-
H.W. Goodwin invented a celluloid film which held images
-
Emil Reynaud opened a theatre using an invention called the Praxinoscope. It produced a 10 to 15 minute "moving picture."
-
Using the film developed by H.W. Goodwin, Edison was able to produce moving film pictures on a wall. The film moved over a series of wheels to produce the pictures.
-
Using a magnetic recording device, sound was recorded for the first time. Animation enthusiasts would latch onto the technology.
-
James Blackton used animation techniques to produce a short film. It documented the drawing process of characters, without ever showing the artist. This made it seem that the drawings appeared.
-
Emile Cohl produced a film called "Fantasmagorie." It was a hit and is known today as the first true animated film.
-
This short film became popular quickly. It was created by Windsor McCay.
-
John Bray developed and patented a streamlined process for creating animated films. He tried, unsuccessfully, to force other companies to use his designs.
-
Otto Messmer, who had been working in animation for a few years, created Felix the Cat. Felix was very successful.
-
Walt Disney, at 20yrs old, began his first animation film studio called Laugh-O-Grams. It failed after only a short time.
-
Walt Disney didn't give up making animated films. In 1928 he released a film called Steamboat Willie featuring Mickey Mouse and, using sound for the first time, and it was an instant hit.
-
Looney Tunes was supposed to be a spin-off on the Silly Symphonies by Disney. It soon took on a life of its own and became popular.
-
Throughout the 1930's, several iconic characters were created. This included Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor man, and Daffy Duck.
-
Disney developed the use of 3-strip Technicolor animation. In 1935, Len Lye created a method of painting directly on film strips; he used it in his animated film "Color Box."
-
Walt Disney produced the first-ever full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
-
This brought several new popular characters to life. This included Woody Woodpecker, Mighty Mouse, and Tom and Jerry.
-
At the University of Utah, Ed Catmull developed a method of creating computer generated movies.
-
Apple produced a method for creating 3-D films, and in 1995 Toy Story was released as the first full-length 3-D film. The animation industry would never be the same.