# data[].attributes.body
1900s when the first film of animation was made

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Rotoscoping a projector like animation

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Chalkboard come to life kinda style black and white

# data[].attributes.body
Steamboat Willie starts

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walt disney gamble works

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Rubber hose style kicks off

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The animation industry has grown to become an absolute behemoth in the world of cinema. As of the last reliable estimates, which surfaced around 2008, the industry was reported to be worth a cool $68.4 billion alone, and that was before the world had ever heard of a little movie called .

And even though modern animated movies require massive teams working solidly for years, they're still the most profitable of any film genre. They have been since 2004, with gross profit margins at 52% compared to the second-most profitable genre, action, at 48%. The industry has stumbled into a gold mine, and it's still way too early to predict when we'll hit the peak.

But, of course, animations weren't always multi-million dollar affairs. Only a century before 3D animation schools rose up to help people study the craft, there were pioneers out there trying to figure out how to get it started.

The History of Animation: Starting With The First-Ever Animation

What was the first-ever animation? That is a trickier question than it might appear because it depends entirely on what is classified as an animation. Given that animation, at its heart, is simply the act of creating the illusion of movement through still images, you could argue that the craft began hundreds of thousands of years ago. We're all familiar with the stereotypical cave painting imagery, which usually depicts hunting in motion.

The Victorians also figured out how to create moving stills to trick the eyes into thinking the image was animated:

But that's probably not what you wanted to know. Even if we're talking about the first-ever animation in the era of film, though, we've still got a problem: are we including only drawn images? Stop motion? Animations that only featured a few frames? Let's skip ahead a little and take a look at the first verifiable animated feature-length film... although that may be a little tricky since no surviving copies exist.

El Apóstol: The First Animated Feature Film

After a number of pioneers began creating animated shorts in the early 20th century (1914's Gertie the Dinosaur is a notable example), the very first feature-length animation created using traditional methods was entitled El Apóstol. Released in 1917 to a South American theatre audience, the 70-minute long movie - running at an impressive 14 frames per second - is the first commercially profitable animated movie ever made. According to those who saw it, the political satire was exceedingly good. However, those who didn't catch it the first time will never have the chance to find out since the film's only copy was destroyed in a house fire.

The Rise of the House of Mouse

More experimental animation techniques were developed over the next decade (including methods like rotoscoping), producing some hit-and-miss results. It was the opening of a small studio in Los Angeles, however, that changed the game forever.

To many, the word "animation" begins and ends with Walt Disney. With more innovations and notable works over the 20th century (and beyond) than we could ever hope to list here, Disney's studio and tumultuous history set a precedent for the entire animation industry. Disney Studios also inspired the popular 12 principles of animation, which many animators swear by today.

Interestingly, Pinto Colvig, famously known as the voice of Disney's Goofy, was an extremely talented illustrator and is reputed to have made the very first animated feature film himself a couple of years before El Apóstol, but this is now impossible to verify. As a result, some commenters point to the 1937 release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as the first feature-length animated film since it was entirely hand-drawn and isn't classified as a 'lost movie.'

The First Computer-Animated Feature Film

If the founding of Disney Studios is the most significant turning point in animation history, Pixar's release of Toy Story in 1995 could be deemed the second biggest. As the first fully computer-animated feature film, Toy Story, starring Tim Allen and Tom Hanks as Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody, utilized cutting-edge CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) techniques. The movie demonstrated the potential of computer animation and revolutionized the industry, inspiring future advancements and shaping how animated films are made.

While it's impressive that Toy Story still looks incredible two decades later, it's undeniable that the CGI animations released since are following some kind of Moore's Law effect: every year, the rate of technological increase is growing exponentially, leading to mind-blowing results which are light-years ahead of titles released just a couple of years ago.

The Evolution of Animation

CGI animation has continued to provide filmmakers with the techniques they need to stretch the limits of their imagination. Films such as Jingle Jangle, which has NYFA alum Francesco Panzieri among the film's credits, utilized several CGI effects to capture the magic of the holiday season. Superhero films from NYFA Guest Speaker Kevin Feige, such as Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Captain Marvel (2019), also all used cutting-edge computer imaging. This level of animation brings audiences into a world where superheroes can fly, fight alien creatures, and have superhuman abilities.

Even television series and short films are tapping into the future of animation. Disney + released the streaming series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which used CGI animation to create the character of She-Hulk. She-Hulk also featured New York Film Academy Acting for Film alum Michel Curiel. As part of Pixar's "SparkShorts," program, designed to discover new storytellers, writer/director Steven Clay Hunter created the short CGI-animated film Out. The short film was a milestone for Pixar, featuring the first gay main character in a Pixar production.

With technology providing more opportunities for CGI-animated films to excel, traditional animation methods are still used to create memorable films. In 2022, Guillermo del Toro released his version of the Pinnochio in collaboration with Netflix. The film was created using stop motion, resulting in a gothic fairy tale feel that took over 60 crew members and 1000 days to create.

The Growth of the Animation Industry

Outside of Disney and Pixar, the animation industry has grown exponentially, with animation studios all over the world. Japanese studio Studio Ghibli has released award-winning animes, including Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro; DreamWorks Animation is known for hit films such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and How to Train Your Dragon. Notably, Dreamworks has successfully turned many of its films into franchises. Shrek, which inspired several sequels and spin-off films, also has a cult-like fanbase, with people holding Shrek-themed parties year-round.

Additional animation studios, such as Nickelodeon Animation Studios, are still finding success in their classics like SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Hey Arnold! Similar to Shrek, Spongebob has an enthusiastic fanbase, with three films based on the animated TV show. Cartoon Network Studios has also had a variety of hit shows, including Adventure Time, Regular Show, and The Powerpuff Girls. As a part of their nighttime series Adult Swim, Cartoon Network has also produced mature animated content like Rick and Morty, a wildly successful series very loosely based on the Back to the Future characters.

Top-Grossing Animated Films

As animated films have become more popular and technology has advanced, the box office has demonstrated how successful these movies can be. In the last decade, here are the top-grossing animated and CGI animated films.

The Lion King (2019)

The CGI-animated live-action Lion King (2019) was a box-office smash. Based on the 1994 animated film, the remake featured Beyonce as Nala and Donald Glover as Simba, as well as Seth Rogen as Pumba, John Oliver as Zazu, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, and Alfre Woodard as Sarabi. Additionally, NYFA alum Guillermo Quesada was on the team of VR and AR developers for the film.

Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)

The Frozen movies were a cultural phenomenon and inspired young girls everywhere to don "Elsa" Halloween costumes for years to come. The musical films follow two sisters, Elsa and Anna, as they grapple with Elsa's mysterious powers.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Based on the popular video game, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) featured a look into the magical world of Mario and Luigi. Starring Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Jack Black as Bowser, for many, the fun film recaptured the nostalgia of the childhood game.

The Incredibles 2 (2018)

The Incredibles 2, sequel to the popular The Incredibles, brings audiences back into the theater to follow the adventures of the Parr superhero family. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter return as Mr. Incredible and ElastaGirl, with Brad Bird returning as the voice of fan-favorite Edna Mode.

Minions (2015)

After the release of the Despicable Me animated film starring Steve Carrell, minions were everywhere. The Minions movie, starring Sandra Bullock as a supervillain, brought back the lovable yellow cylinder-shaped minions for more fun and hijinks. Despicable Me 3, the third installation of the original film series, was also a commercial box-office hit.

Toy Story 3 (2010) and 4 (2019)

Toy Story went on to have four feature films and is rumored to have a fifth film on the way. Each film introduces new storylines that tug at the audience's heartstrings and introduce colorful characters. The third and fourth films were particularly popular, showing the series' long-term success and cultural impact.

Finding Dory (2016)

Finding Dory (2016), based on the popular Finding Nemo (2003) animated film, demonstrated the potential popularity of any given character in an animated film. Dory, voiced by Ellen Degeneres, was a fan favorite, inspiring her own movie that dug into the character's backstory under the sea.

Zootopia (2016)

Known for the catchy song "Try Everything" by Shakira, Zootopia was a surprise hit with audiences. The film, based in the fictional Zootopia city, has a number of memorable characters based on animals and follows two crime-fighting friends, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman).

With a number of films expected to have sequels and trilogies, as well as the continued creation of Disney live-action remakes, such as the new The Little Mermaid (2023), this list is likely to shuffle. More so, with streaming channels creating their own animated and CGI-animated content, the future of animation looks bright, with a number of outlets for creators to release original stories.

Get Started with 3D Animation at NYFA

CGI animation is now a hugely profitable industry staple; it isn't going anywhere soon. The only thing left to see is how the students of Discover the magic of animation and visual effects at NYFA. Learn the fundamentals of animation tools and storytelling through our hands-on programs. Learn more about our programs on the animation school today will revolutionize the world of animation tomorrow. Animation School page!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The History of Animation: From The First Animated Film to CGI Animation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Throughout the history of animation, the industry has continued to prove the potential of animated films and television shows.

# data[].attributes.body
First animation
Lots of still pictures rotating through tiny hole

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The animation industry has grown to become an absolute behemoth in the world of cinema. As of the last reliable estimates, which surfaced around 2008, the industry was reported to be worth a cool $68.4 billion alone, and that was before the world had ever heard of a little movie called .

And even though modern animated movies require massive teams working solidly for years, they're still the most profitable of any film genre. They have been since 2004, with gross profit margins at 52% compared to the second-most profitable genre, action, at 48%. The industry has stumbled into a gold mine, and it's still way too early to predict when we'll hit the peak.

But, of course, animations weren't always multi-million dollar affairs. Only a century before 3D animation schools rose up to help people study the craft, there were pioneers out there trying to figure out how to get it started.

The History of Animation: Starting With The First-Ever Animation

What was the first-ever animation? That is a trickier question than it might appear because it depends entirely on what is classified as an animation. Given that animation, at its heart, is simply the act of creating the illusion of movement through still images, you could argue that the craft began hundreds of thousands of years ago. We're all familiar with the stereotypical cave painting imagery, which usually depicts hunting in motion.

The Victorians also figured out how to create moving stills to trick the eyes into thinking the image was animated:

But that's probably not what you wanted to know. Even if we're talking about the first-ever animation in the era of film, though, we've still got a problem: are we including only drawn images? Stop motion? Animations that only featured a few frames? Let's skip ahead a little and take a look at the first verifiable animated feature-length film... although that may be a little tricky since no surviving copies exist.

El Apóstol: The First Animated Feature Film

After a number of pioneers began creating animated shorts in the early 20th century (1914's Gertie the Dinosaur is a notable example), the very first feature-length animation created using traditional methods was entitled El Apóstol. Released in 1917 to a South American theatre audience, the 70-minute long movie - running at an impressive 14 frames per second - is the first commercially profitable animated movie ever made. According to those who saw it, the political satire was exceedingly good. However, those who didn't catch it the first time will never have the chance to find out since the film's only copy was destroyed in a house fire.

The Rise of the House of Mouse

More experimental animation techniques were developed over the next decade (including methods like rotoscoping), producing some hit-and-miss results. It was the opening of a small studio in Los Angeles, however, that changed the game forever.

To many, the word "animation" begins and ends with Walt Disney. With more innovations and notable works over the 20th century (and beyond) than we could ever hope to list here, Disney's studio and tumultuous history set a precedent for the entire animation industry. Disney Studios also inspired the popular 12 principles of animation, which many animators swear by today.

Interestingly, Pinto Colvig, famously known as the voice of Disney's Goofy, was an extremely talented illustrator and is reputed to have made the very first animated feature film himself a couple of years before El Apóstol, but this is now impossible to verify. As a result, some commenters point to the 1937 release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as the first feature-length animated film since it was entirely hand-drawn and isn't classified as a 'lost movie.'

The First Computer-Animated Feature Film

If the founding of Disney Studios is the most significant turning point in animation history, Pixar's release of Toy Story in 1995 could be deemed the second biggest. As the first fully computer-animated feature film, Toy Story, starring Tim Allen and Tom Hanks as Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody, utilized cutting-edge CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) techniques. The movie demonstrated the potential of computer animation and revolutionized the industry, inspiring future advancements and shaping how animated films are made.

While it's impressive that Toy Story still looks incredible two decades later, it's undeniable that the CGI animations released since are following some kind of Moore's Law effect: every year, the rate of technological increase is growing exponentially, leading to mind-blowing results which are light-years ahead of titles released just a couple of years ago.

The Evolution of Animation

CGI animation has continued to provide filmmakers with the techniques they need to stretch the limits of their imagination. Films such as Jingle Jangle, which has NYFA alum Francesco Panzieri among the film's credits, utilized several CGI effects to capture the magic of the holiday season. Superhero films from NYFA Guest Speaker Kevin Feige, such as Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Captain Marvel (2019), also all used cutting-edge computer imaging. This level of animation brings audiences into a world where superheroes can fly, fight alien creatures, and have superhuman abilities.

Even television series and short films are tapping into the future of animation. Disney + released the streaming series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which used CGI animation to create the character of She-Hulk. She-Hulk also featured New York Film Academy Acting for Film alum Michel Curiel. As part of Pixar's "SparkShorts," program, designed to discover new storytellers, writer/director Steven Clay Hunter created the short CGI-animated film Out. The short film was a milestone for Pixar, featuring the first gay main character in a Pixar production.

With technology providing more opportunities for CGI-animated films to excel, traditional animation methods are still used to create memorable films. In 2022, Guillermo del Toro released his version of the Pinnochio in collaboration with Netflix. The film was created using stop motion, resulting in a gothic fairy tale feel that took over 60 crew members and 1000 days to create.

The Growth of the Animation Industry

Outside of Disney and Pixar, the animation industry has grown exponentially, with animation studios all over the world. Japanese studio Studio Ghibli has released award-winning animes, including Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro; DreamWorks Animation is known for hit films such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and How to Train Your Dragon. Notably, Dreamworks has successfully turned many of its films into franchises. Shrek, which inspired several sequels and spin-off films, also has a cult-like fanbase, with people holding Shrek-themed parties year-round.

Additional animation studios, such as Nickelodeon Animation Studios, are still finding success in their classics like SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Hey Arnold! Similar to Shrek, Spongebob has an enthusiastic fanbase, with three films based on the animated TV show. Cartoon Network Studios has also had a variety of hit shows, including Adventure Time, Regular Show, and The Powerpuff Girls. As a part of their nighttime series Adult Swim, Cartoon Network has also produced mature animated content like Rick and Morty, a wildly successful series very loosely based on the Back to the Future characters.

Top-Grossing Animated Films

As animated films have become more popular and technology has advanced, the box office has demonstrated how successful these movies can be. In the last decade, here are the top-grossing animated and CGI animated films.

The Lion King (2019)

The CGI-animated live-action Lion King (2019) was a box-office smash. Based on the 1994 animated film, the remake featured Beyonce as Nala and Donald Glover as Simba, as well as Seth Rogen as Pumba, John Oliver as Zazu, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, and Alfre Woodard as Sarabi. Additionally, NYFA alum Guillermo Quesada was on the team of VR and AR developers for the film.

Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)

The Frozen movies were a cultural phenomenon and inspired young girls everywhere to don "Elsa" Halloween costumes for years to come. The musical films follow two sisters, Elsa and Anna, as they grapple with Elsa's mysterious powers.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Based on the popular video game, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) featured a look into the magical world of Mario and Luigi. Starring Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Jack Black as Bowser, for many, the fun film recaptured the nostalgia of the childhood game.

The Incredibles 2 (2018)

The Incredibles 2, sequel to the popular The Incredibles, brings audiences back into the theater to follow the adventures of the Parr superhero family. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter return as Mr. Incredible and ElastaGirl, with Brad Bird returning as the voice of fan-favorite Edna Mode.

Minions (2015)

After the release of the Despicable Me animated film starring Steve Carrell, minions were everywhere. The Minions movie, starring Sandra Bullock as a supervillain, brought back the lovable yellow cylinder-shaped minions for more fun and hijinks. Despicable Me 3, the third installation of the original film series, was also a commercial box-office hit.

Toy Story 3 (2010) and 4 (2019)

Toy Story went on to have four feature films and is rumored to have a fifth film on the way. Each film introduces new storylines that tug at the audience's heartstrings and introduce colorful characters. The third and fourth films were particularly popular, showing the series' long-term success and cultural impact.

Finding Dory (2016)

Finding Dory (2016), based on the popular Finding Nemo (2003) animated film, demonstrated the potential popularity of any given character in an animated film. Dory, voiced by Ellen Degeneres, was a fan favorite, inspiring her own movie that dug into the character's backstory under the sea.

Zootopia (2016)

Known for the catchy song "Try Everything" by Shakira, Zootopia was a surprise hit with audiences. The film, based in the fictional Zootopia city, has a number of memorable characters based on animals and follows two crime-fighting friends, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman).

With a number of films expected to have sequels and trilogies, as well as the continued creation of Disney live-action remakes, such as the new The Little Mermaid (2023), this list is likely to shuffle. More so, with streaming channels creating their own animated and CGI-animated content, the future of animation looks bright, with a number of outlets for creators to release original stories.

Get Started with 3D Animation at NYFA

CGI animation is now a hugely profitable industry staple; it isn't going anywhere soon. The only thing left to see is how the students of Discover the magic of animation and visual effects at NYFA. Learn the fundamentals of animation tools and storytelling through our hands-on programs. Learn more about our programs on the animation school today will revolutionize the world of animation tomorrow. Animation School page!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The History of Animation: From The First Animated Film to CGI Animation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Throughout the history of animation, the industry has continued to prove the potential of animated films and television shows.

# data[].attributes.headline
Mouse house (walt disney) is coming to be 

# data[].attributes.subject
Mouse house (walt disney) is coming to be 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The animation industry has grown to become an absolute behemoth in the world of cinema. As of the last reliable estimates, which surfaced around 2008, the industry was reported to be worth a cool $68.4 billion alone, and that was before the world had ever heard of a little movie called .

And even though modern animated movies require massive teams working solidly for years, they're still the most profitable of any film genre. They have been since 2004, with gross profit margins at 52% compared to the second-most profitable genre, action, at 48%. The industry has stumbled into a gold mine, and it's still way too early to predict when we'll hit the peak.

But, of course, animations weren't always multi-million dollar affairs. Only a century before 3D animation schools rose up to help people study the craft, there were pioneers out there trying to figure out how to get it started.

The History of Animation: Starting With The First-Ever Animation

What was the first-ever animation? That is a trickier question than it might appear because it depends entirely on what is classified as an animation. Given that animation, at its heart, is simply the act of creating the illusion of movement through still images, you could argue that the craft began hundreds of thousands of years ago. We're all familiar with the stereotypical cave painting imagery, which usually depicts hunting in motion.

The Victorians also figured out how to create moving stills to trick the eyes into thinking the image was animated:

But that's probably not what you wanted to know. Even if we're talking about the first-ever animation in the era of film, though, we've still got a problem: are we including only drawn images? Stop motion? Animations that only featured a few frames? Let's skip ahead a little and take a look at the first verifiable animated feature-length film... although that may be a little tricky since no surviving copies exist.

El Apóstol: The First Animated Feature Film

After a number of pioneers began creating animated shorts in the early 20th century (1914's Gertie the Dinosaur is a notable example), the very first feature-length animation created using traditional methods was entitled El Apóstol. Released in 1917 to a South American theatre audience, the 70-minute long movie - running at an impressive 14 frames per second - is the first commercially profitable animated movie ever made. According to those who saw it, the political satire was exceedingly good. However, those who didn't catch it the first time will never have the chance to find out since the film's only copy was destroyed in a house fire.

The Rise of the House of Mouse

More experimental animation techniques were developed over the next decade (including methods like rotoscoping), producing some hit-and-miss results. It was the opening of a small studio in Los Angeles, however, that changed the game forever.

To many, the word "animation" begins and ends with Walt Disney. With more innovations and notable works over the 20th century (and beyond) than we could ever hope to list here, Disney's studio and tumultuous history set a precedent for the entire animation industry. Disney Studios also inspired the popular 12 principles of animation, which many animators swear by today.

Interestingly, Pinto Colvig, famously known as the voice of Disney's Goofy, was an extremely talented illustrator and is reputed to have made the very first animated feature film himself a couple of years before El Apóstol, but this is now impossible to verify. As a result, some commenters point to the 1937 release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as the first feature-length animated film since it was entirely hand-drawn and isn't classified as a 'lost movie.'

The First Computer-Animated Feature Film

If the founding of Disney Studios is the most significant turning point in animation history, Pixar's release of Toy Story in 1995 could be deemed the second biggest. As the first fully computer-animated feature film, Toy Story, starring Tim Allen and Tom Hanks as Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody, utilized cutting-edge CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) techniques. The movie demonstrated the potential of computer animation and revolutionized the industry, inspiring future advancements and shaping how animated films are made.

While it's impressive that Toy Story still looks incredible two decades later, it's undeniable that the CGI animations released since are following some kind of Moore's Law effect: every year, the rate of technological increase is growing exponentially, leading to mind-blowing results which are light-years ahead of titles released just a couple of years ago.

The Evolution of Animation

CGI animation has continued to provide filmmakers with the techniques they need to stretch the limits of their imagination. Films such as Jingle Jangle, which has NYFA alum Francesco Panzieri among the film's credits, utilized several CGI effects to capture the magic of the holiday season. Superhero films from NYFA Guest Speaker Kevin Feige, such as Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Captain Marvel (2019), also all used cutting-edge computer imaging. This level of animation brings audiences into a world where superheroes can fly, fight alien creatures, and have superhuman abilities.

Even television series and short films are tapping into the future of animation. Disney + released the streaming series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which used CGI animation to create the character of She-Hulk. She-Hulk also featured New York Film Academy Acting for Film alum Michel Curiel. As part of Pixar's "SparkShorts," program, designed to discover new storytellers, writer/director Steven Clay Hunter created the short CGI-animated film Out. The short film was a milestone for Pixar, featuring the first gay main character in a Pixar production.

With technology providing more opportunities for CGI-animated films to excel, traditional animation methods are still used to create memorable films. In 2022, Guillermo del Toro released his version of the Pinnochio in collaboration with Netflix. The film was created using stop motion, resulting in a gothic fairy tale feel that took over 60 crew members and 1000 days to create.

The Growth of the Animation Industry

Outside of Disney and Pixar, the animation industry has grown exponentially, with animation studios all over the world. Japanese studio Studio Ghibli has released award-winning animes, including Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro; DreamWorks Animation is known for hit films such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and How to Train Your Dragon. Notably, Dreamworks has successfully turned many of its films into franchises. Shrek, which inspired several sequels and spin-off films, also has a cult-like fanbase, with people holding Shrek-themed parties year-round.

Additional animation studios, such as Nickelodeon Animation Studios, are still finding success in their classics like SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Hey Arnold! Similar to Shrek, Spongebob has an enthusiastic fanbase, with three films based on the animated TV show. Cartoon Network Studios has also had a variety of hit shows, including Adventure Time, Regular Show, and The Powerpuff Girls. As a part of their nighttime series Adult Swim, Cartoon Network has also produced mature animated content like Rick and Morty, a wildly successful series very loosely based on the Back to the Future characters.

Top-Grossing Animated Films

As animated films have become more popular and technology has advanced, the box office has demonstrated how successful these movies can be. In the last decade, here are the top-grossing animated and CGI animated films.

The Lion King (2019)

The CGI-animated live-action Lion King (2019) was a box-office smash. Based on the 1994 animated film, the remake featured Beyonce as Nala and Donald Glover as Simba, as well as Seth Rogen as Pumba, John Oliver as Zazu, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, and Alfre Woodard as Sarabi. Additionally, NYFA alum Guillermo Quesada was on the team of VR and AR developers for the film.

Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)

The Frozen movies were a cultural phenomenon and inspired young girls everywhere to don "Elsa" Halloween costumes for years to come. The musical films follow two sisters, Elsa and Anna, as they grapple with Elsa's mysterious powers.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Based on the popular video game, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) featured a look into the magical world of Mario and Luigi. Starring Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Jack Black as Bowser, for many, the fun film recaptured the nostalgia of the childhood game.

The Incredibles 2 (2018)

The Incredibles 2, sequel to the popular The Incredibles, brings audiences back into the theater to follow the adventures of the Parr superhero family. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter return as Mr. Incredible and ElastaGirl, with Brad Bird returning as the voice of fan-favorite Edna Mode.

Minions (2015)

After the release of the Despicable Me animated film starring Steve Carrell, minions were everywhere. The Minions movie, starring Sandra Bullock as a supervillain, brought back the lovable yellow cylinder-shaped minions for more fun and hijinks. Despicable Me 3, the third installation of the original film series, was also a commercial box-office hit.

Toy Story 3 (2010) and 4 (2019)

Toy Story went on to have four feature films and is rumored to have a fifth film on the way. Each film introduces new storylines that tug at the audience's heartstrings and introduce colorful characters. The third and fourth films were particularly popular, showing the series' long-term success and cultural impact.

Finding Dory (2016)

Finding Dory (2016), based on the popular Finding Nemo (2003) animated film, demonstrated the potential popularity of any given character in an animated film. Dory, voiced by Ellen Degeneres, was a fan favorite, inspiring her own movie that dug into the character's backstory under the sea.

Zootopia (2016)

Known for the catchy song "Try Everything" by Shakira, Zootopia was a surprise hit with audiences. The film, based in the fictional Zootopia city, has a number of memorable characters based on animals and follows two crime-fighting friends, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman).

With a number of films expected to have sequels and trilogies, as well as the continued creation of Disney live-action remakes, such as the new The Little Mermaid (2023), this list is likely to shuffle. More so, with streaming channels creating their own animated and CGI-animated content, the future of animation looks bright, with a number of outlets for creators to release original stories.

Get Started with 3D Animation at NYFA

CGI animation is now a hugely profitable industry staple; it isn't going anywhere soon. The only thing left to see is how the students of Discover the magic of animation and visual effects at NYFA. Learn the fundamentals of animation tools and storytelling through our hands-on programs. Learn more about our programs on the animation school today will revolutionize the world of animation tomorrow. Animation School page!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The History of Animation: From The First Animated Film to CGI Animation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Throughout the history of animation, the industry has continued to prove the potential of animated films and television shows.

# data[].attributes.body
Geometry mostly

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Animation and CGI: Discovery Service for DigitalMaine Library

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First dinosaur on screen in a first cartoon

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First dinosaur on screen in a first cartoon

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cartoon cartoons comic books comic strips history of cartoons history of comics crumb wrightson eisner barks

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A Treasury of Animation - Cartoon Art Museum

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A Treasury of Animation features historic never-before-seen work. "Our permanent collection houses thousands of animation cels and concept drawings," says CAM Curator Andrew Farago, "but only a small portion of that artwork can be shown at any given time. This exhibition is an opportunity for us to show off the best of the best from the museum's archives."

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The animation industry has grown to become an absolute behemoth in the world of cinema. As of the last reliable estimates, which surfaced around 2008, the industry was reported to be worth a cool $68.4 billion alone, and that was before the world had ever heard of a little movie called .

And even though modern animated movies require massive teams working solidly for years, they're still the most profitable of any film genre. They have been since 2004, with gross profit margins at 52% compared to the second-most profitable genre, action, at 48%. The industry has stumbled into a gold mine, and it's still way too early to predict when we'll hit the peak.

But, of course, animations weren't always multi-million dollar affairs. Only a century before 3D animation schools rose up to help people study the craft, there were pioneers out there trying to figure out how to get it started.

The History of Animation: Starting With The First-Ever Animation

What was the first-ever animation? That is a trickier question than it might appear because it depends entirely on what is classified as an animation. Given that animation, at its heart, is simply the act of creating the illusion of movement through still images, you could argue that the craft began hundreds of thousands of years ago. We're all familiar with the stereotypical cave painting imagery, which usually depicts hunting in motion.

The Victorians also figured out how to create moving stills to trick the eyes into thinking the image was animated:

But that's probably not what you wanted to know. Even if we're talking about the first-ever animation in the era of film, though, we've still got a problem: are we including only drawn images? Stop motion? Animations that only featured a few frames? Let's skip ahead a little and take a look at the first verifiable animated feature-length film... although that may be a little tricky since no surviving copies exist.

El Apóstol: The First Animated Feature Film

After a number of pioneers began creating animated shorts in the early 20th century (1914's Gertie the Dinosaur is a notable example), the very first feature-length animation created using traditional methods was entitled El Apóstol. Released in 1917 to a South American theatre audience, the 70-minute long movie - running at an impressive 14 frames per second - is the first commercially profitable animated movie ever made. According to those who saw it, the political satire was exceedingly good. However, those who didn't catch it the first time will never have the chance to find out since the film's only copy was destroyed in a house fire.

The Rise of the House of Mouse

More experimental animation techniques were developed over the next decade (including methods like rotoscoping), producing some hit-and-miss results. It was the opening of a small studio in Los Angeles, however, that changed the game forever.

To many, the word "animation" begins and ends with Walt Disney. With more innovations and notable works over the 20th century (and beyond) than we could ever hope to list here, Disney's studio and tumultuous history set a precedent for the entire animation industry. Disney Studios also inspired the popular 12 principles of animation, which many animators swear by today.

Interestingly, Pinto Colvig, famously known as the voice of Disney's Goofy, was an extremely talented illustrator and is reputed to have made the very first animated feature film himself a couple of years before El Apóstol, but this is now impossible to verify. As a result, some commenters point to the 1937 release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as the first feature-length animated film since it was entirely hand-drawn and isn't classified as a 'lost movie.'

The First Computer-Animated Feature Film

If the founding of Disney Studios is the most significant turning point in animation history, Pixar's release of Toy Story in 1995 could be deemed the second biggest. As the first fully computer-animated feature film, Toy Story, starring Tim Allen and Tom Hanks as Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody, utilized cutting-edge CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) techniques. The movie demonstrated the potential of computer animation and revolutionized the industry, inspiring future advancements and shaping how animated films are made.

