2d Animation article

Why 2D Animation Still Thrives

2024-10-09T09:47:00.001+07:00

While 3D animation dominates mainstream media, 2D animation maintains its relevance due to its artistic integrity, versatility, and nostalgic appeal. It is often preferred for certain genres, such as children's programming and independent films, and it allows animators to explore artistic styles and storytelling methods that differ from the realism of 3D.

In the realm of television, anime, which often employs 2D animation, has continued to grow in popularity across the globe. Shows like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, and Demon Slayer are examples of 2D animation capturing a new generation of viewers.

The Magic of 2D Animation

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2D animation continues to be a powerful storytelling medium. It excels in creating unique worlds that can be both hyper-realistic and highly stylized. The ability to exaggerate expressions, movements, and scenarios gives animators the freedom to explore ideas that wouldn’t be possible in live-action or even in 3D animation.

Some examples of contemporary 2D animated films that push the boundaries of visual storytelling include The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), and Klaus (2019). These films utilize modern digital techniques but maintain the aesthetic and charm of traditional 2D animation.

The Process of Creating 2D Animation

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Creating a 2D animated piece, whether it's a short or feature film, involves a series of steps:

Concept Development
- Every animation begins with an idea. Artists and writers collaborate to develop a story, create characters, and determine the visual style of the animation.
Storyboarding
- Storyboards are the blueprint of the animation. They consist of a series of sketches that outline the sequence of events in the story, showing key actions and camera angles.
Character Design and Background Art
- Characters are designed based on the script and style of the animation. Simultaneously, background artists create the settings where the action takes place, ensuring consistency with the visual tone of the story.
Animation
- Once the characters and backgrounds are ready, the animators begin drawing the individual frames. In traditional animation, this would involve drawing hundreds or even thousands of individual images by hand. In digital 2D animation, the process involves creating keyframes and allowing the software to interpolate the "in-between" frames.
Inking and Coloring
- After the rough animations are complete, the images are refined, inked, and colored. Traditionally, this was done by hand on cels, but now digital tools allow for faster and more consistent inking and coloring.
Compositing and Editing
- The completed frames, characters, and backgrounds are composited together in the editing stage. This involves adding effects, adjusting timing, and ensuring that everything flows smoothly.
Sound and Music
- Sound effects, dialogue, and music are recorded and synchronized with the animation to bring the story to life. This aspect is crucial for creating a fully immersive experience.

Techniques in 2D Animation

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1.Traditional Animation (Hand-drawn Animation)

The most classic form of 2D animation, traditional animation, involves creating each frame by hand. Artists draw individual images on transparent sheets called cels, which are then photographed and compiled in sequence to create the illusion of movement.
Famous examples include early Disney films like Pinocchio and The Lion King.

2.Digital 2D Animation

As technology evolved, the process of 2D animation moved into the digital realm. Animators now use software like Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, and TVPaint to draw directly into the computer, often using a stylus and tablet. This speeds up the production process while retaining the hand-drawn aesthetic.
Digital 2D animation is widely used today in TV series like Adventure Time and Rick and Morty.

3.Rotoscoping

Rotoscoping is a technique where animators trace over live-action footage frame by frame to create realistic movements. While it was originally done manually by projecting filmed images onto a glass panel, modern technology allows animators to use software to achieve similar effects.

4.Cut-out Animation

Cut-out animation involves manipulating flat, static pieces (often made of paper or digitally created shapes) to create movement. This method is quicker and simpler than traditional hand-drawn animation and was famously used in shows like South Park and Charlie and Lola.

5.Stop Motion (2D Style)

While primarily associated with 3D objects, stop-motion techniques can also be applied to flat materials like paper cutouts or drawings. A famous example of this technique is the animation style used in The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), the oldest surviving feature-length animated film.

A Brief History of 2D Animation

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2D animation dates back to the early 20th century, beginning with simple animated shorts and progressing to full-length feature films. The early pioneers, such as Winsor McCay and Émile Cohl, developed short animations using hand-drawn techniques, frame by frame.

However, it was Walt Disney who revolutionized the industry with the introduction of the first synchronized sound animation, Steamboat Willie (1928), featuring Mickey Mouse. Disney continued to push the boundaries of animation with the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the world’s first full-length animated feature.

Disney’s work set the stage for the "Golden Age" of animation, and studios like Warner Bros., MGM, and Hanna-Barbera followed with beloved series like Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and The Flintstones.

Introduction to 2D Animation

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2D animation is a traditional and highly cherished form of animation that brings characters, stories, and worlds to life on a flat surface. Unlike its 3D counterpart, which manipulates objects in a three-dimensional space, 2D animation involves the creation of images in two dimensions. The technique emphasizes the drawing of characters, objects, and backgrounds, and the process of bringing these elements to life through movement.

Despite advancements in technology, 2D animation continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its charm, versatility, and hand-crafted aesthetic.

History of animation

2024-10-03T22:35:00.000+07:00

The history of animation is a fascinating journey of artistic and technological innovation, evolving from simple drawings to sophisticated digital creations. Here’s an overview of the key milestones in animation’s development:

1. Early Beginnings (Pre-1900s)

Prehistoric Cave Paintings: Some historians argue that early forms of animation can be seen in prehistoric cave paintings, where multiple images of animals in different poses appear as if they were in motion.
Zoetrope (1834): One of the earliest devices to create the illusion of motion. A zoetrope was a cylindrical device with slits, inside which a sequence of drawings would appear to move as it was spun.
Phenakistoscope (1832): Invented by Joseph Plateau, it was another early animation device that used a spinning disc to show a moving image when viewed through slits.

2. Silent Era (1900-1920s)

Émile Cohl's "Fantasmagorie" (1908): Considered the first fully animated film, it featured simple line drawings in a stream-of-consciousness style. Cohl’s work laid the foundation for traditional hand-drawn animation.
Winsor McCay's "Gertie the Dinosaur" (1914): One of the first examples of character animation. McCay animated Gertie with lifelike movements and personality, influencing many future animators.
Felix the Cat (1919): Created by Otto Messmer, Felix became one of the first animated characters to achieve worldwide fame, showing the commercial potential of animation.

3. The Golden Age of Animation (1920s-1960s)

Steamboat Willie (1928): Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie," featuring Mickey Mouse, was one of the first synchronized sound animations. This marked the beginning of Disney's dominance in the animation industry.
Technicolor: The use of color in animation started in the early 1930s. Disney's Silly Symphonies series introduced the three-strip Technicolor process, most notably in Flowers and Trees (1932), which won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): The first-ever full-length animated feature film, a groundbreaking achievement by Walt Disney. It proved that animation could be a serious art form and financially successful.
Warner Bros. Cartoons: During this period, iconic characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig emerged under the direction of Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, and Friz Freleng, with a more comedic, satirical style compared to Disney.

