Pinocchio, Fantasia, Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmations, and Mary Poppins. Walt died soon after on December 15, 1966 and Roy Disney took charge of the company. The Walt Disney company spread out further and created a series of amusement parks around the world. In the mid 90's, the Walt Disney company produced more animated films including Pocanhontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, and Tarzan. Disney also partnered up with Pixar Animation to make several computer animated films, which included A Bug's Life, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles. Disney started out with one man, Walt Disney, who made short cartoons, but then expanded his views to start the Walt Disney company, which thrived exponentially and gained a lot of appreciation from people everywhere, and it continues to be a powerhouse i the film industry to this day.

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIyE3EDCigE

Animated Shows for Older Audiences

The Simpsons was a show created by Matt Groening that started out as animated 30 second spots in 1987, but then became an animated television show that debuted on January 14, 1990. The show was a hilarious portrayal of the typical American family and their ups and downs as they try to better themselves and get along. The family consists of Homer Simpson, the father that isn't very intelligent and gives bad advice, Marge Simpson, the mother that cares deeply about the children, Bart Simpson, a 10 year-old reckless child that seems to just get into trouble wherever he goes, Lisa Simpson, an intelligent 8 year-old, and Maggie Simpson, the calm baby. Each episode of the show follows them around in everyday situations and showcases how those situations can go wrong. Matt Groening also created another animated series entitled Futurama, which was aired on March 28, 1999, and was a show about a young man named Philip J. Fry who gets frozen in time, and is awakened again in the 31st century. He meets Lela, a one-eyed human/alien, and Bender, a robot, and Professor Farnsworth, Fry's distant nephew. Along with these and other characters, the show follows Fry and his companion's endeavors with other characters in this futuristic society.

Sources:

http://www.snpp.com/other/articles/briefhistory.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama

Nickelodeon

Another popular television network that was broadcasted was called Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon was launched on April Fools Day in 1979. The network's purpose was to create a television channel just for the kids. One of the famous features of some of the shows on Nickelodeon was the green slime that was sprayed on show contestants at any time. Shows including "Rugrats", Doug, The Ren and Stimpy Show, SpongeBob Squarepants, and others were aired on the network. Nickelodeon started up a program called Nicktoons, in which only cartoons were aired. Nicktoons still comprises a major part of the Nickelodeon shows that are aired, even though there are other parts to the network.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelodeon_(TV_channel)

http://www.nick.com/all_nick/everything_nick/history_home.jhtml

Cartoon Network

One of the first major players in the television industry that mainly broadcasted cartoons was Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network was a television network established by Turner Broadcasting in 1982. This network showed animated shows and cartoons 24/7, seven days a week. It showcased many famous cartoons such as Looney Toons, Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, and The Jetsons. Cartoon Network also started to work on its own shows to be made to build it's reputation. Many ideas for shows were compiled, but the shows that were aired were Dexter's Laboratory, Ed, Edd, n Eddy, Johnny Bravo, Courage the Cowardly Dog, and The Powerpuff Girls. These cartoons gained popularity very quickly. Cartoon Network's popularity was aslo boosted greatly by its Toonami sector of the broadcasting schedule. Toonami catered to the older section of children and aired shows like Dragon Ball Z, Gundam Wing, G Gundam, Robotech, One Piece, and many more. This part of Cartoon Network's show schedule gained popularity extremely fast and grew exponentially. Cartoon Network also catered to the much older youth crowd by making adding another program entitled Adult Swim. Cartoon Network became one of the dominant television networks in the history of television due to its catering to young audiences where cartoons and animated shows are aired 24/7, 7 days a week, and it still is a major player in the television industry.

Sources:

http://cartoonnetwork.wikia.com/wiki/Cartoon_Network

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toonami

Popular Cartoons Cont.

