Introduction to Animation

 Session-1

Animation- It is a process of creating a continuous emotion between frames. It creates an illusion by rapidly displaying of sequence of static images.

Types of Animation:

1. Traditional Animation / Hand Drawn 
2. Flipbook Animation
3. Cutout Animation 
4. Clay Animation
5. Stop Motion Animation
6. Computer Animation

Key Terms in Animation:

1. Frames- Single image in an animation.
2. Key Frames- Important frames drawn by the animator to mark the start or end of motion.
3. Tween Frames- Intermediate frames created between two frames to create smooth animation.
4. Phi Phenomenon- An optical illusions where the brain perceives motion between separate objects viewed in quick succession.

History Of Animation :

~ Paleolithic Era [Ancient Times]

~ 1st Century [BC]

~ 19 century animation devices 

~ 1892- Charles Emile Reynaud showed the first animation movie to people using his own device.

~ 1906- "Humorous Phases of Funny Faces" one of the first animated was made.

~ 1908- Emile Cohl made the first fully animated hand-drawn movie was made "Fantasmagoria". 

~ 1917- "EI Apostol" made in Argentina was the world's first animated movie made by cut-outs.

Session- 2 [Traditional Animation]

~ Traditional Animation is also known as hand-drawn or cel animation.

~ Drawing are traced on two transparent sheets.

~ Each frame is drawn by hand on paper.

~ Photos of each cel are taken one by one to create a film.

Types Of Traditional Animation:

• Full Animation

• Limited Animation

• Roto Scoping 

• Live Action Animation 

Definition:

1. Full Animation: It provides high quality with detailed drawings, and smooth movement. e.g. The lion King, Beauty and The Beast.
2. Limited Animation: Fewer drawings, more stylized used for saving time and cost. e.g. Yellow sub-marine, many anime shows.
3. Roto Scoping: It is used for tracing real life video frame by frame. e.g. The lord of the kings [1978], Waking life.
4. Live Action Animation: It is used with mixed animated characters with real people. e.g. who farmed Roser Rabbit, Space Jam.

Difference between Traditional and Modern Animation.

The difference between modern and traditional animation lies mainly in techniques, tools, and production processes, though storytelling styles and visual aesthetics can also differ. Here’s a detailed comparison:

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🎨 1. Animation Techniques

Aspect	Traditional Animation	Modern Animation
Method	Hand-drawn, frame-by-frame on      paper or cels	Digital animation using computers
Process	Artists draw each frame individually	Keyframes and in-between Ing done digitally, often automated
Medium	Physical media (paper, cels, film)	Digital media (software like Blender, Maya, Toon Boom)

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💻 2. Tools and Technology

Aspect	Traditional Animation	Modern Animation
Tools	Pencil, ink, paint, light tables	Computers, tablets, animation software
Editing	Manual film cutting or analog editing	Digital editing, non-linear workflows

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🎞️ 3. Types of Animation

Aspect	Traditional Animation	Modern Animation
Common Types	2D hand-drawn animation	2D digital, 3D CGI, motion capture, stop-motion (digitally enhanced)
Notable Examples	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Lion King (1994)	Frozen, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Toy Story

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🕒 4. Time and Cost

Aspect	Traditional Animation	Modern Animation
Production Time	Longer due to frame-by-frame drawing	Faster due to reusable assets and digital tools
Cost	Expensive (materials + labor-intensive)	Also expensive, but more scalable and efficient

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🎭 5. Artistic Style

Aspect	Traditional Animation	Modern Animation
Style	More organic, fluid, hand-crafted feel	Sleeker, polished, can vary from hyper-         realistic to stylized
Limitations	Limited by physical tools and frame rates	Almost limitless with current tech (physics, lighting, 3D modeling)

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📱 6. Distribution and Platforms

Aspect	Traditional Animation	Modern Animation
Primary Platforms	Theaters, VHS/DVD	Streaming, web, mobile apps, AR/VR

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✅ Summary

Category	Traditional Animation	Modern Animation
Tools	Hand-drawn, physical	Digital software
Style	Classic, organic	Polished, varied
Speed	Slower	Faster
Cost	High	High, but efficient
Output	Mostly 2D	2D, 3D, motion capture, VR

~ Traditional + Digital = Tradigital ~

•  Drawing can be scanned or drawn directly into computer.

• Software is used to color and animate.

• Final product can be saved as film or digital.

                                                    ~Flipbook Animation ~

• A flipbook is a series of drawings that show movement when the pages are flipped quickly.

• It is a basic and fun way to learn animation. 

• It requires simple material like post it notes on index cards.

• It helps to understand timing and movement.

Session- 3 Stop Motion Animation 

• A type of animation where real world objects are moving bit to bit and photograph frame by frame.

• When the photos are framed quickly it looks the objects are moving on their own. 

• It is a cheaper and less time consuming then computer animation.

~ Types of Stop Motion Animation:

1. Puppet Animation
2. Clay Animation
3. Cutout Animation
4. Model Animation
5. Go Animation
6. Object Animation
7. Graphic Animation
8. Brick Film 
9. Pixilation 

Definitions:

• Puppet Animation- Uses puppets with wire Skeltons [armatures] inside puppets are posed and moved for each frame.
• Clay Animation- Used clay figures that can be shaped and reshaped may or may not have armature [skeletons] inside.
• Cutout Animation- Uses flat pieces [paper], [cloth] moved frame by frame cut-out animation is of two types: ~Traditional cutout, ~Digital cutout                             It is good for storytelling, video content and educational videos.
• Model Animation- Combines with stop motion models with live action scores using special effects.
• Go Motion Animation- Adds 'motion blur' to the animation. It is used in movies like the empire strikes back [1980].
• Object Animation- Use everyday objects like toys or cups etc.
• Graphic Animation- Uses photos, magazines, clippings or flat graphics moved frame by frame.
• Brick Film- Uses LEGO or similar bricks toys to create animated movement.
• Pixilation- Uses real people as stop motion characters. They move slightly in each frame to create funny effects.   

 Session- 4 [2D and 3D Animation]

• Computer Animation-                                                                    Computer Animation refers to the process of creating moving images, using computers. Itis widely used in movies, video games, simulation, virtual reality and educational content.                                                                                                            - Computer Animation consist of story boarding modeling, rigging, animation, postproduction, rendering.

• 2D Animation-                                                                                            It involves image, manipulation. It focuses on working with flat, two-dimensional images. It is computer used in cartoons, web animations, simple games. It involves in creating or editing of figures/ objects using 2D bitmap graphics or 2D vector graphics.                            ~ 2D Animation Techniques-   

1.  Interpolated Morphing- Smooth transition between images.
2. Onion Skinning- Viewing multiple frames at one time by maintaining motion.
3. Interpolated Rotoscoping- Tracing over live action footage with interpolation for smooth motion. 

~2D Animation Application:     

1. Analog Computer Animation
2. Flash Animation
3. PowerPoint Animation

•  3D Animation-                                                                                   It involves creating 3D dimensional objects. It builds virtual words where characters and objects move and interact. It uses  techniques  like modelling, rigging and rendering. It produce Real World object. e.g. Feature, Films, Video games or Virtual reality.

~Comparision between 2D Animation and 3D Animation

Aspect                  

Dimension 

Focus

Realism

Usage