While it's impressive that Toy Story still looks incredible two decades later, it's undeniable that the CGI animations released since are following some kind of Moore's Law effect: every year, the rate of technological increase is growing exponentially, leading to mind-blowing results which are light-years ahead of titles released just a couple of years ago.

The Evolution of Animation

CGI animation has continued to provide filmmakers with the techniques they need to stretch the limits of their imagination. Films such as Jingle Jangle, which has NYFA alum Francesco Panzieri among the film's credits, utilized several CGI effects to capture the magic of the holiday season. Superhero films from NYFA Guest Speaker Kevin Feige, such as Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Captain Marvel (2019), also all used cutting-edge computer imaging. This level of animation brings audiences into a world where superheroes can fly, fight alien creatures, and have superhuman abilities.

Even television series and short films are tapping into the future of animation. Disney + released the streaming series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which used CGI animation to create the character of She-Hulk. She-Hulk also featured New York Film Academy Acting for Film alum Michel Curiel. As part of Pixar's "SparkShorts," program, designed to discover new storytellers, writer/director Steven Clay Hunter created the short CGI-animated film Out. The short film was a milestone for Pixar, featuring the first gay main character in a Pixar production.

With technology providing more opportunities for CGI-animated films to excel, traditional animation methods are still used to create memorable films. In 2022, Guillermo del Toro released his version of the Pinnochio in collaboration with Netflix. The film was created using stop motion, resulting in a gothic fairy tale feel that took over 60 crew members and 1000 days to create.

The Growth of the Animation Industry

Outside of Disney and Pixar, the animation industry has grown exponentially, with animation studios all over the world. Japanese studio Studio Ghibli has released award-winning animes, including Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro; DreamWorks Animation is known for hit films such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and How to Train Your Dragon. Notably, Dreamworks has successfully turned many of its films into franchises. Shrek, which inspired several sequels and spin-off films, also has a cult-like fanbase, with people holding Shrek-themed parties year-round.

Additional animation studios, such as Nickelodeon Animation Studios, are still finding success in their classics like SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Hey Arnold! Similar to Shrek, Spongebob has an enthusiastic fanbase, with three films based on the animated TV show. Cartoon Network Studios has also had a variety of hit shows, including Adventure Time, Regular Show, and The Powerpuff Girls. As a part of their nighttime series Adult Swim, Cartoon Network has also produced mature animated content like Rick and Morty, a wildly successful series very loosely based on the Back to the Future characters.

Top-Grossing Animated Films

As animated films have become more popular and technology has advanced, the box office has demonstrated how successful these movies can be. In the last decade, here are the top-grossing animated and CGI animated films.

The Lion King (2019)

The CGI-animated live-action Lion King (2019) was a box-office smash. Based on the 1994 animated film, the remake featured Beyonce as Nala and Donald Glover as Simba, as well as Seth Rogen as Pumba, John Oliver as Zazu, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, and Alfre Woodard as Sarabi. Additionally, NYFA alum Guillermo Quesada was on the team of VR and AR developers for the film.

Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)

The Frozen movies were a cultural phenomenon and inspired young girls everywhere to don "Elsa" Halloween costumes for years to come. The musical films follow two sisters, Elsa and Anna, as they grapple with Elsa's mysterious powers.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Based on the popular video game, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) featured a look into the magical world of Mario and Luigi. Starring Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Jack Black as Bowser, for many, the fun film recaptured the nostalgia of the childhood game.

The Incredibles 2 (2018)

The Incredibles 2, sequel to the popular The Incredibles, brings audiences back into the theater to follow the adventures of the Parr superhero family. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter return as Mr. Incredible and ElastaGirl, with Brad Bird returning as the voice of fan-favorite Edna Mode.

Minions (2015)

After the release of the Despicable Me animated film starring Steve Carrell, minions were everywhere. The Minions movie, starring Sandra Bullock as a supervillain, brought back the lovable yellow cylinder-shaped minions for more fun and hijinks. Despicable Me 3, the third installation of the original film series, was also a commercial box-office hit.

Toy Story 3 (2010) and 4 (2019)

Toy Story went on to have four feature films and is rumored to have a fifth film on the way. Each film introduces new storylines that tug at the audience's heartstrings and introduce colorful characters. The third and fourth films were particularly popular, showing the series' long-term success and cultural impact.

Finding Dory (2016)

Finding Dory (2016), based on the popular Finding Nemo (2003) animated film, demonstrated the potential popularity of any given character in an animated film. Dory, voiced by Ellen Degeneres, was a fan favorite, inspiring her own movie that dug into the character's backstory under the sea.

Zootopia (2016)

Known for the catchy song "Try Everything" by Shakira, Zootopia was a surprise hit with audiences. The film, based in the fictional Zootopia city, has a number of memorable characters based on animals and follows two crime-fighting friends, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman).

With a number of films expected to have sequels and trilogies, as well as the continued creation of Disney live-action remakes, such as the new The Little Mermaid (2023), this list is likely to shuffle. More so, with streaming channels creating their own animated and CGI-animated content, the future of animation looks bright, with a number of outlets for creators to release original stories.

Get Started with 3D Animation at NYFA

CGI animation is now a hugely profitable industry staple; it isn't going anywhere soon. The only thing left to see is how the students of Discover the magic of animation and visual effects at NYFA. Learn the fundamentals of animation tools and storytelling through our hands-on programs. Learn more about our programs on the animation school today will revolutionize the world of animation tomorrow. Animation School page!

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The History of Animation: From The First Animated Film to CGI Animation

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Throughout the history of animation, the industry has continued to prove the potential of animated films and television shows.

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Definition of 3-D Versus 2-D Animation

Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation. 2-D animation is achieved when a flat object that has height and width appears to move either left or right or up and down. There is no depth to the object with 2D animation. When an artist creates 2-D animation by hand, he or she creates a drawing followed by another drawing with a slightly different pose. The artist keeps going until he or she has created 24 drawing or frames. All of that work equals one second of animation! That is a LOT of drawing!

With computer technology, humans can generate and put together many more images in the same second, giving objects three-dimensions (3-D), not just two. 3-D animation creates objects with height, width, and depth. 3-D animation is the process of taking real 3-D objects and shaping them into moveable, animated objects. The complicated process involves recording each movement so that, when the individual images are played back together, they create animation. This can be done using sculptural materials like clay, but today's 3-D animation usually involves humans using computers. In fact, the term 3-D animation is now often used interchangeably with the term Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), which is 3-D animation created with the use of computers.

History of 3-D Animation

Before computers, early 3-D animation involved materials like clay being formed into shapes. The shapes were moved a little bit for every shot. Piecing all of the hundreds or thousands of shots together created the animation. This is called stop-motion, or claymation. Claymation is very time-consuming, but can be wonderful to watch. Favorite characters and shows like Gumby (which first aired in 1956), Wallace and Gromit (1990), Shawn the Sheep (1995) and Robot Chicken (2005) were all created this way.

While 2-D animation has been around since the 1800's, it was not until the 1960s that an employee at Boeing, (an airplane manufacturing company) started to experiment on the computer with early forms of 3-D imagery of airline pilots. Usually, this is attributed to William Fetter, a graphic designer and artist, who created the first real 3-D image of the human form to be used in short films for Boeing. Most people credit him with creating the term computer graphics.

By the early 1970s, 3-D animation capabilities had evolved to include realistic human faces and hands created by the designers Frederic Parke and Edwin Catmull. They used both faces and hands in the first film to use CGI technology, Futureworld, in 1976. Edwin Catmull went on to be one of the founders of Pixar, along with George Lucas of Star Wars fame. In 1977, a small scene in George Lucas' Star Wars IV: A New Hope showed the android C-P3O fighting it out with Chewbacca in what looked liked a 3-D version of chess. This ignited the imagination of many people about 3-D animation and what it could do. Even though 3-D animation was used throughout the film, it was this little scene in the movie that fueled public interest in the great possibilities of 3-D animation.

In 1986, George Lucas of Lucasfilm sold its computer graphics division to Steve Jobs. Jobs renamed this division 'Pixar Animation Studios.' This independent studio went through a remarkable transformation, creating now-famous 3-D short films like Luxo Jr. (1986), Tin Toy (1988), and Knick Knack (1989), and becoming a leader in 3-D animation.

Even more 3-D animation came in the early 1990s. Terminator 2 in 1991 was followed by Jurassic Park in 1993; while not amazing by 3-D standards today, the public went crazy to see those realistic dinosaurs. 3-D animation was now firmly established.

In 1995, Pixar Studios (later bought by Disney in 2006) revolutionized 3-D with the release of Toy Story, the first full-length 3-D animated film. The breath-taking, human-like quality of a group of toys fighting for survival is the hallmark of Pixar animation: a good story with cutting-edge 3-D animation. Toy Story was followed by the much-loved 3-D megahits like A Bug's Life (1998), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Wall E (2008) and Up (2009). Where would we be without Woody, Buzz, Dory, Sully and Mike?

By 1999, George Lucas used 3-D animation in nearly every scene in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, including creating the well-done, but not very popular, Jar Jar Binks. This work led to Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), which was the first real attempt at photo-quality, computer-generated humans. Then the ultimate CGI-generated character, Gollum, was created in The Hobbit series of movies.

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3-d animation: history & definition | study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3-D Animation: History & Definition | Study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Definition of 3-D Versus 2-D Animation

Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation. 2-D animation is achieved when a flat object that has height and width appears to move either left or right or up and down. There is no depth to the object with 2D animation. When an artist creates 2-D animation by hand, he or she creates a drawing followed by another drawing with a slightly different pose. The artist keeps going until he or she has created 24 drawing or frames. All of that work equals one second of animation! That is a LOT of drawing!

With computer technology, humans can generate and put together many more images in the same second, giving objects three-dimensions (3-D), not just two. 3-D animation creates objects with height, width, and depth. 3-D animation is the process of taking real 3-D objects and shaping them into moveable, animated objects. The complicated process involves recording each movement so that, when the individual images are played back together, they create animation. This can be done using sculptural materials like clay, but today's 3-D animation usually involves humans using computers. In fact, the term 3-D animation is now often used interchangeably with the term Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), which is 3-D animation created with the use of computers.

History of 3-D Animation

Before computers, early 3-D animation involved materials like clay being formed into shapes. The shapes were moved a little bit for every shot. Piecing all of the hundreds or thousands of shots together created the animation. This is called stop-motion, or claymation. Claymation is very time-consuming, but can be wonderful to watch. Favorite characters and shows like Gumby (which first aired in 1956), Wallace and Gromit (1990), Shawn the Sheep (1995) and Robot Chicken (2005) were all created this way.

While 2-D animation has been around since the 1800's, it was not until the 1960s that an employee at Boeing, (an airplane manufacturing company) started to experiment on the computer with early forms of 3-D imagery of airline pilots. Usually, this is attributed to William Fetter, a graphic designer and artist, who created the first real 3-D image of the human form to be used in short films for Boeing. Most people credit him with creating the term computer graphics.

By the early 1970s, 3-D animation capabilities had evolved to include realistic human faces and hands created by the designers Frederic Parke and Edwin Catmull. They used both faces and hands in the first film to use CGI technology, Futureworld, in 1976. Edwin Catmull went on to be one of the founders of Pixar, along with George Lucas of Star Wars fame. In 1977, a small scene in George Lucas' Star Wars IV: A New Hope showed the android C-P3O fighting it out with Chewbacca in what looked liked a 3-D version of chess. This ignited the imagination of many people about 3-D animation and what it could do. Even though 3-D animation was used throughout the film, it was this little scene in the movie that fueled public interest in the great possibilities of 3-D animation.

In 1986, George Lucas of Lucasfilm sold its computer graphics division to Steve Jobs. Jobs renamed this division 'Pixar Animation Studios.' This independent studio went through a remarkable transformation, creating now-famous 3-D short films like Luxo Jr. (1986), Tin Toy (1988), and Knick Knack (1989), and becoming a leader in 3-D animation.

Even more 3-D animation came in the early 1990s. Terminator 2 in 1991 was followed by Jurassic Park in 1993; while not amazing by 3-D standards today, the public went crazy to see those realistic dinosaurs. 3-D animation was now firmly established.

In 1995, Pixar Studios (later bought by Disney in 2006) revolutionized 3-D with the release of Toy Story, the first full-length 3-D animated film. The breath-taking, human-like quality of a group of toys fighting for survival is the hallmark of Pixar animation: a good story with cutting-edge 3-D animation. Toy Story was followed by the much-loved 3-D megahits like A Bug's Life (1998), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Wall E (2008) and Up (2009). Where would we be without Woody, Buzz, Dory, Sully and Mike?

By 1999, George Lucas used 3-D animation in nearly every scene in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, including creating the well-done, but not very popular, Jar Jar Binks. This work led to Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), which was the first real attempt at photo-quality, computer-generated humans. Then the ultimate CGI-generated character, Gollum, was created in The Hobbit series of movies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
3-d animation: history & definition | study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3-D Animation: History & Definition | Study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Definition of 3-D Versus 2-D Animation

Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation. 2-D animation is achieved when a flat object that has height and width appears to move either left or right or up and down. There is no depth to the object with 2D animation. When an artist creates 2-D animation by hand, he or she creates a drawing followed by another drawing with a slightly different pose. The artist keeps going until he or she has created 24 drawing or frames. All of that work equals one second of animation! That is a LOT of drawing!

With computer technology, humans can generate and put together many more images in the same second, giving objects three-dimensions (3-D), not just two. 3-D animation creates objects with height, width, and depth. 3-D animation is the process of taking real 3-D objects and shaping them into moveable, animated objects. The complicated process involves recording each movement so that, when the individual images are played back together, they create animation. This can be done using sculptural materials like clay, but today's 3-D animation usually involves humans using computers. In fact, the term 3-D animation is now often used interchangeably with the term Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), which is 3-D animation created with the use of computers.

History of 3-D Animation

Before computers, early 3-D animation involved materials like clay being formed into shapes. The shapes were moved a little bit for every shot. Piecing all of the hundreds or thousands of shots together created the animation. This is called stop-motion, or claymation. Claymation is very time-consuming, but can be wonderful to watch. Favorite characters and shows like Gumby (which first aired in 1956), Wallace and Gromit (1990), Shawn the Sheep (1995) and Robot Chicken (2005) were all created this way.

While 2-D animation has been around since the 1800's, it was not until the 1960s that an employee at Boeing, (an airplane manufacturing company) started to experiment on the computer with early forms of 3-D imagery of airline pilots. Usually, this is attributed to William Fetter, a graphic designer and artist, who created the first real 3-D image of the human form to be used in short films for Boeing. Most people credit him with creating the term computer graphics.

By the early 1970s, 3-D animation capabilities had evolved to include realistic human faces and hands created by the designers Frederic Parke and Edwin Catmull. They used both faces and hands in the first film to use CGI technology, Futureworld, in 1976. Edwin Catmull went on to be one of the founders of Pixar, along with George Lucas of Star Wars fame. In 1977, a small scene in George Lucas' Star Wars IV: A New Hope showed the android C-P3O fighting it out with Chewbacca in what looked liked a 3-D version of chess. This ignited the imagination of many people about 3-D animation and what it could do. Even though 3-D animation was used throughout the film, it was this little scene in the movie that fueled public interest in the great possibilities of 3-D animation.

In 1986, George Lucas of Lucasfilm sold its computer graphics division to Steve Jobs. Jobs renamed this division 'Pixar Animation Studios.' This independent studio went through a remarkable transformation, creating now-famous 3-D short films like Luxo Jr. (1986), Tin Toy (1988), and Knick Knack (1989), and becoming a leader in 3-D animation.

Even more 3-D animation came in the early 1990s. Terminator 2 in 1991 was followed by Jurassic Park in 1993; while not amazing by 3-D standards today, the public went crazy to see those realistic dinosaurs. 3-D animation was now firmly established.

In 1995, Pixar Studios (later bought by Disney in 2006) revolutionized 3-D with the release of Toy Story, the first full-length 3-D animated film. The breath-taking, human-like quality of a group of toys fighting for survival is the hallmark of Pixar animation: a good story with cutting-edge 3-D animation. Toy Story was followed by the much-loved 3-D megahits like A Bug's Life (1998), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Wall E (2008) and Up (2009). Where would we be without Woody, Buzz, Dory, Sully and Mike?

By 1999, George Lucas used 3-D animation in nearly every scene in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, including creating the well-done, but not very popular, Jar Jar Binks. This work led to Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), which was the first real attempt at photo-quality, computer-generated humans. Then the ultimate CGI-generated character, Gollum, was created in The Hobbit series of movies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
3-d animation: history & definition | study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3-D Animation: History & Definition | Study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Definition of 3-D Versus 2-D Animation

Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation. 2-D animation is achieved when a flat object that has height and width appears to move either left or right or up and down. There is no depth to the object with 2D animation. When an artist creates 2-D animation by hand, he or she creates a drawing followed by another drawing with a slightly different pose. The artist keeps going until he or she has created 24 drawing or frames. All of that work equals one second of animation! That is a LOT of drawing!

With computer technology, humans can generate and put together many more images in the same second, giving objects three-dimensions (3-D), not just two. 3-D animation creates objects with height, width, and depth. 3-D animation is the process of taking real 3-D objects and shaping them into moveable, animated objects. The complicated process involves recording each movement so that, when the individual images are played back together, they create animation. This can be done using sculptural materials like clay, but today's 3-D animation usually involves humans using computers. In fact, the term 3-D animation is now often used interchangeably with the term Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), which is 3-D animation created with the use of computers.

History of 3-D Animation

Before computers, early 3-D animation involved materials like clay being formed into shapes. The shapes were moved a little bit for every shot. Piecing all of the hundreds or thousands of shots together created the animation. This is called stop-motion, or claymation. Claymation is very time-consuming, but can be wonderful to watch. Favorite characters and shows like Gumby (which first aired in 1956), Wallace and Gromit (1990), Shawn the Sheep (1995) and Robot Chicken (2005) were all created this way.

While 2-D animation has been around since the 1800's, it was not until the 1960s that an employee at Boeing, (an airplane manufacturing company) started to experiment on the computer with early forms of 3-D imagery of airline pilots. Usually, this is attributed to William Fetter, a graphic designer and artist, who created the first real 3-D image of the human form to be used in short films for Boeing. Most people credit him with creating the term computer graphics.

By the early 1970s, 3-D animation capabilities had evolved to include realistic human faces and hands created by the designers Frederic Parke and Edwin Catmull. They used both faces and hands in the first film to use CGI technology, Futureworld, in 1976. Edwin Catmull went on to be one of the founders of Pixar, along with George Lucas of Star Wars fame. In 1977, a small scene in George Lucas' Star Wars IV: A New Hope showed the android C-P3O fighting it out with Chewbacca in what looked liked a 3-D version of chess. This ignited the imagination of many people about 3-D animation and what it could do. Even though 3-D animation was used throughout the film, it was this little scene in the movie that fueled public interest in the great possibilities of 3-D animation.

In 1986, George Lucas of Lucasfilm sold its computer graphics division to Steve Jobs. Jobs renamed this division 'Pixar Animation Studios.' This independent studio went through a remarkable transformation, creating now-famous 3-D short films like Luxo Jr. (1986), Tin Toy (1988), and Knick Knack (1989), and becoming a leader in 3-D animation.

Even more 3-D animation came in the early 1990s. Terminator 2 in 1991 was followed by Jurassic Park in 1993; while not amazing by 3-D standards today, the public went crazy to see those realistic dinosaurs. 3-D animation was now firmly established.

In 1995, Pixar Studios (later bought by Disney in 2006) revolutionized 3-D with the release of Toy Story, the first full-length 3-D animated film. The breath-taking, human-like quality of a group of toys fighting for survival is the hallmark of Pixar animation: a good story with cutting-edge 3-D animation. Toy Story was followed by the much-loved 3-D megahits like A Bug's Life (1998), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Wall E (2008) and Up (2009). Where would we be without Woody, Buzz, Dory, Sully and Mike?

By 1999, George Lucas used 3-D animation in nearly every scene in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, including creating the well-done, but not very popular, Jar Jar Binks. This work led to Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), which was the first real attempt at photo-quality, computer-generated humans. Then the ultimate CGI-generated character, Gollum, was created in The Hobbit series of movies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
3-d animation: history & definition | study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3-D Animation: History & Definition | Study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation.

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Animation movies like toy story and jurassic park 

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Animation movies like toy story and jurassic park 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Definition of 3-D Versus 2-D Animation

Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation. 2-D animation is achieved when a flat object that has height and width appears to move either left or right or up and down. There is no depth to the object with 2D animation. When an artist creates 2-D animation by hand, he or she creates a drawing followed by another drawing with a slightly different pose. The artist keeps going until he or she has created 24 drawing or frames. All of that work equals one second of animation! That is a LOT of drawing!

With computer technology, humans can generate and put together many more images in the same second, giving objects three-dimensions (3-D), not just two. 3-D animation creates objects with height, width, and depth. 3-D animation is the process of taking real 3-D objects and shaping them into moveable, animated objects. The complicated process involves recording each movement so that, when the individual images are played back together, they create animation. This can be done using sculptural materials like clay, but today's 3-D animation usually involves humans using computers. In fact, the term 3-D animation is now often used interchangeably with the term Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), which is 3-D animation created with the use of computers.

History of 3-D Animation

Before computers, early 3-D animation involved materials like clay being formed into shapes. The shapes were moved a little bit for every shot. Piecing all of the hundreds or thousands of shots together created the animation. This is called stop-motion, or claymation. Claymation is very time-consuming, but can be wonderful to watch. Favorite characters and shows like Gumby (which first aired in 1956), Wallace and Gromit (1990), Shawn the Sheep (1995) and Robot Chicken (2005) were all created this way.

While 2-D animation has been around since the 1800's, it was not until the 1960s that an employee at Boeing, (an airplane manufacturing company) started to experiment on the computer with early forms of 3-D imagery of airline pilots. Usually, this is attributed to William Fetter, a graphic designer and artist, who created the first real 3-D image of the human form to be used in short films for Boeing. Most people credit him with creating the term computer graphics.

By the early 1970s, 3-D animation capabilities had evolved to include realistic human faces and hands created by the designers Frederic Parke and Edwin Catmull. They used both faces and hands in the first film to use CGI technology, Futureworld, in 1976. Edwin Catmull went on to be one of the founders of Pixar, along with George Lucas of Star Wars fame. In 1977, a small scene in George Lucas' Star Wars IV: A New Hope showed the android C-P3O fighting it out with Chewbacca in what looked liked a 3-D version of chess. This ignited the imagination of many people about 3-D animation and what it could do. Even though 3-D animation was used throughout the film, it was this little scene in the movie that fueled public interest in the great possibilities of 3-D animation.

In 1986, George Lucas of Lucasfilm sold its computer graphics division to Steve Jobs. Jobs renamed this division 'Pixar Animation Studios.' This independent studio went through a remarkable transformation, creating now-famous 3-D short films like Luxo Jr. (1986), Tin Toy (1988), and Knick Knack (1989), and becoming a leader in 3-D animation.

Even more 3-D animation came in the early 1990s. Terminator 2 in 1991 was followed by Jurassic Park in 1993; while not amazing by 3-D standards today, the public went crazy to see those realistic dinosaurs. 3-D animation was now firmly established.

In 1995, Pixar Studios (later bought by Disney in 2006) revolutionized 3-D with the release of Toy Story, the first full-length 3-D animated film. The breath-taking, human-like quality of a group of toys fighting for survival is the hallmark of Pixar animation: a good story with cutting-edge 3-D animation. Toy Story was followed by the much-loved 3-D megahits like A Bug's Life (1998), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Wall E (2008) and Up (2009). Where would we be without Woody, Buzz, Dory, Sully and Mike?

By 1999, George Lucas used 3-D animation in nearly every scene in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, including creating the well-done, but not very popular, Jar Jar Binks. This work led to Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), which was the first real attempt at photo-quality, computer-generated humans. Then the ultimate CGI-generated character, Gollum, was created in The Hobbit series of movies.

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3-d animation: history & definition | study.com

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3-D Animation: History & Definition | Study.com

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Many of us may have drawn animated figures when we were younger when we created flip-books. Flip-books are those little scenes drawn on each page of a notebook that, when flipped through, give the illusion of movement. These flip-books are a basic form of two-dimensional (2-D) animation.

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Animation and CGI: Discovery Service for DigitalMaine Library

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Animation and CGI: Discovery Service for DigitalMaine Library

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Animation and CGI: Discovery Service for DigitalMaine Library

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Pixar employee won computer science Award

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Pixar employee won computer science Award

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Animation and CGI: Discovery Service for DigitalMaine Library

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Animation in 2D is drawn Animation in 3D is made through a computer

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Animation in 2D is drawn Animation in 3D is made through a computer

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'.

Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?' is what they usually ask. With the invention of 3D animation technology, the concept of animation becomes even more hazy and mystical to the layman. They still refer to 3D animation as 'drawing' and know not a thing about the process that goes on behind 3D animation.

As the owner of a 3D animation studio, I feel that it is very important to educate our clients on what goes on behind 3D animation production. The knowledge will not just help them appreciate the service better, but also helps to facilitate the process of collaboration and manage their expectations. This is important because it helps our clients achieve what they want and allows us to communicate effectively with them.

For this purpose, I've written this article - which hopes to demystify the process of a 3D animation production and unveil what goes on behind the closed doors of a 3D animation studio.

Get prepared for an educational journey!

A key player in the animation industry in Singapore, Mediafreaks is an animation production company that focuses on working closely with producers, distributors, broadcasters and partners worldwide to produce original television content and high-end animation for broadcast and marketing purposes.
Established in 2003, Mediafreaks has since produced hundreds of projects spanning from animated cartoon series to television commercials to CGI for documentaries to medical and architectural visualization work.
Mediafreaks focuses mainly on providing service work and its sister companies Mediafreaks Cartoon and Character Farm create their own original animated content for export into the international market for broadcast and licensing.
So What Is 3D Animation?
Do not be fooled by the seeming simplicity of this question.

I was actually quite tempted not to write this article because it's such a difficult topic to write on. It can be answered as complicated as you want it to be or as short as you desire. The thing is, I need to let clients know how complicated the process is, but not to let them walk away confused. Saying that I will try my best to answer this question in the most concise but uncomplicated way possible.

In a nutshell, computer 3D animation refers to the work of creating moving pictures in a digital environment that is three-dimensional. Through the careful manipulation of objects (3D models) within the 3D software, we can then export picture sequences which will give the illusion of movement (animation) based on how we manipulate the objects.

What happens in animation is that motion is simulated in a way that the eyes tend to believe that actual motion has taken place while the fact is the perceived sense of motion is only because of the consecutive images that are passed through very fast.

This theory is inherent be it for 3D, 2D or stop motion animation.

In traditional 2D animation, pictures are hand-drawn and every one showing subtle changes from the previous. When played back sequentially, it creates the illusion of motion. In stop motion animation, real-life models are moved slightly and filmed. Again, the pictures will create the illusion of motion when played back. In 3D animation, everything is done within the computer and exported from the computer.

The process of creating 3D animation can be sequentially divided into three phases: modelling - which describes the process of creating the 3D objects within a scene, layout and animation - which describes how objects are positioned and animated within a scene, and rendering - which describes the final output of the completed computer graphics. Through the combination of the above phases and a few other sub-phases, this completes the process of a 3D animation production.

There is much software in the market for creating 3D animation, ranging from the cheaper lower-end ones to the professional high-end versions. If you are curious to see how a 3D software works, you can download a free one called Blender. Just Google it and you will be able to find its official website.

2D Cel animation involves illustrating many pictures of a scene in various phases of movement and flipping through them quickly digitally to create the illusion of movement or animation.

3D computer animation is a costlier and time-consuming process compared to 2D animation as it involves many more steps.

Stop-motion animation is a painfully tedious process and involves tweaking the models bit by bit!
What's the Difference between 2D and 3D anyway?
Isn't it obvious? Errr...not quite...read on to find out why.

The first concept you must grasp is that 3D means 3 dimensional and 2D means 2 dimensional. Now before you think I'm stating the obvious, let me go on to say that the 3D and 2D in animation refer to the dimension in which the animation was created. Ahhhh. The plot thickens eh?

For 2D animation, everything happens on a 2-dimensional platform. Pictures are flat, without depth and offer only one perspective. Objects and characters are usually drawn without the subtle soft shadows we see in real life and colours have few varying shades. In 3D animation, everything happens on a 3-dimensional platform. Pictures have depth and offer multiple perspectives just like in real life and have soft subtle shadows cast on the objects and characters within.

In 2D, characters look cartoonish and unrealistic. In 3D, characters can look cartoonish but realistic at the same time.

Super Mario in 2D and 3D, Copyright(C) Nintendo. See the difference?

Another way to think of this is to think in terms of a painting and a sculpture. 2D is a painting, and 3D is a sculpture. 3D introduces "depth perspective," so we not only see a rectangle (2D) but a CUBE (3D). You may also want to think of it like being the difference between a photograph of a glass of water (2D) and being able to reach out and actually pick up the glass of water (3D).

You could start training yourself by comparing a cartoon-like Bugs Bunny, Aladdin, Lion King (2D) to "Toy Story 1, 2 & 3, "Finding Nemo" and "Incredibles" (3D). If you have not watched any of these great cartoons, you should grab one right away or be branded Neanderthals forever!

Typically, 2D involves "drawing," or movement on, say, a flat surface (sketch pad, etc.) or in the vertical and horizontal planes. 3D involves "modelling," i.e., creating objects in 3-dimensions using a computer software, residing in an expansive virtual environment, complete with lights, reflections, other objects, shadows, etc.
Is 3D Animation an Offspring of 2D Animation?

Many people have the idea that 3D animation stemmed as a progression from 2D animation. While not entirely untrue, this is definitely not the whole truth as well.