4. The Television Era (1950s-1980s)

Hanna-Barbera Productions: Created iconic TV shows like The Flintstones (1960) and The Jetsons (1962). These shows used limited animation techniques to reduce costs while still being entertaining.
Anime Emerges: In Japan, Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy (1963) popularized the anime style, with its distinct character designs, emotional depth, and storytelling approach.
Saturday Morning Cartoons: By the 1960s, animated shows dominated Saturday mornings in the U.S., including series like Scooby-Doo (1969).

5. The Digital Revolution (1980s-2000s)

Tron (1982): One of the first films to heavily use computer-generated imagery (CGI). Although not a fully animated film, Tron paved the way for the integration of digital technology in animation.
The Little Mermaid (1989): The film that marked Disney's "Renaissance," a period of creative and commercial success for the studio, with hand-drawn animation flourishing alongside early digital techniques.
Pixar and CGI: Pixar’s Toy Story (1995) became the first full-length feature film entirely created using CGI, marking a significant shift in animation technology. Pixar’s style emphasized storytelling and character-driven plots, changing the landscape of animated cinema.
The Rise of CGI Studios: Following Pixar's success, studios like DreamWorks Animation (Shrek in 2001) and Blue Sky Studios (Ice Age in 2002) capitalized on the potential of CGI animation, with a new wave of animated blockbusters.

6. Modern Animation (2000s-Present)

3D Animation Domination: Studios like Pixar, DreamWorks, and Illumination have made 3D animation the dominant form, with films like Frozen (2013), Despicable Me (2010), and Zootopia (2016) becoming global hits.
Hybrid Animation: Films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) have blended CGI with hand-drawn comic-book style effects, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in animation.
Streaming Era: With platforms like Netflix and Disney+, there's been a resurgence in animated series and films aimed at both children and adults (BoJack Horseman, Castlevania, Klaus). This has created new opportunities for diverse styles and stories.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): The latest frontier in animation, with VR experiences and AR blending storytelling with interactive media. Animators are experimenting with immersive environments where viewers can engage directly with animated worlds.

Key Animation Techniques Over Time

Traditional (Hand-drawn) Animation: Each frame is drawn by hand. This was the standard in the early and mid-20th century and is still used for stylistic purposes.
Stop-Motion Animation: Uses physical models or puppets, moved frame by frame, as seen in films like The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Wallace & Gromit.
Rotoscoping: Animators trace over live-action footage frame by frame, used in early Disney films and modern projects like A Scanner Darkly (2006).
Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI): Dominating since the late 1990s, with 3D models and environments created digitally.
Motion Capture: Capturing human actors' movements and applying them to digital characters, as seen in The Lord of the Rings (2001) and Avatar (2009).

Animation has evolved into a diverse medium capable of telling stories in countless forms, from 2D hand-drawn classics to cutting-edge CGI and VR. Whether for entertainment, education, or artistic expression, animation continues to push technological and creative boundaries.

What's Moho?

2024-10-01T22:16:00.000+07:00

Introduction

Moho is a complete animation system for creating 2D cartoons. This document is the user's manual, containing useful information to get you started, as well as a detailed reference to all of Moho's features.

If you're just getting started using Moho, the best place to begin is with the tutorials. This section will give you a quick overview of how Moho works, and what you can do with it. Even if you've used Moho in the past, you might want to give the tutorials a quick read to see what's changed in this version.

If you've been using Moho for a while now, and you want more information on some specific feature or interface element, choose the section that interests you from the table of contents. The "Using Moho" section describes how to perform the basic tasks of working in Moho, while "Interface Reference" goes into detail about what every menu item and button in Moho is used for.

Finally, if you're having a problem that just isn't answered in this document, please see the Technical Support section. We want to do everything we can to make using Moho a fun and productive experience.

Base on Moho Manual

Animation 2024

2024-10-01T22:15:00.005+07:00

In 2024, animation continues to evolve rapidly, influenced by technological advancements, changing audience preferences, and new storytelling methods. Here are some key trends and developments to watch:

1. Increased Use of AI

AI is being integrated more deeply into animation production, from automating background creation to generating character animations. Tools are becoming smarter, helping animators streamline workflows.

2. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

VR and AR experiences are gaining traction, with animated content designed specifically for immersive environments. This includes interactive storytelling and educational applications.

3. Diverse Voices and Stories

There’s a continued push for representation and inclusion in animation. More projects feature diverse characters, cultures, and perspectives, reflecting a broader range of human experiences.

4. Short-Form Content Dominance

Short animated series and clips, particularly on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, are becoming increasingly popular. Creators are experimenting with formats that engage audiences quickly and effectively.

5. Blended Techniques

Many projects are embracing hybrid styles, combining 2D and 3D animation for a unique visual aesthetic. This blending allows for creative storytelling that can appeal to various demographics.

6. Sustainable Practices

The animation industry is focusing more on sustainability, from eco-friendly production practices to reducing waste in animation studios.

7. Collaborative Platforms

Cloud-based tools and platforms enable more collaborative work environments, allowing teams from around the world to create together seamlessly, enhancing creativity and efficiency.

8. New Streaming Content

Streaming services continue to expand their animated offerings, commissioning original series and films that push creative boundaries and cater to niche audiences.

Conclusion

In 2024, animation is not just about creating visuals; it’s about using innovative technologies to tell compelling stories in ways that resonate with diverse audiences. As the medium evolves, it’s an exciting time for both creators and fans alike!

2D animation vs 3D animation

2024-10-01T22:03:00.000+07:00

Both 2D and 3D animation have their unique qualities, strengths, and artistic styles. Here’s a breakdown of the differences:

2D Animation

Definition: Animation that creates movement in a two-dimensional space, typically using flat images.

Techniques:

Traditional hand-drawn animation
Digital animation (e.g., Adobe Animate, Toon Boom)
Cut-out animation

Strengths:

Artistic Style: Offers a distinct aesthetic, often associated with cartoons, illustrations, and graphic novels.
Simplicity: Generally easier to produce for smaller projects or teams.
Expressiveness: Can convey emotions and stylized movements effectively.

Uses:

Cartoons, TV shows, explainer videos, mobile games, and some feature films.

3D Animation

Definition: Animation that creates movement in a three-dimensional space, using digital models.

Techniques:

Computer-generated imagery (CGI)
Motion capture
3D modeling and rigging (e.g., Blender, Maya, Cinema 4D)

Strengths:

Realism: Can achieve lifelike characters and environments, often used for visual effects in films.
Depth and Perspective: Provides a more immersive experience with dynamic camera angles and lighting.
Flexibility: Easier to manipulate models and animations for reusability and alterations.

Uses:

Feature films, video games, architectural visualization, and virtual reality.

Conclusion

Choosing between 2D and 3D animation depends on the project’s goals, style, and resources. 2D animation is great for artistic expression and simplicity, while 3D animation excels in realism and immersive experiences. Each has its own charm and potential!

