ComputerAnimation

AmyGooch
CS395:Introductionto
ComputerAnimation

Animation
Animate=togivelifeto
Specify,directlyorindirectly,howthing
movesintimeandspace
Tools

Twomaincategories
Computerassistedanimation
2D&21/2D
Inbetweening
Inking,virtualcamera,managing
data,etc

Computergeneratedanimation
Lowleveltechniques
Preciselyspecifyingmotion

Highleveltechniques
Describegeneralmotionbehavior

Lowleveltechniques
Shapeinterpolation(inbetweening)
Havetoknowwhatyouwant

Highleveltechniques
Generatemotion
withsetofrules
orconstraints
Physicallybased
motion

http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~job/Projects/SoundGen/video.html

Abstraction
Animatorcolorseachpixel
to
Tellcomputertomakemovieaboutadog

PerceptionofAnimations
Playbackrate
Samplingorupdaterate
TV:30images/second
SatMorningCartoons:
6differentimagespersecond
Eachimagerepeatedfivetimes

HeritageofAnimation
Persistenceofvision:discoveredabout
1800s
Zoetropeorwheeloflife
Flipbook

HeritageofAnimation
Cameratomakelifelessthingsmove
Meleis1890usingsimpletricks
EmilCohl(18571938,French)

HeritageofAnimation
J.StuartBlackton(American)
MeetThomasEdisonin1895
Combinedrawingandfile:TheEnchantedDrawing
Sixyearslater:HumorousPhasesofFunnyFaces
Animatedsmokein1900;Firstanimatedcartoonin1906

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HeritageofAnimation
FirstcelebratedAnimator
WinsorMcCay(American)
Littlenemo
GertietheDinosaur(1914)

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HeritageofAnimation
Firstmajortechnicaldevelopment
JohnBray/EarlHurd(1910)
Translucentcels(shortforcelluloid)in
compositingmultiplelayers
Useofgreyscale(asopposedtoB&W)
Colorshortin1920

John Randolph Bray'sColonel Heeza Lair.

HeritageofAnimation
OutofBraysstudio
MaxFleischer(BettyBoop,,
Popeye)
Patentedrotoscopingin1915
Draingimagesoncellsby
tracingoverpreviouslyrecorded
liveaction

PaulTerry(Terrytoons:
MightyMouse)
GeorgeStallings(?)
WalterLantz(Woody
Woodpecker)

HeritageofAnimation
Animationasanartform
Firstanimatedcharacterwithpersonality
FelixthecatbyOttoMessmer(1920s)

Forcetoreckonedwith
SoundandWaltDisney

Disney:Animationasanartform
Innovations

Storyboardtoreviewstory
Pencilsketchtoreviewmotion
Multiplanecamerastand
Color(notfirsttousecolor)
Sound!
SteamboatWillie(1928)

MultiplaneCamera
Movescenelayersindependentlyofcamera

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/9199/Animation/Disney_Multiplane.html

MGMandWarnerBrothers,etc.

OtherMediaAnimation
Computeranimation
isoftencomparedto
stopmotion
animation

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Puppetanimation
WillisOBrian(King
Kong)
RayHarryhausen
(MightjoeYong,
Jasonandthe
Argonauts)

OtherMediaAnimation
Claymation
Pinheadanimation
Sandanimation

Physicalobjectismanipulated,image
captured,repeat

Hierachyoffilm/animation
Presentation
Act
Scene
Shot
Frame

ProductionofAnimation

Preliminarystory
Storyboard
Detailedstory
KeyFrames
Testshot
Penciltest
Inbetweening
Inking
Coloring

ComputerAnimation
basicallyfollowsthis
pipeline

ComputerAnimationas
Animation
Lassetertranslatedprinciplesofanimation
asarticulatedbytwoofNineOldMenof
Disneytocomputeranimation
Lasseterisconventionallytrainedanimator
WorkedatDisneybeforegoingtoPixar
Manycelebratedanimations
Knickknack(oscarwinning)

ShortHistoryofComputer
Animation
InResearchlabs
NYIT

Still frame from Gumby animation by Hank Grebe and Dick Lundin, 1984.

