Curated category
Animation techniques
- Traditional animationIn 1914, Earl Hurd and John Bray invented the cel animation process that would dominate the twentieth century. Before this innovation, animators drew every…
- Computer animationIn the 1960s, Bell Telephone Laboratories became a quiet hub for digital movement. Edward E. Zajac and Frank W. Sinden worked there to create early computer…
- StoryboardIn the early 1930s, Walt Disney Productions developed the storyboard process as it is known today. Before this moment, most filmmakers shot their films like…
- Stop motionIn 1849, Joseph Plateau published a note about improvements for his Fantascope. This device could be viewed with both eyes by several people at the same time.
- InbetweeningDick Huemer developed a system for inbetweening during the 1920s that changed how animation studios operated. This method relied on a light table to draw…
- Cutout animationThe year 1917 marked the release of El Apóstol, a film created by Italian-Argentine cartoonist Quirino Cristiani. This work stands as the world's first…
- Silhouette animationThe year 1909 marked the birth of silhouette animation with a short subject titled The Sporting Mice. British filmmaker Charles Armstrong created this work…
- Key frameA single drawing on a strip of film marks the beginning and end of any smooth transition. This image is called a key frame because its position in time is…
- Limited animationWinsor McCay's 1914 film Gertie the Dinosaur moved every rock and blade of grass by hand. This labor-intensive approach defined early animation before budget…