How conventional 2D animation works:

2010-08-09T23:47:00.000+07:00

Before computers started playing their indispensible roles in the animation industry, everything was done manually by animators, who were essentially artists. They would create a series of slides having images on it, where each slides image is the continuation of the previous one in the sequence. For example if an animator wanted to simulate a ball falling down, they would create a sequence of slides where first slide would portray the ball at the top. The next slide will show the ball, may be 1 cm lower than that in the first slide. In the next one, again lower and so on, till the last slide shows the ball hitting the ground. When the whole sequence of slides are shown in front of the viewer in a fast rate, it creates the feeling of the ball falling down.

The whole process was tedious and time consuming. When computers came into play, the frame redrawing works had been minimised since, copying and pasting duplicate elements between successive frames was very easy with the computers aid. The artist has to make only the necessary changes that should exist between successive frames. As technology advanced, softwares evolved that again minimised the work of a 2d animator, in such a way that several things started getting automated. Using motion tweening and other techniques, an animator can set the initial position or shape of an object and then its final position and shape and the computer would generate the intermediate frames automatically. The artist even has the freedom to make corrections to that.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Saju_Asokan

What is that extra 3rd dimension?

2010-08-09T10:50:00.000+07:00

Take a piece of paper and sketch a simple figure on it (a cat, a dog or anything that comes to your head). Lets say it is a cat and it is facing you from that sheet of paper. So you have the front view of the cat in front of you. Suppose if you feel that you want to see the cat from a side, will it help if you rotate the paper or flip it? No. Why? It is simply because the sketch you have drawn has the 3rd dimension missing.

Every real world object that you see around has a 3rd dimension and that is the reason why you can take it and rotate it to watch it from different angles. The sketch you have drawn had a length and a width, since the paper you used to draw also had a length and a width. But it lacks a thickness (3rd dimension) and hence your sketch also didnt have that extra dimension.

Suppose instead of sketching your imagination down on the piece of paper, you decided to sculpt it on a handful of clay. Since the medium you used (clay) had volume, you had to define the cats shape from all angles during the sculpting. Hence you unknowingly added that 3rd dimension to it and that is the reason you have the freedom to rotate it any way you want.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Saju_Asokan

Data Entry Job From Home - Graphics Designing

2010-08-07T00:24:00.003+07:00

Now, graphics designing could be a viable data entry job from home. It pays more because the job requires basically more.

Data Entry Job From Home

If you intend to take such a job from home, you could consider using your graphic designing skills. Graphic designers are now enjoying such jobs online. It could promise a better pay structure because the tasks could be more complicated and could require more creativity and skills.

Basically, the role of each graphic designer is to facilitate a productive and creative flow of communication. The conveyance process can be one-way, when the company conveys an important message to target audience, and two-way, when the graphics designer is commissioned to facilitate a flow of communication when the target audience is given the ability and means to react or provide feedback regarding the conveyed message. Thus, graphic designing takes data entry job form home to a new level.

Graphics Designing

The graphics designer is usually hired by companies to get involved in the planning, analyzing and of course, designing of a visual communication strategy. That way, the graphics designer is left to strategize on how the important message can be conveyed using media like print, motion picture and of course, the popular electronic or online portals. The methodology of having the message sent across could be in the form of animation, photography, illustrations, text content and many more.

In the modern corporate scene, the basic roles of graphic designers are as follows. These make the task more of a data entry job from home that designers could always take at their convenience.

Laying out print materials like newspapers, corporate brochures, magazines, reports and journals are some examples of tasks involved. Graphic designers are also commissioned to design visually appealing presentations. Other materials designed and produced by these professionals are marketing brochures, promotional displays and logos and packaging of services and products.

Tasks To Perform

Film graphic designers are responsible for producing the credits seen at the beginning and at the end of motion pictures, television shows or any video presentation. Many producers now opt to outsource these tasks to professionals who are into data entry job from home.

Graphic designers are employed to enliven content. Illustrations in books and other printed and published materials are principally outputs of these experts. The computer and creative graphics in television shows and videos, like video captions and weather forecast maps and illustrations, are domains of graphic designers.

Design and layout of web pages across the online media are responsibilities of graphic designers. Thus, these materials are almost always visually appealing. Studies have shown that overall perception and reception of online users are influenced by how web pages appear. Visually appealing ones are almost always well patronized and often visited by guests. These and more make graphics designing a very sought-after data entry job from home that professionals could take advantage of.

by Alan Lim

See this

2008-07-20T11:05:00.001+07:00

Animatin is going up

Disney out of CGI movies?

2008-07-19T12:13:00.001+07:00

Everyone in Animation World freaked out when Disney pulled Chris Sanders off the upcoming CGI flick American Dog. But what's really going on?

(Source: jimhillmedia.com)

Wha' happened? The Walt Disney Film Animation division, and its chief creative officers John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, pink-slipped director Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch) and 166 animators off the upcoming animated flick American Dog

, which was supposed to be Disney's big summer flick for 2008. Considering that Lilo and Stitch has been a rare bright

spot for Disney animation, and Sanders commands a great deal of respect in the industry, Lasseter & Catmull started to look like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas ("You're as cuddly as a cactus . . .).

However, a closer look reveals some interesting details. Now that Pixar is essentially a Disney subsidiary, there's no need for Disney to stay in the CGI animation business. In fact, there's a very compelling reason for Disney NOT to stay in CGI animation. If Disney and Pixar release CGI animated pictures side-by-side, what happens? You got it: the two pictures split any potential audience and both films suffer at the box office.

Pixar is currently top dog in the CGI field, but that field is filling up fast. DreamWorks is now a credible contender with its Shrek franchise, Warner Bros. struck gold with Happy Feet, Fox/Blue Sky has the Ice Age series . . . you get the idea.

So what's Lasseter and Catmull to do? When in doubt, play to your strengths. The Mouse House may have an iffy rep in the CGI world but when it comes to traditional cel animation, Disney's golden. Both Lasseter and Catmull want to bring back traditional animation and what better way than to tie the Disney name (and history) to a new cel animated feature?

Keep in mind this is not a done deal. Disney CEO Robert Iger spent a lot of money to put Disney in the CGI business before buying Pixar, and he won't be happy if that money is wasted. However, if the live-action/animation hybrid Enchanted and the in-production Frog Princess (both of which use cel animation) do well at the box office, then Iger will roll with it. However, that means that Lasseter & Catmull will have to ensure both those movies are successful, and that Disney's last CGI gasp, Meet the Robinsons, doesn't perform to expectations. A real gamble.

Herein lies the rub for Chris Sanders and crew. Sanders was adamant that American Dog was going to be a CGI feature. Now, to have a CGI American Dog coming out in 2008, the same year that Pixar unleashes Toy Story 3, is simply not good business. It's a pisser, but studio bean counters are going to give greater priority to a sequel to a successful series, rather than a new project. When movies cost somewhere around the $90 million mark (before promotion costs), that tends to breed a certain conservativism. Besides, Toy Story 3 is Lasseter's baby, and everyone who dropped coin on the first two films will be salivating for this one. That's a losing proposition for Sanders.

