Animation U31 P1

Animation is a series of pictures/ images that are combined together to create a short film or to present a certain topic. Animation is created using either adobe flash or blender, using a series of different images and key frames to create a short film with a load of effects. Animation puts the pictures together to produce an illusion of a nonstop motion.

Two Traditional (non-computer animation)

A traditional non computer animation is a flip book, this is where the creator will draw a image on a page in the book and then flip to the next page and draw the same image but in a different position giving the illusion that the image is moving by flipping the page in the book. One company who used flip books to create is Disney. This is because they will create the flipbook with all the different images on it to test their animation before it is published.

Another traditional non computer animation is clay animation, this is where clay models are created and a photo is taken of the animation. Once one picture has been taken of the clay animation, the creator will slightly move the models into a different position to give the effect that the clay is moving. One good example of clay animation is the way Wallace and gromit was filmed. Aardman Animations created the series of short films by using clay animation, it was said that the making of these films took 3 years to make.

Computer Animation Techniques

Key Frames

A key frame is where you can set different things in place in your animation for example, if you want to insert a bit of text or an image you will select where you want the key frame to start , then click where you would like the key frame to end. To create a short film using key frames, there needs to be a series of different key fames with different thing happening in each one. The position of the object is important because this shows the viewing point of the set animation, text or drawing. Also between the key frames you can different effects to create the illusion that the image or text is moving in a specific way, e.g. text tween, this can be used to create the effect of the text more into the position of the screen you have set it to be in.

Morphing

Animation morphing is the animation technique used to create an image and turn it into another one in the same. This technique is mostly used on transforming images of people into a different image, this technique is very clever because when watching this animation technique back its almost if the first image melts and slowly transforms into a new one, for example if someone typed “hi” and selected the morphing animation technique this would enable the user to transform the word hi into a different word with a different style.

Masking

Animation masking has the ability to create the illusion that the image behind the mask is moving. For example if you used the masking tool on top of a a piece of text it would give the illusion that the text is moving when really it isn’t, it’s just the masking tool moving across the text. This technique is also a good technique to use, this is because when the mask is in use the highlighted area looks as if it’s underneath a microscope.