EDEXCEL BTEC LEVEL 3 90 CREDIT DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Assignment 1
A Basis for Animation
Joel
21/11/2016
,Contents
Task 1 – Different Types of Animation: (P1)...........................................................................................2
The Origins of Animation:..................................................................................................................2
Traditional Techniques:......................................................................................................................2
Types of Animation:...........................................................................................................................2
Task 2 - Different Uses of Animation: (P2)..............................................................................................3
Advertising:........................................................................................................................................3
Creative Arts:.....................................................................................................................................4
Entertainment:...................................................................................................................................4
Education Simulations:.......................................................................................................................4
Task 3 – Explain Persistence of Vision: (M1)..........................................................................................4
Joel Black Page 1
, Task 1 – Different Types of Animation: (P1)
The Origins of Animation:
There are many different types of animation, varying from films to flipbooks.
One of the earliest types of animation was the magic lantern. It involved a faint oil
painting that would be projected through a lens onto a surface in a dark room.
The exact origin of the magic lantern is not known but it is said to be around the
year 1650. It was also mostly used to show demonic images.
Figure 1 Inside a Magic
The Thaumatrope is a simple and early form of animation. It can be made Lantern in two
different ways. One where both sides of some card have images on them and
they are stuck to the top of something like a pencil. The other method uses a
small disk of paper and string attached to each side. When the disk or card is
spun, using the string or by spinning the pencil, the image appears to be
animated. This is because one half of the image would be drawn on one side
and the other half on the other. Then when it is spun they appear to be one
image. This occurs because of the persistence of vision. The Thaumatrope was
created in 1824 and was very popular as a toy for some time.
Traditional Techniques: Figure 2 One side Figure 3 Other
of my side of my
Thaumatrope Thaumatrope
The more traditional techniques of animation are Claymation and Cut-out animation. Both methods
are done similarly. Claymation is done by making figures out of clay and taking pictures every time a
new frame is made. So for example you could make a clay man and have him wave. A picture would
need to be taken and then you would have to slightly move up his arm then take another picture. At
the end all the pictures can be put together to have your animation ready to watch. Cut-out
animation is similar to this, however instead of clay, paper is used. All the necessary objects are cut
out of paper and set up on a background. Then a camera is set up to take the pictures for5each
Figure Wallace and Gromit
frame. For each frame the cut out pieces of paper can be moved to make up the animation.
A good example of Claymation would be Wallace and Gromit, produced by
Aardman Animations. Aardman have also produced other stop motion clay
animations including Morph and Chicken Run. A good example of cut out
animation would be the very early episodes of south park.
Types of Animation:
Figure 4 South Park
Nowadays most animation is done on computers because of how much easier and less time
consuming it is. It is a lot easier to make a ball bounce on a computer than using cut out animation.
This is because tweening can be used. There are a few different methods of tweening that can be
Joel Black Page 2
Assignment 1
A Basis for Animation
Joel
21/11/2016
,Contents
Task 1 – Different Types of Animation: (P1)...........................................................................................2
The Origins of Animation:..................................................................................................................2
Traditional Techniques:......................................................................................................................2
Types of Animation:...........................................................................................................................2
Task 2 - Different Uses of Animation: (P2)..............................................................................................3
Advertising:........................................................................................................................................3
Creative Arts:.....................................................................................................................................4
Entertainment:...................................................................................................................................4
Education Simulations:.......................................................................................................................4
Task 3 – Explain Persistence of Vision: (M1)..........................................................................................4
Joel Black Page 1
, Task 1 – Different Types of Animation: (P1)
The Origins of Animation:
There are many different types of animation, varying from films to flipbooks.
One of the earliest types of animation was the magic lantern. It involved a faint oil
painting that would be projected through a lens onto a surface in a dark room.
The exact origin of the magic lantern is not known but it is said to be around the
year 1650. It was also mostly used to show demonic images.
Figure 1 Inside a Magic
The Thaumatrope is a simple and early form of animation. It can be made Lantern in two
different ways. One where both sides of some card have images on them and
they are stuck to the top of something like a pencil. The other method uses a
small disk of paper and string attached to each side. When the disk or card is
spun, using the string or by spinning the pencil, the image appears to be
animated. This is because one half of the image would be drawn on one side
and the other half on the other. Then when it is spun they appear to be one
image. This occurs because of the persistence of vision. The Thaumatrope was
created in 1824 and was very popular as a toy for some time.
Traditional Techniques: Figure 2 One side Figure 3 Other
of my side of my
Thaumatrope Thaumatrope
The more traditional techniques of animation are Claymation and Cut-out animation. Both methods
are done similarly. Claymation is done by making figures out of clay and taking pictures every time a
new frame is made. So for example you could make a clay man and have him wave. A picture would
need to be taken and then you would have to slightly move up his arm then take another picture. At
the end all the pictures can be put together to have your animation ready to watch. Cut-out
animation is similar to this, however instead of clay, paper is used. All the necessary objects are cut
out of paper and set up on a background. Then a camera is set up to take the pictures for5each
Figure Wallace and Gromit
frame. For each frame the cut out pieces of paper can be moved to make up the animation.
A good example of Claymation would be Wallace and Gromit, produced by
Aardman Animations. Aardman have also produced other stop motion clay
animations including Morph and Chicken Run. A good example of cut out
animation would be the very early episodes of south park.
Types of Animation:
Figure 4 South Park
Nowadays most animation is done on computers because of how much easier and less time
consuming it is. It is a lot easier to make a ball bounce on a computer than using cut out animation.
This is because tweening can be used. There are a few different methods of tweening that can be
Joel Black Page 2
