what is animation ?

Process of giving the illusion of movement to

drawings, models, or inanimate objects. From the

mid-1850s, such optical devices as the zoetrope

produced the illusion of animation. Stop-action

photography enabled the production of cartoon

films. The innovative design and assembly

techniques of Walt Disney soon moved him to the

forefront of the animation industry, and he

produced a series of classic animated films,

beginning with Snow White and the Seven

Dwarfs (1937). The Fleischer brothers and the

animators at Warner Brothers offered more

irreverent cartoons that often appealed to adult

audiences. In Europe new animation alternatives

to line drawing were developed, including

animation using puppets (sometimes made from

clay). In the late 20th century computer

animation, as seen in the first fully

computer-generated animated feature, Toy Story

(1995), moved the art to a new level.

Raw Materials

Although the most important raw material in

creating animation is the imagination of the

animator, a number of supplies are necessary to

bring that imagination to life. Sometimes these

items are purchased; sometimes they are

constructed by the animator.

The animator works at an animation stand, a

structure that holds a baseboard on which the

drawings are attached by register pegs. The

animation stand also supports a camera, lights, a

work surface, and a platen (clear sheet of glass

or plexiglass that holds the drawings in place).

The drawings are executed on cels, drawing

paper, or on film. The majority of professional

animation is drawn on cels, transparent acetate

sheets five millimeters thick. Each cel measures

approximately 10 in by 12 in (25.4 cm by 30.5

    cm). Holes are punched along the top edge of the

cels, paper, or film, corresponding to the register

pegs on the animation stand and baseboard. The

pegs keep the drawing surface rigid.

Opaque inks and paints, and transparent dyes are

the most common media for drawing the story.

Felt markers, crayons, and litho pencils can also

be used.

Professional animation is photographed with

35mm cameras. However, it is possible to use

Super 8 or 16mm models. A variety of camera

lenses are employed, including standard, zoom,

telephoto, wide angle, and fish-eye lenses.