Computer Animation Kathryn Crawford-Frampton Communications 538

Computer Animation Introduction –Definitions A Historical Overview –Timelines –Contributing Events The Current Status A Future Look Conclusion

The Ultimate Question: Will 3D computer animation become the industry standard?

What is Computer Animation? “Computer animation has the ability to convey statements, ideas, theories and emotions.” (Auzenne, 1994)

What is Computer Animation? “Since its inception, animation has served as an effective vehicle for communication…The newest genre, computer animation, continues the tradition of communicator.” (Pilling, 1997)

What is Computer Animation? “The ability to communicate through computer animation is the result of the symbiotic relationship between science and art that exists in this medium.” (Kerlow, 2000)

Animation Defined The bringing of apparent life to inanimate objects. (Mancis & Van Dyke, 1966)

Types of Animation Two Dimensional (2D) –Traditional Hand-Drawn Animation Example: “Bambi” or “The Secret of Nihm” –Stop-Motion Animation Example: “South Park” Hybrid –Two dimensional animation with three dimensional effects added. Example: “The Lion King” or “Beauty and the Beast” Three Dimensional (3D) –Computer-Generated Animation Example: “Finding Nemo” or “Shrek” –Claymation Example: “The Nightmare Before Christmas”

A Historical Overview Important Events in Animation History First Drawings of Motion –Walls of Egypt, 2000 B.C. –Caves in Spain, Eight-legged boar –Leonardo da Vinci, Anatomy sketches Paul Roget –Presented his paper, “The persistence of vision with regard to moving objects” to the British Royal Society in –Invented the thaumatrope in Joseph Plateau –Invented the phenakitstoscope in 1860.

Thomas Edison –Invented the kinetoscope in The first motion projector. Projected fifty feet of film in thirteen seconds. Thomas Armat –Designed the vitascope in Projected the films of Thomas Edison. Has the most influence on current projectors. Stuart Blackton –Made the first stop-motion animated film in “Humorous phases of funny faces.” Created by drawing faces on a chalkboard, photographing them, and repeating the process.

Winsor McCay –Created “Gertie the Trained Dinosaur” in First character with a story line. Over 10,000 separate drawings. Led to popularity of hand-drawn shorts, “Felix the Cat”, “Colonel Heeza Liar”, and “Old Doc Yak”. “The Jazz Singer” (Warner Bros., 1927) –First to loosely combine sound with animation. “Steamboat Willie” (Walt Disney, 1928) –First synchronized sound with animation. Earl Hurd –Developed cel animation in 1915.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (Walt Disney, 1938) –First feature-length animated film. Commercialized. Studios realized profitability of the medium. ENIAC (1943) –First fully electronic computer 18,000 vacuum tubes, 10 feet tall, 1,000 square feet, and weighed 30 tons. BASIC (1964) –Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instructional Code –Developed by Thomas Kurtz and John Kemeny Development of Personal Computers

Computer Animation Institutional Roots Bell Laboratories (1961) –Started developing computer techniques for producing animated movies. –Made the first (anti-climactic) computer animated film. “Two –Gyro Gravity-Gradient Attitude Control System” Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1963) –Sketchpad Ivan Sutherland created an interactive light pen which could draw directly upon the computer’s cathode-ray tube. Seattle’s Boeing Company (1964) –First company to employ analog computer animation. William Fetter used animation to design cockpit configurations.

University of Utah (1970’s) –Mecca for computer graphic art research and design. Created algorithms for curved surfaces, texture mapping, surface techniques, animated human faces, and synchronized speech. Minicomputer (Mid-1970’s to Early 1980’s) –Apple and IBM PC-compatibles Embraced by visual professionals. Easier to use and less cumbersome to operate than Supercomputers. Early Adopters (1981) –George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic –Wavefront, Digital Productions, R/Greenberg Associates and Polygon Pictures Pixar Animation Studios opens (1984) –John Lasseter employs the most talented animators.

Advancement of Technology Form Follows Function PageMaker –Desktop publishing released in RenderMan –Shading software developing in 1988 by Pixar. –Received a Technical Academy Award. Color Studio –Image retouching software for Mac. Photoshop –Released by Adobe in Facetracker –Facial motion capture system released in 1992.

Types of Computer Animation Modeled Animation –Computer-generated animation with three functions: Objective modeling Motion specification Synchronization and image rendering –Creates the 3-D database which serves as the ‘world‘ to be portrayed in a synthetic computer graphics sequence. –Uses either wire-frame or solid models to create objects. Digitization Graphics editing Programming Motion Control –The specification of position and orientation of objects in time. Using computers to move the camera to eliminate human error. Key-Frame Animation –Computer-assisted animation with six functions: Input of drawings Production of in-betweens Specification of motion Coloring of drawings Synchronization of sound Initiating the recording

From Content to Creation Motion Begins with Stasis Pre-Production –Design Story and character development Storyboards –Modeling Giving shape in the computer –Rigging Preparing the objects for movement. Creating a skeleton and skin for characters.

From Content to Creation Motion Begins with Stasis Production –Surfaces Properties given texture and color. –Staging Building sets and environments. Must be approved before animation begins. –Animation Bringing the characters to life. “Circular process” –Lighting Shading objects –Effects

From Content to Creation Motion Begins with Stasis Post-Production –Rendering A computer process. –Composite Layering to create depth of field. –Touchup –Final film/video output

Computer Animation in Films Visual Effect Milestones TRON (1982) –First live action film with over twenty minutes of computer animation. The Black Cauldron (1985) –First Disney animated feature film to use some computer-graphic technology.

Computer Animation in Films Visual Effect Milestones The Last Starfighter (1985) –The first live action feature film with realistic computer animation of highly detailed models. Luxo Jr. (1986) –The first of many short films by Pixar which is nominated in the AMPAS Animated Short Films Category. Tin Toy (1988) –Receives the Oscar for Best Animated Short. The Abyss (1989) –The first convincing 3D character.

Computer Animation in Films Visual Effect Milestones Beauty and the Beast (1991) –First hybrid animated film to be nominated for the Best Picture award. Terminator 2:Judgement Day (1991) –First mainstream blockbuster with multiple morphing effects and human simulation. Jurassic Park (1993) –First extensive use of photo-realistic CG animals. Toy Story (1995) –The first fully 3D computer animated feature film.

The Current Status Content –Content of 2D animation is being overlooked and will be replaced by 3D. Distribution –Spring of 2004 will bring the last of 2D animated films. –All future 2D films will be rendered in a computer. Consumption –Audiences will attend due to strong story lines and good character development.

Big Box Office New Trends Economic –“Finding Nemo” (Disney/Pixar) –As of December 5, 2003: $340 million domestically $230 million internationally (not including Japan) Most successful animated feature of all time.

Computer Animation Corporations Current Company Giants Walt Disney/Buena Vista DreamWorks Pictures, LLC Pixar Animation Studios Twentieth Century Fox –Ethics –Revenue

Suspended Animation Post “Treasure Planet” (August, 2003) –Walt Disney CEO, Michael Eisner, claims, “2D is dead.” –All traditional animation furniture and supplies are sold. –Computers and cubicles are shipped in. –60 2D animators are left out of 1,500 total. Left to complete work on “Home on the Range”.

Medium Theory The effect which new media has upon society. Content Analysis –Corporations are looking at the media effect and not the content. –No analysis of the content creates a change of media.

A Future Look Will 3D computer animation be the death of traditional 2D?

The Ultimate Question: Will 3D computer animation become the industry standard?

Computer Animation Kathryn Crawford-Frampton Communications 538