What's the downside to all this? Chris Sanders will probably take his animation smarts to another studio, and Lasseter and Catmull will mourn the lost opportunity (and box office).

What's the upside? Pixar will put out great CGI movies without any competition from Disney, and Disney will bring back its beloved cel animation division. If Enchanted, Frog Princess and Rapunzel have good stories and do well at the box office, then it could mean a new "animated revival" for Disney. Interesting times are ahead.

The copyright of the article Disney out of CGI movies? in Hollywood Animated Films is owned by Dominic von Riedemann. Permission to republish Disney out of CGI movies? must be granted by the author in writing.

Is motion capture animation?

2008-06-26T15:05:00.001+07:00

Animators complain that 2 Oscar nominees (Happy Feet and Monster House) use motion capture technology. Is Mocap is killing animation, or is it the logical heir to rotosco

As you all know by now, there are only 3 nominees for Best Animated Feature Film at this year's Oscars, despite a crowded field in 2006. That's because the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) decided that Luc Besson's Arthur and the Minimoys (Arthur and the Invisibles in the U.S.) didn't contain enough animation to qualify for the category.

(Quick note: according to AMPAS rules, a movie must have a minimum of 75% animated sequences in order to qualify as an animated film. Some wags wonder why 2003's Lord of the Rings: Return of the King wasn't considered an animated flick, since it had so many CGI sequences and characters.)

There is another issue at stake. Several animators claim that, of the three movies that received a coveted Oscar nomination this year (Cars, Happy Feet, and Monster House), only Cars is an actual "animated" flick.

Both Happy Feet and Monster House were filmed using a technique called motion capture technology (Mocap). In case you're wondering, that's the same method Peter Jackson used on actor Andy Serkis when Serkis played Gollum in Lord of the Rings and the giant ape in King Kong.

Here's how Mocap works: an actor wears a special suit with reflective markers on strategic locations all over his or her body. A strobe-equipped camera (which illuminates the markers) records the actor moving in a defined space. A computer then records the resulting silhouette image, showing angles, velocities and spatial relationships with each marker. Finally, someone uses computer imagery to superimpose another character over the MoCap actor.

The major advantage of Mocap is that it's a quick way for someone to create "realistic" animated characters. The major disadvantage is that motion capture is limited by the real-life physics of the actor in question. Many of the techniques of traditional animation (such as stretching, squishing, etc.) is simply not possible with Mocap, not without killing the actor in question.

Luc Besson used Mocap in Arthur and the Minimoys to create his animation sequences. However, AMPAS decided there wasn't enough animation for that movie to qualify. But Happy Feet and Monster House used Mocap exclusively. Enter the controversy.

"From my perspective," Sheridan College School of Animation professor Mark Mayerson writes in his blog, "motion capture is not animation, merely a technique whose look imitates animation. The Academy has decided how much animation is necessary for a film that's mixed with live action, but somehow, motion capture is not held to the same standard."

Mayerson (who also created the cartoon series Monster by Mistake) also calls out AMPAS' category of animated films, saying, "We have to be clear that the animated feature category exists for a technique and not a genre . . . The technique of animation is what stops these films from competing against live action films, for better or worse. Having created the category, the Academy should be vigilant about what it accepts. I would make the analogy that motion capture is like steriod use in professional sports, except that I don't think that motion capture is performance enhancing."

He concludes with, ". . . it's so important that the Best Animated Feature award actually go to an animated film . . . if motion capture is perceived to be better than keyframed animation, motion capture becomes the style and keyframing's opportunities (and the opportunities of its practitioners) are diminished."

Animator Keith Lango (The Ant Bully) concurs: "As usual Mark Mayerson speaks softly and carries a whippin’ big stick of common sense. When you’re not animating things anymore (as animation has been defined for 80+ years), what’s the point of calling it an animated film? Increasingly the delineation is based on the technique of visual rendering and little else. A Scanner Darkly was more about graphic rendering than animation since it was pretty much a paint over rotoscope project, yet it still qualified as an 'animated' film."

Lango also calls out Happy Feet and Monster House, saying, "When it comes to performance they have more in common with The Muppets Take Manhattan than they do with The Lion King. But it’s too much bother to worry about that. Nobody’s keeping score anyhow, so let’s just call it all 'animation' and be done with it. And so we are witnessing the end game of the slow redefinition of terms."

A lot of this argument reminds me of those who dismissed CGI as "illegitimate" animation (eg: not hand-drawn cel animation) nearly 20 years ago. When there's a faster, more efficient way of performing a technique, many old practitioners get left by the wayside. Certainly when CGI first showed up in the 1980's, a whole generation of animators had to drop their inks and get comfortable with the Apple Macintosh. Has CGI killed animation? Certainly, the success of Pixar, DreamWorks and Blue Sky/Fox in recent years has encouraged more studios to put out more animated flicks, creating what some have called a glut on the market.

As for Mocap not being legitimate animation, I challenge anyone to look at what WETA did with Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and tell me that's not brilliant animation. WETA's artists created a computer-generated character that was as real and compelling as the human actors working alongside it. Much of the credit for that must go to those anonymous computer animators, as well as Andy Serkis' excellent performance.

And while we're at it, Lango's dismissal of A Scanner Darkly as mere "graphic rendering than animation" ignores a few important facts. When making A Scanner Darkly, Richard Linklater (who also directed the brilliant Waking Life) used a computer-era version of rotoscoping, an old technique of painting over filmed scenes to give them a more painterly or cartoonish quality.

Rotoscoping has been used in animation ever since 1914, when Max Fleisher invented the technique. Nearly every classic Disney movie has used rotoscoping, from 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (yep, all those human figures were rotoscoped) right up until 1961's 101 Dalmations.

Rotoscoping has also been a central element in many other productions, including Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings (1978), 1981's Heavy Metal, and even A-ha's celebrated music video for "Take on Me."

Filmmaker Martin Scorcese even used rotoscoping when editing Neil Young's segment in his 1978 concert movie The Last Waltz. Scorcese needed to disguise a blob of illicit pharmaceutical that was hanging from the singer/songwriter's nose during his live performance.

One could argue that Mocap is a more modern version of this classic technique, much like CGI is with cel animation. Certainly Disney's use of rotoscoping didn't put many animators out of work. It was merely another technique that helped bring many classic movies to life. I would consider Mocap to be the next logical step in the evolution of rotoscoping, doing

Will motion capture overtake cel or CGI animation? Certainly Disney/Pixar (the biggest player in the North American animation industry) is sticking by CGI. In fact, Disney/Pixar creative chief John Lasseter is looking to revive traditional cel animation with its upcoming The Frog Princess. Disney is also happily distributing Studio Ghibli's anime, which is mostly hand-drawn animation with the occasional CGI background. Hayao Miyazaki has done pretty well for himself by sticking with cel animation, methinks.

