The History and Techniques of Animation Film Studies

Throughout this article, we examine the definition of animation, the history of early animation devices, and the techniques used for animation, such as motion graphics, 3D CGI (Three-Dimensional Computer-Generated Imagery) in particular facial animation and mocap (motion capture). Lastly, we hypothesise about the bright future of animation in China.

The Phi Phenomenon, a human visual ability, is linked to animation. Fast-forwarding through a series of closely related images creates a sense of continuous motion in your mind. A frame is the container in which a photograph is held. Animation includes anything from animated television shows and movies to computer-generated imagery in video games. (El Rhalibi, A. and Shen, Y. (2004) provides more information on common approaches to enliven the effect of animation known as the twelve principles of 2D animation).

This is one of the earliest devices that creates the illusion of a film. Tian Huan, a Chinese inventor, created the first prototype of this gadget in 180 AD. When the zoetrope was completed, the images were drawn on paper connected to the vanes and it was suspended above a lamp. Because of the shadows formed by the moving slides, the gadget rotated due to the convection of the hot air rising from the candle.

William George Horner ((1786-1837) created the modern zoetrope in 1834. " A spindle stand supported a cylinder with slits cut into its sides. To create the sense of motion, images were placed around the cylinder's internal edge, which can be seen by rotating the cylinder's outer cylinder and peering through the slits. In animation classes, this equipment is still used to help students learn about animation methods.

the thaumatrope (1824)

Dr. William Henry Fitton created this apparatus in 1825, during the Victorian era (1780-1861). The Thaumatrope is a compact circular card-based device. A rope or short pole is threaded through the centre of each of the two images on the card. Putting the pole between your palms spins it swiftly, causing the images on the card to align and look as one. In 1824, John Ayrton Paris (1785-1856) used this instrument to demonstrate the phi phenomenon to the Royal College of Physicians.

Kinematics (1868)

In 1868, John Barnes Linnet created the kineograph or flick book. One of the most important inventions that brought us closer to the modern animation process was the kineograph. Using a kineograph, the illusion of motion was perfectly achieved. In order to make the images appear to move, the sheets are flicked in a certain way.

In addition to the aforementioned technologies, others such as the Electro tachyscope, Mutoscope, Phenakistoscope, and Praxinoscope also played a significant role in the birth of modern animation and its subsequent evolution.

How to Make an Animated Film

Animation Methods of the Past

In addition to traditional methods like cel animation, stop motion animation, claymation (also known as clay animation), and 3D CGI and motion capture, traditional animation encompasses a variety of approaches. Here we'll look at some ways for face animation and motion capture in 3D CGI. Stop-motion and 2D animation techniques can be found in (El Rhalibi, A. and Shen, Y. (2004)).

3D computer generated imagery

Animation was altered with the advent of 3D computer-generated images. Toy Story (1995), produced by Pixar, was the first film to be finished fully in 3D CGI. In many ways, 3D CGI is comparable to traditional 2D animation in that it follows many of the same rules. 3D CGI use advanced software applications to generate and edit extremely complex and realistic 3D objects, characters, and environments. Animating 3D scene elements is also possible with this programme.

Three-dimensional computer-generated imagery (CGI) replaces the pictures in traditional animation with digitally modelled and animated 3D models. It is similar to stop motion animation, but there is no actual object in 3D CGI. Virtual items make up the entirety of the 3D environment. A hybrid of 2D and 3D animation, CAA (Computer Aided Animation) is commonly utilised in 2D animation. Keyframe, cel and interpolation are all done using a computer to speed up the traditional animation process. For example, Flash, which is a multimedia platform, provides these features for both 2D and 3D applications.

It is possible to use 3D CGI for a wide range of animations, including those that use standard formats like MPEG4. The following section discusses the use of 3D computer-generated imagery (CGI) in the creation of animated facial models and animations.

Modelling and Animation of the Face

We present an overview of the current research in facial modelling and facial animation approaches, both of which are covered in this paper (N. Ersotelos and F. Dong, 2007).

The process of creating a 3D virtual character can be lengthy and laborious. Polygon meshes are commonly used to represent a character's anatomy, while other methods like as multi-layer modelling, which incorporates anatomical details such as muscles and skeletons, are deemed prohibitively computationally expensive, especially for real-time applications. Building a modelled character can be done in a variety of ways.