If we have to make some form of a link, then I would say that 3D animation has more of its roots in stop-motion animation than in traditional hand-drawn 2d animation. The stop-motion film techniques were used very well in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts by Ray Harryhausen, although they have actually been around since the very early days of film in the late 19th century. But it was Ray Harryhausen who really brought the technique to life.

You might want to know also that the original King Kong movie produced in 1933, also used stop-motion techniques extensively.

Comparing 3D animation and stop-motion, we can actually see where the similarities are.

For stop motion, it involves taking a model and filming one frame at a time. Slight changes are made to the model and then filmed again. This is to simulate movement. By building up frame after frame and playing it back at between 12 and 70 frames per second, the model looks like it is moving. This is a very painstaking process and by no means a walk in the park!

3D animation uses a similar method but it is created using computers. Everything is controlled within the computer and the output is automated by the computer after you key in the instructions. It is decidedly less tedious physically compared to stop-motion animation, but the fundamentals are similar in nature.

Even the lighting, texturing and camera aspects of both animation methods share the same fundamentals, with the exception that one happens in reality, and the other on the computer.

I would think that for a stop-motion artist to transit over to 3D animation and vice versa, it would be a lot easier and faster, as opposed to a 2D artist. And having said that, I would end this section by saying again that 3D animation smells more like an offspring of stop-motion animation than 2D animation.
The Process of 3D Animation
There are probably more steps to 3D animation than you think there are!

The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated than any other forms of animation.

Depending on what project and which 3D animation studio is involved, the number of steps may vary.

In this lens, I've identified and illustrated the 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project.

They are namely:

Concept and Storyboards
2. 3D Modelling
3. Texturing
4. Rigging
5. Animation
6. Lighting
7. Camera Setting
8. Rendering
9. Compositing and Special VFX
10. Music and Foley
11. Editing and Final Output
Step 1 | Concept and Storyboards
A storyboard for Mighty Pups - a cartoon series by Mediafreaks!

The very first step involved in a 3D production pipeline is the conceptualization of ideas and the creation of the storyboards that translate these ideas into visual form.

A storyboard is a sequence of illustrations that showcase your digital story in two dimensions. The first dimension is time: what happens first, next, and last. The second is of interaction: how does the voiceover (your story) interact with the images, how do visual transitions and effects help tie together the images, how does the voice overs interact with the musical soundtrack? Any element can interact with any other one, and the storyboard is the place to plan out the impact you intend to make on the audience.
Step 2 | 3D Modelling
3D Modelling is not drawing!

After the storyboards are finished and approved by the client, the task of building the props, environment and characters begin. The proper term is called 'modelling'.

Modelling is the process of taking a shape and moulding it into a completed 3D mesh. The most typical means of creating a 3D model is to take a simple object, called a primitive, and extend or "grow" it into a shape that can be refined and detailed. Primitives can be anything from a single point (called a vertex), a two-dimensional line (an edge), a curve (a spline), to three-dimensional objects (faces or polygons). Using the specific features of your chosen 3D software, each one of these primitives can be manipulated to produce an object. When you create a model in 3D, you'll usually learn one method to create your model, and go back to it time and again when you need to create new models. There are three basic methods you can use to create a 3D model, and 3D artists should understand how to create a model using each technique.
Step 3 | Texturing
The art of giving clothes to the 3D models.

When a 3D model is created, 2D images can be overlaid on it to add colours, designs, and textures. This is called mapping, and often the entirety of a model's colour comes from this. These maps can be created in programs like Photoshop, and the illusions of textures can be brushed onto the models as easily as if you painted them yourself; some animators even use real photographs of the textures they're trying to create, simply captured and then altered to make seamless repeatable patterns. This is how many illusions of hair are created; rather than model individual strands, instead of grouped locks of hair are modelled, before a texture is overlaid with individual strands and details painted on.
Step 4 | Rigging and Skinning
We've gotta put in those skeletons into a 3D character before he can move!

Setting up a character to walk and talk is the last stage before the process of character animation can begin. This stage is called 'rigging and skinning' and is the underlying system that drives the movement of a character to bring it to life.

Rigging is the process to set up a controllable skeleton for the character that is intended for animation. Depending on the subject matter, every rig is unique and so is the corresponding set of controls.

Skinning is the process of attaching the 3D model (skin) to the rigged skeleton so that the 3D model can be manipulated by the controls of the rig.
Step 5 | Animation
Now you know animation doesn't always come first in 3D animation huh?

Animation is the process of taking a 3D object and getting it to move. Animation comes in a few different flavors. There's keyframe animation, where the animator manipulates the objects on a frame-by-frame basis, similar to old hand-drawn cartoons. Other methods of animation include placing objects on splines and setting them to follow the path of the curve, or importing motion capture data and applying it to a character rig. Yet another way to animate is to use your 3D application's built-in physics engines, such as when your scene requires that objects fall.
Step 6 | Lighting
Lighting in a 3D world is just as essential as it is in real life.

Lighting, (in combination with textures, camera angle etc.) is where a scene has the potential to come alive. Used improperly, light can wash out a scene, make objects appear hard or flat, and destroy all the hard work. But skillfully applied, lighting can make a scene convincing, or if realism is the aim, create (in combination with materials and geometry), a scene that is virtually indistinguishable from real life.

In 3D, lights don't actually exist as they do in the real world. Lights in 3D are objects that are designed to simulate how lighting works in real life, but in order to obtain the results you're after, you have to apply a number of settings, not only to the lights, but to the materials.
Step 7 | Camera Angles and Techniques
Good camera angles and techniques make the difference between good cinematography and bad ones.

A camera is an amazing tool. In 3D, unlike the real world, physical limitations don't exist. You can create a scene where the camera takes you on a journey inside the blood vessels of a human body, or to be an eye-in-the-sky in your scenes, it can be used to create impossible perspectives, to zoom and pan and so much more. It's beyond the scope of this article to tell you everything about cameras, but here are some basics to get you started.

First, it's useful to look at some of the differences between 3D cameras and real-life cameras. In 3D, unlike in real life, there is no need for a lens, focusing controls, film, aperture, etc. All of these functions are controlled via software. Where things are similar is how the camera is used. In 3D, you can create one or more cameras, position them exactly as desired in 3D space and use settings to mimic focal length, depth of field, etc. Other options for moving a 3D camera are similar to those in movie making, including truck, dolly, motion blur, orbit and pan.

In addition, software cameras have no size or weight restrictions. You can move a camera to any location and even inside the tiniest objects. You can also animate cameras so that several operations take place at once, such as a zooming into a scene while changing the depth of field. Once you create a camera in 3D, you can pick a view and assign the view in that view to the camera, meaning that you will see the scene from the perspective of the camera.
Step 8 | Rendering
This is where the graphics get 'made' and exported...but it's not the end yet!!!

Rendering an image is typically the last step in the 3D production pipeline (but not the last step in the overall production pipeline), and is perhaps the most important part. It is a step often overlooked or glossed over by beginners, who are more focused on creating models and animating them. There are many aspects to creating a good final render of a scene, including attention to camera placement, lighting choices which may affect mood and shadows, reflections and transparency, and the handling of special effects, like fluids or gasses.
Step 9 | Compositing and Special FX
The renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects

This is where the final renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects.

Compositing includes everything from what you probably normally think of as special effects, where things explode, evaporate, morph, etc. It also includes stage extensions (making the scene stage larger digitally in post-production), to environment creation (anything from buildings to complete worlds), to blue/green screen replacement (shooting in-front of a blue or green screen and then replacing the background with digitally created footage or footage shot elsewhere). Basically, the art of taking live footage and blending it with computer-generated footage would be considered compositing.
Step 10 | Music and Foley
Music and foley (sound effects) are added to give the animation the extra depth and boost in audio enjoyment.

A music composer will create music soundtracks and accompaniment music to set the mood for the animation.

A foley artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions. Using many different kinds of shoes and lots of props - car fenders, plates, glasses, chairs, and just about anything I find at the side of the road - the Foley Artist can replace original sound completely or augment existing sounds to create a richer track.
Step 11 | Editing and Final Output
This is where it ends!

This is where it all ends! This is where the composited renders, music and foley are compiled and edited to ensure that everything is in synchronization. Once satisfied, the compiled product is exported as one of the many formats suitable for broadcasting standards and delivered to the client!
Picking the Right 3D Animation Studio to Work With
Picking the right animation company for your project will determine the success and failure of your marketing effort.

That's not so difficult to answer, is it?

Of course, you go to Mediafreaks!

Alright, seriously now, no single company is suitable for every single project under the sun. I would like to say that Mediafreaks is good at everything, but unfortunately, we are not.

Some companies excel at certain genres and other companies in other genres.

Mediafreaks specializes mainly in animated commercials, broadcast animation for documentaries, medical visualization, character design and architectural visualization. There are companies who specialize solely in special effects or architectural visualization work.

The following is my honest advice regarding this subject matter:

1. Find a company that has an extensive portfolio or one that has done something similar to what you have in mind. The first ensures an experienced company and the second gives you the confidence that they have done something similar before and can probably deliver the same to you.

2. Make sure that the company is using more in-house staff than freelancers. Many freelancers are unreliable and may disappear when the going gets tough. Ultimately the company is responsible for their conduct, but you would have wasted your time and perhaps missed a good opportunity to impress with your presentation or marketing campaign. So you stand to lose out even if you don't have to pay for the project ultimately.

3. Ask for milestones and deliverables. Understand what the company's pipeline is like. Any animation companies worth their salt would be able to tell you a pipeline and milestone delivery that sounds logical and reasonable. Click here if you missed my section on Working with an Animation Company to find out more.

4. Find a company that responds fast to emails and phone calls. If the company takes a long time to return emails and calls, chances are they are either too busy to respond, can't be bothered to respond or too disorganized to respond. Either way, you should move on and look for the next vendor.

5. Find a company that has project managers or account managers in place. You want to speak to speak to marketing people who understand your marketing needs and not animators who think about cool special effects and nice animation.

6. After giving concise background information about your company and what you want to achieve, see how fast and pro-active the company is in coming back with a proposed solution and a quotation. See if the quotation makes sense and that the company can account for each of the service listed.

7. I would not advise going around for quotations because quite honestly every animation company may charge differently according to their staff strength, reputation, portfolios, whether they are using freelancers or perm staff, standard of work, etc. There are too many variables and it is akin to comparing the prices of cars of different makes. It won't be fair in this respect. Try to go for whichever company can possibly deliver what you need within your budget.

8. Lastly, always work with a company you feel comfortable with. Go with your gut feeling. If you don't feel good about the company, it means you don't have chemistry with the people there and chances are you won't enjoy the working relationship. This will affect the end product.

Case Studies
The use of computer animation in marketing and advertising is potent as a communications tool. Many companies are discovering that it is much more effective and powerful than the boring PowerPoint slides and mundane TV adverts that use only live actors. While it shares some characteristics of other visual mediums, it has unique attributes that no other marketing medium can equal.

Let's take a look at how your company can tap into the capabilities of this great marketing tool by studying some true case studies of how some other companies have been doing it.
Case Study: Hi-Corporation and Sharp
HI CORPORATION is a leading research and development company in middleware development for embedded devices whose flagship product MascotCapsule® is a real-time 3D rendering engine. In addition to all Japanese carriers and handset manufacturers, the engine has been widely adopted in the US, Europe, Korea, and China. Character Farm and Mediafreaks Cartoon - both sister companies of Mediafreaks Pte Ltd. specializing in the creation of original animated content - have entered into a licensing collaboration with HI CORPORATION to release a set of original characters from the animated series Katakune™ and Sedo Dog™ to be offered as downloadable content for mobile phones released in Japan. These characters will be used for a service where users can set characters to display on their mobile phone standby screens, menu screens, and other screens. The character moves around the mobile phone screen and reacts according to events such as incoming calls and mail. A character from the Sedo Dog™ family has been embedded into a high-end Sharp mobile phone as a default offering. This case study shows how cartoon characters can be used to make a product more enticing. Please click on the pictures or the link below to learn more about our cartoon characters and licensing opportunities.
Case Study: APMI Kaplan
APMI Kaplan - a quality educational facility - wanted to showcase their brand new campus. However, in most cases, reality is imperfect and live shoots usually amplifies that imperfection. A 3D animation walkthrough helped to create the experience of studying in Kaplan's beautiful environment, sans the imperfections. The educational sector being a very competitive one, this extra presentation effort immediately helps to establish Kaplan as the right place to study.
Case Study: Shark Energy Drink
Field Catering wanted to bring across how their Shark Energy drink can restore energy to the most exhausted individual. Mediafreaks came up with a concept that showed how Shark can power up an entire city. Sure it is an exaggeration, but all TV adverts build on hype, and 3D animation does that the best! The conventional live TV adverts can never achieve this kind of effect. The Shark Energy Drink TV advert was shown during the New Year period to good response.
Case Study: Schering Plough Clarityne
Schering Plough wanted a different approach towards showcasing their Clarityne product - which helps curbs nose allergy problems. Mediafreaks came up with an animated TV commercial that discusses how allergens bring about the allergy symptoms and how Clarityne can help improve the quality of life. Again, if this was a 'live-actor' advert, the result would be much more boring and less effective. The graphics concept was also implemented on buses as mobile giant ads.
Case Study: Pilot Pen V-Grip
It's tough to sell something as conventional and mundane as the humble pen. No matter how much technology has gone into it, unless the pen has been given a micro super-computer and can write on its own, a pen is still a pen. So how do you sell a pen? Check out this cheeky animated TV commercial of a family who finds so much fun using the new Pilot V-Grip that they prefer to pen their conversations to each other! Again, having the commercial done in 3D animated form brings out the fun and humour. A live advert just wouldn't have done justice.
Case Study: Linden Place
Linden Place is an up market residential property in China. The TV commercial that the developers wanted to produce should spoke to those who recognize class and prestige. Wanting to steer away from the conventional property commercials that are a dime a dozen, they decided to go for a beautiful and realistic 3D animated rendering of an exquisitely crafted plague that emits elegance, prestige and exclusivity. To create the plaque in real life was too expensive in comparison to a digital representation, and Mediafreaks came to the rescue.
Case Study: Wyeth Robitussin
This set of 2 x 20 seconds TV adverts were designed to create impact advertising through exaggerating the effects a bad cough can induce on people. The different scenarios enacted here dramatize the effects of the 2 different kinds of coughs that the Robitussin cough solutions are formulated for. Through the cycling of the 2 different TV commercials, it generated curiosity and interest from the audience who realized that these were 2 different TV commercials featuring different cough solutions for varying cough conditions. Being in bursts of 20 seconds and coupled with the fact that the scenario in each TVC is rather dramatic, animation was the perfect and cheaper medium to execute these adverts.
This article was written by the founding Managing Director of Mediafreaks "Aldric Chang" a creative businessman who is active in music composing and production, internet marketing, casual games production, animation production, cartoon production and character licensing.

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The Process of 3D Animation | Media-Freaks.com

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'. Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?'

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(2D) drawing it multiple times slightly different 

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(2D) drawing it multiple times slightly different 

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'.

Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?' is what they usually ask. With the invention of 3D animation technology, the concept of animation becomes even more hazy and mystical to the layman. They still refer to 3D animation as 'drawing' and know not a thing about the process that goes on behind 3D animation.

As the owner of a 3D animation studio, I feel that it is very important to educate our clients on what goes on behind 3D animation production. The knowledge will not just help them appreciate the service better, but also helps to facilitate the process of collaboration and manage their expectations. This is important because it helps our clients achieve what they want and allows us to communicate effectively with them.

For this purpose, I've written this article - which hopes to demystify the process of a 3D animation production and unveil what goes on behind the closed doors of a 3D animation studio.

Get prepared for an educational journey!

A key player in the animation industry in Singapore, Mediafreaks is an animation production company that focuses on working closely with producers, distributors, broadcasters and partners worldwide to produce original television content and high-end animation for broadcast and marketing purposes.
Established in 2003, Mediafreaks has since produced hundreds of projects spanning from animated cartoon series to television commercials to CGI for documentaries to medical and architectural visualization work.
Mediafreaks focuses mainly on providing service work and its sister companies Mediafreaks Cartoon and Character Farm create their own original animated content for export into the international market for broadcast and licensing.
So What Is 3D Animation?
Do not be fooled by the seeming simplicity of this question.

I was actually quite tempted not to write this article because it's such a difficult topic to write on. It can be answered as complicated as you want it to be or as short as you desire. The thing is, I need to let clients know how complicated the process is, but not to let them walk away confused. Saying that I will try my best to answer this question in the most concise but uncomplicated way possible.

In a nutshell, computer 3D animation refers to the work of creating moving pictures in a digital environment that is three-dimensional. Through the careful manipulation of objects (3D models) within the 3D software, we can then export picture sequences which will give the illusion of movement (animation) based on how we manipulate the objects.

What happens in animation is that motion is simulated in a way that the eyes tend to believe that actual motion has taken place while the fact is the perceived sense of motion is only because of the consecutive images that are passed through very fast.

This theory is inherent be it for 3D, 2D or stop motion animation.

In traditional 2D animation, pictures are hand-drawn and every one showing subtle changes from the previous. When played back sequentially, it creates the illusion of motion. In stop motion animation, real-life models are moved slightly and filmed. Again, the pictures will create the illusion of motion when played back. In 3D animation, everything is done within the computer and exported from the computer.

The process of creating 3D animation can be sequentially divided into three phases: modelling - which describes the process of creating the 3D objects within a scene, layout and animation - which describes how objects are positioned and animated within a scene, and rendering - which describes the final output of the completed computer graphics. Through the combination of the above phases and a few other sub-phases, this completes the process of a 3D animation production.

There is much software in the market for creating 3D animation, ranging from the cheaper lower-end ones to the professional high-end versions. If you are curious to see how a 3D software works, you can download a free one called Blender. Just Google it and you will be able to find its official website.

2D Cel animation involves illustrating many pictures of a scene in various phases of movement and flipping through them quickly digitally to create the illusion of movement or animation.

3D computer animation is a costlier and time-consuming process compared to 2D animation as it involves many more steps.

Stop-motion animation is a painfully tedious process and involves tweaking the models bit by bit!
What's the Difference between 2D and 3D anyway?
Isn't it obvious? Errr...not quite...read on to find out why.

The first concept you must grasp is that 3D means 3 dimensional and 2D means 2 dimensional. Now before you think I'm stating the obvious, let me go on to say that the 3D and 2D in animation refer to the dimension in which the animation was created. Ahhhh. The plot thickens eh?

For 2D animation, everything happens on a 2-dimensional platform. Pictures are flat, without depth and offer only one perspective. Objects and characters are usually drawn without the subtle soft shadows we see in real life and colours have few varying shades. In 3D animation, everything happens on a 3-dimensional platform. Pictures have depth and offer multiple perspectives just like in real life and have soft subtle shadows cast on the objects and characters within.

In 2D, characters look cartoonish and unrealistic. In 3D, characters can look cartoonish but realistic at the same time.

Super Mario in 2D and 3D, Copyright(C) Nintendo. See the difference?

Another way to think of this is to think in terms of a painting and a sculpture. 2D is a painting, and 3D is a sculpture. 3D introduces "depth perspective," so we not only see a rectangle (2D) but a CUBE (3D). You may also want to think of it like being the difference between a photograph of a glass of water (2D) and being able to reach out and actually pick up the glass of water (3D).

You could start training yourself by comparing a cartoon-like Bugs Bunny, Aladdin, Lion King (2D) to "Toy Story 1, 2 & 3, "Finding Nemo" and "Incredibles" (3D). If you have not watched any of these great cartoons, you should grab one right away or be branded Neanderthals forever!

Typically, 2D involves "drawing," or movement on, say, a flat surface (sketch pad, etc.) or in the vertical and horizontal planes. 3D involves "modelling," i.e., creating objects in 3-dimensions using a computer software, residing in an expansive virtual environment, complete with lights, reflections, other objects, shadows, etc.
Is 3D Animation an Offspring of 2D Animation?

Many people have the idea that 3D animation stemmed as a progression from 2D animation. While not entirely untrue, this is definitely not the whole truth as well.

If we have to make some form of a link, then I would say that 3D animation has more of its roots in stop-motion animation than in traditional hand-drawn 2d animation. The stop-motion film techniques were used very well in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts by Ray Harryhausen, although they have actually been around since the very early days of film in the late 19th century. But it was Ray Harryhausen who really brought the technique to life.

You might want to know also that the original King Kong movie produced in 1933, also used stop-motion techniques extensively.

Comparing 3D animation and stop-motion, we can actually see where the similarities are.

For stop motion, it involves taking a model and filming one frame at a time. Slight changes are made to the model and then filmed again. This is to simulate movement. By building up frame after frame and playing it back at between 12 and 70 frames per second, the model looks like it is moving. This is a very painstaking process and by no means a walk in the park!

3D animation uses a similar method but it is created using computers. Everything is controlled within the computer and the output is automated by the computer after you key in the instructions. It is decidedly less tedious physically compared to stop-motion animation, but the fundamentals are similar in nature.

Even the lighting, texturing and camera aspects of both animation methods share the same fundamentals, with the exception that one happens in reality, and the other on the computer.

I would think that for a stop-motion artist to transit over to 3D animation and vice versa, it would be a lot easier and faster, as opposed to a 2D artist. And having said that, I would end this section by saying again that 3D animation smells more like an offspring of stop-motion animation than 2D animation.
The Process of 3D Animation
There are probably more steps to 3D animation than you think there are!

The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated than any other forms of animation.

Depending on what project and which 3D animation studio is involved, the number of steps may vary.

In this lens, I've identified and illustrated the 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project.

They are namely:

Concept and Storyboards
2. 3D Modelling
3. Texturing
4. Rigging
5. Animation
6. Lighting
7. Camera Setting
8. Rendering
9. Compositing and Special VFX
10. Music and Foley
11. Editing and Final Output
Step 1 | Concept and Storyboards
A storyboard for Mighty Pups - a cartoon series by Mediafreaks!

The very first step involved in a 3D production pipeline is the conceptualization of ideas and the creation of the storyboards that translate these ideas into visual form.

A storyboard is a sequence of illustrations that showcase your digital story in two dimensions. The first dimension is time: what happens first, next, and last. The second is of interaction: how does the voiceover (your story) interact with the images, how do visual transitions and effects help tie together the images, how does the voice overs interact with the musical soundtrack? Any element can interact with any other one, and the storyboard is the place to plan out the impact you intend to make on the audience.
Step 2 | 3D Modelling
3D Modelling is not drawing!

After the storyboards are finished and approved by the client, the task of building the props, environment and characters begin. The proper term is called 'modelling'.

Modelling is the process of taking a shape and moulding it into a completed 3D mesh. The most typical means of creating a 3D model is to take a simple object, called a primitive, and extend or "grow" it into a shape that can be refined and detailed. Primitives can be anything from a single point (called a vertex), a two-dimensional line (an edge), a curve (a spline), to three-dimensional objects (faces or polygons). Using the specific features of your chosen 3D software, each one of these primitives can be manipulated to produce an object. When you create a model in 3D, you'll usually learn one method to create your model, and go back to it time and again when you need to create new models. There are three basic methods you can use to create a 3D model, and 3D artists should understand how to create a model using each technique.
Step 3 | Texturing
The art of giving clothes to the 3D models.

When a 3D model is created, 2D images can be overlaid on it to add colours, designs, and textures. This is called mapping, and often the entirety of a model's colour comes from this. These maps can be created in programs like Photoshop, and the illusions of textures can be brushed onto the models as easily as if you painted them yourself; some animators even use real photographs of the textures they're trying to create, simply captured and then altered to make seamless repeatable patterns. This is how many illusions of hair are created; rather than model individual strands, instead of grouped locks of hair are modelled, before a texture is overlaid with individual strands and details painted on.
Step 4 | Rigging and Skinning
We've gotta put in those skeletons into a 3D character before he can move!

Setting up a character to walk and talk is the last stage before the process of character animation can begin. This stage is called 'rigging and skinning' and is the underlying system that drives the movement of a character to bring it to life.

Rigging is the process to set up a controllable skeleton for the character that is intended for animation. Depending on the subject matter, every rig is unique and so is the corresponding set of controls.

Skinning is the process of attaching the 3D model (skin) to the rigged skeleton so that the 3D model can be manipulated by the controls of the rig.
Step 5 | Animation
Now you know animation doesn't always come first in 3D animation huh?

Animation is the process of taking a 3D object and getting it to move. Animation comes in a few different flavors. There's keyframe animation, where the animator manipulates the objects on a frame-by-frame basis, similar to old hand-drawn cartoons. Other methods of animation include placing objects on splines and setting them to follow the path of the curve, or importing motion capture data and applying it to a character rig. Yet another way to animate is to use your 3D application's built-in physics engines, such as when your scene requires that objects fall.
Step 6 | Lighting
Lighting in a 3D world is just as essential as it is in real life.

Lighting, (in combination with textures, camera angle etc.) is where a scene has the potential to come alive. Used improperly, light can wash out a scene, make objects appear hard or flat, and destroy all the hard work. But skillfully applied, lighting can make a scene convincing, or if realism is the aim, create (in combination with materials and geometry), a scene that is virtually indistinguishable from real life.

In 3D, lights don't actually exist as they do in the real world. Lights in 3D are objects that are designed to simulate how lighting works in real life, but in order to obtain the results you're after, you have to apply a number of settings, not only to the lights, but to the materials.
Step 7 | Camera Angles and Techniques
Good camera angles and techniques make the difference between good cinematography and bad ones.

A camera is an amazing tool. In 3D, unlike the real world, physical limitations don't exist. You can create a scene where the camera takes you on a journey inside the blood vessels of a human body, or to be an eye-in-the-sky in your scenes, it can be used to create impossible perspectives, to zoom and pan and so much more. It's beyond the scope of this article to tell you everything about cameras, but here are some basics to get you started.

First, it's useful to look at some of the differences between 3D cameras and real-life cameras. In 3D, unlike in real life, there is no need for a lens, focusing controls, film, aperture, etc. All of these functions are controlled via software. Where things are similar is how the camera is used. In 3D, you can create one or more cameras, position them exactly as desired in 3D space and use settings to mimic focal length, depth of field, etc. Other options for moving a 3D camera are similar to those in movie making, including truck, dolly, motion blur, orbit and pan.

In addition, software cameras have no size or weight restrictions. You can move a camera to any location and even inside the tiniest objects. You can also animate cameras so that several operations take place at once, such as a zooming into a scene while changing the depth of field. Once you create a camera in 3D, you can pick a view and assign the view in that view to the camera, meaning that you will see the scene from the perspective of the camera.
Step 8 | Rendering
This is where the graphics get 'made' and exported...but it's not the end yet!!!

Rendering an image is typically the last step in the 3D production pipeline (but not the last step in the overall production pipeline), and is perhaps the most important part. It is a step often overlooked or glossed over by beginners, who are more focused on creating models and animating them. There are many aspects to creating a good final render of a scene, including attention to camera placement, lighting choices which may affect mood and shadows, reflections and transparency, and the handling of special effects, like fluids or gasses.
Step 9 | Compositing and Special FX
The renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects

This is where the final renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects.

Compositing includes everything from what you probably normally think of as special effects, where things explode, evaporate, morph, etc. It also includes stage extensions (making the scene stage larger digitally in post-production), to environment creation (anything from buildings to complete worlds), to blue/green screen replacement (shooting in-front of a blue or green screen and then replacing the background with digitally created footage or footage shot elsewhere). Basically, the art of taking live footage and blending it with computer-generated footage would be considered compositing.
Step 10 | Music and Foley
Music and foley (sound effects) are added to give the animation the extra depth and boost in audio enjoyment.

A music composer will create music soundtracks and accompaniment music to set the mood for the animation.

A foley artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions. Using many different kinds of shoes and lots of props - car fenders, plates, glasses, chairs, and just about anything I find at the side of the road - the Foley Artist can replace original sound completely or augment existing sounds to create a richer track.
Step 11 | Editing and Final Output
This is where it ends!

This is where it all ends! This is where the composited renders, music and foley are compiled and edited to ensure that everything is in synchronization. Once satisfied, the compiled product is exported as one of the many formats suitable for broadcasting standards and delivered to the client!
Picking the Right 3D Animation Studio to Work With
Picking the right animation company for your project will determine the success and failure of your marketing effort.

That's not so difficult to answer, is it?

Of course, you go to Mediafreaks!

Alright, seriously now, no single company is suitable for every single project under the sun. I would like to say that Mediafreaks is good at everything, but unfortunately, we are not.

Some companies excel at certain genres and other companies in other genres.

Mediafreaks specializes mainly in animated commercials, broadcast animation for documentaries, medical visualization, character design and architectural visualization. There are companies who specialize solely in special effects or architectural visualization work.

The following is my honest advice regarding this subject matter:

1. Find a company that has an extensive portfolio or one that has done something similar to what you have in mind. The first ensures an experienced company and the second gives you the confidence that they have done something similar before and can probably deliver the same to you.

2. Make sure that the company is using more in-house staff than freelancers. Many freelancers are unreliable and may disappear when the going gets tough. Ultimately the company is responsible for their conduct, but you would have wasted your time and perhaps missed a good opportunity to impress with your presentation or marketing campaign. So you stand to lose out even if you don't have to pay for the project ultimately.

3. Ask for milestones and deliverables. Understand what the company's pipeline is like. Any animation companies worth their salt would be able to tell you a pipeline and milestone delivery that sounds logical and reasonable. Click here if you missed my section on Working with an Animation Company to find out more.

4. Find a company that responds fast to emails and phone calls. If the company takes a long time to return emails and calls, chances are they are either too busy to respond, can't be bothered to respond or too disorganized to respond. Either way, you should move on and look for the next vendor.

5. Find a company that has project managers or account managers in place. You want to speak to speak to marketing people who understand your marketing needs and not animators who think about cool special effects and nice animation.