Motion capture is definitely here to stay in the movie industry, whether it's creating fantastical creatures (LotR's Gollum) or making actors look younger (a la X-Men: The Last Stand). Silly digression: I wonder how many aging leading actors or actresses will turn to Mocap rather than Botox to remove those career-killing onscreen wrinkles? As such, it should be considered another part of the animator's palette, just like cel animation or CGI.

The jury is still out on whether CGI has killed cel animation; Disney's The Frog Princess may herald a "cel animation renaissance" or it may be the final nail in the coffin. It's the same with motion capture. I predict there will be a glut of movies using Mocap in the next several years until audiences are bored with the technique. Then it will become just another tool for filmmakers until the next gee-whizz technology comes along. Here endeth the rant.

The copyright of the article Is motion capture animation? in Animated Films is owned by Dominic von Riedemann. Permission to republish Is motion capture animation? must be granted by the author in writing.

Go Digital with Interactive Media Design

2007-10-05T20:28:00.000+07:00

In this day and age, it seems that technology is taking over the world -- especially in the world of entertainment. The latest technologies aid in writing, producing, and making movies, so much so that entire movies can even be made through interactive media design. As this kind of technology becomes more popular, the number of interactive media design programs being offered in schools throughout the country are virtually multiplying.
According to interactive media design professional Douglas Brull, interactive media design entails some sort of design element that one can interact with. "It could go anywhere from a poster to a website to an interactive DVD menu," he says. His alma mater is the Art Institutes International Minnesota, which defines interactive media design as a field that "requires talented people to combine sound, images, text, and animation in order to entertain and educate."
The Art Institute also says that interactive media design is a "quickly evolving field." According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average weekly wage for those in the motion picture industry is about $592, compared to $529 for all other industries combined. Salaries differ depending on the type of industry and job function of each individual. The best opportunities are available for those with digital film experience, as it is the most up-to-date technology. So those with this type of educational background are more likely to secure jobs in a competitive market.
Eric Jewell began his interactive media design career at the early age of 13, when he worked on his first film, "Killer Jello." Though it never aired, Nickelodeon bought the short movie and his career took flight. After catching the film bug, Jewell made one to two films per year, he says, and went on to earn his liberal arts associate degree from the University of North Texas. Though he didn't finish his bachelor's degree, Jewell says he was able to get a lot of real-world experience through his jobs, specifically as a director of photography. Today, Jewell can talk about his past experiences as a writer, producer, and director on his various projects, as a professor at the MediaTech Institute, where he teaches digital video production.
Like Eric, Janell Kennedy has been interested in film since childhood. She took TV production classes in high school, and aspired to study the field in college, which is why she chose to attend Full Sail (Winter Park, FL), which offers many different film, recording arts, and digital programs. Many graduates of Full Sail have gone on to work with famous recording artists, such as Shakira, Gwen Stefani, and Madonna, and film projects, like Batman Begins, Finding Nemo, and Titanic. After graduating this Fall with a bachelor of science in film, she hopes to one day start her own production company.
Brull has a totally different story. He began his career in the business industry, then--at the age of 40--decided that he needed a change. After seeing an interesting ad in a magazine, Brull began looking into interactive media design programs and enrolled in the Art Institute. After completing his bachelor's, he did some freelance work, started his own company, and then began teaching full time at the Art Institute.
According to Brull, Art Institute's program is very Web-based. Because he had a background in design with his bachelor's degree in fine arts, he was able to complete the four-year interactive media design program in just three years. "The program touched upon everything you could come across in the field. It's a good taste of the niche you want to be in," he says. "It was defined within the field of interactive media design, but it was broad in the sense that in this field you need a broad skill range."
MediaTech has programs in Houston, Dallas, and Austin, TX. This is the second semester for the digital film program and Jewell says it is going well so far. "What's cool about MediaTech is that the instructors are real-world people," he says. Jewell emphasizes the importance of working with actual equipment and the hands-on experience students receive at MediaTech. "It's a brand new facility and the school spent half a million [dollars] on gear and high tech equipment you need."
All agree that they love interactive media design and digital filmmaking. But of course, there are always challenges. For Brull, it's keeping up with current trends. "Everything moves so fast, but this is also probably one of the most exciting things because you never stagnate or get bored," he says. Jewell thinks that it's hard to pick a specific aspect of the field to involve yourself. "It's kind of a loose conglomeration of professions," he says. "In our individual film world these jobs come together for one production so it's real tough when you graduate because there are all these different possible jobs out there."
Kennedy just hopes she can keep up with everything she has learned. "The most challenging part has been thinking if I will be able to retain everything I learned at Full Sail, being that the school is very fast-paced. But that has all changed now," she says. "Now I hope I will be able to teach others what I have learned, as well as learn more about my field of work."
To find college and career schools near you, surf http://www.CollegeSurfing.com.© Copyright 2007The CollegeBound NetworkAll Rights Reserved
NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

My shoes can walk

2007-08-26T22:43:00.000+07:00

This animation ,I made it about 2 days.
I took time with shoes's model 2 hours and animation 5 hours .

Plz let me konw what do u think ....

THank you

3D First Person Viewpoint for Architectural Visualisations for Interior Designers and Architects.

2007-07-25T22:52:00.002+07:00

3D First Person Architectural Visualizations for Interior Designers and Architects.

2D drawings and plans can be difficult to interpret, and seldom provide a clear picture of what a new development will look like. 3D first person visualizations of proposed schemes are a powerful way to communicate more effectively with planning committees, clients, and other stakeholders, providing a reliable, and photo-realistic impression of the proposed or completed development, in the context of its surroundings. Using 3D engine technology allows a first person viewpoint perspective to enable customers individual and full 6 degrees of freedom of movement to explore and experience the development or completed environment.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnnEg6KCov8 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8wD2nZdGQQ

3D Virtual Reality Walk-Through.

Still images can't provide a complete picture of what a development is going to be like when it's completed. Computer generated 3D images and animations, virtual tours, walk-through, and fly-arounds will allow your customers to manoeuvre around a new property and see it from all angles and different views. A journey of discovery, including 3D CAD renderings, video, voice-over, music, SFX, and on-screen text, will accompany them into each room or space and highlight the best features of a property and the settings. A 3D 'virtual real world' is a superb tool for creating virtual office tours and virtual home tours to promote properties before or after they are built.

3D Architectural Renderings.

3D architectural renderings bring 2D drawings and sketches to life in a realistic and accurate way, and they can also evoke a sense of atmosphere and aspiration. Visual computer technologies have advanced to allow for realistic lighting, animation, and shadow effects, with life-like trees, plants, and landscaping features resulting in 3D CAD renderings that are impossible to tell from real photos. Computer generated architectural rendering offers many benefits over traditional watercoloured renderings, including the flexibility, realism, the ability to view the site from all angles and the ease and cost effective methods for making revisions, modifications, and new versions.

