Summary

During my course, I have been learning about the types of animation there have been throughout the world, and how an animation is made through the production pipeline. Here I shall be explaining through the departments, and the animation pipeline itself. Animation can be made from any department:  2D, 3D or Stop-Motion. A 2D animation is made from drawing a series of frames by hand, which are then taken to be animated into a full-motion film. The most popular companies that have made Hand-drawn animation in the past are Disney and Warner Bros. Today, 2D can now be done by computers, using software like Flash. 3D animation is when the film gives a more realistic look. The depth and angles made by the cameras bring more life to the characters. 3D is more popular today after the success of Pixar and Dreamworks, as many other film companies are using 3D software to create an animated film. Stop-Motion is like an earlier form of 3D animation. With Stop-Motion, you can bring an inanimate object to life by a simple process of using a camera to take pictures of the object you’re using, moving it at a different angle or position at a time. The frames then taken from the camera can be pieced together into a full-motion animation. Aardman is an example, for they produce stop-motion animation

All of these departments however take a long amount of time to make an animated film. The Animation production is made into 3 processes. Pre-production is the start-up point of an animation, and it begins with making a storyboard. A storyboard is like making a comic strip, but while explaining the scenario and what actions the characters are doing. The storyboards are then taken to be examined, in order to make the character and background layouts. The characters will be made as model sheets, showing the size and design of the character, as well as creating sheets to show their expressions and movements. All of these drafted ideas are then taken to make an animatic of the film, showing the plot and the characters in the original design. The animatic is then taken into discussion as to what should be changed, i.e the character’s design may be changed if the original design’s body, face or what it is wearing is not approved. Then once the final concept is approved, it will be taken into the production line.

The production line is when you officially begin work on the actual film of your animation. In a 3-D animation, the character has to be modelled as followed from the design, providing it will be fully functional to the character’s movements. The character is also considered by how many features are needed to be made, for example the amount of fur or hair it has, and how would they react to the character’s motions. In 2-D, every drawing is made onto a Cel, which is then painted and taken to the camera to be shot. The process of the animation production line will vary depending on how long your film is aiming for. A Full-length feature may take over a few years to make.

The final process of an animation is the Post-Production line. Here, the film is taken to be edited by computers, which will add any effects to the film, and what needs to be cut from the film if any certain scenes are considered not to be in the final render. The sound will also be edited and given more depth to the dialogue and actions when played over the animation. The sound and video will be then synchronised and made into the final film. The film should then complete and ready for distribution, unless unapproved by the project manager.

In an animation, there are a few key elements to consider. When you look at a cartoon, you should look at what types of principles are used in an animation, which were introduced by Disney. Some examples include the squash-and-stretch effect, which helps build the body of the character, and its flexibility. Timing is also important, as it gives the cue for the character’s reaction and how long before the story leads to a pun.  The staging for the film will help give more audience attention, by showing the important part of the scene you are telling in the story. The character should also give more appeal to the audience by how it acts, to give it more life into the film.

So, from what I have learnt, there many alternative methods to making an animation. It is still used today to make animated films, but also to create short pieces for advertisements, television and other business needs. There are many ways you can make into the animation, which will make the audience more appealing when watching a fully-animated picture. However, in any department, making an animation is a slow-moving process, which will require a lot of time to produce, but can be easier to master on what department you want to work in.