LO1: Practicing Software★

Testing Animation

Link to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/AqFHCVaA3zs

Report

Cel animation is a type of animation that involves hand drawn/ painted backgrounds, which are then placed under clear plastic sheets called cels, which subjects are painted on to. Pictures are then took of each frame and then played together in a sequence. A studio that has used this 

technique of animation is Disney, famous for their children’s animated films, such as Bambi and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Materials that are required for this type of animation include cels, cel paint, a camera, and editing software to put things in to a sequence. This method is really good if you want detailed and intricate backgrounds, as it doesn’t have to be re drawn. This means that the hand drawn backgrounds can include more detail than most other methods. However, this method is also very time consuming; you have to draw each frame by hand with no option to simply copy and paste, and you also have to wait for all the paint to dry. It also isn’t sustainable. Authentic Disney cells sell for thousands of pounds, but they are extremely hard to preserve, with the paint chipping and the plastic yellowing over time. Another limitation that makes cel animation hard is the fact that it is obsolete due to advances in technology, which means tat finding an editing software to make it can be hard. 

Stop motion is another technique that could be used, which involves taking pictures of physical objects and moving them slightly in between shots. Aardman is a studio that uses this method, 

using clay models in their films and series’s like Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. Materials hat are needed to complete a stop motion animation is the models, a camera, and of course, an editing software to put it all together. A common one for stop motion is Adobe Premiere Elements. An advantage of this style of animation is that it is great for beginners, as there are even mobile apps that can help you create stop motion animations. It does not involve any drawing and if you simply use figurines, it can be very easy. However there are limitations. It can be very time consuming and expensive. The Shaun the Sheep Movie, which was in production for 2 years, and costed $25 million to produce. 

2D animation is another form of animation that can be used. 2D animation means creating movement in a 2 dimensional space. This is typically done digitally, involving each frame being drawn. Dream works is a studio that has used this method. The 1998 film Prince of Egypt and 

other fils such as Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. The tools that are needed for this style of animation is some form of device to draw on, such as a drawing tablet, as well as the software to do so. You would also need editing software. A common one for this type of animation is Adobe Animate. This technique of animation is good because it is less time consuming and more cost effective than some other types of himation, including 3D animation. However, it has the limitation of all being digital. Things can corrupt or get deleted with no way to recover which can be very inconvenient an add more time on to production.