Defining Animation

Defining animation has only become more difficult as it has evolved. One of the first definitions applied to animation was that of Thomas Hobbes in 1681: "That expression which makes us seem to see things before our eyes"




Animation is an ever-growing form in the media. It is frequently used in:

• Live-Action Films
• Video Games
• Animated Interface Artefacts
• Virtual Reality

The fact that animation is such a commonly used form of media results in its definition becoming more and more difficult to actually define. The most obvious source of the definition comes from the Webster Dictionary:

"a: a motion picture made by photographing successive positions of inanimate objects (as puppets or mechanical parts), b: Animated Cartoons, a motion picture made from a series of drawings simulating motion by means of slight progressive changes."

Defining by Technique

One method is to define animation by the technique used to create it. Though by doing this we can also see how vastly used animation is. 

Animation can be easily categorized into 4 techniques:

• Traditional
• Stop-Frame
• Computer
• Motion Graphics

Traditional Animation is the form of animation used by most studio-led animation films of the 20th century. It was made from drawing each frame and make each slightly differ from the last to create fluid motion when shown in quick succession.

The Sub-Categories are:

• Full Animation - using detailed drawings
• Limited Animation - less detail and more stylized
• Rotoscoping - tracing over live-action footage
• Live Action Animation - injecting hand drawn characters into live action film

Stop-Frame Animation is created by physically manipulating real world objects and photographing them one frame at a time.

The Sub-Categories are

• Puppet Animation - Use of puppets as characters, usually using wireframes
• Model Animation - Created to interact with and exist as part of the real world
• Claymation - Figures made from malleable material, movements are made by manipulting the material
• Object Animation - Using real objects rather than created models, an example is Brickfilm (Lego) Animation
• Cut Out Animation - Made by moving pieces of paper, card or cloth. This style is also often emulated in Flash or After Effects
• Silhouette - A type of cut out animation using silhouettes
• Pixilation - Use of humans as stop motion characters

Computer Animation refers to animation created on a computer. 2D methods normally involve image manipulation while 3D methods often build a virtual world in which 3D characters may move and interact. Computer Animation is often used to build content tp be composited into live-action film.

Video Games are a good example of worlds made entirely by Computer Animation.

Motion Graphics are also a sub-set of Graphic Design. They can be image, type or a mixture of the two. It can also be 2D, 3D or a hybrid.

A good example of Motion Graphics is kinetic typography.

The Association of International Film uses a definition that might be summed up as 'not live action'

But live-action itself could be considered a form of animation as it is a series of photographs played back-to-back in quick succession to create the illusion of movement.

At the same time, live-action is not animated by an animator, it is filmed and edited and may or may not include animated elements.

The History of Animation

The reason animation has become so hard to define is its history, it has been (and will remain) an ever changing form which can be applied to and create a rich variety of different media. Even by looking at a rough timeline of animation through the ages, we can see how diverse a subject it is.

• Cave Drawings - Are our first account of animation in history, with these drawings depicting storys through multiple images
• Mechanical Devices - Devices began to be able to trick the eye into seeing a moving scene
• Photographic Techniques - The use of photographs being viewed in sequence to create movement
• Special Effects- Early films began to use animation to create special effects
• Drawn Cartoons - Drawings were created in an order to create movement when viewed in sequence
• Animation on an Industrial Scale - Disney was able to push Animation into the mainstream with their now classic cartoons
• Animation as an Art Form - Animation also begun to be seen as art and not just an entertainment platform
• Computer Graphics - Computer begun being able to produce animation
• Computer Techniques used in Live-Action - A good example of this was Tron, which has incorporated computer generated animation into a Live-Action scene
• The Present - Animation Software and the Internet have created a rise in the amateur animator