Numerous popular cartoons were made in the following years. Popeye was a cartoon that centered around a middle-aged sailor with large forearms, anchor tattoos, and only one eye. His famous ability in the cartoon was that he gained extreme strength by eating spinach, which kept him almost invincible for a short while. With this strength he would usually fight other characters in order to get to the lady who he loved, Olive Oyl, for which the other characters were fighting for. The Popeye cartoons always seemed to satisfy me because they were so full of energy and fun. Other famous animated cartoons that were broadcasted on television included The Flintstones, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, The Jetsons, and Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh was one of my childhood favorites while growing up because of all the loveable characters in it and the way that the characters got along in the story. It was a great child cartoon for many. All of these cartoons catered to younger audiences and did a great job in the television industry as they gained more viewers and positive feedback, encouraging the creators of the shows to produce more episodes in order to further gain more popularity.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye

Popular Cartoons

As cartoons and animation progressed, more shows were produced. Tom and Jerry, a show about a cat (Tom) and mouse (Jerry) and their many shenanigans originated in 1939, and was created by Hannah Barbera and William Hanna. In the show, Jerry the mouse hides in a hole in the wall, but comes out and proceeds to be chased by Tom as he tries to catch Jerry. The episodes usually show Tom and Jerry making a hilarious, yet ridiculous mess in the house, in the neighborhood, or in other places, although Jerry prevails and Tom is held accountable for all of their actions.

Sources:

http://www.listology.com/list/tom-and-jerry-cartoons

Looney Toons

Looney Toons was one of the first series of cartoons to gain a large amount of popularity from the public. Produced from 1933-1944 by Leon Schlesinger Productions, but then sold to Warner Bros. where production continued until 1963. The cartoons were shown in theaters and were broadcasted on television, surpassing other cartoon and series in popularity. Looney Toons included famous characters such as bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, and many others. These characters and many more appeared in numerous cartoons that targeted child audiences and kept growing. More recently, the Looney Toons franchise produced a film entitled "Looney Toons Back in Action", which incorporated animated sequences layered with real-time film footage, producing a film with interaction between the real time actors and the animated characters.

Below is the link to watch the trailer for "Looney Toons Back in Action" and see the animation/real-time film collaboration technique:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uuNGbMsb1A

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looney_Tunes

What were some of the first animated sequences ever made?

The newspaper comic strip was where the animated sequences got their design from, that's where it all started, but the first animated sequence was made in 1906 called "Humorous Phases of Funny Faces". In this animated sequence, two faces were projected and their facial features changed as the animation went on. Other cartoons featured Felix the cat, although, the cartoon that got the most popularity was a cartoon that was developed by Disney. The cartoon was entitled "Steamboat Willie", which featured Mickey Mouse, and was released in 1928. More cartoons featuring Mickey Mouse were released in the following years, which also gained popularity.

Below are the links to view the cartoons entitled "Humorous Phases of Funny Faces" and "Steamboat Willie":

"Humorous Phases of Funny Faces": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dRe85cNXwg

"Steamboat Willie": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TPbpvP-okM

Sources:

http://www.filmsite.org/animatedfilms.html

Hand drawn animations were one of the first ways that film was seen by people. This type of animation involves drawing each frame individually. It is a long, time-consuming process that takes patience and skill. Each slide has to be drawn perfectly to make the sequence of images look smooth and perfected as a whole; you don't want the animation to look like it jumps and jitters on the screen. So now we know a bit about the process that one has to undergo to produce an animated film or cartoon, but what made it come to life? Well, the first device that let people see moving pictures in the U.S. was called the "Zoopraxiscope" (pictured above), which was patented by William Lincoln in 1867. It was a device with which an individual could view the sequence of images through a small hole, or viewing spot in the mechanism. In 1895, a man by the name of Woodville Latham and his two sons showcased the "Panopticon", the first film projector that was developed in the U.S. The first machine that projected film was the Vitascope, which was made by the Edison company and was the first projector to be commercially successful.

Sources:

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blmotionpictures.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-movie-projector-demonstrated-in-united-states

People have been able to capture still pictures for quite a while now, but how did people get these still images to move? Once still images are gathered, they are strung together in a sequence, which is then rolled into film and projected. The images produce a moving picture which can deal with a change in the speed, angle, color, size, position, and shape of the subject that is projected in the sequence of images. This is one of the first ways that images were animated for film.

Sources:

http://www.filmeducation.org/staffroom/film_in_the_classroom/animation/animation.php

Hey there everyone! My name is Pavlo and I have been involved in the arts for quite some time. In this blog I'll be discussing the start of animation, how it came to be about, and I will describe the animation process. Also I will talk about how animation has progressed and what it has done for the film industry. Enjoy!