# five types of animation Animation is the art of creating the illusion of motion by flashing static images so fast that the eye interprets and combines them as movement. While traditional movies are created by filming real people in real environments, animation is created through a series of illustrations built in different ways. Of course, these days computers allow the seamless blending of both filmed reality and animated work. There are five basic types animation distinguished by the types of techniques and processes used to create moving illustrations. ## traditional The classic form of animation based on building a series of drawings made one frame at a time. This is the old-fashioned, non-computer animation that has been around for centuries. This [[history of animation]] gives a deeper dive into forms of traditional animation. Traditional animation is created by photographing individual frames and then showing them so fast the eyes interpret them as movement. Each frame is made up of layers of different elements from characters to backgrounds backlit and photographed in stack of sheets of clear plastic celluloid. Sometimes painted sheets of glass were used as well. Examples include everything from flipbooks to the old Disney cartoons with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, Disney movies like _Cinderella_ and _Pinocchio_, Warner Brothers cartoons with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. While still old, more contemporary examples include cartoons made for television like the _Flintstones_ and _Scooby-Doo_. The process of traditional animation begins with loose sketches of visual elements and key character poses. The sketches are cleaned-up into more refined drawings. Rough cuts of animation are filmed and tested in a process called sweat-boxing. When approved, even more clean-up is completed with in-between frames created to get the final timing correct. Inked line-art and painted colors are added. All the layers are stacked and photographed one frame at a time. ![[anim-snowWhite.png]] _copyright [walt disney animation studio](https://disneyanimation.com/)_ ## 2d animation Two dimensional animation is a loose term that combines two very different approaches to creating motion. Traditional animation is also considered two-dimensional animation even if it appears to be three-dimensional. The actual artwork is created in flat layers and photographed together in a layered stack. Using computers, digital 2d animation uses similar techniques as traditional animation. The drawings are often vector-based but could be also pixel-based. The animation can be drawn [[frame-by-frame and keyframing|frame-by-frame or keyframed]] in main poses with the computer filling in the missing frames. Elements are broken into separate layers similar to old celluloid plastic sheets. An advantage of digital 2d animation is that the artists only need to develop drawings based on what will be seen in the shot. Many modern cartoons like _The Simpsons_, _SpongeBob SquarePants_, and _Bob’s Burgers_ are considered 2d animation. They are the digital equivalent of the old _Flintstones_ and _Scooby Doo_ approaches to animation. ![[anim-tangled2d.png]] _copyright [disney television animation](https://disneytvanimation.com/)_ ## 3d animation 3D animation is based on computer graphics built in 3d modeling programs like Autodesk Maya or Blender. In the format, artists need to develop full three-dimensional worlds and then move the digital camera around them to film the action. Characters and environments are modeled and materials are added. Lighting is added and cameras are created. This is an involved process that requires many different artists working in many different ways. There is a reason why the end credits of most 3d movies are over twice as long as traditional live-action movies. Some examples of full 3d animation are most recent Disney and Pixar movies like _Tangled_, _Big Hero Six_, and _Wall-E_. Digital animation tools are often used in live-action movies as well. Human actors are filmed with green screen backgrounds with three-dimensional environments and characters added digitally. For examples of integrated 3d animation, watch just about every superhero movie created in the last two decades. ![[anim-tangled3d.png]] _copyright [walt disney animation studio](https://disneyanimation.com/)_ ## motion graphics Motion graphics are animations used in interactive media such as websites, operating system interfaces, and mobile apps. Motion graphics are also used in commercials and broadcast media, such as the visual graphics on newscasts or sportscasts. Just about every digital interaction or screen you look at will use some form of motion graphics. This form of animation is so ubiquitous in the world we live in that we only really notice when it is missing. Everything looks flat and boring when it isn’t moving at least a little bit. Motion graphics are often primarily text-based but can include animated characters and abstract environments. They can be simple movements when interacting with digital objects such as hover effects on a website, fade in effects on your phone, or even shifting text on a digital menu board at your favorite fast food restaurant. Motion graphic animations are usually short and incidental, meant to supplement other main content or grab attention. ![[anim-motion.png]] _copyright [motioncabin](https://motioncabin.com/)_ ## stop motion Stop Motion is a traditional animation style based on photographing physical models one frame at a time and then moving the models slightly and taking another photo. When the images are played back at a fast pace, the illusion of motion is created. Although mostly physical-based, computers are often used to aid in lining up elements and are also used to add digital visual effects. It is a labor-intensive process to build the models and environments and then film one frame at a time. Depending on the complexity of the shot, it could take several minutes or more to move all the elements in the scene from one frame to the next. In addition to the classic Rankin-Bass Christmas classics played every year, other more more modern examples include _Coraline_ and _The Nightmare Before Christmas_. The director Wes Anderson’s _Isle of Dogs_ and _The Fantastic Mr. Fox_ are also great examples. ![[anim-rudolph.png]] _copyright [rankin-bass](http://www.rankinbass.com/)_ --- Learn more… - <https://pixune.com/types-of-animation/> - <https://www.tricks.studio/insights/what-are-the-five-types-of-animation/> --- tags: #animation #resources home: [[! animation]]