Animations generally refer to graphical representations of drawings which depicts motion or movements within the pictures. In modern world when we talk of animation, it is hard not to think of the Disney franchise and their significant films such as the Shrek series, Frozen and Finding Memo which are very popular with people from all age groups while also racking in millions of moneys for the studio. In a rapidly changing world, one may not be able to keep up with technological changes. When looking at these changes, it is particularly interesting to note of the development of animations over time. The history of animation is believed to start before the invention of cinematography by the Lumiere brothers in 1895, Lyon, France. The development of the cinematography led to the gradual evolution of both the motion picture and the animation industries. Technological developments have not only influenced the animation industries and their artistic purpose but have also led to the discovery of new genres. Currently, there are over two hundred animation studios worldwide dedicated to the production of animated films. Some of these studios are corporate entities worth billions of dollars while others are production houses aimed at fulfilling animation works.
Humans have tried to show motion in drawings as early as the Paleolithic period even before the formation of production studios. Some of these animations include Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, the seven drawings which extend over two folios and shows the human muscles. Another example of early animation is seen in Egyptian mural at the Beni Hassan cemetery; the painting shows a series of events of a wrestling game (Mihailova,2014, pp. 109). When one moves from one drawing to the other in both of these pieces they tend to imply motion. Most of these early drawings would form low frame rates when animated, leading to blurred and not please animations. Other old forms of animations include the shadow play of the late 1780s and the magic lantern invented by Christiaan Huygens. Between 1840-1870 the chromatrope technology was used where two painted glass disks were rotated in opposite directions to display colorful patterns and images (Petrik 2012, pp. 388-390)
Before the revolution of animation and motion picture industry through the invention of cinematography various devices were invented to entertain people. Earliest of these technological devices was the prelude. Invented between 1821-1824 the device used optical illusions to convey motion. Curved spokes illusions were seen when a rotating wheel was observed through vertical apertures. The scientific principle behind the prelude was highly debated at the time. Recent experiments and explanations would eventually lead to the invention of animation. The Thaumatrope of 1825 was used to produce two-phase animations. Drawings were placed on each side of cardboard discs and formed one combined image when twirled by strings attached to the device.
The Phenakistiscope of 1833 was the first actual animation device. The primary technology behind the invention was the rapid substitution of drawings that are in sequence. The quick replacement of one image with the other brought about the illusion of motion in t drawings (Petrik 2012, pp. 389) The Zoetrope of 1866 made several modifications to the phenakistiscope while the flip book technique was discovered in 1868. The flip book used the same ideas as the phenakistiscope to create motion in drawings. A series of images drawn at the unbound pages of a spring book. The artist would ten use their hand and allow the pages to spring freely one at a time. The continuous replacement of one image by the other hence creates motion within the drawings. Other noteworthy invention includes the Praxinoscope of 1877 and the Zoopraxiscope of 1879. The Toon Boom and Digicel studios are known for the production of 2D animations using a sequence of images to depict motion.
Early forms of animation as explained above were very labor intensive with hundreds of drawings required to make a short animation clip. The use of the stop action technique consumed a lot of time and was very tiresome. The invention of cinematography encouraged the blending of new technologies and the production of animations. Manufacturing companies such as Edison invented new devices for the exhibition of clips, the multi-reel films of 1909 being good examples. The modern use of technology in the animation industry categorized into two parts: cell animation and the computer graphic imagery (CGI).
The first studio dedicated to the production of animation was the Barre Studio founded by Raoul Barre and Bill Nolan. The Bray Production studio followed soon after and was created by J.R Bray. It is at Bray Production where Earl Hurd invented a device capable of mass production of studio outputs (Moen 2015, pp. 130). Cell animation occurred at a time when most cinema and animation studios where relocating from New York to Hollywood. Animators such as Walt Disney and Walter Lantz moved to California influenced by the shift of motion picture industries. The cell animated technique was discovered by Bray and Hurd in the early 20th century,1914. Cell technology used a transparent sheet where images were drawn or painted for traditional hand-drawn animation films. Cellulose acetate sheets eventually replaced cell sheets due to their flammability and dimensional instability. Most production studios have since returned the cell with computer animation production systems (CAPS). CAPS is popular with Disney and Pixar studios and is a technique used for digital ink and paints in anime images.
In early 1915 the Technicolor was invented. All did not openly receive the addition of colors to the black and white animation of the time. Great animators such as Parker argued that colors used must never dominate the central part of an animation which is the narrative. Although audiences widely accepted its earlier invention technicolor after the World War 2. The Technicolor was initially a two-color process and could not capture the entire spectrum desired. The two-color process was expensive and time-consuming thus most animations at the time had short scenes of about two minutes that were colored. The Black Pirate was one of best animations to be ever entirely shot as colored. The Flower and Trees by Disney studios was the first animation to make use of the three-color Technicolor device in 1932. Warner Brothers, later on, released The Honeymoon Hotel using the same machine. Several changes have been made to the technicolor and are still in use currently. (Mihailova 2014, pp. 108-112)
The next biggest technological change at the time was the addition of sound to films. The Jazz Singer of 1927 was the first film to contain sound. With the new technologies, animators were able to produce films with musical backgrounds leading to a connection between the two industries. Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie
of 1928 was the first animation to synchronize musical soundtracks with the film's narrative.