InResearchLabs
UniversityofUtah
Filmsonwalkingandtalkingfigure
Animatedhandandanimatedface(1972)

UniversityofPennsylvania
Humanfigureanimation(NormBadler)

CornellUniversity
architecturalwalkthroughs(DonGreenberg)

HistoryofComputerAnimation
1974:HungerbyReneJodoinandPeter
Foldes
2.5Dsystem,objectinterpolation

CurrentactivityCenters

UniversityofToronto'sComputerScienceDepartment
SimonFraserUniversity'sGraphicsandMulitmediaResearchLab
GeorgiaTech'sGraphicsVisualizationandUsabilityCenter
BrownComputerGraphicsGroup
OhioStateUniversity'sACCAD
OhioStateUniversity'sDepartmentofComputerandInformationScience
GeorgeWashingtonUniversityGraphicsGroup
UCSanDiego'sDepartmentofComputerScienceandEngineering
UniversityofNorthCarolina'sComputerScienceDepartment
MIT'sMediaLab
MIT'sLaboratoryforComputerScience
UniversityofWisconsinatMadison

HistoryofFilm&Video
Companies

Mathematical Applications Group, Inc. (MAGI)

Information International Inc. (III, or Triple-I)
Digital Production
Digital Effects
Image West
Robert Abel and Associates
Cranston-Csuri.

CurrentCompanies

Pixar
Industrial Light and Magic (ILM)
Pacific Data Images (PDI)
Disney
Xaos
Rhythm & Hues
Digital Domain
Lamb & Company
Metrolight Studios
Boss Film Studios
deGraf/Wahrman
R/Greenberg Associates
Blue Sky Productions
Sony Pictures
Cinesite
Imageworks
Apple. .

Animationsthatpavedtheway
Pixar
LuxoJr.(1986)
firstcomputeranimationtobenominatedforan
AcademyAward

Red'sDream(1987)
TinToy(1988)
firstcomputeranimationtowinanAcademy
Award

KnickKnack(1989)

EarlyCGinfilm
FutureWorld(1976)
StarWars(1977)
Lawnmowerman(1992,Xaos,AngelStudios)
HollywoodsviewofVR

Tron(1982,MAGI)
Supposedtolooklikeacomputer

TheLastStarfighter(1984)
UseCGinplaceofmodels

Willow(1988,ILM)
Morphingvideo
Firstdigitalbluescreenmatteextraction

HowardtheDuck(1986,ILM)
Firstwireremoval

TheAbyss(1989,ILM)

MoreearlyCGinfilm
JurassicPark(1993,ILM)
ForestGump(1994,DigitalDomain)
InsertCGpingpongball

Babe(1995,Rhythm&Hues)
Movemouthsofanimals&fillinbackground

ToyStory(1995,Pixar&Disney)
FirstfulllengthfullyCG3Danimation

EarlyCGonTV
Reboot(1995,Limelight
Ltd.BLTProductions)
Similarintentionofinside
computer
Firstfully3DSat.morning
cartoon

Babylon5(1995)
RoutinelyusedCGmodelsas
regularfeatures

Simpsons(1995PDI)

Resources
Milestonesoftheanimationindustryinthe
20thCentury
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue4.10/4.10pages/
cohenmilestones.php3

http://www.factindex.com/a/an/animatio
n.html#History%20of%20Animation
BriefHistoryofNYITComputerGraphics
Lab
http://www2.cs.cmu.edu/~ph/nyit/masson/n
yit.html

Resources(cont.)
TimelinefromBrownAnimationclass
http://www.cs.brown.edu/courses/cs229/animTi
meline.html

Inbetweening
http://alpha.luc.ac.be/~lucp1112/research/CA20
01/results.html

Credits/Resources
RickParent
http://www.cis.ohiostate.edu/~parent/book/Intr.html

http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/~parent/book/outline.html

Americas Story

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/sh/animation/blcktn_2

CharacterAnimation

Controlmotionofarticulatedlimbs
Skeletalmuscleskinmodels
Facialanimation
RepresentationandAnimationofsurface
detail
Hair
Clothes

Utah CG History

http://silicon-valley.siggraph.org/text/MeetingNotes/Utah.html