Overview of the Literature Review
The animation film industry has evolved from two dimensional short films to three-dimensional films thanks to advances in technology in the film industry. The animated filmography revolution has changed both in the way the films are produced and how people enjoy them. The animation powerhouse Disney played a significant role in the innovation of animated films. Walt Disney kicked off the golden age of the animated films with Steamboat Willie released in 1927 (OpenMind, 2016). Mickey Mouse, as the star, became the symbol and flagship of Disney to date. Disney, the genius of animation, introduced a tactic known as sound cartoons that synchronized cartoons with sounds. The technique would soon be adopted by many other film producers in that era. Walt Disney became the first person to give importance to animation and wanted to go beyond the tactics developed. Disney and Ub Iwerks refined the multiplane camera that gave the traditional animation" at the time" 3-dimensional effects. The multiplane camera was first used in Snow White, where it allowed scenes to appear realistic and achieve depth.
The animation film later made significant advances with the introduction of computer-generated graphics. Often called the Pixar age, computer graphics aided the animated filmography to make life-like characters in animation films. The first animated film where Disney applied computer graphics was in the famous Beauty and the Beast (OpenMind, 2016) . Some of the technical advances in animation that were developed by Disney Research included the smoke effects, reconstruction facial hair, and facial geometry, and modeling. Pixar, as the firm pioneering computer graphics became the symbol of animated films with its release of films such as Toy Story, Cars, and Monsters Inc (OpenMind, 2016) . The innovations in animated movies can be credited to the computer-generated effects used in the film Westworld, which immensely employed computer graphics to create a science-fiction story (OpenMind, 2016). Steve Jobs invested computer graphics in the company, such that Disney ended up buying Pixar (Soares, 2017). Disney and Pixar worked together and began developing Computer Animation Production System (CAPS). The technology allowed filmmakers in animation to digitally color hand-drawn animations. This was the onset of 2D digital software.
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The use of Chroma and 5even software began in the 1930s and has been perfected through the digital age. The technique is used to fool people's brains into seeing what does not exist. Chroma captures the background and a character separately then merges them using 3D imaging, digitization, and computer graphics. The advancements made with Chroma have made it possible to create huge films such as Avatar. In the movie, visionary director James Cameron used performance capture where the avatars maintained the essence of the characters behind the avatars. The idea of performance capture, which is now widely adopted, is so that audiences cannot differentiate whether what they see is real or not. There have been leaps and bound in the animated film industry thanks to the refinement of technological tools, ideas, and audience reaction to the films. This essay will document in the literature review format the critical movements in animation.
Literature Review
Primary Sources
According to Mohr (2019), animation studios favored the manual frame-by-frame style of filmography in making the stylized movements of characters. This technique differs from the motion capture of conventional studios. This discourse separates the animation and film industries. Mohr found that motion capture cannot be used in animation and making the traditional frame-by-frame style unique to the animation industry.
In contrast to Mohr's findings, Pangesti, Utami, and Sunyoto (2019), argue that the traditional frame by frame method used in the animation industry can slow down the movement of a human character. This realization led to the adoption of inverse kinematics that articulates characteristics to give the character some freedom. The use of inverse kinematics makes the animation process more manageable and increases body movements by 95 percent accuracy.
According to Li-n (2019), the animation industry is popular because there has been increased training of industry talents. There is also continuous development of information technology in film, television, and 3D technology. This allows filmmakers to get the incentive to produce stories through animations. Special effects become one of the latest technologies that enhances the audio-visual impact of animated films (Li-n, 2019).
Three-dimensional technology is what is currently used in the animation film industry and TV. The 3D technology employs the use of 3D Max technology in giving animated characters human characteristics such as facial expressions, and accurate voice depiction (Nie, 2019). 3D technology is the hallmark of animated films today. 3D Max technology aims to depict the real word in animation as vividly as possible. The 3D max technology is generally preferred because of its low price and powerful features.
According to Yoon (2015), the change in animation production has been influenced by several factors, such as production costs, skills, government policy, and domestic markets. In the past, the creation of animated was difficult due to the hefty expenses used to make them. There were fewer people trained to make the animations. Government policies also restricted depictions due to copyright infringements. Domestic markets would determine whether a film would succeed in other global markets (Yoon, 2015).
According to Zhang and Wang (2020), the information age and computer technology make it possible to create special effects in animation and gaming. The special effects adopted in the animation field have aided in the editing of the films. Editing has become significant in the sense that it can make the whole film—the application of visual effects that create unthinkable illusions that awe audiences. The breakthrough in special effects has made it possible for the industry to meet customer demands for 3D animation.
Secondary Sources
In line with Ohio State University, (n.d) traditionally animated films used frame-by-frame technology and were in 2D. Since then, camera angles and direction, lighting, lens types, and camera motions have influenced the way animated films are produced. The advancements in technology are applicable in 3D animation through techniques such as virtual reality, projection mapping, and real-time graphics (Ohio State University, n.d). The methods used in filmmaking include extreme long shot, long shot, medium shot, close up shot, and shot-reverse-shot, as well as over the shoulder shot (Ohio State University, n.d).