6. After giving concise background information about your company and what you want to achieve, see how fast and pro-active the company is in coming back with a proposed solution and a quotation. See if the quotation makes sense and that the company can account for each of the service listed.

7. I would not advise going around for quotations because quite honestly every animation company may charge differently according to their staff strength, reputation, portfolios, whether they are using freelancers or perm staff, standard of work, etc. There are too many variables and it is akin to comparing the prices of cars of different makes. It won't be fair in this respect. Try to go for whichever company can possibly deliver what you need within your budget.

8. Lastly, always work with a company you feel comfortable with. Go with your gut feeling. If you don't feel good about the company, it means you don't have chemistry with the people there and chances are you won't enjoy the working relationship. This will affect the end product.

Case Studies
The use of computer animation in marketing and advertising is potent as a communications tool. Many companies are discovering that it is much more effective and powerful than the boring PowerPoint slides and mundane TV adverts that use only live actors. While it shares some characteristics of other visual mediums, it has unique attributes that no other marketing medium can equal.

Let's take a look at how your company can tap into the capabilities of this great marketing tool by studying some true case studies of how some other companies have been doing it.
Case Study: Hi-Corporation and Sharp
HI CORPORATION is a leading research and development company in middleware development for embedded devices whose flagship product MascotCapsule® is a real-time 3D rendering engine. In addition to all Japanese carriers and handset manufacturers, the engine has been widely adopted in the US, Europe, Korea, and China. Character Farm and Mediafreaks Cartoon - both sister companies of Mediafreaks Pte Ltd. specializing in the creation of original animated content - have entered into a licensing collaboration with HI CORPORATION to release a set of original characters from the animated series Katakune™ and Sedo Dog™ to be offered as downloadable content for mobile phones released in Japan. These characters will be used for a service where users can set characters to display on their mobile phone standby screens, menu screens, and other screens. The character moves around the mobile phone screen and reacts according to events such as incoming calls and mail. A character from the Sedo Dog™ family has been embedded into a high-end Sharp mobile phone as a default offering. This case study shows how cartoon characters can be used to make a product more enticing. Please click on the pictures or the link below to learn more about our cartoon characters and licensing opportunities.
Case Study: APMI Kaplan
APMI Kaplan - a quality educational facility - wanted to showcase their brand new campus. However, in most cases, reality is imperfect and live shoots usually amplifies that imperfection. A 3D animation walkthrough helped to create the experience of studying in Kaplan's beautiful environment, sans the imperfections. The educational sector being a very competitive one, this extra presentation effort immediately helps to establish Kaplan as the right place to study.
Case Study: Shark Energy Drink
Field Catering wanted to bring across how their Shark Energy drink can restore energy to the most exhausted individual. Mediafreaks came up with a concept that showed how Shark can power up an entire city. Sure it is an exaggeration, but all TV adverts build on hype, and 3D animation does that the best! The conventional live TV adverts can never achieve this kind of effect. The Shark Energy Drink TV advert was shown during the New Year period to good response.
Case Study: Schering Plough Clarityne
Schering Plough wanted a different approach towards showcasing their Clarityne product - which helps curbs nose allergy problems. Mediafreaks came up with an animated TV commercial that discusses how allergens bring about the allergy symptoms and how Clarityne can help improve the quality of life. Again, if this was a 'live-actor' advert, the result would be much more boring and less effective. The graphics concept was also implemented on buses as mobile giant ads.
Case Study: Pilot Pen V-Grip
It's tough to sell something as conventional and mundane as the humble pen. No matter how much technology has gone into it, unless the pen has been given a micro super-computer and can write on its own, a pen is still a pen. So how do you sell a pen? Check out this cheeky animated TV commercial of a family who finds so much fun using the new Pilot V-Grip that they prefer to pen their conversations to each other! Again, having the commercial done in 3D animated form brings out the fun and humour. A live advert just wouldn't have done justice.
Case Study: Linden Place
Linden Place is an up market residential property in China. The TV commercial that the developers wanted to produce should spoke to those who recognize class and prestige. Wanting to steer away from the conventional property commercials that are a dime a dozen, they decided to go for a beautiful and realistic 3D animated rendering of an exquisitely crafted plague that emits elegance, prestige and exclusivity. To create the plaque in real life was too expensive in comparison to a digital representation, and Mediafreaks came to the rescue.
Case Study: Wyeth Robitussin
This set of 2 x 20 seconds TV adverts were designed to create impact advertising through exaggerating the effects a bad cough can induce on people. The different scenarios enacted here dramatize the effects of the 2 different kinds of coughs that the Robitussin cough solutions are formulated for. Through the cycling of the 2 different TV commercials, it generated curiosity and interest from the audience who realized that these were 2 different TV commercials featuring different cough solutions for varying cough conditions. Being in bursts of 20 seconds and coupled with the fact that the scenario in each TVC is rather dramatic, animation was the perfect and cheaper medium to execute these adverts.
This article was written by the founding Managing Director of Mediafreaks "Aldric Chang" a creative businessman who is active in music composing and production, internet marketing, casual games production, animation production, cartoon production and character licensing.

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The Process of 3D Animation | Media-Freaks.com

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'. Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?'

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'.

Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?' is what they usually ask. With the invention of 3D animation technology, the concept of animation becomes even more hazy and mystical to the layman. They still refer to 3D animation as 'drawing' and know not a thing about the process that goes on behind 3D animation.

As the owner of a 3D animation studio, I feel that it is very important to educate our clients on what goes on behind 3D animation production. The knowledge will not just help them appreciate the service better, but also helps to facilitate the process of collaboration and manage their expectations. This is important because it helps our clients achieve what they want and allows us to communicate effectively with them.

For this purpose, I've written this article - which hopes to demystify the process of a 3D animation production and unveil what goes on behind the closed doors of a 3D animation studio.

Get prepared for an educational journey!

A key player in the animation industry in Singapore, Mediafreaks is an animation production company that focuses on working closely with producers, distributors, broadcasters and partners worldwide to produce original television content and high-end animation for broadcast and marketing purposes.
Established in 2003, Mediafreaks has since produced hundreds of projects spanning from animated cartoon series to television commercials to CGI for documentaries to medical and architectural visualization work.
Mediafreaks focuses mainly on providing service work and its sister companies Mediafreaks Cartoon and Character Farm create their own original animated content for export into the international market for broadcast and licensing.
So What Is 3D Animation?
Do not be fooled by the seeming simplicity of this question.

I was actually quite tempted not to write this article because it's such a difficult topic to write on. It can be answered as complicated as you want it to be or as short as you desire. The thing is, I need to let clients know how complicated the process is, but not to let them walk away confused. Saying that I will try my best to answer this question in the most concise but uncomplicated way possible.

In a nutshell, computer 3D animation refers to the work of creating moving pictures in a digital environment that is three-dimensional. Through the careful manipulation of objects (3D models) within the 3D software, we can then export picture sequences which will give the illusion of movement (animation) based on how we manipulate the objects.

What happens in animation is that motion is simulated in a way that the eyes tend to believe that actual motion has taken place while the fact is the perceived sense of motion is only because of the consecutive images that are passed through very fast.

This theory is inherent be it for 3D, 2D or stop motion animation.

In traditional 2D animation, pictures are hand-drawn and every one showing subtle changes from the previous. When played back sequentially, it creates the illusion of motion. In stop motion animation, real-life models are moved slightly and filmed. Again, the pictures will create the illusion of motion when played back. In 3D animation, everything is done within the computer and exported from the computer.

The process of creating 3D animation can be sequentially divided into three phases: modelling - which describes the process of creating the 3D objects within a scene, layout and animation - which describes how objects are positioned and animated within a scene, and rendering - which describes the final output of the completed computer graphics. Through the combination of the above phases and a few other sub-phases, this completes the process of a 3D animation production.

There is much software in the market for creating 3D animation, ranging from the cheaper lower-end ones to the professional high-end versions. If you are curious to see how a 3D software works, you can download a free one called Blender. Just Google it and you will be able to find its official website.

2D Cel animation involves illustrating many pictures of a scene in various phases of movement and flipping through them quickly digitally to create the illusion of movement or animation.

3D computer animation is a costlier and time-consuming process compared to 2D animation as it involves many more steps.

Stop-motion animation is a painfully tedious process and involves tweaking the models bit by bit!
What's the Difference between 2D and 3D anyway?
Isn't it obvious? Errr...not quite...read on to find out why.

The first concept you must grasp is that 3D means 3 dimensional and 2D means 2 dimensional. Now before you think I'm stating the obvious, let me go on to say that the 3D and 2D in animation refer to the dimension in which the animation was created. Ahhhh. The plot thickens eh?

For 2D animation, everything happens on a 2-dimensional platform. Pictures are flat, without depth and offer only one perspective. Objects and characters are usually drawn without the subtle soft shadows we see in real life and colours have few varying shades. In 3D animation, everything happens on a 3-dimensional platform. Pictures have depth and offer multiple perspectives just like in real life and have soft subtle shadows cast on the objects and characters within.

In 2D, characters look cartoonish and unrealistic. In 3D, characters can look cartoonish but realistic at the same time.

Super Mario in 2D and 3D, Copyright(C) Nintendo. See the difference?

Another way to think of this is to think in terms of a painting and a sculpture. 2D is a painting, and 3D is a sculpture. 3D introduces "depth perspective," so we not only see a rectangle (2D) but a CUBE (3D). You may also want to think of it like being the difference between a photograph of a glass of water (2D) and being able to reach out and actually pick up the glass of water (3D).

You could start training yourself by comparing a cartoon-like Bugs Bunny, Aladdin, Lion King (2D) to "Toy Story 1, 2 & 3, "Finding Nemo" and "Incredibles" (3D). If you have not watched any of these great cartoons, you should grab one right away or be branded Neanderthals forever!

Typically, 2D involves "drawing," or movement on, say, a flat surface (sketch pad, etc.) or in the vertical and horizontal planes. 3D involves "modelling," i.e., creating objects in 3-dimensions using a computer software, residing in an expansive virtual environment, complete with lights, reflections, other objects, shadows, etc.
Is 3D Animation an Offspring of 2D Animation?

Many people have the idea that 3D animation stemmed as a progression from 2D animation. While not entirely untrue, this is definitely not the whole truth as well.

If we have to make some form of a link, then I would say that 3D animation has more of its roots in stop-motion animation than in traditional hand-drawn 2d animation. The stop-motion film techniques were used very well in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts by Ray Harryhausen, although they have actually been around since the very early days of film in the late 19th century. But it was Ray Harryhausen who really brought the technique to life.

You might want to know also that the original King Kong movie produced in 1933, also used stop-motion techniques extensively.

Comparing 3D animation and stop-motion, we can actually see where the similarities are.

For stop motion, it involves taking a model and filming one frame at a time. Slight changes are made to the model and then filmed again. This is to simulate movement. By building up frame after frame and playing it back at between 12 and 70 frames per second, the model looks like it is moving. This is a very painstaking process and by no means a walk in the park!

3D animation uses a similar method but it is created using computers. Everything is controlled within the computer and the output is automated by the computer after you key in the instructions. It is decidedly less tedious physically compared to stop-motion animation, but the fundamentals are similar in nature.

Even the lighting, texturing and camera aspects of both animation methods share the same fundamentals, with the exception that one happens in reality, and the other on the computer.

I would think that for a stop-motion artist to transit over to 3D animation and vice versa, it would be a lot easier and faster, as opposed to a 2D artist. And having said that, I would end this section by saying again that 3D animation smells more like an offspring of stop-motion animation than 2D animation.
The Process of 3D Animation
There are probably more steps to 3D animation than you think there are!

The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated than any other forms of animation.

Depending on what project and which 3D animation studio is involved, the number of steps may vary.

In this lens, I've identified and illustrated the 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project.

They are namely:

Concept and Storyboards
2. 3D Modelling
3. Texturing
4. Rigging
5. Animation
6. Lighting
7. Camera Setting
8. Rendering
9. Compositing and Special VFX
10. Music and Foley
11. Editing and Final Output
Step 1 | Concept and Storyboards
A storyboard for Mighty Pups - a cartoon series by Mediafreaks!

The very first step involved in a 3D production pipeline is the conceptualization of ideas and the creation of the storyboards that translate these ideas into visual form.

A storyboard is a sequence of illustrations that showcase your digital story in two dimensions. The first dimension is time: what happens first, next, and last. The second is of interaction: how does the voiceover (your story) interact with the images, how do visual transitions and effects help tie together the images, how does the voice overs interact with the musical soundtrack? Any element can interact with any other one, and the storyboard is the place to plan out the impact you intend to make on the audience.
Step 2 | 3D Modelling
3D Modelling is not drawing!

After the storyboards are finished and approved by the client, the task of building the props, environment and characters begin. The proper term is called 'modelling'.

Modelling is the process of taking a shape and moulding it into a completed 3D mesh. The most typical means of creating a 3D model is to take a simple object, called a primitive, and extend or "grow" it into a shape that can be refined and detailed. Primitives can be anything from a single point (called a vertex), a two-dimensional line (an edge), a curve (a spline), to three-dimensional objects (faces or polygons). Using the specific features of your chosen 3D software, each one of these primitives can be manipulated to produce an object. When you create a model in 3D, you'll usually learn one method to create your model, and go back to it time and again when you need to create new models. There are three basic methods you can use to create a 3D model, and 3D artists should understand how to create a model using each technique.
Step 3 | Texturing
The art of giving clothes to the 3D models.

When a 3D model is created, 2D images can be overlaid on it to add colours, designs, and textures. This is called mapping, and often the entirety of a model's colour comes from this. These maps can be created in programs like Photoshop, and the illusions of textures can be brushed onto the models as easily as if you painted them yourself; some animators even use real photographs of the textures they're trying to create, simply captured and then altered to make seamless repeatable patterns. This is how many illusions of hair are created; rather than model individual strands, instead of grouped locks of hair are modelled, before a texture is overlaid with individual strands and details painted on.
Step 4 | Rigging and Skinning
We've gotta put in those skeletons into a 3D character before he can move!

Setting up a character to walk and talk is the last stage before the process of character animation can begin. This stage is called 'rigging and skinning' and is the underlying system that drives the movement of a character to bring it to life.

Rigging is the process to set up a controllable skeleton for the character that is intended for animation. Depending on the subject matter, every rig is unique and so is the corresponding set of controls.

Skinning is the process of attaching the 3D model (skin) to the rigged skeleton so that the 3D model can be manipulated by the controls of the rig.
Step 5 | Animation
Now you know animation doesn't always come first in 3D animation huh?

Animation is the process of taking a 3D object and getting it to move. Animation comes in a few different flavors. There's keyframe animation, where the animator manipulates the objects on a frame-by-frame basis, similar to old hand-drawn cartoons. Other methods of animation include placing objects on splines and setting them to follow the path of the curve, or importing motion capture data and applying it to a character rig. Yet another way to animate is to use your 3D application's built-in physics engines, such as when your scene requires that objects fall.
Step 6 | Lighting
Lighting in a 3D world is just as essential as it is in real life.

Lighting, (in combination with textures, camera angle etc.) is where a scene has the potential to come alive. Used improperly, light can wash out a scene, make objects appear hard or flat, and destroy all the hard work. But skillfully applied, lighting can make a scene convincing, or if realism is the aim, create (in combination with materials and geometry), a scene that is virtually indistinguishable from real life.

In 3D, lights don't actually exist as they do in the real world. Lights in 3D are objects that are designed to simulate how lighting works in real life, but in order to obtain the results you're after, you have to apply a number of settings, not only to the lights, but to the materials.
Step 7 | Camera Angles and Techniques
Good camera angles and techniques make the difference between good cinematography and bad ones.

A camera is an amazing tool. In 3D, unlike the real world, physical limitations don't exist. You can create a scene where the camera takes you on a journey inside the blood vessels of a human body, or to be an eye-in-the-sky in your scenes, it can be used to create impossible perspectives, to zoom and pan and so much more. It's beyond the scope of this article to tell you everything about cameras, but here are some basics to get you started.

First, it's useful to look at some of the differences between 3D cameras and real-life cameras. In 3D, unlike in real life, there is no need for a lens, focusing controls, film, aperture, etc. All of these functions are controlled via software. Where things are similar is how the camera is used. In 3D, you can create one or more cameras, position them exactly as desired in 3D space and use settings to mimic focal length, depth of field, etc. Other options for moving a 3D camera are similar to those in movie making, including truck, dolly, motion blur, orbit and pan.

In addition, software cameras have no size or weight restrictions. You can move a camera to any location and even inside the tiniest objects. You can also animate cameras so that several operations take place at once, such as a zooming into a scene while changing the depth of field. Once you create a camera in 3D, you can pick a view and assign the view in that view to the camera, meaning that you will see the scene from the perspective of the camera.
Step 8 | Rendering
This is where the graphics get 'made' and exported...but it's not the end yet!!!

Rendering an image is typically the last step in the 3D production pipeline (but not the last step in the overall production pipeline), and is perhaps the most important part. It is a step often overlooked or glossed over by beginners, who are more focused on creating models and animating them. There are many aspects to creating a good final render of a scene, including attention to camera placement, lighting choices which may affect mood and shadows, reflections and transparency, and the handling of special effects, like fluids or gasses.
Step 9 | Compositing and Special FX
The renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects

This is where the final renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects.

Compositing includes everything from what you probably normally think of as special effects, where things explode, evaporate, morph, etc. It also includes stage extensions (making the scene stage larger digitally in post-production), to environment creation (anything from buildings to complete worlds), to blue/green screen replacement (shooting in-front of a blue or green screen and then replacing the background with digitally created footage or footage shot elsewhere). Basically, the art of taking live footage and blending it with computer-generated footage would be considered compositing.
Step 10 | Music and Foley
Music and foley (sound effects) are added to give the animation the extra depth and boost in audio enjoyment.

A music composer will create music soundtracks and accompaniment music to set the mood for the animation.

A foley artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions. Using many different kinds of shoes and lots of props - car fenders, plates, glasses, chairs, and just about anything I find at the side of the road - the Foley Artist can replace original sound completely or augment existing sounds to create a richer track.
Step 11 | Editing and Final Output
This is where it ends!

This is where it all ends! This is where the composited renders, music and foley are compiled and edited to ensure that everything is in synchronization. Once satisfied, the compiled product is exported as one of the many formats suitable for broadcasting standards and delivered to the client!
Picking the Right 3D Animation Studio to Work With
Picking the right animation company for your project will determine the success and failure of your marketing effort.

That's not so difficult to answer, is it?

Of course, you go to Mediafreaks!

Alright, seriously now, no single company is suitable for every single project under the sun. I would like to say that Mediafreaks is good at everything, but unfortunately, we are not.

Some companies excel at certain genres and other companies in other genres.

Mediafreaks specializes mainly in animated commercials, broadcast animation for documentaries, medical visualization, character design and architectural visualization. There are companies who specialize solely in special effects or architectural visualization work.

The following is my honest advice regarding this subject matter:

1. Find a company that has an extensive portfolio or one that has done something similar to what you have in mind. The first ensures an experienced company and the second gives you the confidence that they have done something similar before and can probably deliver the same to you.

2. Make sure that the company is using more in-house staff than freelancers. Many freelancers are unreliable and may disappear when the going gets tough. Ultimately the company is responsible for their conduct, but you would have wasted your time and perhaps missed a good opportunity to impress with your presentation or marketing campaign. So you stand to lose out even if you don't have to pay for the project ultimately.

3. Ask for milestones and deliverables. Understand what the company's pipeline is like. Any animation companies worth their salt would be able to tell you a pipeline and milestone delivery that sounds logical and reasonable. Click here if you missed my section on Working with an Animation Company to find out more.

4. Find a company that responds fast to emails and phone calls. If the company takes a long time to return emails and calls, chances are they are either too busy to respond, can't be bothered to respond or too disorganized to respond. Either way, you should move on and look for the next vendor.

5. Find a company that has project managers or account managers in place. You want to speak to speak to marketing people who understand your marketing needs and not animators who think about cool special effects and nice animation.

6. After giving concise background information about your company and what you want to achieve, see how fast and pro-active the company is in coming back with a proposed solution and a quotation. See if the quotation makes sense and that the company can account for each of the service listed.

7. I would not advise going around for quotations because quite honestly every animation company may charge differently according to their staff strength, reputation, portfolios, whether they are using freelancers or perm staff, standard of work, etc. There are too many variables and it is akin to comparing the prices of cars of different makes. It won't be fair in this respect. Try to go for whichever company can possibly deliver what you need within your budget.

8. Lastly, always work with a company you feel comfortable with. Go with your gut feeling. If you don't feel good about the company, it means you don't have chemistry with the people there and chances are you won't enjoy the working relationship. This will affect the end product.

Case Studies
The use of computer animation in marketing and advertising is potent as a communications tool. Many companies are discovering that it is much more effective and powerful than the boring PowerPoint slides and mundane TV adverts that use only live actors. While it shares some characteristics of other visual mediums, it has unique attributes that no other marketing medium can equal.

Let's take a look at how your company can tap into the capabilities of this great marketing tool by studying some true case studies of how some other companies have been doing it.
Case Study: Hi-Corporation and Sharp
HI CORPORATION is a leading research and development company in middleware development for embedded devices whose flagship product MascotCapsule® is a real-time 3D rendering engine. In addition to all Japanese carriers and handset manufacturers, the engine has been widely adopted in the US, Europe, Korea, and China. Character Farm and Mediafreaks Cartoon - both sister companies of Mediafreaks Pte Ltd. specializing in the creation of original animated content - have entered into a licensing collaboration with HI CORPORATION to release a set of original characters from the animated series Katakune™ and Sedo Dog™ to be offered as downloadable content for mobile phones released in Japan. These characters will be used for a service where users can set characters to display on their mobile phone standby screens, menu screens, and other screens. The character moves around the mobile phone screen and reacts according to events such as incoming calls and mail. A character from the Sedo Dog™ family has been embedded into a high-end Sharp mobile phone as a default offering. This case study shows how cartoon characters can be used to make a product more enticing. Please click on the pictures or the link below to learn more about our cartoon characters and licensing opportunities.
Case Study: APMI Kaplan
APMI Kaplan - a quality educational facility - wanted to showcase their brand new campus. However, in most cases, reality is imperfect and live shoots usually amplifies that imperfection. A 3D animation walkthrough helped to create the experience of studying in Kaplan's beautiful environment, sans the imperfections. The educational sector being a very competitive one, this extra presentation effort immediately helps to establish Kaplan as the right place to study.
Case Study: Shark Energy Drink
Field Catering wanted to bring across how their Shark Energy drink can restore energy to the most exhausted individual. Mediafreaks came up with a concept that showed how Shark can power up an entire city. Sure it is an exaggeration, but all TV adverts build on hype, and 3D animation does that the best! The conventional live TV adverts can never achieve this kind of effect. The Shark Energy Drink TV advert was shown during the New Year period to good response.
Case Study: Schering Plough Clarityne
Schering Plough wanted a different approach towards showcasing their Clarityne product - which helps curbs nose allergy problems. Mediafreaks came up with an animated TV commercial that discusses how allergens bring about the allergy symptoms and how Clarityne can help improve the quality of life. Again, if this was a 'live-actor' advert, the result would be much more boring and less effective. The graphics concept was also implemented on buses as mobile giant ads.
Case Study: Pilot Pen V-Grip
It's tough to sell something as conventional and mundane as the humble pen. No matter how much technology has gone into it, unless the pen has been given a micro super-computer and can write on its own, a pen is still a pen. So how do you sell a pen? Check out this cheeky animated TV commercial of a family who finds so much fun using the new Pilot V-Grip that they prefer to pen their conversations to each other! Again, having the commercial done in 3D animated form brings out the fun and humour. A live advert just wouldn't have done justice.
Case Study: Linden Place
Linden Place is an up market residential property in China. The TV commercial that the developers wanted to produce should spoke to those who recognize class and prestige. Wanting to steer away from the conventional property commercials that are a dime a dozen, they decided to go for a beautiful and realistic 3D animated rendering of an exquisitely crafted plague that emits elegance, prestige and exclusivity. To create the plaque in real life was too expensive in comparison to a digital representation, and Mediafreaks came to the rescue.
Case Study: Wyeth Robitussin
This set of 2 x 20 seconds TV adverts were designed to create impact advertising through exaggerating the effects a bad cough can induce on people. The different scenarios enacted here dramatize the effects of the 2 different kinds of coughs that the Robitussin cough solutions are formulated for. Through the cycling of the 2 different TV commercials, it generated curiosity and interest from the audience who realized that these were 2 different TV commercials featuring different cough solutions for varying cough conditions. Being in bursts of 20 seconds and coupled with the fact that the scenario in each TVC is rather dramatic, animation was the perfect and cheaper medium to execute these adverts.
This article was written by the founding Managing Director of Mediafreaks "Aldric Chang" a creative businessman who is active in music composing and production, internet marketing, casual games production, animation production, cartoon production and character licensing.

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The Process of 3D Animation | Media-Freaks.com

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'. Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?'

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'.

Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?' is what they usually ask. With the invention of 3D animation technology, the concept of animation becomes even more hazy and mystical to the layman. They still refer to 3D animation as 'drawing' and know not a thing about the process that goes on behind 3D animation.

As the owner of a 3D animation studio, I feel that it is very important to educate our clients on what goes on behind 3D animation production. The knowledge will not just help them appreciate the service better, but also helps to facilitate the process of collaboration and manage their expectations. This is important because it helps our clients achieve what they want and allows us to communicate effectively with them.

For this purpose, I've written this article - which hopes to demystify the process of a 3D animation production and unveil what goes on behind the closed doors of a 3D animation studio.

Get prepared for an educational journey!

A key player in the animation industry in Singapore, Mediafreaks is an animation production company that focuses on working closely with producers, distributors, broadcasters and partners worldwide to produce original television content and high-end animation for broadcast and marketing purposes.
Established in 2003, Mediafreaks has since produced hundreds of projects spanning from animated cartoon series to television commercials to CGI for documentaries to medical and architectural visualization work.
Mediafreaks focuses mainly on providing service work and its sister companies Mediafreaks Cartoon and Character Farm create their own original animated content for export into the international market for broadcast and licensing.
So What Is 3D Animation?
Do not be fooled by the seeming simplicity of this question.

I was actually quite tempted not to write this article because it's such a difficult topic to write on. It can be answered as complicated as you want it to be or as short as you desire. The thing is, I need to let clients know how complicated the process is, but not to let them walk away confused. Saying that I will try my best to answer this question in the most concise but uncomplicated way possible.

In a nutshell, computer 3D animation refers to the work of creating moving pictures in a digital environment that is three-dimensional. Through the careful manipulation of objects (3D models) within the 3D software, we can then export picture sequences which will give the illusion of movement (animation) based on how we manipulate the objects.

What happens in animation is that motion is simulated in a way that the eyes tend to believe that actual motion has taken place while the fact is the perceived sense of motion is only because of the consecutive images that are passed through very fast.

This theory is inherent be it for 3D, 2D or stop motion animation.

In traditional 2D animation, pictures are hand-drawn and every one showing subtle changes from the previous. When played back sequentially, it creates the illusion of motion. In stop motion animation, real-life models are moved slightly and filmed. Again, the pictures will create the illusion of motion when played back. In 3D animation, everything is done within the computer and exported from the computer.

The process of creating 3D animation can be sequentially divided into three phases: modelling - which describes the process of creating the 3D objects within a scene, layout and animation - which describes how objects are positioned and animated within a scene, and rendering - which describes the final output of the completed computer graphics. Through the combination of the above phases and a few other sub-phases, this completes the process of a 3D animation production.

There is much software in the market for creating 3D animation, ranging from the cheaper lower-end ones to the professional high-end versions. If you are curious to see how a 3D software works, you can download a free one called Blender. Just Google it and you will be able to find its official website.

2D Cel animation involves illustrating many pictures of a scene in various phases of movement and flipping through them quickly digitally to create the illusion of movement or animation.

3D computer animation is a costlier and time-consuming process compared to 2D animation as it involves many more steps.

Stop-motion animation is a painfully tedious process and involves tweaking the models bit by bit!
What's the Difference between 2D and 3D anyway?
Isn't it obvious? Errr...not quite...read on to find out why.

The first concept you must grasp is that 3D means 3 dimensional and 2D means 2 dimensional. Now before you think I'm stating the obvious, let me go on to say that the 3D and 2D in animation refer to the dimension in which the animation was created. Ahhhh. The plot thickens eh?

For 2D animation, everything happens on a 2-dimensional platform. Pictures are flat, without depth and offer only one perspective. Objects and characters are usually drawn without the subtle soft shadows we see in real life and colours have few varying shades. In 3D animation, everything happens on a 3-dimensional platform. Pictures have depth and offer multiple perspectives just like in real life and have soft subtle shadows cast on the objects and characters within.

In 2D, characters look cartoonish and unrealistic. In 3D, characters can look cartoonish but realistic at the same time.

Super Mario in 2D and 3D, Copyright(C) Nintendo. See the difference?

Another way to think of this is to think in terms of a painting and a sculpture. 2D is a painting, and 3D is a sculpture. 3D introduces "depth perspective," so we not only see a rectangle (2D) but a CUBE (3D). You may also want to think of it like being the difference between a photograph of a glass of water (2D) and being able to reach out and actually pick up the glass of water (3D).

You could start training yourself by comparing a cartoon-like Bugs Bunny, Aladdin, Lion King (2D) to "Toy Story 1, 2 & 3, "Finding Nemo" and "Incredibles" (3D). If you have not watched any of these great cartoons, you should grab one right away or be branded Neanderthals forever!