3D Visualization for Commercial Developers and Public Spaces.

Communication is key when designing and developing commercial and public schemes or projects - everyone involved needs to have a clear understanding of the vision, and a 3D 'virtual real world model' is the perfect tool for enabling productive discussions and reviews to take place. Using the 3D VRW model on a server enables access 24 hours a day 7 days a week from any geographical location in the world to provide marketing and sales support. Once a development is underway, we can also provide the essentially marketing visuals to help generate positive PR and/or sell the schemes selling-off plan.

Property Marketing for Residential Developers.

In you're selling-off plan, you need to win buyers' confidence as soon as possible, often long before you have a finished development home to show them. 3D first person visualizations and walk-through are revolutionizing the way new homes are sold, enabling developers to start promoting their properties long before the first sod has been turned or stone has been laid, enabling buyers the opportunity to really explore new developments and understand all the benefits and features on offer.

3D Architectural Visualization Knowledgebase.

Want to know more about 3D first person architectural visualisations, walkthrough, fly-around and CGI renderings? Click here http://mellanium.com for articles, example videos on subjects including 3D visualization for overseas properties, property marketing solutions for estate agents, and testimonials from some of our clients.

Multimedia Presentations.

Presentations on DVD, or CD-ROM are an excellent way to introduce a potential buyer to a new property. Whether distributed at a property launch, or as part of an advertising campaign, DVDs enable your buyers to take your sales presentation home to talk over with friends and family, and can provide all kinds of useful information, including video clips, floor plans, room sizes, options for customization, as well as artists impressions, walk/fly-throughs and animations.

Interactive Websites and 3D Engine Server Sites.

For a high profile, multi-unit development, a stylish website is an indispensable sales and marketing tool. If you want to reach the maximum number of people with your marketing campaign, it is essential to publish a website address where interested people can instantly access more information. Videos, fly-throughs, walk-throughs, and avatar virtual tours can all be published on your website, and accessed by both low-band and broadband users. A well designed website will increase your visibility and credibility, generate qualified leads, and shorten your sales cycle, as well as making your development available to people all over the world. Server sites enable customers the full experience of walking through your visualization singly or with others from anywhere in the world and at any time.

See http://mellanium.com/ for detailed information and supporting articles for additional anecdotes. Skype: id joe133952 for live demonstration.

Copyright © Ken Rigby for Tele3DWorld and MellaniuM Design.

All Rights Reserved.
2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnnEg6KCov8 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8wD2nZdGQQ

About the Author
Since leaving the aerospace industry ken researches the 3D to 3D paradigm.

http://tele3dworld.com

3D Animation

2007-07-25T22:52:00.001+07:00

3D animation is a more advanced graphical presentation with the help of computer and digital displayers. Animations such as movies, presentations, walk through, cartoon films, television advertisements and web stuff (life on the Web or Internet) became popular after people tasted 3D graphics. In general Multimedia stuff such as 3D Illustration, AV Presentations, Digital Video, 3D Medical & Scientific Animations are very useful in real life application in respective environments.

Computer Graphics and Animations 3D computer graphics / animations are different from 2D computer graphics / animations in that a 3D representation of geometric data is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images. The rendered images are used for later display or for real-time viewing. 3D graphics animations show the angle of camera or viewers, virtual shoot of aerial footage and put the virtual reality 3D model into it perfectly so the 3D animation looks absolutely real. This is called motion tracking, which is when we track the exact motion of the real life camera that shoots the footage and that is replicated perfectly in 3D. The same effect is also used often on the big screen where 3D animations are used to create movie scenes.

Making of 3D Animations The 3D animations are created based on a theme or concept. The theme is expanded with more detail of the design; flow of the animations is called storyboards. The character and object design and development are the preliminary jobs for animators based on the specification. Based on the storyboard direction further key frames are to be developed. All the characters or objects are called 3D models that are data file that contain the information needed to view or "render" 3-D objects. Key-framing is the process of assigning values to parameters at specific moments in time that specifies frames in an animated sequence. A Texture Map is required for manipulating the scheme or pattern on the models. Texture Mapping is a way of controlling the diffuse color of a surface on a pixel-by-pixel basis, rather than by assigning a single overall value. The graphic designer / character developer can achieve by applying a color bitmap image to the surface. The color patterns / scheme can also be generated by the application itself to create a procedural texture. Finally, the sequences are to be rendered for getting an output with compression. Rendering is the process of producing bitmapped images from a view of 3-D models in a 3-D scene. An animation is a series of such renderings (taking a picture of the scene) each with the scene slightly changed.

3D animation software features: 3D Modeler, TrueType font support, Import and modify file formats, Export .3DS files, Built in 3D Object browser, Jointed character editor, Morph targets, Renderer for high quality, production quality images, Create 3D scenes and animations and output .AVI movie files, .JPG and .BMP images, Supports textures, bump maps, soft shadows, spotlights, fog, and much more, Texture support for .BMP, .GIF, and .JPG format files, Scripting language etc.

Standard Computer System Requirements from 3D Animation software: Windows NT4, Win95, Win98, WinSE, Win2K, or WinXP, OpenGL accelerated graphics card with full ICD support, (ala GeForce), 64 MB memory, 128MB recommended, or 256MB if you use WinXP, 300 MHz Pentium, 5MB disk space.

AniBoom is involved in 3D Animation Workshop, Competitions, Seminars and online info centers, where you can learn about this beautiful medium, with a special eye for its use on the Web. You can learn how to create 3D graphics and animation step by step, gain knowledge and experiences. AniBoom makes aware of aspirants on computer, software, technologies, process for making of 3D animations.

About the Author
Shakir A is an independent writer on Interactive Marketing, Animation Movies, Cartoons and other related topics for Internet marketing, PPC, SEO, SEM, Online Marketing. Currently writing more and more for AniBoom.Com http://www.aniboom.com/?ad=articleyedoll

Moho:Tutorial 1.1 A quick run-through

2007-07-18T22:13:00.000+07:00

Introduction
This tutorial quickly runs through the major features of Moho, without going into too much detail. The purpose here is more to give an overview of how Moho works, rather than to teach you how to use any specific features. In this tutorial, we will draw and animate a very simple object.

Moho has several groups of tools, used for different types of tasks. Some of these tools are used to create new objects, and others are used to modify and animate existing objects. The basic Moho tool groups are: Draw, Fill, Bone, Layer, Camera, and Workspace.
This tutorial introduces a few of the Draw, Fill, and Layer tools, while the following tutorials focus specifically on each of the tool groups.

