Technological Advancements in Animation: Transition from drawn animation to computer-generated imagery
Animation as a tool has developed over time, from plain frame-by-frame drawing to advanced computer-animated graphics (CAGs). This transformation has not only been very influential in this particular industry but also has opened up new opportunities in the domains of narrative and visuals. Comprehending the transition from manually drawn animation to computer-generated animation illustrates the development of technology in the field of animation.
The Age of Drawn Animation
The history of animation can be traced back to the late 1800’s and early 1900’s with such figures as Winsor McCay and Walt Disney. The first animated pictures were created with much effort, even each subsequent shot of the picture was drawn by hand. This was a process called cel animation and for it backgrounds and characters were drawn on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed on screen in sequence to mimic movement.
Hand-drawn animation:
The pinnacle of hand-drawn animation was achieved with Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937. It marked the potential of animation as a form of storytelling as it paved the way for the making of animated movies. However, the preparation for shooting through hand-drawn animation was time-consuming and expensive due to the time required to create them.
The Coming of Age of Digital Animation
The late 1960s and the 1970s brought more economical limited animation whereby the number of frames was reduced to help save money and time. However, the decisive breakthrough occurred in 1980 in connection with the use of computer graphics technology. Computer technology came into the picture which helped in providing tools to facilitate and augment the traditional techniques used for animation.
Computer-generated imagery:
Computer-generated imagery was first used in animation in Disney’s “The Black Cauldron” in 1985 though restricted to certain scenes only. It was still heavily animated by hand but it did signal the beginning of the use of computers to assist in the creation of the movie.
CGI animation:
The decisive step in CGI animation was the movie called “Toy Story” created by Pixar Animation Studios in 1995. Moreover, being the first completely generated digitally, “Toy Story” demonstrated the possibilities of CGI in rendering accurate surface detail, light and shadowing, and complex character animation that were not easily accomplished otherwise. The success of the movie also established that CGI was possible commercially whilst at the same time setting the bar high for future innovations.
CGI animation requires the building of models of characters and settings within a computer. These models are then proceeding through keyframes and motion capture to render more natural and realistic movements. The flexibility of CGI allows the animators to draw scenes and effects that are otherwise not drawable or are extremely difficult and time-consuming in the hand-drawn approach.
Motion capture technology:
It should be noted that after the release of “Toy Story,” the CGI techniques have come light years ahead. Advances like ray tracing have enabled more realism in the lighting and shadowing effects that can be rendered. Motion capture technology has advanced so that artists can record the elaborate acting of actors and port it over to animated characters. This technique was notably employed in movies such as “Avatar” (2009) and “The Polar Express “(2004).
However, the introduction of sophisticated tools such as Autodesk Maya, and Blender has made CGI more attainable for small studios and independent animators. All of these tools cover several features, including modeling, texturing, animation, and rendering of animations, making animation more accessible.
Conventional hand-drawn techniques:
However, there are still cases where CGI cannot fully replace the use of conventional hand-drawn techniques. Some of the current animated movies and cartoons are a combination of the two, wherein digital technology is applied to supplement the traditional drawing technique. For instance, the animation Studio Ghibli’s ‘Spirited Away’ (2001) smoothly combines both hand-drawn and digital techniques giving ‘Spirited Away’ a distinct artistic aesthetic.
In addition, with recent developments in software technologies, it has become possible to animate drawings on paper in a digital setting. Others like TVPaint and Adobe Animate enable artists to draw on digital tablets, thus integrating the feel of conventional animation with the productiveness of technology.
This transition from traditional hand-drawn animatics to CGI is a great shift both technologically and artistically. Every step has taken the complexity to a new level and provided animators with more opportunities to create and tell animated stories. The future of animation will be more innovative and creatively rich as compared to the work done in the past as the technology is ever-evolving.