Typically, 2D involves "drawing," or movement on, say, a flat surface (sketch pad, etc.) or in the vertical and horizontal planes. 3D involves "modelling," i.e., creating objects in 3-dimensions using a computer software, residing in an expansive virtual environment, complete with lights, reflections, other objects, shadows, etc.
Is 3D Animation an Offspring of 2D Animation?

Many people have the idea that 3D animation stemmed as a progression from 2D animation. While not entirely untrue, this is definitely not the whole truth as well.

If we have to make some form of a link, then I would say that 3D animation has more of its roots in stop-motion animation than in traditional hand-drawn 2d animation. The stop-motion film techniques were used very well in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts by Ray Harryhausen, although they have actually been around since the very early days of film in the late 19th century. But it was Ray Harryhausen who really brought the technique to life.

You might want to know also that the original King Kong movie produced in 1933, also used stop-motion techniques extensively.

Comparing 3D animation and stop-motion, we can actually see where the similarities are.

For stop motion, it involves taking a model and filming one frame at a time. Slight changes are made to the model and then filmed again. This is to simulate movement. By building up frame after frame and playing it back at between 12 and 70 frames per second, the model looks like it is moving. This is a very painstaking process and by no means a walk in the park!

3D animation uses a similar method but it is created using computers. Everything is controlled within the computer and the output is automated by the computer after you key in the instructions. It is decidedly less tedious physically compared to stop-motion animation, but the fundamentals are similar in nature.

Even the lighting, texturing and camera aspects of both animation methods share the same fundamentals, with the exception that one happens in reality, and the other on the computer.

I would think that for a stop-motion artist to transit over to 3D animation and vice versa, it would be a lot easier and faster, as opposed to a 2D artist. And having said that, I would end this section by saying again that 3D animation smells more like an offspring of stop-motion animation than 2D animation.
The Process of 3D Animation
There are probably more steps to 3D animation than you think there are!

The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated than any other forms of animation.

Depending on what project and which 3D animation studio is involved, the number of steps may vary.

In this lens, I've identified and illustrated the 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project.

They are namely:

Concept and Storyboards
2. 3D Modelling
3. Texturing
4. Rigging
5. Animation
6. Lighting
7. Camera Setting
8. Rendering
9. Compositing and Special VFX
10. Music and Foley
11. Editing and Final Output
Step 1 | Concept and Storyboards
A storyboard for Mighty Pups - a cartoon series by Mediafreaks!

The very first step involved in a 3D production pipeline is the conceptualization of ideas and the creation of the storyboards that translate these ideas into visual form.

A storyboard is a sequence of illustrations that showcase your digital story in two dimensions. The first dimension is time: what happens first, next, and last. The second is of interaction: how does the voiceover (your story) interact with the images, how do visual transitions and effects help tie together the images, how does the voice overs interact with the musical soundtrack? Any element can interact with any other one, and the storyboard is the place to plan out the impact you intend to make on the audience.
Step 2 | 3D Modelling
3D Modelling is not drawing!

After the storyboards are finished and approved by the client, the task of building the props, environment and characters begin. The proper term is called 'modelling'.

Modelling is the process of taking a shape and moulding it into a completed 3D mesh. The most typical means of creating a 3D model is to take a simple object, called a primitive, and extend or "grow" it into a shape that can be refined and detailed. Primitives can be anything from a single point (called a vertex), a two-dimensional line (an edge), a curve (a spline), to three-dimensional objects (faces or polygons). Using the specific features of your chosen 3D software, each one of these primitives can be manipulated to produce an object. When you create a model in 3D, you'll usually learn one method to create your model, and go back to it time and again when you need to create new models. There are three basic methods you can use to create a 3D model, and 3D artists should understand how to create a model using each technique.
Step 3 | Texturing
The art of giving clothes to the 3D models.

When a 3D model is created, 2D images can be overlaid on it to add colours, designs, and textures. This is called mapping, and often the entirety of a model's colour comes from this. These maps can be created in programs like Photoshop, and the illusions of textures can be brushed onto the models as easily as if you painted them yourself; some animators even use real photographs of the textures they're trying to create, simply captured and then altered to make seamless repeatable patterns. This is how many illusions of hair are created; rather than model individual strands, instead of grouped locks of hair are modelled, before a texture is overlaid with individual strands and details painted on.
Step 4 | Rigging and Skinning
We've gotta put in those skeletons into a 3D character before he can move!

Setting up a character to walk and talk is the last stage before the process of character animation can begin. This stage is called 'rigging and skinning' and is the underlying system that drives the movement of a character to bring it to life.

Rigging is the process to set up a controllable skeleton for the character that is intended for animation. Depending on the subject matter, every rig is unique and so is the corresponding set of controls.

Skinning is the process of attaching the 3D model (skin) to the rigged skeleton so that the 3D model can be manipulated by the controls of the rig.
Step 5 | Animation
Now you know animation doesn't always come first in 3D animation huh?

Animation is the process of taking a 3D object and getting it to move. Animation comes in a few different flavors. There's keyframe animation, where the animator manipulates the objects on a frame-by-frame basis, similar to old hand-drawn cartoons. Other methods of animation include placing objects on splines and setting them to follow the path of the curve, or importing motion capture data and applying it to a character rig. Yet another way to animate is to use your 3D application's built-in physics engines, such as when your scene requires that objects fall.
Step 6 | Lighting
Lighting in a 3D world is just as essential as it is in real life.

Lighting, (in combination with textures, camera angle etc.) is where a scene has the potential to come alive. Used improperly, light can wash out a scene, make objects appear hard or flat, and destroy all the hard work. But skillfully applied, lighting can make a scene convincing, or if realism is the aim, create (in combination with materials and geometry), a scene that is virtually indistinguishable from real life.

In 3D, lights don't actually exist as they do in the real world. Lights in 3D are objects that are designed to simulate how lighting works in real life, but in order to obtain the results you're after, you have to apply a number of settings, not only to the lights, but to the materials.
Step 7 | Camera Angles and Techniques
Good camera angles and techniques make the difference between good cinematography and bad ones.

A camera is an amazing tool. In 3D, unlike the real world, physical limitations don't exist. You can create a scene where the camera takes you on a journey inside the blood vessels of a human body, or to be an eye-in-the-sky in your scenes, it can be used to create impossible perspectives, to zoom and pan and so much more. It's beyond the scope of this article to tell you everything about cameras, but here are some basics to get you started.

First, it's useful to look at some of the differences between 3D cameras and real-life cameras. In 3D, unlike in real life, there is no need for a lens, focusing controls, film, aperture, etc. All of these functions are controlled via software. Where things are similar is how the camera is used. In 3D, you can create one or more cameras, position them exactly as desired in 3D space and use settings to mimic focal length, depth of field, etc. Other options for moving a 3D camera are similar to those in movie making, including truck, dolly, motion blur, orbit and pan.

In addition, software cameras have no size or weight restrictions. You can move a camera to any location and even inside the tiniest objects. You can also animate cameras so that several operations take place at once, such as a zooming into a scene while changing the depth of field. Once you create a camera in 3D, you can pick a view and assign the view in that view to the camera, meaning that you will see the scene from the perspective of the camera.
Step 8 | Rendering
This is where the graphics get 'made' and exported...but it's not the end yet!!!

Rendering an image is typically the last step in the 3D production pipeline (but not the last step in the overall production pipeline), and is perhaps the most important part. It is a step often overlooked or glossed over by beginners, who are more focused on creating models and animating them. There are many aspects to creating a good final render of a scene, including attention to camera placement, lighting choices which may affect mood and shadows, reflections and transparency, and the handling of special effects, like fluids or gasses.
Step 9 | Compositing and Special FX
The renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects

This is where the final renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects.

Compositing includes everything from what you probably normally think of as special effects, where things explode, evaporate, morph, etc. It also includes stage extensions (making the scene stage larger digitally in post-production), to environment creation (anything from buildings to complete worlds), to blue/green screen replacement (shooting in-front of a blue or green screen and then replacing the background with digitally created footage or footage shot elsewhere). Basically, the art of taking live footage and blending it with computer-generated footage would be considered compositing.
Step 10 | Music and Foley
Music and foley (sound effects) are added to give the animation the extra depth and boost in audio enjoyment.

A music composer will create music soundtracks and accompaniment music to set the mood for the animation.

A foley artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions. Using many different kinds of shoes and lots of props - car fenders, plates, glasses, chairs, and just about anything I find at the side of the road - the Foley Artist can replace original sound completely or augment existing sounds to create a richer track.
Step 11 | Editing and Final Output
This is where it ends!

This is where it all ends! This is where the composited renders, music and foley are compiled and edited to ensure that everything is in synchronization. Once satisfied, the compiled product is exported as one of the many formats suitable for broadcasting standards and delivered to the client!
Picking the Right 3D Animation Studio to Work With
Picking the right animation company for your project will determine the success and failure of your marketing effort.

That's not so difficult to answer, is it?

Of course, you go to Mediafreaks!

Alright, seriously now, no single company is suitable for every single project under the sun. I would like to say that Mediafreaks is good at everything, but unfortunately, we are not.

Some companies excel at certain genres and other companies in other genres.

Mediafreaks specializes mainly in animated commercials, broadcast animation for documentaries, medical visualization, character design and architectural visualization. There are companies who specialize solely in special effects or architectural visualization work.

The following is my honest advice regarding this subject matter:

1. Find a company that has an extensive portfolio or one that has done something similar to what you have in mind. The first ensures an experienced company and the second gives you the confidence that they have done something similar before and can probably deliver the same to you.

2. Make sure that the company is using more in-house staff than freelancers. Many freelancers are unreliable and may disappear when the going gets tough. Ultimately the company is responsible for their conduct, but you would have wasted your time and perhaps missed a good opportunity to impress with your presentation or marketing campaign. So you stand to lose out even if you don't have to pay for the project ultimately.

3. Ask for milestones and deliverables. Understand what the company's pipeline is like. Any animation companies worth their salt would be able to tell you a pipeline and milestone delivery that sounds logical and reasonable. Click here if you missed my section on Working with an Animation Company to find out more.

4. Find a company that responds fast to emails and phone calls. If the company takes a long time to return emails and calls, chances are they are either too busy to respond, can't be bothered to respond or too disorganized to respond. Either way, you should move on and look for the next vendor.

5. Find a company that has project managers or account managers in place. You want to speak to speak to marketing people who understand your marketing needs and not animators who think about cool special effects and nice animation.

6. After giving concise background information about your company and what you want to achieve, see how fast and pro-active the company is in coming back with a proposed solution and a quotation. See if the quotation makes sense and that the company can account for each of the service listed.

7. I would not advise going around for quotations because quite honestly every animation company may charge differently according to their staff strength, reputation, portfolios, whether they are using freelancers or perm staff, standard of work, etc. There are too many variables and it is akin to comparing the prices of cars of different makes. It won't be fair in this respect. Try to go for whichever company can possibly deliver what you need within your budget.

8. Lastly, always work with a company you feel comfortable with. Go with your gut feeling. If you don't feel good about the company, it means you don't have chemistry with the people there and chances are you won't enjoy the working relationship. This will affect the end product.

Case Studies
The use of computer animation in marketing and advertising is potent as a communications tool. Many companies are discovering that it is much more effective and powerful than the boring PowerPoint slides and mundane TV adverts that use only live actors. While it shares some characteristics of other visual mediums, it has unique attributes that no other marketing medium can equal.

Let's take a look at how your company can tap into the capabilities of this great marketing tool by studying some true case studies of how some other companies have been doing it.
Case Study: Hi-Corporation and Sharp
HI CORPORATION is a leading research and development company in middleware development for embedded devices whose flagship product MascotCapsule® is a real-time 3D rendering engine. In addition to all Japanese carriers and handset manufacturers, the engine has been widely adopted in the US, Europe, Korea, and China. Character Farm and Mediafreaks Cartoon - both sister companies of Mediafreaks Pte Ltd. specializing in the creation of original animated content - have entered into a licensing collaboration with HI CORPORATION to release a set of original characters from the animated series Katakune™ and Sedo Dog™ to be offered as downloadable content for mobile phones released in Japan. These characters will be used for a service where users can set characters to display on their mobile phone standby screens, menu screens, and other screens. The character moves around the mobile phone screen and reacts according to events such as incoming calls and mail. A character from the Sedo Dog™ family has been embedded into a high-end Sharp mobile phone as a default offering. This case study shows how cartoon characters can be used to make a product more enticing. Please click on the pictures or the link below to learn more about our cartoon characters and licensing opportunities.
Case Study: APMI Kaplan
APMI Kaplan - a quality educational facility - wanted to showcase their brand new campus. However, in most cases, reality is imperfect and live shoots usually amplifies that imperfection. A 3D animation walkthrough helped to create the experience of studying in Kaplan's beautiful environment, sans the imperfections. The educational sector being a very competitive one, this extra presentation effort immediately helps to establish Kaplan as the right place to study.
Case Study: Shark Energy Drink
Field Catering wanted to bring across how their Shark Energy drink can restore energy to the most exhausted individual. Mediafreaks came up with a concept that showed how Shark can power up an entire city. Sure it is an exaggeration, but all TV adverts build on hype, and 3D animation does that the best! The conventional live TV adverts can never achieve this kind of effect. The Shark Energy Drink TV advert was shown during the New Year period to good response.
Case Study: Schering Plough Clarityne
Schering Plough wanted a different approach towards showcasing their Clarityne product - which helps curbs nose allergy problems. Mediafreaks came up with an animated TV commercial that discusses how allergens bring about the allergy symptoms and how Clarityne can help improve the quality of life. Again, if this was a 'live-actor' advert, the result would be much more boring and less effective. The graphics concept was also implemented on buses as mobile giant ads.
Case Study: Pilot Pen V-Grip
It's tough to sell something as conventional and mundane as the humble pen. No matter how much technology has gone into it, unless the pen has been given a micro super-computer and can write on its own, a pen is still a pen. So how do you sell a pen? Check out this cheeky animated TV commercial of a family who finds so much fun using the new Pilot V-Grip that they prefer to pen their conversations to each other! Again, having the commercial done in 3D animated form brings out the fun and humour. A live advert just wouldn't have done justice.
Case Study: Linden Place
Linden Place is an up market residential property in China. The TV commercial that the developers wanted to produce should spoke to those who recognize class and prestige. Wanting to steer away from the conventional property commercials that are a dime a dozen, they decided to go for a beautiful and realistic 3D animated rendering of an exquisitely crafted plague that emits elegance, prestige and exclusivity. To create the plaque in real life was too expensive in comparison to a digital representation, and Mediafreaks came to the rescue.
Case Study: Wyeth Robitussin
This set of 2 x 20 seconds TV adverts were designed to create impact advertising through exaggerating the effects a bad cough can induce on people. The different scenarios enacted here dramatize the effects of the 2 different kinds of coughs that the Robitussin cough solutions are formulated for. Through the cycling of the 2 different TV commercials, it generated curiosity and interest from the audience who realized that these were 2 different TV commercials featuring different cough solutions for varying cough conditions. Being in bursts of 20 seconds and coupled with the fact that the scenario in each TVC is rather dramatic, animation was the perfect and cheaper medium to execute these adverts.
This article was written by the founding Managing Director of Mediafreaks "Aldric Chang" a creative businessman who is active in music composing and production, internet marketing, casual games production, animation production, cartoon production and character licensing.

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The Process of 3D Animation | Media-Freaks.com

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'. Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?'

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3D image with multiple perspectives subtle shadow

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'.

Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?' is what they usually ask. With the invention of 3D animation technology, the concept of animation becomes even more hazy and mystical to the layman. They still refer to 3D animation as 'drawing' and know not a thing about the process that goes on behind 3D animation.

As the owner of a 3D animation studio, I feel that it is very important to educate our clients on what goes on behind 3D animation production. The knowledge will not just help them appreciate the service better, but also helps to facilitate the process of collaboration and manage their expectations. This is important because it helps our clients achieve what they want and allows us to communicate effectively with them.

For this purpose, I've written this article - which hopes to demystify the process of a 3D animation production and unveil what goes on behind the closed doors of a 3D animation studio.

Get prepared for an educational journey!

A key player in the animation industry in Singapore, Mediafreaks is an animation production company that focuses on working closely with producers, distributors, broadcasters and partners worldwide to produce original television content and high-end animation for broadcast and marketing purposes.
Established in 2003, Mediafreaks has since produced hundreds of projects spanning from animated cartoon series to television commercials to CGI for documentaries to medical and architectural visualization work.
Mediafreaks focuses mainly on providing service work and its sister companies Mediafreaks Cartoon and Character Farm create their own original animated content for export into the international market for broadcast and licensing.
So What Is 3D Animation?
Do not be fooled by the seeming simplicity of this question.

I was actually quite tempted not to write this article because it's such a difficult topic to write on. It can be answered as complicated as you want it to be or as short as you desire. The thing is, I need to let clients know how complicated the process is, but not to let them walk away confused. Saying that I will try my best to answer this question in the most concise but uncomplicated way possible.

In a nutshell, computer 3D animation refers to the work of creating moving pictures in a digital environment that is three-dimensional. Through the careful manipulation of objects (3D models) within the 3D software, we can then export picture sequences which will give the illusion of movement (animation) based on how we manipulate the objects.

What happens in animation is that motion is simulated in a way that the eyes tend to believe that actual motion has taken place while the fact is the perceived sense of motion is only because of the consecutive images that are passed through very fast.

This theory is inherent be it for 3D, 2D or stop motion animation.

In traditional 2D animation, pictures are hand-drawn and every one showing subtle changes from the previous. When played back sequentially, it creates the illusion of motion. In stop motion animation, real-life models are moved slightly and filmed. Again, the pictures will create the illusion of motion when played back. In 3D animation, everything is done within the computer and exported from the computer.

The process of creating 3D animation can be sequentially divided into three phases: modelling - which describes the process of creating the 3D objects within a scene, layout and animation - which describes how objects are positioned and animated within a scene, and rendering - which describes the final output of the completed computer graphics. Through the combination of the above phases and a few other sub-phases, this completes the process of a 3D animation production.

There is much software in the market for creating 3D animation, ranging from the cheaper lower-end ones to the professional high-end versions. If you are curious to see how a 3D software works, you can download a free one called Blender. Just Google it and you will be able to find its official website.

2D Cel animation involves illustrating many pictures of a scene in various phases of movement and flipping through them quickly digitally to create the illusion of movement or animation.

3D computer animation is a costlier and time-consuming process compared to 2D animation as it involves many more steps.

Stop-motion animation is a painfully tedious process and involves tweaking the models bit by bit!
What's the Difference between 2D and 3D anyway?
Isn't it obvious? Errr...not quite...read on to find out why.

The first concept you must grasp is that 3D means 3 dimensional and 2D means 2 dimensional. Now before you think I'm stating the obvious, let me go on to say that the 3D and 2D in animation refer to the dimension in which the animation was created. Ahhhh. The plot thickens eh?

For 2D animation, everything happens on a 2-dimensional platform. Pictures are flat, without depth and offer only one perspective. Objects and characters are usually drawn without the subtle soft shadows we see in real life and colours have few varying shades. In 3D animation, everything happens on a 3-dimensional platform. Pictures have depth and offer multiple perspectives just like in real life and have soft subtle shadows cast on the objects and characters within.

In 2D, characters look cartoonish and unrealistic. In 3D, characters can look cartoonish but realistic at the same time.

Super Mario in 2D and 3D, Copyright(C) Nintendo. See the difference?

Another way to think of this is to think in terms of a painting and a sculpture. 2D is a painting, and 3D is a sculpture. 3D introduces "depth perspective," so we not only see a rectangle (2D) but a CUBE (3D). You may also want to think of it like being the difference between a photograph of a glass of water (2D) and being able to reach out and actually pick up the glass of water (3D).

You could start training yourself by comparing a cartoon-like Bugs Bunny, Aladdin, Lion King (2D) to "Toy Story 1, 2 & 3, "Finding Nemo" and "Incredibles" (3D). If you have not watched any of these great cartoons, you should grab one right away or be branded Neanderthals forever!

Typically, 2D involves "drawing," or movement on, say, a flat surface (sketch pad, etc.) or in the vertical and horizontal planes. 3D involves "modelling," i.e., creating objects in 3-dimensions using a computer software, residing in an expansive virtual environment, complete with lights, reflections, other objects, shadows, etc.
Is 3D Animation an Offspring of 2D Animation?

Many people have the idea that 3D animation stemmed as a progression from 2D animation. While not entirely untrue, this is definitely not the whole truth as well.

If we have to make some form of a link, then I would say that 3D animation has more of its roots in stop-motion animation than in traditional hand-drawn 2d animation. The stop-motion film techniques were used very well in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts by Ray Harryhausen, although they have actually been around since the very early days of film in the late 19th century. But it was Ray Harryhausen who really brought the technique to life.

You might want to know also that the original King Kong movie produced in 1933, also used stop-motion techniques extensively.

Comparing 3D animation and stop-motion, we can actually see where the similarities are.

For stop motion, it involves taking a model and filming one frame at a time. Slight changes are made to the model and then filmed again. This is to simulate movement. By building up frame after frame and playing it back at between 12 and 70 frames per second, the model looks like it is moving. This is a very painstaking process and by no means a walk in the park!

3D animation uses a similar method but it is created using computers. Everything is controlled within the computer and the output is automated by the computer after you key in the instructions. It is decidedly less tedious physically compared to stop-motion animation, but the fundamentals are similar in nature.

Even the lighting, texturing and camera aspects of both animation methods share the same fundamentals, with the exception that one happens in reality, and the other on the computer.

I would think that for a stop-motion artist to transit over to 3D animation and vice versa, it would be a lot easier and faster, as opposed to a 2D artist. And having said that, I would end this section by saying again that 3D animation smells more like an offspring of stop-motion animation than 2D animation.
The Process of 3D Animation
There are probably more steps to 3D animation than you think there are!

The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated than any other forms of animation.

Depending on what project and which 3D animation studio is involved, the number of steps may vary.

In this lens, I've identified and illustrated the 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project.

They are namely:

Concept and Storyboards
2. 3D Modelling
3. Texturing
4. Rigging
5. Animation
6. Lighting
7. Camera Setting
8. Rendering
9. Compositing and Special VFX
10. Music and Foley
11. Editing and Final Output
Step 1 | Concept and Storyboards
A storyboard for Mighty Pups - a cartoon series by Mediafreaks!

The very first step involved in a 3D production pipeline is the conceptualization of ideas and the creation of the storyboards that translate these ideas into visual form.

A storyboard is a sequence of illustrations that showcase your digital story in two dimensions. The first dimension is time: what happens first, next, and last. The second is of interaction: how does the voiceover (your story) interact with the images, how do visual transitions and effects help tie together the images, how does the voice overs interact with the musical soundtrack? Any element can interact with any other one, and the storyboard is the place to plan out the impact you intend to make on the audience.
Step 2 | 3D Modelling
3D Modelling is not drawing!

After the storyboards are finished and approved by the client, the task of building the props, environment and characters begin. The proper term is called 'modelling'.

Modelling is the process of taking a shape and moulding it into a completed 3D mesh. The most typical means of creating a 3D model is to take a simple object, called a primitive, and extend or "grow" it into a shape that can be refined and detailed. Primitives can be anything from a single point (called a vertex), a two-dimensional line (an edge), a curve (a spline), to three-dimensional objects (faces or polygons). Using the specific features of your chosen 3D software, each one of these primitives can be manipulated to produce an object. When you create a model in 3D, you'll usually learn one method to create your model, and go back to it time and again when you need to create new models. There are three basic methods you can use to create a 3D model, and 3D artists should understand how to create a model using each technique.
Step 3 | Texturing
The art of giving clothes to the 3D models.

When a 3D model is created, 2D images can be overlaid on it to add colours, designs, and textures. This is called mapping, and often the entirety of a model's colour comes from this. These maps can be created in programs like Photoshop, and the illusions of textures can be brushed onto the models as easily as if you painted them yourself; some animators even use real photographs of the textures they're trying to create, simply captured and then altered to make seamless repeatable patterns. This is how many illusions of hair are created; rather than model individual strands, instead of grouped locks of hair are modelled, before a texture is overlaid with individual strands and details painted on.
Step 4 | Rigging and Skinning
We've gotta put in those skeletons into a 3D character before he can move!

Setting up a character to walk and talk is the last stage before the process of character animation can begin. This stage is called 'rigging and skinning' and is the underlying system that drives the movement of a character to bring it to life.

Rigging is the process to set up a controllable skeleton for the character that is intended for animation. Depending on the subject matter, every rig is unique and so is the corresponding set of controls.

Skinning is the process of attaching the 3D model (skin) to the rigged skeleton so that the 3D model can be manipulated by the controls of the rig.
Step 5 | Animation
Now you know animation doesn't always come first in 3D animation huh?

Animation is the process of taking a 3D object and getting it to move. Animation comes in a few different flavors. There's keyframe animation, where the animator manipulates the objects on a frame-by-frame basis, similar to old hand-drawn cartoons. Other methods of animation include placing objects on splines and setting them to follow the path of the curve, or importing motion capture data and applying it to a character rig. Yet another way to animate is to use your 3D application's built-in physics engines, such as when your scene requires that objects fall.
Step 6 | Lighting
Lighting in a 3D world is just as essential as it is in real life.

Lighting, (in combination with textures, camera angle etc.) is where a scene has the potential to come alive. Used improperly, light can wash out a scene, make objects appear hard or flat, and destroy all the hard work. But skillfully applied, lighting can make a scene convincing, or if realism is the aim, create (in combination with materials and geometry), a scene that is virtually indistinguishable from real life.

In 3D, lights don't actually exist as they do in the real world. Lights in 3D are objects that are designed to simulate how lighting works in real life, but in order to obtain the results you're after, you have to apply a number of settings, not only to the lights, but to the materials.
Step 7 | Camera Angles and Techniques
Good camera angles and techniques make the difference between good cinematography and bad ones.

A camera is an amazing tool. In 3D, unlike the real world, physical limitations don't exist. You can create a scene where the camera takes you on a journey inside the blood vessels of a human body, or to be an eye-in-the-sky in your scenes, it can be used to create impossible perspectives, to zoom and pan and so much more. It's beyond the scope of this article to tell you everything about cameras, but here are some basics to get you started.

First, it's useful to look at some of the differences between 3D cameras and real-life cameras. In 3D, unlike in real life, there is no need for a lens, focusing controls, film, aperture, etc. All of these functions are controlled via software. Where things are similar is how the camera is used. In 3D, you can create one or more cameras, position them exactly as desired in 3D space and use settings to mimic focal length, depth of field, etc. Other options for moving a 3D camera are similar to those in movie making, including truck, dolly, motion blur, orbit and pan.

In addition, software cameras have no size or weight restrictions. You can move a camera to any location and even inside the tiniest objects. You can also animate cameras so that several operations take place at once, such as a zooming into a scene while changing the depth of field. Once you create a camera in 3D, you can pick a view and assign the view in that view to the camera, meaning that you will see the scene from the perspective of the camera.
Step 8 | Rendering
This is where the graphics get 'made' and exported...but it's not the end yet!!!

Rendering an image is typically the last step in the 3D production pipeline (but not the last step in the overall production pipeline), and is perhaps the most important part. It is a step often overlooked or glossed over by beginners, who are more focused on creating models and animating them. There are many aspects to creating a good final render of a scene, including attention to camera placement, lighting choices which may affect mood and shadows, reflections and transparency, and the handling of special effects, like fluids or gasses.
Step 9 | Compositing and Special FX
The renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects

This is where the final renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects.

Compositing includes everything from what you probably normally think of as special effects, where things explode, evaporate, morph, etc. It also includes stage extensions (making the scene stage larger digitally in post-production), to environment creation (anything from buildings to complete worlds), to blue/green screen replacement (shooting in-front of a blue or green screen and then replacing the background with digitally created footage or footage shot elsewhere). Basically, the art of taking live footage and blending it with computer-generated footage would be considered compositing.
Step 10 | Music and Foley
Music and foley (sound effects) are added to give the animation the extra depth and boost in audio enjoyment.

A music composer will create music soundtracks and accompaniment music to set the mood for the animation.

A foley artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions. Using many different kinds of shoes and lots of props - car fenders, plates, glasses, chairs, and just about anything I find at the side of the road - the Foley Artist can replace original sound completely or augment existing sounds to create a richer track.
Step 11 | Editing and Final Output
This is where it ends!

This is where it all ends! This is where the composited renders, music and foley are compiled and edited to ensure that everything is in synchronization. Once satisfied, the compiled product is exported as one of the many formats suitable for broadcasting standards and delivered to the client!
Picking the Right 3D Animation Studio to Work With
Picking the right animation company for your project will determine the success and failure of your marketing effort.

That's not so difficult to answer, is it?

Of course, you go to Mediafreaks!

Alright, seriously now, no single company is suitable for every single project under the sun. I would like to say that Mediafreaks is good at everything, but unfortunately, we are not.

Some companies excel at certain genres and other companies in other genres.

Mediafreaks specializes mainly in animated commercials, broadcast animation for documentaries, medical visualization, character design and architectural visualization. There are companies who specialize solely in special effects or architectural visualization work.

The following is my honest advice regarding this subject matter:

1. Find a company that has an extensive portfolio or one that has done something similar to what you have in mind. The first ensures an experienced company and the second gives you the confidence that they have done something similar before and can probably deliver the same to you.

2. Make sure that the company is using more in-house staff than freelancers. Many freelancers are unreliable and may disappear when the going gets tough. Ultimately the company is responsible for their conduct, but you would have wasted your time and perhaps missed a good opportunity to impress with your presentation or marketing campaign. So you stand to lose out even if you don't have to pay for the project ultimately.

3. Ask for milestones and deliverables. Understand what the company's pipeline is like. Any animation companies worth their salt would be able to tell you a pipeline and milestone delivery that sounds logical and reasonable. Click here if you missed my section on Working with an Animation Company to find out more.

