Animation

Madeleine Weber The primary author is the individual who drafted the first version of the material which could have been different than the currently published version.

Animation, direct definition: the manipulation of images or objects to create the illusion of movement. But we can go much further with this.

Animation has existed as far as our early ancestors were able to express themselves on cave walls.

Other civilizations have demonstrated this art as well; as such evidence is shown on tomb walls and artifacts of the ancient Egyptians, Mayans, Greeks, and many others.

Though, not actually in motion, their illustrations are portrayed "moving" from picture to picture, just add imagination.

These are the early beginnings of this unique art form and has been part of our human history ever since.

It wouldn't have progressed to where it is today without the help of great inventors, scientists, philosophers, artists, and even astronomers.

The first people to describe and analyze the manipulation and projection of flipped images with a pinhole camera, or camera obscura, are philosophers and scholars Mozi, Aristotle, and Alhazen. Though Mozi and Aristotle have described the science behind camera obscura, it was Alhazen that fully analyzed it and perfected the early pinhole camera — testing with it in dark rooms or tents with minuscule holes in the wall to allow light to pass through and project images on the other side.

After hundreds of years of experimentation with many changes, it wouldn't be until the 19th century when the first photographic camera was developed. (Note: it is disputed on who the true inventor of the camera is and who started the trend of photography.)

The photographic camera paved the way for the development of the film camera and brought generations to come in the film industry and most importantly, animation.

We can all thank the most famously known filmmaker, French film innovator Georges Melies, a pioneer of early cinema. Most known for his film A Trip to the Moon (1902), this man worked hard at perfecting

Reprinted from Film Studies, http://filmstudies.info/terminology/manuscripts/animation.html Last updated on 18 October 2014 Photo Credit: Screen capture from Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)

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and creating new processes of early special effects, hand-colored films, time-lapse photography, and smooth transitioning. His works are still an influence today to filmmakers and animators alike.

Lastly, throughout the 1800s there have been countless image manipulating inventions, but it's not until the year 1900 where the first film with traditional animation was successfully produced by James Stuart Blackton: Enchanted Drawing (1900).

From there with both European and American progress, more types of animation were invented and the animated film industry started to rise. Whether it was traditional, 2D, stop-motion, clay, cut-out, puppetry, animatronic, and in later years--3D, go motion, motion captured, and computer graphics.

More studios were established cartoons and animated pictures became more popular. Some of these studios still exist today and new ones have shown their faces in the spotlight. Such studios are MGM, Warner Brothers, Universal, 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, PIXAR, Studio Ghibli, Aardman, Muppet Studios, and many, many more.

Studios like these wouldn't be where they are today if it wasn't with the determination of great animators and artists like Chuck Jones, Hayao Miyazaki, Jim Henson, Tim Burton, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, John Lasseter, and most importantly—Walt Disney.

Animation had much influence on the film industry, there came more of a demand later in years for new techniques and media; examples are the rise in the video game industry, the growing popularity in adult cartoons, newer approaches on marketing, and the take on a new style of acting called voice acting.

We have come a long way in animation. Today the leading film and animation industries of the world exist in America, Europe (the UK), and Japan.

Animation have come to the point where it is now fully recognized as a mature and sophisticated art form, whether it be satirical or meaningful and serious.

Yes, animation has had controversial uses in the past, such as on the subject of military, politics and war, racism and discrimination, religion, human rights, feminism, and sexuality. Some animations are still controversial and may offend some viewers.

But now it has changed to become a more positive part of our lives for all audiences of different walks of life to view. In the end, animation will be a part of our culture and be about one thing; the artist sending us a deep, meaningful message through their work and teach us how we can change society, the world, and ourselves for the better.

Reprinted from Film Studies, http://filmstudies.info/terminology/manuscripts/animation.html Last updated on 18 October 2014 Photo Credit: Screen capture from Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)

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