Drawing a Simple Shape
Launch Moho by double-clicking the Moho icon, or selecting the Moho shortcut in the Start menu (Windows). When you create a new Moho project, the application starts off looking something like this:

Select the Oval tool by clicking on it in the toolbar. In the tool options area at the top of the main window, you'll see two checkboxes, "Auto fill" and "Auto outline" - make sure both of those are un-checked. (Normally, you might want the circle to be filled automatically, but we're turning that option off now to show you how to fill the circle on your own.) Click and drag in the main window to create a circle shape. You can hold the key while dragging to force the shape to be a circle, rather than an oval. Try to keep the circle within the blue rectangle (this rectangle represents the visible area of your project). If you're not happy with your circle, just select the Edit->Undo command from the menu bar. Your circle should look something like this:

Filling a Shape with Color

Create Shape
Using the Fill tools, you can take shapes that were drawn with the Draw tools and fill them with color. Choose the Edit->Select All command from the menu bar. (All of the circle's points should be selected already, but we'll use the Select All command just to be sure.) Next, pick the Create Shape tool from the toolbar. Your window should now look like this:

The Create Shape tool shows an area that is ready to be filled in (the red checkerboard area). However, this area has not been filled yet. When you're satisfied that the circle is ready to be filled with color, press the spacebar on your keyboard. This tells Moho you're happy with the fill and want it to become permanent.
After pressing the spacebar, the style panel can be used to adjust the color and other settings for the fill shape you just created.

Click the "Fill color" rectangle to pick a new color for the circle, and click the "Line color" rectangle to set the outline color. Finally, choose the File->Render command from the menu bar. A new window will open to display the current state of your project. Close this window when you're through looking at it.

Simple Animation
When you animate in Moho, you move objects around and set up keyframes - points in time at which an object has a certain position. At points in time between keyframes, Moho automatically computes the position of all objects.
Near the top of the Timeline window is a ruler that displays frame numbers in the animation. Click the number 36 to set the current time to frame 36.

Next, choose Edit->Select None from the menu bar. Pick the Translate Points tool from the toolbar. Click and drag the bottom point of the circle upward to distort the circle into a shape that looks like this:

Now pick the Rotate Layer tool. Click and drag in the main window until everything rotates into a position similar to the one below:

Back in the timeline, click frame number 72 in the ruler to change the current time. Next, select Draw->Reset All Points from the menu bar to move all points back to their original positions. In the tool options area at the top of the main window, press the "Reset" button to reset the rotation of the entire layer.
Congratulations, you've made an animation! Press the play button near the bottom of the main window to watch it go. When you're done, press stop. OK, so it probably won't win any film awards, but you're off to a good start learning Moho.

Here's what your finished animation should look like (approximately). Press the Play button below to see the result.

Use CGI For Quality Websites

2007-07-16T19:43:00.000+07:00

Few people now some of the newer terms used in Internet protocol request and guides. CGI is one of the largest culprits. CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface and deals directly with how and why a website is displayed.

CGI acts as a means for the server where the website is stored to more readily find and display the website. Compared to the HTTPD format that is far more common, CGI is faster and more reliable in every way.

CGI uses smarter technology to bridge the gap between the server and someone trying to access a page. This gap has to do with the way the information is sent back and fourth to properly display the page. CGI acts as a single entity reaching out for the information. While HTTPD sends out several signals that bounce from place to place until the server is located. This is a very random way of locating websites and is the most common reason that a Cannot Find Server message is displayed. There may not be anything wrong with the server or the website itself, but the HTTPD is not functioning properly thereby sending an error message.

CGI takes the number of error messages down to nearly nothing as it is very reliable in finding servers with its single entity type retrieval method. CGI is becoming more widespread as websites tire of visitors being unable to find their site because of an error message being displayed. Using CGI does require a lot of changes to your websites. This is due to the fact that CGI operates on different codes. These codes must be pre-written to ensure that the CGI will be able to function properly. Web design and SEO companies can be of great service in this area. There are many to choose from. You should make sure and do you research and only work with a reputable company that will not embed spy-ware or other malicious data into the codes for your site. This could cause harm to your computer and those of your viewers.

XML is another term that people are having a difficult time understanding as computer nerds all over the world laugh at their ignorance. The concept of XML is simple and complicated all at the same time. Related to HTML, XML deals more with describing information than to displaying it like HTML.

XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. Not to be confused, XML does not replace HTML but is designed to complement HTML. XML is designed to structure and describe a website while HTML is used to display the website. XML authors must define their own tags instead of using preset tags that come HTML.

It is believed that XML will be used in the future for all data transmission and manipulation over the web. It is best to learn it now before it becomes used in all applications so that you can get a firm grasp of the concept. There are several sites that feature basic and advanced tutorials on the subject, check them out for some great knowledge. Also keep going back to these websites so that you can keep up to date with all the news on websites and other important information. They might be able to offer you a software package for a discount price. These websites are there to help people like you out. So use them to your advantage.

About the Author
Kevin Dark is an online marketer. Read more on cgi and xml.

Understanding and reviewing CG Animations

2007-07-16T19:40:00.001+07:00

We are in the future and the trend of CGI in animation is no longer flabbergasting us, we are now in a position to claim back our objectivity, this sense of awe that permeated us when we saw our first CG animated flick, has dwindled and now it is time again for the future to be called "present". That is until the next big thing comes knocking at our door. So what do we do now ? We got our senses back, we make the best of it and that means we demand quality to those that create CGI because we don't want to end up with what I call an "overall negative ratio" where, out of 10 productions, 1 or maybe 2 are really worth paying for a cinema ticket.

Nowadays the amount of productions is growing with each passing year and so is the amount of dedicated studios and the first consequence is that our choice is broadening which is a good thing because it means that we can afford to be more picky, also all these new studios sprouting all over the world mean for us, a chance to witness a new cultural approach and a different perspective in the subsequent productions. Some pessimistic analysts have said that this bubble of growing CG Animation output will soon burst due to the fact that people are now used to this new technology. I disagree with that, of course the output cannot sustain growth forever and I think the time has come for it to stabilize. After all, traditional 2D animations have weathered all sorts of changes in society and this, for over 80 years. Only a technological evolution (or should I say revolution ?) has been able to finally make those 2D features more or less retire.

So here we are, witnessing a certain maturity in this industry as well as in ourselves. We are then ready to ask, what are the criteria to be taken into account to say that any given CG Animation is all about quality and not just a commercial product designed to attract audiences at the expenses of everything else ? Well, the first thing is to know what is the prime target intended by the makers, if it is young children then we should see whether there is an educational value. As the story unfolds, you can see that if the animation makes your children ask all sorts of questions that are relevant to the way they perceive the world around them as well as questions regarding their interactions with you or their friends etc. Also see if they are entertained through and through which demonstrates a production that is consistent with its goals whereas If your kids are amused the first 5 minutes then bored the next 45, that would be a rather negative sign. As for the quality of the rendering, it won't be a top criterion for the younger ones but such productions appear rather seldom as the industry tends to move towards a "family" type of entertainment. (especially in the USA).