4. Find a company that responds fast to emails and phone calls. If the company takes a long time to return emails and calls, chances are they are either too busy to respond, can't be bothered to respond or too disorganized to respond. Either way, you should move on and look for the next vendor.

5. Find a company that has project managers or account managers in place. You want to speak to speak to marketing people who understand your marketing needs and not animators who think about cool special effects and nice animation.

6. After giving concise background information about your company and what you want to achieve, see how fast and pro-active the company is in coming back with a proposed solution and a quotation. See if the quotation makes sense and that the company can account for each of the service listed.

7. I would not advise going around for quotations because quite honestly every animation company may charge differently according to their staff strength, reputation, portfolios, whether they are using freelancers or perm staff, standard of work, etc. There are too many variables and it is akin to comparing the prices of cars of different makes. It won't be fair in this respect. Try to go for whichever company can possibly deliver what you need within your budget.

8. Lastly, always work with a company you feel comfortable with. Go with your gut feeling. If you don't feel good about the company, it means you don't have chemistry with the people there and chances are you won't enjoy the working relationship. This will affect the end product.

Case Studies
The use of computer animation in marketing and advertising is potent as a communications tool. Many companies are discovering that it is much more effective and powerful than the boring PowerPoint slides and mundane TV adverts that use only live actors. While it shares some characteristics of other visual mediums, it has unique attributes that no other marketing medium can equal.

Let's take a look at how your company can tap into the capabilities of this great marketing tool by studying some true case studies of how some other companies have been doing it.
Case Study: Hi-Corporation and Sharp
HI CORPORATION is a leading research and development company in middleware development for embedded devices whose flagship product MascotCapsule® is a real-time 3D rendering engine. In addition to all Japanese carriers and handset manufacturers, the engine has been widely adopted in the US, Europe, Korea, and China. Character Farm and Mediafreaks Cartoon - both sister companies of Mediafreaks Pte Ltd. specializing in the creation of original animated content - have entered into a licensing collaboration with HI CORPORATION to release a set of original characters from the animated series Katakune™ and Sedo Dog™ to be offered as downloadable content for mobile phones released in Japan. These characters will be used for a service where users can set characters to display on their mobile phone standby screens, menu screens, and other screens. The character moves around the mobile phone screen and reacts according to events such as incoming calls and mail. A character from the Sedo Dog™ family has been embedded into a high-end Sharp mobile phone as a default offering. This case study shows how cartoon characters can be used to make a product more enticing. Please click on the pictures or the link below to learn more about our cartoon characters and licensing opportunities.
Case Study: APMI Kaplan
APMI Kaplan - a quality educational facility - wanted to showcase their brand new campus. However, in most cases, reality is imperfect and live shoots usually amplifies that imperfection. A 3D animation walkthrough helped to create the experience of studying in Kaplan's beautiful environment, sans the imperfections. The educational sector being a very competitive one, this extra presentation effort immediately helps to establish Kaplan as the right place to study.
Case Study: Shark Energy Drink
Field Catering wanted to bring across how their Shark Energy drink can restore energy to the most exhausted individual. Mediafreaks came up with a concept that showed how Shark can power up an entire city. Sure it is an exaggeration, but all TV adverts build on hype, and 3D animation does that the best! The conventional live TV adverts can never achieve this kind of effect. The Shark Energy Drink TV advert was shown during the New Year period to good response.
Case Study: Schering Plough Clarityne
Schering Plough wanted a different approach towards showcasing their Clarityne product - which helps curbs nose allergy problems. Mediafreaks came up with an animated TV commercial that discusses how allergens bring about the allergy symptoms and how Clarityne can help improve the quality of life. Again, if this was a 'live-actor' advert, the result would be much more boring and less effective. The graphics concept was also implemented on buses as mobile giant ads.
Case Study: Pilot Pen V-Grip
It's tough to sell something as conventional and mundane as the humble pen. No matter how much technology has gone into it, unless the pen has been given a micro super-computer and can write on its own, a pen is still a pen. So how do you sell a pen? Check out this cheeky animated TV commercial of a family who finds so much fun using the new Pilot V-Grip that they prefer to pen their conversations to each other! Again, having the commercial done in 3D animated form brings out the fun and humour. A live advert just wouldn't have done justice.
Case Study: Linden Place
Linden Place is an up market residential property in China. The TV commercial that the developers wanted to produce should spoke to those who recognize class and prestige. Wanting to steer away from the conventional property commercials that are a dime a dozen, they decided to go for a beautiful and realistic 3D animated rendering of an exquisitely crafted plague that emits elegance, prestige and exclusivity. To create the plaque in real life was too expensive in comparison to a digital representation, and Mediafreaks came to the rescue.
Case Study: Wyeth Robitussin
This set of 2 x 20 seconds TV adverts were designed to create impact advertising through exaggerating the effects a bad cough can induce on people. The different scenarios enacted here dramatize the effects of the 2 different kinds of coughs that the Robitussin cough solutions are formulated for. Through the cycling of the 2 different TV commercials, it generated curiosity and interest from the audience who realized that these were 2 different TV commercials featuring different cough solutions for varying cough conditions. Being in bursts of 20 seconds and coupled with the fact that the scenario in each TVC is rather dramatic, animation was the perfect and cheaper medium to execute these adverts.
This article was written by the founding Managing Director of Mediafreaks "Aldric Chang" a creative businessman who is active in music composing and production, internet marketing, casual games production, animation production, cartoon production and character licensing.

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The Process of 3D Animation | Media-Freaks.com

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'. Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?'

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'.

Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?' is what they usually ask. With the invention of 3D animation technology, the concept of animation becomes even more hazy and mystical to the layman. They still refer to 3D animation as 'drawing' and know not a thing about the process that goes on behind 3D animation.

As the owner of a 3D animation studio, I feel that it is very important to educate our clients on what goes on behind 3D animation production. The knowledge will not just help them appreciate the service better, but also helps to facilitate the process of collaboration and manage their expectations. This is important because it helps our clients achieve what they want and allows us to communicate effectively with them.

For this purpose, I've written this article - which hopes to demystify the process of a 3D animation production and unveil what goes on behind the closed doors of a 3D animation studio.

Get prepared for an educational journey!

A key player in the animation industry in Singapore, Mediafreaks is an animation production company that focuses on working closely with producers, distributors, broadcasters and partners worldwide to produce original television content and high-end animation for broadcast and marketing purposes.
Established in 2003, Mediafreaks has since produced hundreds of projects spanning from animated cartoon series to television commercials to CGI for documentaries to medical and architectural visualization work.
Mediafreaks focuses mainly on providing service work and its sister companies Mediafreaks Cartoon and Character Farm create their own original animated content for export into the international market for broadcast and licensing.
So What Is 3D Animation?
Do not be fooled by the seeming simplicity of this question.

I was actually quite tempted not to write this article because it's such a difficult topic to write on. It can be answered as complicated as you want it to be or as short as you desire. The thing is, I need to let clients know how complicated the process is, but not to let them walk away confused. Saying that I will try my best to answer this question in the most concise but uncomplicated way possible.

In a nutshell, computer 3D animation refers to the work of creating moving pictures in a digital environment that is three-dimensional. Through the careful manipulation of objects (3D models) within the 3D software, we can then export picture sequences which will give the illusion of movement (animation) based on how we manipulate the objects.

What happens in animation is that motion is simulated in a way that the eyes tend to believe that actual motion has taken place while the fact is the perceived sense of motion is only because of the consecutive images that are passed through very fast.

This theory is inherent be it for 3D, 2D or stop motion animation.

In traditional 2D animation, pictures are hand-drawn and every one showing subtle changes from the previous. When played back sequentially, it creates the illusion of motion. In stop motion animation, real-life models are moved slightly and filmed. Again, the pictures will create the illusion of motion when played back. In 3D animation, everything is done within the computer and exported from the computer.

The process of creating 3D animation can be sequentially divided into three phases: modelling - which describes the process of creating the 3D objects within a scene, layout and animation - which describes how objects are positioned and animated within a scene, and rendering - which describes the final output of the completed computer graphics. Through the combination of the above phases and a few other sub-phases, this completes the process of a 3D animation production.

There is much software in the market for creating 3D animation, ranging from the cheaper lower-end ones to the professional high-end versions. If you are curious to see how a 3D software works, you can download a free one called Blender. Just Google it and you will be able to find its official website.

2D Cel animation involves illustrating many pictures of a scene in various phases of movement and flipping through them quickly digitally to create the illusion of movement or animation.

3D computer animation is a costlier and time-consuming process compared to 2D animation as it involves many more steps.

Stop-motion animation is a painfully tedious process and involves tweaking the models bit by bit!
What's the Difference between 2D and 3D anyway?
Isn't it obvious? Errr...not quite...read on to find out why.

The first concept you must grasp is that 3D means 3 dimensional and 2D means 2 dimensional. Now before you think I'm stating the obvious, let me go on to say that the 3D and 2D in animation refer to the dimension in which the animation was created. Ahhhh. The plot thickens eh?

For 2D animation, everything happens on a 2-dimensional platform. Pictures are flat, without depth and offer only one perspective. Objects and characters are usually drawn without the subtle soft shadows we see in real life and colours have few varying shades. In 3D animation, everything happens on a 3-dimensional platform. Pictures have depth and offer multiple perspectives just like in real life and have soft subtle shadows cast on the objects and characters within.

In 2D, characters look cartoonish and unrealistic. In 3D, characters can look cartoonish but realistic at the same time.

Super Mario in 2D and 3D, Copyright(C) Nintendo. See the difference?

Another way to think of this is to think in terms of a painting and a sculpture. 2D is a painting, and 3D is a sculpture. 3D introduces "depth perspective," so we not only see a rectangle (2D) but a CUBE (3D). You may also want to think of it like being the difference between a photograph of a glass of water (2D) and being able to reach out and actually pick up the glass of water (3D).

You could start training yourself by comparing a cartoon-like Bugs Bunny, Aladdin, Lion King (2D) to "Toy Story 1, 2 & 3, "Finding Nemo" and "Incredibles" (3D). If you have not watched any of these great cartoons, you should grab one right away or be branded Neanderthals forever!

Typically, 2D involves "drawing," or movement on, say, a flat surface (sketch pad, etc.) or in the vertical and horizontal planes. 3D involves "modelling," i.e., creating objects in 3-dimensions using a computer software, residing in an expansive virtual environment, complete with lights, reflections, other objects, shadows, etc.
Is 3D Animation an Offspring of 2D Animation?

Many people have the idea that 3D animation stemmed as a progression from 2D animation. While not entirely untrue, this is definitely not the whole truth as well.

If we have to make some form of a link, then I would say that 3D animation has more of its roots in stop-motion animation than in traditional hand-drawn 2d animation. The stop-motion film techniques were used very well in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts by Ray Harryhausen, although they have actually been around since the very early days of film in the late 19th century. But it was Ray Harryhausen who really brought the technique to life.

You might want to know also that the original King Kong movie produced in 1933, also used stop-motion techniques extensively.

Comparing 3D animation and stop-motion, we can actually see where the similarities are.

For stop motion, it involves taking a model and filming one frame at a time. Slight changes are made to the model and then filmed again. This is to simulate movement. By building up frame after frame and playing it back at between 12 and 70 frames per second, the model looks like it is moving. This is a very painstaking process and by no means a walk in the park!

3D animation uses a similar method but it is created using computers. Everything is controlled within the computer and the output is automated by the computer after you key in the instructions. It is decidedly less tedious physically compared to stop-motion animation, but the fundamentals are similar in nature.

Even the lighting, texturing and camera aspects of both animation methods share the same fundamentals, with the exception that one happens in reality, and the other on the computer.

I would think that for a stop-motion artist to transit over to 3D animation and vice versa, it would be a lot easier and faster, as opposed to a 2D artist. And having said that, I would end this section by saying again that 3D animation smells more like an offspring of stop-motion animation than 2D animation.
The Process of 3D Animation
There are probably more steps to 3D animation than you think there are!

The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated than any other forms of animation.

Depending on what project and which 3D animation studio is involved, the number of steps may vary.

In this lens, I've identified and illustrated the 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project.

They are namely:

Concept and Storyboards
2. 3D Modelling
3. Texturing
4. Rigging
5. Animation
6. Lighting
7. Camera Setting
8. Rendering
9. Compositing and Special VFX
10. Music and Foley
11. Editing and Final Output
Step 1 | Concept and Storyboards
A storyboard for Mighty Pups - a cartoon series by Mediafreaks!

The very first step involved in a 3D production pipeline is the conceptualization of ideas and the creation of the storyboards that translate these ideas into visual form.

A storyboard is a sequence of illustrations that showcase your digital story in two dimensions. The first dimension is time: what happens first, next, and last. The second is of interaction: how does the voiceover (your story) interact with the images, how do visual transitions and effects help tie together the images, how does the voice overs interact with the musical soundtrack? Any element can interact with any other one, and the storyboard is the place to plan out the impact you intend to make on the audience.
Step 2 | 3D Modelling
3D Modelling is not drawing!

After the storyboards are finished and approved by the client, the task of building the props, environment and characters begin. The proper term is called 'modelling'.

Modelling is the process of taking a shape and moulding it into a completed 3D mesh. The most typical means of creating a 3D model is to take a simple object, called a primitive, and extend or "grow" it into a shape that can be refined and detailed. Primitives can be anything from a single point (called a vertex), a two-dimensional line (an edge), a curve (a spline), to three-dimensional objects (faces or polygons). Using the specific features of your chosen 3D software, each one of these primitives can be manipulated to produce an object. When you create a model in 3D, you'll usually learn one method to create your model, and go back to it time and again when you need to create new models. There are three basic methods you can use to create a 3D model, and 3D artists should understand how to create a model using each technique.
Step 3 | Texturing
The art of giving clothes to the 3D models.

When a 3D model is created, 2D images can be overlaid on it to add colours, designs, and textures. This is called mapping, and often the entirety of a model's colour comes from this. These maps can be created in programs like Photoshop, and the illusions of textures can be brushed onto the models as easily as if you painted them yourself; some animators even use real photographs of the textures they're trying to create, simply captured and then altered to make seamless repeatable patterns. This is how many illusions of hair are created; rather than model individual strands, instead of grouped locks of hair are modelled, before a texture is overlaid with individual strands and details painted on.
Step 4 | Rigging and Skinning
We've gotta put in those skeletons into a 3D character before he can move!

Setting up a character to walk and talk is the last stage before the process of character animation can begin. This stage is called 'rigging and skinning' and is the underlying system that drives the movement of a character to bring it to life.

Rigging is the process to set up a controllable skeleton for the character that is intended for animation. Depending on the subject matter, every rig is unique and so is the corresponding set of controls.

Skinning is the process of attaching the 3D model (skin) to the rigged skeleton so that the 3D model can be manipulated by the controls of the rig.
Step 5 | Animation
Now you know animation doesn't always come first in 3D animation huh?

Animation is the process of taking a 3D object and getting it to move. Animation comes in a few different flavors. There's keyframe animation, where the animator manipulates the objects on a frame-by-frame basis, similar to old hand-drawn cartoons. Other methods of animation include placing objects on splines and setting them to follow the path of the curve, or importing motion capture data and applying it to a character rig. Yet another way to animate is to use your 3D application's built-in physics engines, such as when your scene requires that objects fall.
Step 6 | Lighting
Lighting in a 3D world is just as essential as it is in real life.

Lighting, (in combination with textures, camera angle etc.) is where a scene has the potential to come alive. Used improperly, light can wash out a scene, make objects appear hard or flat, and destroy all the hard work. But skillfully applied, lighting can make a scene convincing, or if realism is the aim, create (in combination with materials and geometry), a scene that is virtually indistinguishable from real life.

In 3D, lights don't actually exist as they do in the real world. Lights in 3D are objects that are designed to simulate how lighting works in real life, but in order to obtain the results you're after, you have to apply a number of settings, not only to the lights, but to the materials.
Step 7 | Camera Angles and Techniques
Good camera angles and techniques make the difference between good cinematography and bad ones.

A camera is an amazing tool. In 3D, unlike the real world, physical limitations don't exist. You can create a scene where the camera takes you on a journey inside the blood vessels of a human body, or to be an eye-in-the-sky in your scenes, it can be used to create impossible perspectives, to zoom and pan and so much more. It's beyond the scope of this article to tell you everything about cameras, but here are some basics to get you started.

First, it's useful to look at some of the differences between 3D cameras and real-life cameras. In 3D, unlike in real life, there is no need for a lens, focusing controls, film, aperture, etc. All of these functions are controlled via software. Where things are similar is how the camera is used. In 3D, you can create one or more cameras, position them exactly as desired in 3D space and use settings to mimic focal length, depth of field, etc. Other options for moving a 3D camera are similar to those in movie making, including truck, dolly, motion blur, orbit and pan.

In addition, software cameras have no size or weight restrictions. You can move a camera to any location and even inside the tiniest objects. You can also animate cameras so that several operations take place at once, such as a zooming into a scene while changing the depth of field. Once you create a camera in 3D, you can pick a view and assign the view in that view to the camera, meaning that you will see the scene from the perspective of the camera.
Step 8 | Rendering
This is where the graphics get 'made' and exported...but it's not the end yet!!!

Rendering an image is typically the last step in the 3D production pipeline (but not the last step in the overall production pipeline), and is perhaps the most important part. It is a step often overlooked or glossed over by beginners, who are more focused on creating models and animating them. There are many aspects to creating a good final render of a scene, including attention to camera placement, lighting choices which may affect mood and shadows, reflections and transparency, and the handling of special effects, like fluids or gasses.
Step 9 | Compositing and Special FX
The renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects

This is where the final renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects.

Compositing includes everything from what you probably normally think of as special effects, where things explode, evaporate, morph, etc. It also includes stage extensions (making the scene stage larger digitally in post-production), to environment creation (anything from buildings to complete worlds), to blue/green screen replacement (shooting in-front of a blue or green screen and then replacing the background with digitally created footage or footage shot elsewhere). Basically, the art of taking live footage and blending it with computer-generated footage would be considered compositing.
Step 10 | Music and Foley
Music and foley (sound effects) are added to give the animation the extra depth and boost in audio enjoyment.

A music composer will create music soundtracks and accompaniment music to set the mood for the animation.

A foley artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions. Using many different kinds of shoes and lots of props - car fenders, plates, glasses, chairs, and just about anything I find at the side of the road - the Foley Artist can replace original sound completely or augment existing sounds to create a richer track.
Step 11 | Editing and Final Output
This is where it ends!

This is where it all ends! This is where the composited renders, music and foley are compiled and edited to ensure that everything is in synchronization. Once satisfied, the compiled product is exported as one of the many formats suitable for broadcasting standards and delivered to the client!
Picking the Right 3D Animation Studio to Work With
Picking the right animation company for your project will determine the success and failure of your marketing effort.

That's not so difficult to answer, is it?

Of course, you go to Mediafreaks!

Alright, seriously now, no single company is suitable for every single project under the sun. I would like to say that Mediafreaks is good at everything, but unfortunately, we are not.

Some companies excel at certain genres and other companies in other genres.

Mediafreaks specializes mainly in animated commercials, broadcast animation for documentaries, medical visualization, character design and architectural visualization. There are companies who specialize solely in special effects or architectural visualization work.

The following is my honest advice regarding this subject matter:

1. Find a company that has an extensive portfolio or one that has done something similar to what you have in mind. The first ensures an experienced company and the second gives you the confidence that they have done something similar before and can probably deliver the same to you.

2. Make sure that the company is using more in-house staff than freelancers. Many freelancers are unreliable and may disappear when the going gets tough. Ultimately the company is responsible for their conduct, but you would have wasted your time and perhaps missed a good opportunity to impress with your presentation or marketing campaign. So you stand to lose out even if you don't have to pay for the project ultimately.

3. Ask for milestones and deliverables. Understand what the company's pipeline is like. Any animation companies worth their salt would be able to tell you a pipeline and milestone delivery that sounds logical and reasonable. Click here if you missed my section on Working with an Animation Company to find out more.

4. Find a company that responds fast to emails and phone calls. If the company takes a long time to return emails and calls, chances are they are either too busy to respond, can't be bothered to respond or too disorganized to respond. Either way, you should move on and look for the next vendor.

5. Find a company that has project managers or account managers in place. You want to speak to speak to marketing people who understand your marketing needs and not animators who think about cool special effects and nice animation.

6. After giving concise background information about your company and what you want to achieve, see how fast and pro-active the company is in coming back with a proposed solution and a quotation. See if the quotation makes sense and that the company can account for each of the service listed.

7. I would not advise going around for quotations because quite honestly every animation company may charge differently according to their staff strength, reputation, portfolios, whether they are using freelancers or perm staff, standard of work, etc. There are too many variables and it is akin to comparing the prices of cars of different makes. It won't be fair in this respect. Try to go for whichever company can possibly deliver what you need within your budget.

8. Lastly, always work with a company you feel comfortable with. Go with your gut feeling. If you don't feel good about the company, it means you don't have chemistry with the people there and chances are you won't enjoy the working relationship. This will affect the end product.

Case Studies
The use of computer animation in marketing and advertising is potent as a communications tool. Many companies are discovering that it is much more effective and powerful than the boring PowerPoint slides and mundane TV adverts that use only live actors. While it shares some characteristics of other visual mediums, it has unique attributes that no other marketing medium can equal.

Let's take a look at how your company can tap into the capabilities of this great marketing tool by studying some true case studies of how some other companies have been doing it.
Case Study: Hi-Corporation and Sharp
HI CORPORATION is a leading research and development company in middleware development for embedded devices whose flagship product MascotCapsule® is a real-time 3D rendering engine. In addition to all Japanese carriers and handset manufacturers, the engine has been widely adopted in the US, Europe, Korea, and China. Character Farm and Mediafreaks Cartoon - both sister companies of Mediafreaks Pte Ltd. specializing in the creation of original animated content - have entered into a licensing collaboration with HI CORPORATION to release a set of original characters from the animated series Katakune™ and Sedo Dog™ to be offered as downloadable content for mobile phones released in Japan. These characters will be used for a service where users can set characters to display on their mobile phone standby screens, menu screens, and other screens. The character moves around the mobile phone screen and reacts according to events such as incoming calls and mail. A character from the Sedo Dog™ family has been embedded into a high-end Sharp mobile phone as a default offering. This case study shows how cartoon characters can be used to make a product more enticing. Please click on the pictures or the link below to learn more about our cartoon characters and licensing opportunities.
Case Study: APMI Kaplan
APMI Kaplan - a quality educational facility - wanted to showcase their brand new campus. However, in most cases, reality is imperfect and live shoots usually amplifies that imperfection. A 3D animation walkthrough helped to create the experience of studying in Kaplan's beautiful environment, sans the imperfections. The educational sector being a very competitive one, this extra presentation effort immediately helps to establish Kaplan as the right place to study.
Case Study: Shark Energy Drink
Field Catering wanted to bring across how their Shark Energy drink can restore energy to the most exhausted individual. Mediafreaks came up with a concept that showed how Shark can power up an entire city. Sure it is an exaggeration, but all TV adverts build on hype, and 3D animation does that the best! The conventional live TV adverts can never achieve this kind of effect. The Shark Energy Drink TV advert was shown during the New Year period to good response.
Case Study: Schering Plough Clarityne
Schering Plough wanted a different approach towards showcasing their Clarityne product - which helps curbs nose allergy problems. Mediafreaks came up with an animated TV commercial that discusses how allergens bring about the allergy symptoms and how Clarityne can help improve the quality of life. Again, if this was a 'live-actor' advert, the result would be much more boring and less effective. The graphics concept was also implemented on buses as mobile giant ads.
Case Study: Pilot Pen V-Grip
It's tough to sell something as conventional and mundane as the humble pen. No matter how much technology has gone into it, unless the pen has been given a micro super-computer and can write on its own, a pen is still a pen. So how do you sell a pen? Check out this cheeky animated TV commercial of a family who finds so much fun using the new Pilot V-Grip that they prefer to pen their conversations to each other! Again, having the commercial done in 3D animated form brings out the fun and humour. A live advert just wouldn't have done justice.
Case Study: Linden Place
Linden Place is an up market residential property in China. The TV commercial that the developers wanted to produce should spoke to those who recognize class and prestige. Wanting to steer away from the conventional property commercials that are a dime a dozen, they decided to go for a beautiful and realistic 3D animated rendering of an exquisitely crafted plague that emits elegance, prestige and exclusivity. To create the plaque in real life was too expensive in comparison to a digital representation, and Mediafreaks came to the rescue.
Case Study: Wyeth Robitussin
This set of 2 x 20 seconds TV adverts were designed to create impact advertising through exaggerating the effects a bad cough can induce on people. The different scenarios enacted here dramatize the effects of the 2 different kinds of coughs that the Robitussin cough solutions are formulated for. Through the cycling of the 2 different TV commercials, it generated curiosity and interest from the audience who realized that these were 2 different TV commercials featuring different cough solutions for varying cough conditions. Being in bursts of 20 seconds and coupled with the fact that the scenario in each TVC is rather dramatic, animation was the perfect and cheaper medium to execute these adverts.
This article was written by the founding Managing Director of Mediafreaks "Aldric Chang" a creative businessman who is active in music composing and production, internet marketing, casual games production, animation production, cartoon production and character licensing.

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The Process of 3D Animation | Media-Freaks.com

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'. Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?'

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'.

Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?' is what they usually ask. With the invention of 3D animation technology, the concept of animation becomes even more hazy and mystical to the layman. They still refer to 3D animation as 'drawing' and know not a thing about the process that goes on behind 3D animation.

As the owner of a 3D animation studio, I feel that it is very important to educate our clients on what goes on behind 3D animation production. The knowledge will not just help them appreciate the service better, but also helps to facilitate the process of collaboration and manage their expectations. This is important because it helps our clients achieve what they want and allows us to communicate effectively with them.

For this purpose, I've written this article - which hopes to demystify the process of a 3D animation production and unveil what goes on behind the closed doors of a 3D animation studio.

Get prepared for an educational journey!

A key player in the animation industry in Singapore, Mediafreaks is an animation production company that focuses on working closely with producers, distributors, broadcasters and partners worldwide to produce original television content and high-end animation for broadcast and marketing purposes.
Established in 2003, Mediafreaks has since produced hundreds of projects spanning from animated cartoon series to television commercials to CGI for documentaries to medical and architectural visualization work.
Mediafreaks focuses mainly on providing service work and its sister companies Mediafreaks Cartoon and Character Farm create their own original animated content for export into the international market for broadcast and licensing.
So What Is 3D Animation?
Do not be fooled by the seeming simplicity of this question.

I was actually quite tempted not to write this article because it's such a difficult topic to write on. It can be answered as complicated as you want it to be or as short as you desire. The thing is, I need to let clients know how complicated the process is, but not to let them walk away confused. Saying that I will try my best to answer this question in the most concise but uncomplicated way possible.

In a nutshell, computer 3D animation refers to the work of creating moving pictures in a digital environment that is three-dimensional. Through the careful manipulation of objects (3D models) within the 3D software, we can then export picture sequences which will give the illusion of movement (animation) based on how we manipulate the objects.

What happens in animation is that motion is simulated in a way that the eyes tend to believe that actual motion has taken place while the fact is the perceived sense of motion is only because of the consecutive images that are passed through very fast.

This theory is inherent be it for 3D, 2D or stop motion animation.

In traditional 2D animation, pictures are hand-drawn and every one showing subtle changes from the previous. When played back sequentially, it creates the illusion of motion. In stop motion animation, real-life models are moved slightly and filmed. Again, the pictures will create the illusion of motion when played back. In 3D animation, everything is done within the computer and exported from the computer.

The process of creating 3D animation can be sequentially divided into three phases: modelling - which describes the process of creating the 3D objects within a scene, layout and animation - which describes how objects are positioned and animated within a scene, and rendering - which describes the final output of the completed computer graphics. Through the combination of the above phases and a few other sub-phases, this completes the process of a 3D animation production.

There is much software in the market for creating 3D animation, ranging from the cheaper lower-end ones to the professional high-end versions. If you are curious to see how a 3D software works, you can download a free one called Blender. Just Google it and you will be able to find its official website.

2D Cel animation involves illustrating many pictures of a scene in various phases of movement and flipping through them quickly digitally to create the illusion of movement or animation.

3D computer animation is a costlier and time-consuming process compared to 2D animation as it involves many more steps.

Stop-motion animation is a painfully tedious process and involves tweaking the models bit by bit!
What's the Difference between 2D and 3D anyway?
Isn't it obvious? Errr...not quite...read on to find out why.

The first concept you must grasp is that 3D means 3 dimensional and 2D means 2 dimensional. Now before you think I'm stating the obvious, let me go on to say that the 3D and 2D in animation refer to the dimension in which the animation was created. Ahhhh. The plot thickens eh?

For 2D animation, everything happens on a 2-dimensional platform. Pictures are flat, without depth and offer only one perspective. Objects and characters are usually drawn without the subtle soft shadows we see in real life and colours have few varying shades. In 3D animation, everything happens on a 3-dimensional platform. Pictures have depth and offer multiple perspectives just like in real life and have soft subtle shadows cast on the objects and characters within.

In 2D, characters look cartoonish and unrealistic. In 3D, characters can look cartoonish but realistic at the same time.

Super Mario in 2D and 3D, Copyright(C) Nintendo. See the difference?

Another way to think of this is to think in terms of a painting and a sculpture. 2D is a painting, and 3D is a sculpture. 3D introduces "depth perspective," so we not only see a rectangle (2D) but a CUBE (3D). You may also want to think of it like being the difference between a photograph of a glass of water (2D) and being able to reach out and actually pick up the glass of water (3D).

You could start training yourself by comparing a cartoon-like Bugs Bunny, Aladdin, Lion King (2D) to "Toy Story 1, 2 & 3, "Finding Nemo" and "Incredibles" (3D). If you have not watched any of these great cartoons, you should grab one right away or be branded Neanderthals forever!

