Cameos 5906

Animation History

By pp195183

  • The Phenakistoscope

    The Phenakistoscope
    Founder(s): Joseph Plateau; Simon von Stampfer
    Special Notes:
    - Both invented at the same time separately in Brussels and Berlin respectively.
    - Circular cardboard is used, each frame is painted, and the disk is spun to cause looped animated movement.
    - Innovated and officially published in 1933.
    - Often sold as toys for kids.
    - Becomes more complicated as time went on.
    - Innovated into the Zoetrope and then the Zoopraxiscope, which projected the animation.

  • Stop Motion Animation

    Stop Motion Animation
    Founder(s)(s): Albert E. Smith; J. Stuart Blackton
    Special Notes:
    - A picture is taken of the object and after movement is taken again to make movement. Jumping frames make illusions as if they warped or grabbed something out of thin air.
    - Makes up about 90% of all animations.
    - Involves rapidly taking a picture of an event or taking a picture and tweaking the object before taking another picture.
    Examples:
    - Cel Animation
    - Cut-out Animation
    - Claymation
    - Regular filming

  • The Enchanted Drawing

    The Enchanted Drawing
    Founder(s): J. Stuart Blackton
    Special Notes:
    - First animation recorded on standard picture film through stop motion animation and as a silence film.
    - Film involves a man drawing on a giant piece of paper, then takes them out of the paper.

  • Little Nemo

    Little Nemo
    Founder(s): Winsor McCay
    Special Notes:
    - Considered the highest quality comic series in his time.
    - Nemo, the main character based off Robert McCay, has a dream which ends in him waking up.

  • The Silent Age

    The Silent Age
    Special Notes:
    - Animations showed expressions and used stop motion.
    - First hand-written animation was Phantasmagorie by Emile Cohl.
    - Either entirely silent or sound is performed live.
    Examples:
    - Steamboat Wilie
    - Felix the Cat
    - Popeye
    - Betty Boop

  • Gertie the Dinosaur

    Gertie the Dinosaur
    Founder(s): Winsor McCay
    Special Notes:
    - Film showed dust particles, water droplets, and expressions.
    - Changing expressions were not well established until then.
    - Producer interacted, using a whip, an apple, and himself.

  • Cel Animation

    Cel Animation
    Founder(s): Earl Hurd
    Special Notes:
    - The animation is layered with clear sheets of images (Cels) and is taken a picture from birds-eye view to add a type of layering effect.
    - The layering effect is used for shading, walking behind and in front of objects, and effects that involve going towards or away from the camera.
    - One of the most used animations in Disney before CGI.
    Examples:
    - Little Mermaid
    - Snow White
    - Beauty and the Beast
    - Alice in Wonderland
    - The Black Cauldron

  • Cut-out Animations

    Cut-out Animations
    First Animation: El Apostol
    Founder(s) by: Quirino Cristiani; Diógenes Taborda
    Special Notes:
    - First known true animated film before the only copy was destroyed.
    - Involves using pieces of flat material, such as fabric or paper, and moving them for stop-motion animation.

  • Walt Disney's Animation

    Walt Disney's Animation
    Special Notes:
    - Started animation in Kansas City in October 1919 with Ub Iwerks.
    - Favored cel animation instead of cut-out.
    - Made his own company based on cel animation in 1921 with Fred Harman.
    - Made another company with Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising and Ub in 1920.
    - He and his brother Roy created the Disney Brother Studio with Margaret J. Winkler and Ub in 1923.
    Examples:
    - Alice's Wonderland (1921) (failed)
    - Plane Crazy (failed), The Gallopin' Gaucho (failed) & Steamboat Willie (1928).

  • Bouncing Ball

    Bouncing Ball
    Founder(s): Max Fleischer
    Special Notes:
    - For silent films or to follow a sing-a-long, a ball appears and touches every syllable for people to follow.

  • Steamboat Willie

    Steamboat Willie
    Founder(s): Ub Iwerks; Walt Disney
    Special Notes:
    - Mickey Mouse's (and a few others) Debut
    - New Era of American Animation
    - One of the first animations with synchronized sound
    - Created through stop-motion animation
    - Started the Golden Age

  • Golden Age of Animation

    Golden Age of Animation
    Special Notes:
    - Began with Steamboat Willie.
    - Sound quality / synchronized sound becomes common.
    - The quantity of animations increases exponentially.
    Examples:
    - Loony Toons
    - Mickey Mouse
    - Betty Boop (Late)
    - Popeye (Late)
    - Pinocchio

  • Warner Brother's Cartoons/Animations

    Warner Brother's Cartoons/Animations
    Founder(s): Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising; Leon Schlesinger; Eddie Selzer; William L. Hendricks
    Special Notes:
    - (Re)Founded in 1930, 1933, 1944 and 1967 by the respected founder(s).
    - Ended in 1969; Revived in 1980 by Chuck Jones
    Examples:
    - Loony Toons and Merrie Melodies(1931)
    - DC Comics / Animated Universe (1992)
    - Animaniacs (1993)

  • The Dark Age

    The Dark Age
    Special Notes:
    - Limited animation was forced for less production costs and/or less time consumption.
    - Animation was aimed for children now.
    - Producers believed in dialogue over visuals.
    - People copied shows such as Scooby-Doo or Super Friends.
    Examples:
    - Scooby-Doo
    - Fat Albert
    - The Jetsons
    - The Flintstones
    - Josie and the Pussycats
    - Jabber Jaw
    - Johnny Quest