Animation and the history of computer animation

Essay by Poison_ivyHigh School, 12th gradeA-, August 2004

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Animation is the graphic representation of imparting life, spirit, motion, or activity. It is a series of drawings that are linked together to create motion. Most animation use to be created by hand drawn images photographed by a camera. The drawings are slightly changed between each frame, to give the illusion of seamless movement. Animation over the years has become an art form with many new ideas and technologies helping to improve it.

There have been many experiments in producing the illusion of motion. One of the first of these experiments was named the 'Thaumatrope'. This experiment was done in 1826, and was important, as it was one of the first to successfully achieve motion, by making two spinning images appear as if they had merged together. The next major step in animation was named the 'Phenakistoscope' consisting of two discs mounted on the same axis. The first disc had slots around the edge, and the second contained drawings of successive action, drawn around the disc in concentric circles.

When this was viewed in a mirror through the first disc's slots, the pictures on the second disc will appear to move. This was important because it shows how different pictures stung together can give the illusion of motion, creating new ideas and new experiments. Headwear Muybridge, a British photographer, took the idea of having flowing images and applied them to photos so that he could re-create more realistic animation like racing horses and men fencing. Throughout the mid 1800's more and more people were experimenting with the idea of the slit motion. The Zoetrope appeared publicly in 1864, and was important, as and is when animation became more of a form of entertainment that anything previously. From this, spawned the idea that animation can and is a successful form of...