Typically, 2D involves "drawing," or movement on, say, a flat surface (sketch pad, etc.) or in the vertical and horizontal planes. 3D involves "modelling," i.e., creating objects in 3-dimensions using a computer software, residing in an expansive virtual environment, complete with lights, reflections, other objects, shadows, etc.
Is 3D Animation an Offspring of 2D Animation?

Many people have the idea that 3D animation stemmed as a progression from 2D animation. While not entirely untrue, this is definitely not the whole truth as well.

If we have to make some form of a link, then I would say that 3D animation has more of its roots in stop-motion animation than in traditional hand-drawn 2d animation. The stop-motion film techniques were used very well in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts by Ray Harryhausen, although they have actually been around since the very early days of film in the late 19th century. But it was Ray Harryhausen who really brought the technique to life.

You might want to know also that the original King Kong movie produced in 1933, also used stop-motion techniques extensively.

Comparing 3D animation and stop-motion, we can actually see where the similarities are.

For stop motion, it involves taking a model and filming one frame at a time. Slight changes are made to the model and then filmed again. This is to simulate movement. By building up frame after frame and playing it back at between 12 and 70 frames per second, the model looks like it is moving. This is a very painstaking process and by no means a walk in the park!

3D animation uses a similar method but it is created using computers. Everything is controlled within the computer and the output is automated by the computer after you key in the instructions. It is decidedly less tedious physically compared to stop-motion animation, but the fundamentals are similar in nature.

Even the lighting, texturing and camera aspects of both animation methods share the same fundamentals, with the exception that one happens in reality, and the other on the computer.

I would think that for a stop-motion artist to transit over to 3D animation and vice versa, it would be a lot easier and faster, as opposed to a 2D artist. And having said that, I would end this section by saying again that 3D animation smells more like an offspring of stop-motion animation than 2D animation.
The Process of 3D Animation
There are probably more steps to 3D animation than you think there are!

The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated than any other forms of animation.

Depending on what project and which 3D animation studio is involved, the number of steps may vary.

In this lens, I've identified and illustrated the 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project.

They are namely:

Concept and Storyboards
2. 3D Modelling
3. Texturing
4. Rigging
5. Animation
6. Lighting
7. Camera Setting
8. Rendering
9. Compositing and Special VFX
10. Music and Foley
11. Editing and Final Output
Step 1 | Concept and Storyboards
A storyboard for Mighty Pups - a cartoon series by Mediafreaks!

The very first step involved in a 3D production pipeline is the conceptualization of ideas and the creation of the storyboards that translate these ideas into visual form.

A storyboard is a sequence of illustrations that showcase your digital story in two dimensions. The first dimension is time: what happens first, next, and last. The second is of interaction: how does the voiceover (your story) interact with the images, how do visual transitions and effects help tie together the images, how does the voice overs interact with the musical soundtrack? Any element can interact with any other one, and the storyboard is the place to plan out the impact you intend to make on the audience.
Step 2 | 3D Modelling
3D Modelling is not drawing!

After the storyboards are finished and approved by the client, the task of building the props, environment and characters begin. The proper term is called 'modelling'.

Modelling is the process of taking a shape and moulding it into a completed 3D mesh. The most typical means of creating a 3D model is to take a simple object, called a primitive, and extend or "grow" it into a shape that can be refined and detailed. Primitives can be anything from a single point (called a vertex), a two-dimensional line (an edge), a curve (a spline), to three-dimensional objects (faces or polygons). Using the specific features of your chosen 3D software, each one of these primitives can be manipulated to produce an object. When you create a model in 3D, you'll usually learn one method to create your model, and go back to it time and again when you need to create new models. There are three basic methods you can use to create a 3D model, and 3D artists should understand how to create a model using each technique.
Step 3 | Texturing
The art of giving clothes to the 3D models.

When a 3D model is created, 2D images can be overlaid on it to add colours, designs, and textures. This is called mapping, and often the entirety of a model's colour comes from this. These maps can be created in programs like Photoshop, and the illusions of textures can be brushed onto the models as easily as if you painted them yourself; some animators even use real photographs of the textures they're trying to create, simply captured and then altered to make seamless repeatable patterns. This is how many illusions of hair are created; rather than model individual strands, instead of grouped locks of hair are modelled, before a texture is overlaid with individual strands and details painted on.
Step 4 | Rigging and Skinning
We've gotta put in those skeletons into a 3D character before he can move!

Setting up a character to walk and talk is the last stage before the process of character animation can begin. This stage is called 'rigging and skinning' and is the underlying system that drives the movement of a character to bring it to life.

Rigging is the process to set up a controllable skeleton for the character that is intended for animation. Depending on the subject matter, every rig is unique and so is the corresponding set of controls.

Skinning is the process of attaching the 3D model (skin) to the rigged skeleton so that the 3D model can be manipulated by the controls of the rig.
Step 5 | Animation
Now you know animation doesn't always come first in 3D animation huh?

Animation is the process of taking a 3D object and getting it to move. Animation comes in a few different flavors. There's keyframe animation, where the animator manipulates the objects on a frame-by-frame basis, similar to old hand-drawn cartoons. Other methods of animation include placing objects on splines and setting them to follow the path of the curve, or importing motion capture data and applying it to a character rig. Yet another way to animate is to use your 3D application's built-in physics engines, such as when your scene requires that objects fall.
Step 6 | Lighting
Lighting in a 3D world is just as essential as it is in real life.

Lighting, (in combination with textures, camera angle etc.) is where a scene has the potential to come alive. Used improperly, light can wash out a scene, make objects appear hard or flat, and destroy all the hard work. But skillfully applied, lighting can make a scene convincing, or if realism is the aim, create (in combination with materials and geometry), a scene that is virtually indistinguishable from real life.

In 3D, lights don't actually exist as they do in the real world. Lights in 3D are objects that are designed to simulate how lighting works in real life, but in order to obtain the results you're after, you have to apply a number of settings, not only to the lights, but to the materials.
Step 7 | Camera Angles and Techniques
Good camera angles and techniques make the difference between good cinematography and bad ones.

A camera is an amazing tool. In 3D, unlike the real world, physical limitations don't exist. You can create a scene where the camera takes you on a journey inside the blood vessels of a human body, or to be an eye-in-the-sky in your scenes, it can be used to create impossible perspectives, to zoom and pan and so much more. It's beyond the scope of this article to tell you everything about cameras, but here are some basics to get you started.

First, it's useful to look at some of the differences between 3D cameras and real-life cameras. In 3D, unlike in real life, there is no need for a lens, focusing controls, film, aperture, etc. All of these functions are controlled via software. Where things are similar is how the camera is used. In 3D, you can create one or more cameras, position them exactly as desired in 3D space and use settings to mimic focal length, depth of field, etc. Other options for moving a 3D camera are similar to those in movie making, including truck, dolly, motion blur, orbit and pan.

In addition, software cameras have no size or weight restrictions. You can move a camera to any location and even inside the tiniest objects. You can also animate cameras so that several operations take place at once, such as a zooming into a scene while changing the depth of field. Once you create a camera in 3D, you can pick a view and assign the view in that view to the camera, meaning that you will see the scene from the perspective of the camera.
Step 8 | Rendering
This is where the graphics get 'made' and exported...but it's not the end yet!!!

Rendering an image is typically the last step in the 3D production pipeline (but not the last step in the overall production pipeline), and is perhaps the most important part. It is a step often overlooked or glossed over by beginners, who are more focused on creating models and animating them. There are many aspects to creating a good final render of a scene, including attention to camera placement, lighting choices which may affect mood and shadows, reflections and transparency, and the handling of special effects, like fluids or gasses.
Step 9 | Compositing and Special FX
The renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects

This is where the final renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects.

Compositing includes everything from what you probably normally think of as special effects, where things explode, evaporate, morph, etc. It also includes stage extensions (making the scene stage larger digitally in post-production), to environment creation (anything from buildings to complete worlds), to blue/green screen replacement (shooting in-front of a blue or green screen and then replacing the background with digitally created footage or footage shot elsewhere). Basically, the art of taking live footage and blending it with computer-generated footage would be considered compositing.
Step 10 | Music and Foley
Music and foley (sound effects) are added to give the animation the extra depth and boost in audio enjoyment.

A music composer will create music soundtracks and accompaniment music to set the mood for the animation.

A foley artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions. Using many different kinds of shoes and lots of props - car fenders, plates, glasses, chairs, and just about anything I find at the side of the road - the Foley Artist can replace original sound completely or augment existing sounds to create a richer track.
Step 11 | Editing and Final Output
This is where it ends!

This is where it all ends! This is where the composited renders, music and foley are compiled and edited to ensure that everything is in synchronization. Once satisfied, the compiled product is exported as one of the many formats suitable for broadcasting standards and delivered to the client!
Picking the Right 3D Animation Studio to Work With
Picking the right animation company for your project will determine the success and failure of your marketing effort.

That's not so difficult to answer, is it?

Of course, you go to Mediafreaks!

Alright, seriously now, no single company is suitable for every single project under the sun. I would like to say that Mediafreaks is good at everything, but unfortunately, we are not.

Some companies excel at certain genres and other companies in other genres.

Mediafreaks specializes mainly in animated commercials, broadcast animation for documentaries, medical visualization, character design and architectural visualization. There are companies who specialize solely in special effects or architectural visualization work.

The following is my honest advice regarding this subject matter:

1. Find a company that has an extensive portfolio or one that has done something similar to what you have in mind. The first ensures an experienced company and the second gives you the confidence that they have done something similar before and can probably deliver the same to you.

2. Make sure that the company is using more in-house staff than freelancers. Many freelancers are unreliable and may disappear when the going gets tough. Ultimately the company is responsible for their conduct, but you would have wasted your time and perhaps missed a good opportunity to impress with your presentation or marketing campaign. So you stand to lose out even if you don't have to pay for the project ultimately.

3. Ask for milestones and deliverables. Understand what the company's pipeline is like. Any animation companies worth their salt would be able to tell you a pipeline and milestone delivery that sounds logical and reasonable. Click here if you missed my section on Working with an Animation Company to find out more.

4. Find a company that responds fast to emails and phone calls. If the company takes a long time to return emails and calls, chances are they are either too busy to respond, can't be bothered to respond or too disorganized to respond. Either way, you should move on and look for the next vendor.

5. Find a company that has project managers or account managers in place. You want to speak to speak to marketing people who understand your marketing needs and not animators who think about cool special effects and nice animation.

6. After giving concise background information about your company and what you want to achieve, see how fast and pro-active the company is in coming back with a proposed solution and a quotation. See if the quotation makes sense and that the company can account for each of the service listed.

7. I would not advise going around for quotations because quite honestly every animation company may charge differently according to their staff strength, reputation, portfolios, whether they are using freelancers or perm staff, standard of work, etc. There are too many variables and it is akin to comparing the prices of cars of different makes. It won't be fair in this respect. Try to go for whichever company can possibly deliver what you need within your budget.

8. Lastly, always work with a company you feel comfortable with. Go with your gut feeling. If you don't feel good about the company, it means you don't have chemistry with the people there and chances are you won't enjoy the working relationship. This will affect the end product.

Case Studies
The use of computer animation in marketing and advertising is potent as a communications tool. Many companies are discovering that it is much more effective and powerful than the boring PowerPoint slides and mundane TV adverts that use only live actors. While it shares some characteristics of other visual mediums, it has unique attributes that no other marketing medium can equal.

Let's take a look at how your company can tap into the capabilities of this great marketing tool by studying some true case studies of how some other companies have been doing it.
Case Study: Hi-Corporation and Sharp
HI CORPORATION is a leading research and development company in middleware development for embedded devices whose flagship product MascotCapsule® is a real-time 3D rendering engine. In addition to all Japanese carriers and handset manufacturers, the engine has been widely adopted in the US, Europe, Korea, and China. Character Farm and Mediafreaks Cartoon - both sister companies of Mediafreaks Pte Ltd. specializing in the creation of original animated content - have entered into a licensing collaboration with HI CORPORATION to release a set of original characters from the animated series Katakune™ and Sedo Dog™ to be offered as downloadable content for mobile phones released in Japan. These characters will be used for a service where users can set characters to display on their mobile phone standby screens, menu screens, and other screens. The character moves around the mobile phone screen and reacts according to events such as incoming calls and mail. A character from the Sedo Dog™ family has been embedded into a high-end Sharp mobile phone as a default offering. This case study shows how cartoon characters can be used to make a product more enticing. Please click on the pictures or the link below to learn more about our cartoon characters and licensing opportunities.
Case Study: APMI Kaplan
APMI Kaplan - a quality educational facility - wanted to showcase their brand new campus. However, in most cases, reality is imperfect and live shoots usually amplifies that imperfection. A 3D animation walkthrough helped to create the experience of studying in Kaplan's beautiful environment, sans the imperfections. The educational sector being a very competitive one, this extra presentation effort immediately helps to establish Kaplan as the right place to study.
Case Study: Shark Energy Drink
Field Catering wanted to bring across how their Shark Energy drink can restore energy to the most exhausted individual. Mediafreaks came up with a concept that showed how Shark can power up an entire city. Sure it is an exaggeration, but all TV adverts build on hype, and 3D animation does that the best! The conventional live TV adverts can never achieve this kind of effect. The Shark Energy Drink TV advert was shown during the New Year period to good response.
Case Study: Schering Plough Clarityne
Schering Plough wanted a different approach towards showcasing their Clarityne product - which helps curbs nose allergy problems. Mediafreaks came up with an animated TV commercial that discusses how allergens bring about the allergy symptoms and how Clarityne can help improve the quality of life. Again, if this was a 'live-actor' advert, the result would be much more boring and less effective. The graphics concept was also implemented on buses as mobile giant ads.
Case Study: Pilot Pen V-Grip
It's tough to sell something as conventional and mundane as the humble pen. No matter how much technology has gone into it, unless the pen has been given a micro super-computer and can write on its own, a pen is still a pen. So how do you sell a pen? Check out this cheeky animated TV commercial of a family who finds so much fun using the new Pilot V-Grip that they prefer to pen their conversations to each other! Again, having the commercial done in 3D animated form brings out the fun and humour. A live advert just wouldn't have done justice.
Case Study: Linden Place
Linden Place is an up market residential property in China. The TV commercial that the developers wanted to produce should spoke to those who recognize class and prestige. Wanting to steer away from the conventional property commercials that are a dime a dozen, they decided to go for a beautiful and realistic 3D animated rendering of an exquisitely crafted plague that emits elegance, prestige and exclusivity. To create the plaque in real life was too expensive in comparison to a digital representation, and Mediafreaks came to the rescue.
Case Study: Wyeth Robitussin
This set of 2 x 20 seconds TV adverts were designed to create impact advertising through exaggerating the effects a bad cough can induce on people. The different scenarios enacted here dramatize the effects of the 2 different kinds of coughs that the Robitussin cough solutions are formulated for. Through the cycling of the 2 different TV commercials, it generated curiosity and interest from the audience who realized that these were 2 different TV commercials featuring different cough solutions for varying cough conditions. Being in bursts of 20 seconds and coupled with the fact that the scenario in each TVC is rather dramatic, animation was the perfect and cheaper medium to execute these adverts.
This article was written by the founding Managing Director of Mediafreaks "Aldric Chang" a creative businessman who is active in music composing and production, internet marketing, casual games production, animation production, cartoon production and character licensing.

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The Process of 3D Animation | Media-Freaks.com

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'. Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?'

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'.

Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?' is what they usually ask. With the invention of 3D animation technology, the concept of animation becomes even more hazy and mystical to the layman. They still refer to 3D animation as 'drawing' and know not a thing about the process that goes on behind 3D animation.

As the owner of a 3D animation studio, I feel that it is very important to educate our clients on what goes on behind 3D animation production. The knowledge will not just help them appreciate the service better, but also helps to facilitate the process of collaboration and manage their expectations. This is important because it helps our clients achieve what they want and allows us to communicate effectively with them.

For this purpose, I've written this article - which hopes to demystify the process of a 3D animation production and unveil what goes on behind the closed doors of a 3D animation studio.

Get prepared for an educational journey!

A key player in the animation industry in Singapore, Mediafreaks is an animation production company that focuses on working closely with producers, distributors, broadcasters and partners worldwide to produce original television content and high-end animation for broadcast and marketing purposes.
Established in 2003, Mediafreaks has since produced hundreds of projects spanning from animated cartoon series to television commercials to CGI for documentaries to medical and architectural visualization work.
Mediafreaks focuses mainly on providing service work and its sister companies Mediafreaks Cartoon and Character Farm create their own original animated content for export into the international market for broadcast and licensing.
So What Is 3D Animation?
Do not be fooled by the seeming simplicity of this question.

I was actually quite tempted not to write this article because it's such a difficult topic to write on. It can be answered as complicated as you want it to be or as short as you desire. The thing is, I need to let clients know how complicated the process is, but not to let them walk away confused. Saying that I will try my best to answer this question in the most concise but uncomplicated way possible.

In a nutshell, computer 3D animation refers to the work of creating moving pictures in a digital environment that is three-dimensional. Through the careful manipulation of objects (3D models) within the 3D software, we can then export picture sequences which will give the illusion of movement (animation) based on how we manipulate the objects.

What happens in animation is that motion is simulated in a way that the eyes tend to believe that actual motion has taken place while the fact is the perceived sense of motion is only because of the consecutive images that are passed through very fast.

This theory is inherent be it for 3D, 2D or stop motion animation.

In traditional 2D animation, pictures are hand-drawn and every one showing subtle changes from the previous. When played back sequentially, it creates the illusion of motion. In stop motion animation, real-life models are moved slightly and filmed. Again, the pictures will create the illusion of motion when played back. In 3D animation, everything is done within the computer and exported from the computer.

The process of creating 3D animation can be sequentially divided into three phases: modelling - which describes the process of creating the 3D objects within a scene, layout and animation - which describes how objects are positioned and animated within a scene, and rendering - which describes the final output of the completed computer graphics. Through the combination of the above phases and a few other sub-phases, this completes the process of a 3D animation production.

There is much software in the market for creating 3D animation, ranging from the cheaper lower-end ones to the professional high-end versions. If you are curious to see how a 3D software works, you can download a free one called Blender. Just Google it and you will be able to find its official website.

2D Cel animation involves illustrating many pictures of a scene in various phases of movement and flipping through them quickly digitally to create the illusion of movement or animation.

3D computer animation is a costlier and time-consuming process compared to 2D animation as it involves many more steps.

Stop-motion animation is a painfully tedious process and involves tweaking the models bit by bit!
What's the Difference between 2D and 3D anyway?
Isn't it obvious? Errr...not quite...read on to find out why.

The first concept you must grasp is that 3D means 3 dimensional and 2D means 2 dimensional. Now before you think I'm stating the obvious, let me go on to say that the 3D and 2D in animation refer to the dimension in which the animation was created. Ahhhh. The plot thickens eh?

For 2D animation, everything happens on a 2-dimensional platform. Pictures are flat, without depth and offer only one perspective. Objects and characters are usually drawn without the subtle soft shadows we see in real life and colours have few varying shades. In 3D animation, everything happens on a 3-dimensional platform. Pictures have depth and offer multiple perspectives just like in real life and have soft subtle shadows cast on the objects and characters within.

In 2D, characters look cartoonish and unrealistic. In 3D, characters can look cartoonish but realistic at the same time.

Super Mario in 2D and 3D, Copyright(C) Nintendo. See the difference?

Another way to think of this is to think in terms of a painting and a sculpture. 2D is a painting, and 3D is a sculpture. 3D introduces "depth perspective," so we not only see a rectangle (2D) but a CUBE (3D). You may also want to think of it like being the difference between a photograph of a glass of water (2D) and being able to reach out and actually pick up the glass of water (3D).

You could start training yourself by comparing a cartoon-like Bugs Bunny, Aladdin, Lion King (2D) to "Toy Story 1, 2 & 3, "Finding Nemo" and "Incredibles" (3D). If you have not watched any of these great cartoons, you should grab one right away or be branded Neanderthals forever!

Typically, 2D involves "drawing," or movement on, say, a flat surface (sketch pad, etc.) or in the vertical and horizontal planes. 3D involves "modelling," i.e., creating objects in 3-dimensions using a computer software, residing in an expansive virtual environment, complete with lights, reflections, other objects, shadows, etc.
Is 3D Animation an Offspring of 2D Animation?

Many people have the idea that 3D animation stemmed as a progression from 2D animation. While not entirely untrue, this is definitely not the whole truth as well.

If we have to make some form of a link, then I would say that 3D animation has more of its roots in stop-motion animation than in traditional hand-drawn 2d animation. The stop-motion film techniques were used very well in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts by Ray Harryhausen, although they have actually been around since the very early days of film in the late 19th century. But it was Ray Harryhausen who really brought the technique to life.

You might want to know also that the original King Kong movie produced in 1933, also used stop-motion techniques extensively.

Comparing 3D animation and stop-motion, we can actually see where the similarities are.

For stop motion, it involves taking a model and filming one frame at a time. Slight changes are made to the model and then filmed again. This is to simulate movement. By building up frame after frame and playing it back at between 12 and 70 frames per second, the model looks like it is moving. This is a very painstaking process and by no means a walk in the park!

3D animation uses a similar method but it is created using computers. Everything is controlled within the computer and the output is automated by the computer after you key in the instructions. It is decidedly less tedious physically compared to stop-motion animation, but the fundamentals are similar in nature.

Even the lighting, texturing and camera aspects of both animation methods share the same fundamentals, with the exception that one happens in reality, and the other on the computer.

I would think that for a stop-motion artist to transit over to 3D animation and vice versa, it would be a lot easier and faster, as opposed to a 2D artist. And having said that, I would end this section by saying again that 3D animation smells more like an offspring of stop-motion animation than 2D animation.
The Process of 3D Animation
There are probably more steps to 3D animation than you think there are!

The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated than any other forms of animation.

Depending on what project and which 3D animation studio is involved, the number of steps may vary.

In this lens, I've identified and illustrated the 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project.

They are namely:

Concept and Storyboards
2. 3D Modelling
3. Texturing
4. Rigging
5. Animation
6. Lighting
7. Camera Setting
8. Rendering
9. Compositing and Special VFX
10. Music and Foley
11. Editing and Final Output
Step 1 | Concept and Storyboards
A storyboard for Mighty Pups - a cartoon series by Mediafreaks!

The very first step involved in a 3D production pipeline is the conceptualization of ideas and the creation of the storyboards that translate these ideas into visual form.

A storyboard is a sequence of illustrations that showcase your digital story in two dimensions. The first dimension is time: what happens first, next, and last. The second is of interaction: how does the voiceover (your story) interact with the images, how do visual transitions and effects help tie together the images, how does the voice overs interact with the musical soundtrack? Any element can interact with any other one, and the storyboard is the place to plan out the impact you intend to make on the audience.
Step 2 | 3D Modelling
3D Modelling is not drawing!

After the storyboards are finished and approved by the client, the task of building the props, environment and characters begin. The proper term is called 'modelling'.

Modelling is the process of taking a shape and moulding it into a completed 3D mesh. The most typical means of creating a 3D model is to take a simple object, called a primitive, and extend or "grow" it into a shape that can be refined and detailed. Primitives can be anything from a single point (called a vertex), a two-dimensional line (an edge), a curve (a spline), to three-dimensional objects (faces or polygons). Using the specific features of your chosen 3D software, each one of these primitives can be manipulated to produce an object. When you create a model in 3D, you'll usually learn one method to create your model, and go back to it time and again when you need to create new models. There are three basic methods you can use to create a 3D model, and 3D artists should understand how to create a model using each technique.
Step 3 | Texturing
The art of giving clothes to the 3D models.

When a 3D model is created, 2D images can be overlaid on it to add colours, designs, and textures. This is called mapping, and often the entirety of a model's colour comes from this. These maps can be created in programs like Photoshop, and the illusions of textures can be brushed onto the models as easily as if you painted them yourself; some animators even use real photographs of the textures they're trying to create, simply captured and then altered to make seamless repeatable patterns. This is how many illusions of hair are created; rather than model individual strands, instead of grouped locks of hair are modelled, before a texture is overlaid with individual strands and details painted on.
Step 4 | Rigging and Skinning
We've gotta put in those skeletons into a 3D character before he can move!

Setting up a character to walk and talk is the last stage before the process of character animation can begin. This stage is called 'rigging and skinning' and is the underlying system that drives the movement of a character to bring it to life.

Rigging is the process to set up a controllable skeleton for the character that is intended for animation. Depending on the subject matter, every rig is unique and so is the corresponding set of controls.

Skinning is the process of attaching the 3D model (skin) to the rigged skeleton so that the 3D model can be manipulated by the controls of the rig.
Step 5 | Animation
Now you know animation doesn't always come first in 3D animation huh?

Animation is the process of taking a 3D object and getting it to move. Animation comes in a few different flavors. There's keyframe animation, where the animator manipulates the objects on a frame-by-frame basis, similar to old hand-drawn cartoons. Other methods of animation include placing objects on splines and setting them to follow the path of the curve, or importing motion capture data and applying it to a character rig. Yet another way to animate is to use your 3D application's built-in physics engines, such as when your scene requires that objects fall.
Step 6 | Lighting
Lighting in a 3D world is just as essential as it is in real life.

Lighting, (in combination with textures, camera angle etc.) is where a scene has the potential to come alive. Used improperly, light can wash out a scene, make objects appear hard or flat, and destroy all the hard work. But skillfully applied, lighting can make a scene convincing, or if realism is the aim, create (in combination with materials and geometry), a scene that is virtually indistinguishable from real life.

In 3D, lights don't actually exist as they do in the real world. Lights in 3D are objects that are designed to simulate how lighting works in real life, but in order to obtain the results you're after, you have to apply a number of settings, not only to the lights, but to the materials.
Step 7 | Camera Angles and Techniques
Good camera angles and techniques make the difference between good cinematography and bad ones.

A camera is an amazing tool. In 3D, unlike the real world, physical limitations don't exist. You can create a scene where the camera takes you on a journey inside the blood vessels of a human body, or to be an eye-in-the-sky in your scenes, it can be used to create impossible perspectives, to zoom and pan and so much more. It's beyond the scope of this article to tell you everything about cameras, but here are some basics to get you started.

First, it's useful to look at some of the differences between 3D cameras and real-life cameras. In 3D, unlike in real life, there is no need for a lens, focusing controls, film, aperture, etc. All of these functions are controlled via software. Where things are similar is how the camera is used. In 3D, you can create one or more cameras, position them exactly as desired in 3D space and use settings to mimic focal length, depth of field, etc. Other options for moving a 3D camera are similar to those in movie making, including truck, dolly, motion blur, orbit and pan.

In addition, software cameras have no size or weight restrictions. You can move a camera to any location and even inside the tiniest objects. You can also animate cameras so that several operations take place at once, such as a zooming into a scene while changing the depth of field. Once you create a camera in 3D, you can pick a view and assign the view in that view to the camera, meaning that you will see the scene from the perspective of the camera.
Step 8 | Rendering
This is where the graphics get 'made' and exported...but it's not the end yet!!!

Rendering an image is typically the last step in the 3D production pipeline (but not the last step in the overall production pipeline), and is perhaps the most important part. It is a step often overlooked or glossed over by beginners, who are more focused on creating models and animating them. There are many aspects to creating a good final render of a scene, including attention to camera placement, lighting choices which may affect mood and shadows, reflections and transparency, and the handling of special effects, like fluids or gasses.
Step 9 | Compositing and Special FX
The renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects

This is where the final renders are brought into compositing programs to edit, touch-up and add on special effects.

Compositing includes everything from what you probably normally think of as special effects, where things explode, evaporate, morph, etc. It also includes stage extensions (making the scene stage larger digitally in post-production), to environment creation (anything from buildings to complete worlds), to blue/green screen replacement (shooting in-front of a blue or green screen and then replacing the background with digitally created footage or footage shot elsewhere). Basically, the art of taking live footage and blending it with computer-generated footage would be considered compositing.
Step 10 | Music and Foley
Music and foley (sound effects) are added to give the animation the extra depth and boost in audio enjoyment.

A music composer will create music soundtracks and accompaniment music to set the mood for the animation.

A foley artist 'recreates' sound effects for film, television and radio productions. Using many different kinds of shoes and lots of props - car fenders, plates, glasses, chairs, and just about anything I find at the side of the road - the Foley Artist can replace original sound completely or augment existing sounds to create a richer track.
Step 11 | Editing and Final Output
This is where it ends!

This is where it all ends! This is where the composited renders, music and foley are compiled and edited to ensure that everything is in synchronization. Once satisfied, the compiled product is exported as one of the many formats suitable for broadcasting standards and delivered to the client!
Picking the Right 3D Animation Studio to Work With
Picking the right animation company for your project will determine the success and failure of your marketing effort.

That's not so difficult to answer, is it?

Of course, you go to Mediafreaks!

Alright, seriously now, no single company is suitable for every single project under the sun. I would like to say that Mediafreaks is good at everything, but unfortunately, we are not.

Some companies excel at certain genres and other companies in other genres.

Mediafreaks specializes mainly in animated commercials, broadcast animation for documentaries, medical visualization, character design and architectural visualization. There are companies who specialize solely in special effects or architectural visualization work.

The following is my honest advice regarding this subject matter:

1. Find a company that has an extensive portfolio or one that has done something similar to what you have in mind. The first ensures an experienced company and the second gives you the confidence that they have done something similar before and can probably deliver the same to you.

2. Make sure that the company is using more in-house staff than freelancers. Many freelancers are unreliable and may disappear when the going gets tough. Ultimately the company is responsible for their conduct, but you would have wasted your time and perhaps missed a good opportunity to impress with your presentation or marketing campaign. So you stand to lose out even if you don't have to pay for the project ultimately.