During the World Wars, animation studios experienced significant losses with cartoon production being at an all-time all. However, after World War 2 technological advances brought about the television. The emergence of television sets and their popularity in most homesteads presented a new opportunity for animation industries. The regular airing of cartoons on television by TV studios created a constant demand for animation products. The increased demand led to the global production of animation and the creation of new studios. The Flintstones
was the first animated series to air on prime-time television. The use of TV to reach the public audience significantly reduced animated shorts that were initially on display at most theatres.
After the majority of animation studios had settled down in California the golden years of cartoon production begun. The fall of the theatrics market and increased animation demand on television put pressure on animation studios to increase their production and creativity levels. Technological advancement in the form of Computer Graphic Imagery (CGI) provided further opportunity for the animation industry to expand. In the early years, CGI was most found at major universities and was initially meant for academic purposes. Computer and art experts combined resources and created the first CGI film, Hunger which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1974. Following its success, Walt Disney studios produced a fifteen-minute-long clip using CGI in producing Tron in 1982. The use of CGI for special effects in the motion industries and a few movies showed the possibility of creating cartoon movies using the CGI technology.
In the early 1980s most studios focused on the production of 2D animation films following the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which generated revenues of about 300 million dollars at the box office. At the same time, Disney released their first animated movie in The Little Mermaid which enjoyed stellar success (Mihailova,2014, pp. 110). The development of both personal and home electronic devices such as the DVD and videos tapes led to the victory of these films. The use of DVDs and videotapes enabled studios to tap into the broader American market thus creating fierce competition within the animation industry. Both Dream Works and Japanese Ghibli studios diversified their animated characters to penetrate the hungry cartoon market.
Commercial use of CGI in the entertainment industry began in the 1970s. As earlier mentioned, most CGI devices were initially meant for academic purposes. CGI was mainly used in science fiction movies and the creation of visual effects. Disney studios were the first to use computer animation in the production of animated films in 1986 when they produced The Great Mouse Detective.
CGI production begins with a simple 2D technique in which the desired character is designed before being model in 3D. Other details such as backgrounds within the film are created at this stage. Use of CGI technology requires skilled labor and requires enormous budgets, unlike the cell animation films. Due to large financial packages necessary to finish a full-length movie, CGI animations released to box office and theatres are only done by a few major studios. CGI utilizes computer graphics in drawing and coloring images within each frame (Carter, 2014, pp. 359) Most CGI characters are based on animals, monsters, machines and cartoon-like humans. More research is currently being done to create humanized characters which can depict real human emotions. Recent technology has reduced production costs of CGI animation in TV production. CGI TV animation production costs are as low as 10-15% higher than 2D technique hence more studios can produce CGI animation at the moment. The fast-graphical rendering and quality software packages used in animation production has led to studios such as Dream Works, Nelvana of Canada and Attitude Studios of France to join established studios like Disney in the output of CGI TV animation series. The CGI TV technology has also enabled the recreation of older cartoons such as Mickey Mouse and Popeye with better graphical features compared to initial productions (Carter, 2014, pp. 358-361)
Introduction of CGI technology has led to the growth of some studios most notably Pixar, which was initially independent before its acquisition by Disney. Both Dream Works and Disney studios have been able to reap significantly in the animation market due to their financial investments in CGI technologies. The complexity and technical demand of CGI have created partnerships with various industries pairing up with animation studios. Some of this partnership is when animation studios and video game production industries come together in the production of games. Dream Work studios are renowned for their efforts in creating video games.
Most studios in recent years have embraced the Machinima technology which uses 3D graphics rendering engines to create video games and computer animations. The Lynx Animation Studios have embraced this technology and has aided them in their production of 2D animations and video games. The Industrial Light and Magic Studios in San Francisco have done several projects in the video game industry. The studio is renowned for their efforts in encouraging technological innovations and are the first studio to create the human skin in animation. They are also known for the creation of photorealistic hair and fur. Some of their famous projects include The Star Wars films and The Pirates of the Caribbean series.
In conclusion, it is fair to say both animations and animation studios have come a long way. Technological innovations have contributed significantly to the growth of the animation industries. Simple devices such as the Phenakisticope were the pioneers of the sectors. The invention of Technicolor and addition of sounds to films both revolutionized the black and white eras of animation where films had no sound. The shift from New York to California also led to the growth of studios due to the regions favorable weather conditions and cheap labor. The spread of home electronic devices such as television and DVDs opened a whole new market to animation studios. The new market generated billions of dollars for the studios thus animation studios increased to over 200 of them worldwide. The use of CGI technologies has reduced both production cost and production time required to create animation films thus growing profits earned by studios. Technology has not only led to the financial gain of most industries but has opened the doors to newer fields as more and more studios venture into the production of video games.
References
Carter, C. (2014). Book review: Moving Innovation: A History of Computer Animation SitoTom, Moving Innovation: A History of Computer Animation, The MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, 2013; 336 pp.: ISBN 978 0262019095. Animation, 9(3), pp.358-361.
Mihailova, M. (2014). Book review: The World History of Animation Cavalier Stephen, The World History of Animation, University of California Press: Berkeley, 2011; 416 pp.: ISBN 9780520261129. Animation, 9(1), pp.108-112.
Moen (2015). Imagination and Natural Movement: The Bray Studios and the “Invention” of Animated Film. Film History, 27(4), p.130.
Petrik, P. (2012). Origins of American Animation, 1900-1921. Journal of American History, 99(1), pp.388-389.