Now for a more general type of reviewing, let us take the example of an average production whose target audiences are older children and grown-ups. This time we want to know that the story be of interest, that discrepancies as well as inconsistencies be avoided as best as can be, that the theme be appealing to us. Most of the time (if not always) there will be situations that are intended to be comical so that fact is no longer a criterion in itself and we should see whether the comedy ingredient is subtle and clever or instead, predictable and already seen a million times before (e.g. a character slipping on something or crashing on a wall or receiving a pie on his face which will only be funny to young children). Another important aspect defining a good story is the sense of achievement of the main character's purpose and the movie's ability to convey that sense to the audience. In other words, do we have the feeling at the end that the "good" guys went through fairly hard times to finally overcome the "bad" ones and subsequently earn their sense of achievement and our respect ? Of course this won't be as relevant when a story's main theme is that of comedy and comical situations alone.

The other paramount aspect defining a good CG Animation is the rendering and all that is implied by that. This criterion, though technical, cannot be ignored because it is what differentiates CG productions from traditional animations or movies, it is the very reason of our awe when we caught our first glimpse of these CG Flicks. These technical aspects are important because they tell us a lot about the type of softwares used in the production, the knowledge the creators have of those softwares, their level of creativity and their mastery of colors, light and depth etc. Here is what should be considered when reviewing an animation:

FLUIDITY: A central aspect defining CGI, the smoother the animation the more pleasant it is to the eye. The worst CG Animation is more fluid than the best traditional hand-drawn production. Most CG Animations achieve a high level of fluidity but there are nonetheless differences in the control of movement of characters which will play a part in the overall review.

SURFACES AND TEXTURES: Another aspect that only CGI can achieve is the different types of texture, e.g. skin, hair, ground, tree bark etc. These tend to vary from realistic to extremely realistic and the higher the realism combined with high fluidity, the better the experience of watching it. By comparison, traditional animation realism vary from not realistic at all to slightly realistic.

COLOR AND LIGHT: This aspect though not the most important one is still to be taken into consideration, for it will define the way the animation is seen, where a strong dose of colors and a lower level of light grades will give an overall "cartoon-like" appearance. On the other hand, a broader grade of colors and lights associated with high fluidity and texture will yield ultra realistic characters and landscapes.

DEPTH: Probably the aspect that catches my eye the most and is the very reason of calling those animations "3D", the depth ratio is crucial to a sense of reality in any animation. This is something that is completely absent from traditional animation or at best, slightly suggested. In CGI, it varies from good to exceptionally good and with the ever evolving knowledge of creators, "exceptionally good" should become standard rather than occasional.

By now you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect or consider when you decide to go and see the latest animation on the big screen. You can always check http://www.cganima.com if you wish to see my reviews and, I don't know, compare them with your own experience. Remember that in the end, what really matters is that you and your kids have a good time watching 21st century entertainment. I certainly will.

About the Author
Richard is a long date CGI geek. He shares his deep knowledge of Computer Generated

Computer Animation Takes The Lead

2007-06-26T14:32:00.001+07:00

There's really no stopping the various types of media from going high-tech. Technology used from the broadcast and print media to the multimedia is advancing almost every day. Animation in the movies and television is just one example.

Animation is responsible for the funny, adorable and sometimes tough cartoon characters we love to see on TV and in the movies. Before, it the making of cartoons was just done manually (drawn by hand) but now, computer animation is the latest trend. Walt Disney used to be synonymous to cartoons but today, numerous companies have gotten into the business of animation. The latest buzz is that Disney Animation officers are planning to return the Walt Disney studios in Burbank, California to its original status as an exclusive hand-drawn animation company. "Lilo and Stitch" was Disney's last hand-drawn and big hit animated film.

Computer animation makes use of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics. When used in films, it is referred to as computer generated imagery or imaging (CGI). This digital technology has somehow replaced the stop motion animation of 3D models and frame-by-frame animation of two-dimensional illustrations.

In making 3D animations, objects or models are normally built on the computer monitor and 3D figures are manipulated with a so-called virtual skeleton. For 2D animations, separate drawings and separate transparent layers are used even without a virtual skeleton.

Computer-animated films usually cover animal characters such as in "Finding Nemo," fantasy characters like "Shrek" and "Monsters, Inc." as well as humans that are still cartoons such as "The Incredibles." A more realistic simulation of humans has been attempted via the movie "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" but it needs further improvement.

Other than the U.S., another highly-developed country that has a great fascination for animation is Japan. Anime (short for animation) in Japan became famous because of its unique format of storytelling compared to the country's live-action industry. Japan is known for its robot anime like the Gundam, Voltes V and Mazinger Z that became classics in the 1980s. The origin of Japanese anime can be traced to the early 20th century when Yamamoto explored the techniques in animation that were being done in Germany, France, Russia and the United States at that time. Anime has also been greatly influenced by the Japanese manga and light novels and covers genres such as action, adventure, children's stories, drama, comedy, fantasy, horror, science fiction and romance.

Animation companies actually have a staff of creative people who can really draw well. Some of them have also outsourced their services and have put up offices in countries whose citizens are blessed with great talent in drawing and have a passion for animation.

About the Author
Podcastblaster is a site specializing in all aspect of podcasts and provides an extensive podcast directory covering many topics including Movies & Television.

2D cartoon Animation : Get 2D Animation, 2D Game Animation, Cartoon Animation Services In India.

2007-06-26T14:13:00.000+07:00

Our (http://www.ranosofttechnologies.com) Creative team Specializes in 2D illustrations and animation for a more simple, yet effective approach to marketing your products and services. This type of artwork can be a hand-drawn illustration or computer generated graphic.

2D animation typically involves a specific Character Design or a single angle illustration and cut away. For example, an illustration of the exterior of a house and then a cut away to show the house's interior floor plan. Sometimes an animation can best illustrate a complex process such as assembling a machine or working with a piece of software or equipment. Often an animation is just what is called for to accomplish what nothing else can.

Ranosoft Technologies provides a range of 2D animation services with 2d animation cartoon design services. Our 2D animation services enable you to leverage cost benefits without compromising on quality. Our strong team of 2D animation expert designers works under stringent quality standards. Our designers have several years of experience in their field.

Flexibility of the animated design is our primary concern. Our Multimedia expertise includes but not limited to : Creative, Corporate Multimedia Services, Flash and Dynamic Presentations, Product Demo, 2D Animation, 360 degree Virtual tours, Photo Gallery, Interactive Catalogs, Flash Games and E-Learning.

Contact US:

4th Floor N.K. House, B/H Famina Town, Near Stadium Cross Road, Ahmedabad-Gujarat-India 380009 Site URL : http://www.ranosofttechnologies.com/contactus.htm

About the Author
Ranosoft Technologies is a leading offshore software development company offers core

services like search engine optimization, graphics designing, website designing, web

development, web hosting, domain registration, link building, concept development, portal

development, custom software development in India.