Animation
Introduction
Animation
Pre-animation
requirements
Animation
techniques
Animation, imparting motion to otherwise static imagery, is gaining
popularity in use in more applications than mere entertainment. The training
community is starting to. appreciate the versatility of animation as a teaching
medium. Animation, once costly and time consuming, has become
computerized and cost effective. For more information on animation, study
the Kodak book, “The World of Animation” and books about Walt Disney
and the Disney Studios.
Animation is cartoons or images put in motion. Similar to cartoons and
cartoon strips, animation is first drawn or assembled as individual panels
displaying a range of action. Viewed in rapid succession, the range of action
becomes motion. Animation requires more cartoon illustrations than cartoon
strips.
Before beginning the long process of animation, select a topic and develop a
story line. Create a script for the story and lay out the sequence of events in
the story in cartoons captioned with the words of the script. Normally, an
originator requesting animation provides the story line and script. Your job
is to illustrate and animate it.
You may use photography, acetate sheets called cels, three-dimensional
material, slides, or computers to create animation. The aspect ratio of art
created for animation is 3 units high by 4 units wide. This is the same
format used in television graphics.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Photographically created animation, sometimes called
photoanimation, is a photographic sequence of standard photographic prints.
Motion is implied by dissolving from one photo to another, fading in or out
of focus, or segmentally dividing one image and displaying it sequentially.
For example, documentaries often link still photos together to portray a time
when movie film footage is not available, such as the Civil War.
CELS: Cel animation is the conventional method of animation. Artwork,
transferred to acetate sheets (cels) and colored (inked) from behind, is placed
on background art and shot on motion picture film or slide film. Cel
animation, or a variation of it is commonly used in Navy graphics shops.
Continued on next page
4-9
