History of Animation

History of Animation
(a quick synopsis)

In the Beginning...

Edweard MuyBridge "Humans in Motion" stop motion photos - studied the
dynamics of animal movement this way.

Zoetrope (series of sequential images in a revolving drum) when the drum is
revolved the slits in the drum creates the illusion of motion and becomes first
movie- similarly film creates this illusion by having one image then black then
image then black again.

Thaumatrope (disk with one image on each side) twirl it and the two images
superimpose on each other. two frame animation.

French Brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere
Technology for recording of sequential images on a flexible film base. (1895)

- most of the first films were French and released in America...

Norman McLaren - Canadian - organized the National Film Board of Canada.

Cel and Paper Animation Technique

By mid-1910s animation production in US already dominated by the techniques
of cel and paper.

Cell animation was more popularized in America than in Europe because of
assembly line Taylorism that had taken America by storm. Cell Animation was
most appropriate to the assembly-line style of manufacturing because it took a
whole line of persons working on very specific and simple repetitive duties. On
the other hand, in Europe where the assembly-line style of work was not
encouraged, clay animation and other forms of animation that required only a few
individuals working on the set at a time was more popularized. Because the
actual set could only afford a limited amount of individuals working at one time
together and no more this style and other alternative forms of animation became
more widely accepted.

Disney - cell animation - draw each image one at a time using onion-skinning
technique.

Synched Sound: Steamboat Willie - released November 18, 1928 - Disney

Disney created the first cartoon synchronized with sound entitled 'Steamboat
Willie'

At first Disney tried to reach a deal with RCA or Western Electric to record the
soundtrack but were turned down. Instead Walt contracted with bootleg Powers
Cinephone process and even with a disastrous first recording finally in a session
recorded the soundtrack with a 15-piece band and his very own Mickey squeaks.