Souvik (2017) recognizes the animation industry's initial struggles as it tried to find its footing since it was highly thought to be kids' creation. It took time for people to realize they were meant for all age groups. According to Souvik (2017), technology became the animation industry's foundation after the success of films such as Shrek. Soon computer-generated studios became a thing as filmmakers, and animators could work with powerful software to bring to life imagined characters. In contrast, the traditional frame-by-frame technique showcased about ten frames per second, new technologies such as 3D Max showcase up to 25 frames per second.
The traditionally animated films were handmade using frame by frame. The traditional cartoons were made with flash, after effects, and software interpolations. Every frame was drawn to produce an illusion of movement. In the past, there wasn't even a single computer used in the production of cartoons (Dimitar, 2016). Today, 3D technology and stereoscopic 3D allows filmmakers to produce animations with just about any gadget. There is a lot of psychology, emotion, and visual effects that go into making the characters today.
Reflecting on McLaughlin ( 2016), the expansive releases of animated films are also enhanced by audience consumption of animated films. The genre is appropriate for families; hence there has been an increase in storytelling through animation, making it relatable across all audiences (McLaughlin, 2016). As a result, animation films are now one of the most profitable ventures. Studios are investing massive amounts in research and development to overcome the limitations that prohibited storytelling through animation. There are fewer cuts in films due to advances in technology.
According to Adcock (2016), the film Toy Story kicked off the golden age of computer-generated animations, making it a recognizable field. The film was able to make toys come to life. Animation seemingly never stops evolving. With every release, there seems to be new technology of computer-generated imagery used to enhance the characters. Disney's hand-drawn cartoons soon became a thing of the past.
Technology is the basis of all animation. According to Mallon (2018), technologies such as augmented reality are the next big thing in technology concerning the animation film industry. At the moment, only animated characters are being used in VR. How fast technology evolves influences how the animation industry grows (Mallon, 2018). The new wave of multimedia development allows filmmakers to create unique stories that make animated content marketable. Consumption of animation is also increased as people now have access to internet connectivity, and they can stream content on their smart devices.
Conclusion
The animation industry has moved from the traditional 2D frame-by-frame technique to 3D technology. The future of animation is predetermined by advances in technology. With the introduction of VR and AR technologies, the animation industry looks to improve immensely. The massive consumption of animation films will see more blockbusters released in the forthcoming years. Special effects and computer-graphics are Hacontinually being refined to give a visual impact like never seen before. More VFX companies are coming up because of the lucrative nature of the animation film industry.
Reference(s)
Adcock, J. (2016). Computer animation and its constant leaps forward. Retrieved from https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/from-bytes-to-terabytes-computer-animation-s-constant-leaps-forward/
Dimitar (2016). How technology has changed cartoons. Retrieved from https://www.engadget.com/2016-10-30-how-technology-has-changed-cartoons.html
Li-n, H. (2019). Analysis of the development path of 3D animation technology based on the new media context. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c55a/78519e60fc1e96344d10fd3b914a90e2ceca.pdf
Mallon, D. (2018). Five emerging technologies revolutionizing animated content. Retrieved from https://stampede.studio/technologies-animated-content/
McLaughlin, K. (2016). How technological advancements in animation force a focus on storytelling. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/04/07/how-technological-advancements-in-animation-force-a-focus-on-storytelling/
Mohr, S. J. (2019). Animated motion capture: An examination of cartoon-stylized human movement for the capture of animated performances (Doctoral dissertation, Queensland University of Technology).
Nie, C. (2019). Research on the Application of 3D Max Software in Film and Television Animation Production. Retrieved from https://webofproceedings.org/proceedings_series/ESSP/IETRC%202019/IETRC19123.pdf
Ohio State University (n.d) Cinematography 3D animation. Retrieved from https://u.osu.edu/animation/cinematography/
OpenMind, (2016). 7 advances in technology that have revolutionized the film industry. Retrieved from https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/technology/innovation/7-advances-in-technology-that-have-revolutionized-the-film-industry/
Pangesti, A. R., Utami, E., & Sunyoto, A. (2019, August). Analysis of Inverse Kinematics Method for Human Movement In 2D Animation. In 2019 1st International Conference on Cybernetics and Intelligent System (ICORIS) (Vol. 1, pp. 189-194). IEEE.
Soares, T. O. (2017). Animated films and linguistic stereotypes: A critical discourse analysis of accent use in Disney animated films.
Souvik (2017). How are new technologies improving the creation of animation films? Retrieved from https://www.rswebsols.com/tutorials/technology/technologies-creation-animation-films
Yoon, H. (2017). Globalization of the animation industry: multi-scalar linkages of six animation production centers. International Journal of Cultural Policy , 23 (5), 634-651.
Zhang, W., & Wang, Y. (2020). Analyze the Application of Multimedia Technology in the Special Effects of Film and Television Animation--From the Animated Short Film of" Day after Day." International Journal of Social Science and Education Research , 2 (11), 10-15.
