An Exploration in Animation

There are multiple animation styles and types which are used by animators. One of the most common types of animation is stop motion, which is created by multiple images of 3D models or 2D illustrations which are played frame by frame to create a moving picture. Another popular form of animation is 3D animation which is made using computer generated images- otherwise known as CGI.

An example of a drawn animation is 'Welcome to Hell', a small animated story following two main characters- Sock and Jonathan. It is created by multiple drawn scenes played in quick succession giving the impression that the characters are moving. This particular example is a web series created by Erica Wester.

Another type of animation involves clay which is sculpted and moved before a picture is taken to create a moving image over time. This is the most common link with stop motion animation (usually referred to as claymation) and is used to create a 3D image without the use of animation software that is used by the likes of Disney and Pixar. This particular animation is called 'The Trapdoor' and follows the mis-adventures of a group of monsters- it was created in 1984 as a television series by Terry Brain and Charlie Mills.

'Meet the Cores 2' is an example of 3D animation using computer software which introduces the different kind of cores from the game Portal- it was created as a web series based of Team Fortress 2's 'Meet the Team' and was animated by Harry Callaghan. This technique is used in many animated movies such as 'Frozen', 'The Incredibles' and 'Finding Nemo'. It is becoming a more popular means of animation in studios for making films.

Another version of stop motion animation is made by using props- in this case Lego- to create the image. This particular example was a fan-made video for an online series called 'Flux Buddies' and features Kim attempting to sell Duncan a Luggage (A character from the popular book series DiscWorld), it was animated by Harry Bossert.