Short answers, pulled from the story.
Cambridge English Dictionary defines live action as involving real entities rather than computer-produced images. The term describes cinematography that uses actual people or animals instead of drawn models.
Disney released its 1994 remake of The Lion King which sparked this confusion when critics called its computer-generated visuals live action. Modern photorealistic animation sometimes gets mislabeled as live action by media reports due to visual similarity.
Space Jam features Michael Jordan interacting with cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny while Who Framed Roger Bob Hoskins plays alongside animated figures such as Roger Rabbit. Mary Poppins combines Julie Andrews with animated sequences in a single film where humans coexist with drawings.
Budget constraints often dictate which method producers choose for their projects because live action involves photographing real elements but requires significant financial resources for sets and locations. Financial limitations can force teams to abandon ambitious live action plans before production begins.
Animation conveys abstract ideas well yet demands extended timeframes for completion compared to live action which involves photographing real elements. Producers weigh these pros and cons before starting production based on available funding and timeline goals.