3. Ask for milestones and deliverables. Understand what the company's pipeline is like. Any animation companies worth their salt would be able to tell you a pipeline and milestone delivery that sounds logical and reasonable. Click here if you missed my section on Working with an Animation Company to find out more.

4. Find a company that responds fast to emails and phone calls. If the company takes a long time to return emails and calls, chances are they are either too busy to respond, can't be bothered to respond or too disorganized to respond. Either way, you should move on and look for the next vendor.

5. Find a company that has project managers or account managers in place. You want to speak to speak to marketing people who understand your marketing needs and not animators who think about cool special effects and nice animation.

6. After giving concise background information about your company and what you want to achieve, see how fast and pro-active the company is in coming back with a proposed solution and a quotation. See if the quotation makes sense and that the company can account for each of the service listed.

7. I would not advise going around for quotations because quite honestly every animation company may charge differently according to their staff strength, reputation, portfolios, whether they are using freelancers or perm staff, standard of work, etc. There are too many variables and it is akin to comparing the prices of cars of different makes. It won't be fair in this respect. Try to go for whichever company can possibly deliver what you need within your budget.

8. Lastly, always work with a company you feel comfortable with. Go with your gut feeling. If you don't feel good about the company, it means you don't have chemistry with the people there and chances are you won't enjoy the working relationship. This will affect the end product.

Case Studies
The use of computer animation in marketing and advertising is potent as a communications tool. Many companies are discovering that it is much more effective and powerful than the boring PowerPoint slides and mundane TV adverts that use only live actors. While it shares some characteristics of other visual mediums, it has unique attributes that no other marketing medium can equal.

Let's take a look at how your company can tap into the capabilities of this great marketing tool by studying some true case studies of how some other companies have been doing it.
Case Study: Hi-Corporation and Sharp
HI CORPORATION is a leading research and development company in middleware development for embedded devices whose flagship product MascotCapsule® is a real-time 3D rendering engine. In addition to all Japanese carriers and handset manufacturers, the engine has been widely adopted in the US, Europe, Korea, and China. Character Farm and Mediafreaks Cartoon - both sister companies of Mediafreaks Pte Ltd. specializing in the creation of original animated content - have entered into a licensing collaboration with HI CORPORATION to release a set of original characters from the animated series Katakune™ and Sedo Dog™ to be offered as downloadable content for mobile phones released in Japan. These characters will be used for a service where users can set characters to display on their mobile phone standby screens, menu screens, and other screens. The character moves around the mobile phone screen and reacts according to events such as incoming calls and mail. A character from the Sedo Dog™ family has been embedded into a high-end Sharp mobile phone as a default offering. This case study shows how cartoon characters can be used to make a product more enticing. Please click on the pictures or the link below to learn more about our cartoon characters and licensing opportunities.
Case Study: APMI Kaplan
APMI Kaplan - a quality educational facility - wanted to showcase their brand new campus. However, in most cases, reality is imperfect and live shoots usually amplifies that imperfection. A 3D animation walkthrough helped to create the experience of studying in Kaplan's beautiful environment, sans the imperfections. The educational sector being a very competitive one, this extra presentation effort immediately helps to establish Kaplan as the right place to study.
Case Study: Shark Energy Drink
Field Catering wanted to bring across how their Shark Energy drink can restore energy to the most exhausted individual. Mediafreaks came up with a concept that showed how Shark can power up an entire city. Sure it is an exaggeration, but all TV adverts build on hype, and 3D animation does that the best! The conventional live TV adverts can never achieve this kind of effect. The Shark Energy Drink TV advert was shown during the New Year period to good response.
Case Study: Schering Plough Clarityne
Schering Plough wanted a different approach towards showcasing their Clarityne product - which helps curbs nose allergy problems. Mediafreaks came up with an animated TV commercial that discusses how allergens bring about the allergy symptoms and how Clarityne can help improve the quality of life. Again, if this was a 'live-actor' advert, the result would be much more boring and less effective. The graphics concept was also implemented on buses as mobile giant ads.
Case Study: Pilot Pen V-Grip
It's tough to sell something as conventional and mundane as the humble pen. No matter how much technology has gone into it, unless the pen has been given a micro super-computer and can write on its own, a pen is still a pen. So how do you sell a pen? Check out this cheeky animated TV commercial of a family who finds so much fun using the new Pilot V-Grip that they prefer to pen their conversations to each other! Again, having the commercial done in 3D animated form brings out the fun and humour. A live advert just wouldn't have done justice.
Case Study: Linden Place
Linden Place is an up market residential property in China. The TV commercial that the developers wanted to produce should spoke to those who recognize class and prestige. Wanting to steer away from the conventional property commercials that are a dime a dozen, they decided to go for a beautiful and realistic 3D animated rendering of an exquisitely crafted plague that emits elegance, prestige and exclusivity. To create the plaque in real life was too expensive in comparison to a digital representation, and Mediafreaks came to the rescue.
Case Study: Wyeth Robitussin
This set of 2 x 20 seconds TV adverts were designed to create impact advertising through exaggerating the effects a bad cough can induce on people. The different scenarios enacted here dramatize the effects of the 2 different kinds of coughs that the Robitussin cough solutions are formulated for. Through the cycling of the 2 different TV commercials, it generated curiosity and interest from the audience who realized that these were 2 different TV commercials featuring different cough solutions for varying cough conditions. Being in bursts of 20 seconds and coupled with the fact that the scenario in each TVC is rather dramatic, animation was the perfect and cheaper medium to execute these adverts.
This article was written by the founding Managing Director of Mediafreaks "Aldric Chang" a creative businessman who is active in music composing and production, internet marketing, casual games production, animation production, cartoon production and character licensing.

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The Process of 3D Animation | Media-Freaks.com

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Many people are confused when they see the word '3D' tagged on in front of the words 'Animation Studio'. Although animation has been with us for as long as a few decades now, the concept of animation still seem pretty much magical to the layman. 'How do you make drawings come alive on screen?'

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Windsor Mccay reconisible animation artist 

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Windsor Mccay reconisible animation artist 

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A Beginner's Guide

What is this guide about?

The purpose of this guide is to take you through the intricacies of the different types of animation styles and techniques. It also covers the path you should take (and what does that path entails) in order to become an animator for each of the 5 types.

This guide is not about leaning how to animate, but instead it breaks down the five different types (or genres) of animation available to you, and what you'll need to start animating. Best software, best schools, and courses.

Styles covered:

I hope that reading this will push you to take your first step to pursuing your dream of making animation.

For a deeper look into animation...

We suggest checking out our Animation Foundations course.

It covers the basic principles of character animation, and goes deeply into each of the 12 principles of animation, as well as basic animation workflows and techinques. If you're just starting out and want to make sure your basics are covered - this course is the best place to start.

Animation Hardware

(For any type)

Hardware is getting cheaper, and software is getting more efficient. You can run most animation programs on most modern computers, and drawing tablets are getting very affordable.
Here is a short list of what we recommend for animators of all levels:
One by Wacom
The perfect choice for beginners.
This intro-level Wacom tablet is the cheapest way for you to get into using a tablet. This allows you to do hand-drawn animation on a budget, and will benefit 3D animators as well, as tablet is often easier to use than a mouse in a 3D program.

Price: $59-$69

Wacom Intuos Pro
Taking it to the next level.
If you need more drawing real-estate, or if you're using a tablet for 3D animation, this is the best all-around choice for the job. You'll see these tablets at most production studios, and it's a popular choice for animation students who want to do good work, but can't afford the high-end Cintiq tablets. It comes in 3 sizes, with Medium being the most popular one.

Price: $230-$479

Wacom Cintiq Pro
Going pro.
For high-end animation production, the Wacom Cintiq is the ultimate choice. It's basally a giant monitor (13", 16", 24" or 32") that you can draw on directly. It makes precise drawing much easier and more responsive than a regular tablet, but it comes at a much higher cost.

Price: $649-$3299

The nice thing about using 2D programs like Animate CC or even Toon Boom, is that most modern computers are capable of running them just fine.

When you get into 3D, things can get tricky, but they don't have to. If you're rendering massive worlds with complicated lighting setups, you'll need a strong computer with an expensive graphics card, but there are other options:

Before you leave...

Check out our FREE ebook. In it, I'll take you step-by-step through the process of making an animated short film.

A 34 pages start-to-finish guide to animation filmmaking.

From coming up with story ideas all the way to exporting the final film, this guide will take you through the entire process with complete transparency.

A 100% free, no strings attached. Read it now an take action immediately.

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The 5 Types of Animation - A Beginner's Guide - Bloop Animation

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A Beginner's Guide The purpose of this guide is to take you through the intricacies of the different types of animation styles and techniques. It also covers the path you should take (and what does that path entails) in order to become an animator for each of the 5 types.

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Camera angles

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In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

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Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

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In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

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Story comes together

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In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

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positions and staging

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

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Director starts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

# data[].attributes.body
Builds on what we have

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

# data[].attributes.body
Character designs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

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In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

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Shading and adding a surface that looks realistic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

# data[].attributes.body
Skelton adding

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

# data[].attributes.body
Editing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

If you find yourself needing extra footage or effects for your movie, check Envato Market, where you can find motion graphics, stock footage, music, sound effects, and more.

The production pipeline of a typical animated short or a movie can be divided into three stages : pre-production, production and post-production. In this article we will be discussing these three key stages in detail.

Pre-Production

The first process in the animation pipeline, and also one of the most important, is pre-production. It begins with the main concepts which are initially turned into a full story, and then, once the story has been finalized, other things such as the script, shot sequence and camera angles are worked on.

Some major components of pre production are Story Boarding, Layouts, Model Sheets and Animatics.

...they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Story Boarding

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself, such as camera movements.

Not only can storyboards be especially useful when working in group environments (something quite common in the animation industry,) but they also provide a visual reminder of the original plan; something that can be referred back to throughout the production.

Layouts

Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this done they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot.

Model Sheets

Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the characters uniform whilst different animators are working on them across several shots.

During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts their blueprints can be sent to the modeling department who are responsible for creating the final character models.

Animatics

In order to give a better idea of the motion and timing of complex animation sequences and VFX-heavy scenes, the pre-visualization department within the VFX studio creates simplified mock-ups called "Animatics" shortly after the storyboarding process.

These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the above sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot.

Production

Now that the storyboard has been approved the project enters the production phase. It's here that the actual work can start, based on the guidelines established during preproduction. Some major parts are layout, modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging and animation.

[layout artists] produce the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

Layout

Using lo-res models or blocks of geometry in the place of the final set and characters, the Layout Artist is responsible for composing the shot and delivering rough animation to the animators as a guide. What they produce is the 3D version of what the storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper.

During this stage the Director approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition of the models making up the set and set dressing. It is then the responsibility of the Modeling department to deliver these approved set, prop and character models in the final layout stages.

Modelling

Modelers are usually split into two or more departments. Whilst organic modelers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, hard-surface modelers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props and buildings.

Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, modelers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeler, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required.

Once the model is approved, it will be made available to the rigging and texture paint departments, who complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. With luck, the model will move through the production pipeline without coming back for modeling fixes, although some amount of fixes are inevitable - problems with models sometimes don't appear until the rendering stage, in which case the lighter will send the model back to be fixed.

Texturing

Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shaders and painting textures as per the scene requirements.

Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model.

...lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighting

Not only does a Lighting Artist have to think lighting the individual scenes, they also have to consider how to bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shaders and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day.

Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as color theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors.

Rigging

Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made.

The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation - so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner.

...planning a character's performance frame by frame uses the same basic principles first developed for 2D animation.

Animation

In modern production companies, the practice of meticulously planning a character's performance frame by frame is applied in 3D graphics using the same basic principles and aesthetic judgments that were first developed for 2D and stop-motion animation. If motion capture is used at the studio to digitize the motion of real actors, then a great deal of an animator's time will also be spent cleaning up the motion captured performance and completing the portions of the motion (such as the eyes and hands) that may not have been digitized during the process.

The effects team also produce elements such as smoke, dust, water and explosions, although development on these aspects does not start until the final animation/lighting has been approved as they are integral to the final shot and often computationally heavy.

Post-Production

Post-production is the third and final step in film creation, and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. These include the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks.

Overall, however, the three main phases of post-production are compositing, sound editing and video editing.

Compositing

The compositing department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film! Compositors take rendered images from lighters and sometimes also start with compositing scripts that TDs develope in order to initially comp together their dailies (working versions of the shot.)

General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping (although compositors sometimes rely on mattes created by a dedicated rotoscoping department), as well as the compositing of fx elements and general color grading.

Sound Editing

This department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text.

Conclusion

The production pipeline detailed above is broadly common in most studios, however each studio is likely to have a custom pipeline determined by the type of project they are currently undertaking. A 2D production pipeline starts with workbook and goes all the way through final checking, composting and film output, whilst the 3D CGI production process emphasizes the design, modeling and rigging and animation stages. Moreover, animation production is a very coordinated process where different teams of artists work together while utilizing optimum resources and achieving the initial goal in the time available.

Need Some Help?

If you're struggling with any parts of this process, you can find plenty of experienced video and animation service providers on Envato Studio to help. Here are some examples:

Popular provider chaostoon will create a one-minute animated video to your specifications for just $400 within 14 days, with four revisions.

Fantastic Affordable Animation on Envato Studio

Doru will take your After Effects template/project and customize it with your photos/videos/music/text/logo, and then create an optimized H264 MP4 or QuickTime Mov video file. All this for just $170 and completed within one day. Doru has completed this job 70 times, with a 100% satisfaction rating from customers.

After Effects Customization and Rendered to Optimized Video

This service gives you fantastic flexibility. SeaBeast will do anything you want in After Effects for one day (8 hours) for $425.

This provider has used After Effects for 10+ years and is an expert in its usage. He currently teaches the program at a professional level in the UK's largest Adobe approved Training Center in Central London. With such expertise, you can expect him to get a lot done in an eight-hour day. His 100% satisfaction rating reflects that.

With nine years of experience in motion graphics and video editing and also camera recording, HelloCharlie offers a professional video editing service for just $155. This provider can edit it your video so it flows smoothly in any quality up to 1080p for any use, internet or TV broadcast.

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Step-by-Step : How to Make an Animated Movie

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In this in-depth article, Pratik Gulati walks us through the many stages involved in creating an animated movie from scratch, whether it be the next Hollywood blockbuster or the shortest of short films. So if you're thinking about trying it yourself and want to know how it's done, or even if you're just curious about the process, this article is one you don't want to miss.

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1900 - The Enchanted Drawing

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYDmH2B9XJw

We kick things off with a silent film by J. Stuart Blackton, who some call the father of animation. His silent film shot in Thomas Edison's Black Moria studio in New Jersey is credited as the first animated sequence on film ever.

An actor essentially does a bit of prop work and a cartoon man drawn on an easel occasionally changes expression thanks to some basic stop motion photography. Nothing fancy, but enough to capture the imagination of its viewers and other's looking to run with this new and exciting visual entertainment medium.

1906 - Humorous Phases of Funny Faces

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGh6maN4l2I

Without any live action actor this time, J. Stuart Blackton returns with this, the first animation recorded on standard picture film. Humorous Phases begins with an artist drawing portraits on a blackboard in chalk, before they begin to animate and interact with each other.

It may be primitive, but this film would have blown your monocle clean off your face if you hadn't seen a drawing come to life before!

1908 - Fantasmagorie

Source: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/12/06/the-first-fully-animated-film-ever-the-1908-fantasmagorie-was-made-by-emile-cohl/?chrome=1

French Charicaturist Émile Cohl steps into the ring now, producing the first fully animated cartoon with no live-action whatsoever. Made from 700 drawings, each double-exposed, this 2 minute long film is the earliest example of what became known as traditional animation.

With his characters morphing and transforming throughout, Cohl wanted to really demonstrate the fantastical, reality-defying possibilities of animation with his production.

1914 - Gertie the Dinosaur

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertie_the_Dinosaur

Whilst Gertie was perhaps the first animated character to gain notoriety, Windsor McCay's animated dinosaur film is worth a mention because it is the first animation to make use of key framing, inbetweening, registration marks and animation loops. These all became part of standard industry practice for traditional animation production for decades to come.

1919 - Felix the Cat

Source: https://animation-appreciation-education.tumblr.com/post/132410311237/feline-follies-1919-produced-by-pat-sullivan

Felix was the leading character of a series of short cartoons created by Otto Messmer and became the first real 'star' of the animated silent film era.

He was a bit of a pop culture icon as well, having dolls, toys, watches, ceramics, postcards and more made in his image.

1922 - Steamboat Willie

We all know this one! Steamboat is often mistakenly thought to be Mickey Mouse's debut, when in fact, this wasn't his first outing. It was, however, the first animated film to both popularise Mickey and to be fully scored.

Yeah that doesn't sound as impressive, but it's still an iconic moment in animation history with some of the most recognisable visuals of any animation ever.

1930 - Dizzy Dishes

This animated cartoon about an incompetent chef gets a mention because it's the first cartoon in which Betty Boop appears. Although not as we know her... Back then, she was some kind of terrifying dog-human hybrid. Sorry for the nightmares.

1932 - Flowers and Trees

This is part of Disney's Silly Symphonies series, and was the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.

The keen-eyed amongst you will notice that we've left the black and white era behind us! Flowers and Trees was also the first animated film shot with a three-strip Technicolor camera, a process so costly that it almost ruined Disney financially. Luckily the cartoon was a smash hit - phew!

1933 - King Kong

Widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time - King Kong earns its spot in the history of evolution for including the most advanced and convincing stop motion animated characters yet seen.

1937 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Probably the first animation on this timeline that still holds up nowadays, which speaks volumes of its polish, Snow White was the first ever full length animated feature film.

The labour-intensive yet visually stunning production perhaps makes this the work that cemented Walt Disney as one of the world's most innovative storytellers.

1960 - The Flintstones

This palaeolithic Hanna-Barbera cartoon was the first ever prime-time animated show.

Amongst its long list of accolades and achievements, did you know that Fred and Wilma were also the first married couple to ever be shown in bed together on TV? Remember that one, might come up in a pub quiz one day!

1961 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians

This one is on the animation timeline because it was the first full feature animated film Disney made using xerography.

This is a process that eliminates hand-inking the outlines of the characters on each cel. Instead, the drawings were printed directly onto the cels, saving a massive amount of time and labour. Keep an eye out for the clear, bold lines in Dalmatians - a direct result of this process.

1985 - The Adventures of Mark Twain

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088678/mediaviewer/rm2051125249/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Another first, this Will Vinton production about Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher was the first ever feature length stop motion claymation film

It paved the way for studios like Aardman and Laika to take this process and run with it.

1988 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

The first feature film to have live-action and cartoon characters share the same screen - we've come a long way since The Enchanted Drawing!

Roger Rabbit is also a major milestone in animated history because of the sheer number of characters and assets from different studios that made an appearance. Where else can you get Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse in the same scene?!

1993 - Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park mixed animatronics, stop-motion and CGI to create the most photo-realistic animated creatures ever before seen on screen.

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the visual-effects studio behind these prehistoric creations, took a year to create just 4 minutes of computer generated dinos.

1995 - Toy Story

Just 2 years after Spielberg's Jurassic Park, Pixar came out with the first entirely computer generated feature film. It had full model articulation and motion-control coding to bring Andy's toys to life, a real breakthrough in 3D animation which secured Pixar's position as the studio to beat.

Toy Story was also the first animated film nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay, showing how animation was beginning to be recognised and respected as entertainment, rather than just for animation-related accolades.

2002 - Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The second instalment of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is remarkable for many reasons, not least of which is the motion capture and CGI work that went into creating Gollum.

Whilst the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park were highly accomplished elements that looked right at home alongside live-action stars, Gollum was the first real character that showed the world what motion capture and CGI was capable of. A fully computer generated character could appear alongside actors and it looked amazing.

Check out our pieces on Andy Serkis and mocap for more technical info and trivia about Gollum and motion capture!

2009 - Avatar

Moving from LotR's CGI characters in real world settings, the next milestone in animation history came from James Cameron's Avatar featuring real actors in completely computer generated worlds

Avatar blew audiences away with its advanced CGI and motion capture techniques, bringing the lush, alien world of Pandora to life in both 2 and 3 dimensions.

2012 - ParaNorman

Stop motion has come a long way! Us Brits, having grown up with the likes of Pingu, Bagpuss, The Magic Roundabout, Wallace and Gromit, and Creature Comforts on our screens, tend to have an especially soft spot for the medium as well.

ParaNorman by studio LAIKA represents some of the most advanced stop-motion and modelling techniques in animation to date. It was the first to make use of mass 3D printing for its models - creating over 31,000 individual face parts during production.

This technique is why the puppets in ParaNorman are so expressive and versatile - over 250 unique faces were used for one character to create a single shot lasting only 27 seconds. These groundbreaking stop motion techniques are enough to make viewers question if it's even models at all!

It's your turn!

The animation timeline doesn't end there - in fact, it's one of the most rapidly advancing and exciting spaces to be creating in today. Flashy, endearing and high-impact visuals are becoming available not just in entertainment, but in business animation as well.

If you've got ideas for your next communication project and you think animation is the way to grab attention and achieve your goals, give us a bell. We're a friendly team with loads of experience, we'll definitely give you some inspiration!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Timeline: The Evolution of Animation - Fudge Animation Studios

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From first hand-drawn animation to fully digitalised CGI movies, how did animation evolve over the last few years? Find out more in our blog.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1900 - The Enchanted Drawing

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYDmH2B9XJw

We kick things off with a silent film by J. Stuart Blackton, who some call the father of animation. His silent film shot in Thomas Edison's Black Moria studio in New Jersey is credited as the first animated sequence on film ever.

An actor essentially does a bit of prop work and a cartoon man drawn on an easel occasionally changes expression thanks to some basic stop motion photography. Nothing fancy, but enough to capture the imagination of its viewers and other's looking to run with this new and exciting visual entertainment medium.

1906 - Humorous Phases of Funny Faces

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGh6maN4l2I

Without any live action actor this time, J. Stuart Blackton returns with this, the first animation recorded on standard picture film. Humorous Phases begins with an artist drawing portraits on a blackboard in chalk, before they begin to animate and interact with each other.

It may be primitive, but this film would have blown your monocle clean off your face if you hadn't seen a drawing come to life before!

1908 - Fantasmagorie

Source: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/12/06/the-first-fully-animated-film-ever-the-1908-fantasmagorie-was-made-by-emile-cohl/?chrome=1

French Charicaturist Émile Cohl steps into the ring now, producing the first fully animated cartoon with no live-action whatsoever. Made from 700 drawings, each double-exposed, this 2 minute long film is the earliest example of what became known as traditional animation.

With his characters morphing and transforming throughout, Cohl wanted to really demonstrate the fantastical, reality-defying possibilities of animation with his production.

1914 - Gertie the Dinosaur

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertie_the_Dinosaur

Whilst Gertie was perhaps the first animated character to gain notoriety, Windsor McCay's animated dinosaur film is worth a mention because it is the first animation to make use of key framing, inbetweening, registration marks and animation loops. These all became part of standard industry practice for traditional animation production for decades to come.

1919 - Felix the Cat

Source: https://animation-appreciation-education.tumblr.com/post/132410311237/feline-follies-1919-produced-by-pat-sullivan

Felix was the leading character of a series of short cartoons created by Otto Messmer and became the first real 'star' of the animated silent film era.

He was a bit of a pop culture icon as well, having dolls, toys, watches, ceramics, postcards and more made in his image.

1922 - Steamboat Willie

We all know this one! Steamboat is often mistakenly thought to be Mickey Mouse's debut, when in fact, this wasn't his first outing. It was, however, the first animated film to both popularise Mickey and to be fully scored.

Yeah that doesn't sound as impressive, but it's still an iconic moment in animation history with some of the most recognisable visuals of any animation ever.

1930 - Dizzy Dishes

This animated cartoon about an incompetent chef gets a mention because it's the first cartoon in which Betty Boop appears. Although not as we know her... Back then, she was some kind of terrifying dog-human hybrid. Sorry for the nightmares.

1932 - Flowers and Trees

This is part of Disney's Silly Symphonies series, and was the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.

The keen-eyed amongst you will notice that we've left the black and white era behind us! Flowers and Trees was also the first animated film shot with a three-strip Technicolor camera, a process so costly that it almost ruined Disney financially. Luckily the cartoon was a smash hit - phew!

1933 - King Kong

Widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time - King Kong earns its spot in the history of evolution for including the most advanced and convincing stop motion animated characters yet seen.

1937 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Probably the first animation on this timeline that still holds up nowadays, which speaks volumes of its polish, Snow White was the first ever full length animated feature film.

The labour-intensive yet visually stunning production perhaps makes this the work that cemented Walt Disney as one of the world's most innovative storytellers.

1960 - The Flintstones

This palaeolithic Hanna-Barbera cartoon was the first ever prime-time animated show.

Amongst its long list of accolades and achievements, did you know that Fred and Wilma were also the first married couple to ever be shown in bed together on TV? Remember that one, might come up in a pub quiz one day!

1961 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians

This one is on the animation timeline because it was the first full feature animated film Disney made using xerography.

This is a process that eliminates hand-inking the outlines of the characters on each cel. Instead, the drawings were printed directly onto the cels, saving a massive amount of time and labour. Keep an eye out for the clear, bold lines in Dalmatians - a direct result of this process.

1985 - The Adventures of Mark Twain

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088678/mediaviewer/rm2051125249/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Another first, this Will Vinton production about Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher was the first ever feature length stop motion claymation film

It paved the way for studios like Aardman and Laika to take this process and run with it.

1988 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

The first feature film to have live-action and cartoon characters share the same screen - we've come a long way since The Enchanted Drawing!

Roger Rabbit is also a major milestone in animated history because of the sheer number of characters and assets from different studios that made an appearance. Where else can you get Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse in the same scene?!

1993 - Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park mixed animatronics, stop-motion and CGI to create the most photo-realistic animated creatures ever before seen on screen.

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the visual-effects studio behind these prehistoric creations, took a year to create just 4 minutes of computer generated dinos.

1995 - Toy Story

Just 2 years after Spielberg's Jurassic Park, Pixar came out with the first entirely computer generated feature film. It had full model articulation and motion-control coding to bring Andy's toys to life, a real breakthrough in 3D animation which secured Pixar's position as the studio to beat.

Toy Story was also the first animated film nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay, showing how animation was beginning to be recognised and respected as entertainment, rather than just for animation-related accolades.

2002 - Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The second instalment of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is remarkable for many reasons, not least of which is the motion capture and CGI work that went into creating Gollum.

Whilst the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park were highly accomplished elements that looked right at home alongside live-action stars, Gollum was the first real character that showed the world what motion capture and CGI was capable of. A fully computer generated character could appear alongside actors and it looked amazing.

Check out our pieces on Andy Serkis and mocap for more technical info and trivia about Gollum and motion capture!

2009 - Avatar

Moving from LotR's CGI characters in real world settings, the next milestone in animation history came from James Cameron's Avatar featuring real actors in completely computer generated worlds

Avatar blew audiences away with its advanced CGI and motion capture techniques, bringing the lush, alien world of Pandora to life in both 2 and 3 dimensions.

2012 - ParaNorman

Stop motion has come a long way! Us Brits, having grown up with the likes of Pingu, Bagpuss, The Magic Roundabout, Wallace and Gromit, and Creature Comforts on our screens, tend to have an especially soft spot for the medium as well.

ParaNorman by studio LAIKA represents some of the most advanced stop-motion and modelling techniques in animation to date. It was the first to make use of mass 3D printing for its models - creating over 31,000 individual face parts during production.

This technique is why the puppets in ParaNorman are so expressive and versatile - over 250 unique faces were used for one character to create a single shot lasting only 27 seconds. These groundbreaking stop motion techniques are enough to make viewers question if it's even models at all!

It's your turn!

The animation timeline doesn't end there - in fact, it's one of the most rapidly advancing and exciting spaces to be creating in today. Flashy, endearing and high-impact visuals are becoming available not just in entertainment, but in business animation as well.

If you've got ideas for your next communication project and you think animation is the way to grab attention and achieve your goals, give us a bell. We're a friendly team with loads of experience, we'll definitely give you some inspiration!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Timeline: The Evolution of Animation - Fudge Animation Studios

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From first hand-drawn animation to fully digitalised CGI movies, how did animation evolve over the last few years? Find out more in our blog.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1900 - The Enchanted Drawing

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYDmH2B9XJw

We kick things off with a silent film by J. Stuart Blackton, who some call the father of animation. His silent film shot in Thomas Edison's Black Moria studio in New Jersey is credited as the first animated sequence on film ever.

An actor essentially does a bit of prop work and a cartoon man drawn on an easel occasionally changes expression thanks to some basic stop motion photography. Nothing fancy, but enough to capture the imagination of its viewers and other's looking to run with this new and exciting visual entertainment medium.

1906 - Humorous Phases of Funny Faces

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGh6maN4l2I

Without any live action actor this time, J. Stuart Blackton returns with this, the first animation recorded on standard picture film. Humorous Phases begins with an artist drawing portraits on a blackboard in chalk, before they begin to animate and interact with each other.

It may be primitive, but this film would have blown your monocle clean off your face if you hadn't seen a drawing come to life before!

1908 - Fantasmagorie

Source: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/12/06/the-first-fully-animated-film-ever-the-1908-fantasmagorie-was-made-by-emile-cohl/?chrome=1

French Charicaturist Émile Cohl steps into the ring now, producing the first fully animated cartoon with no live-action whatsoever. Made from 700 drawings, each double-exposed, this 2 minute long film is the earliest example of what became known as traditional animation.

With his characters morphing and transforming throughout, Cohl wanted to really demonstrate the fantastical, reality-defying possibilities of animation with his production.

1914 - Gertie the Dinosaur

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertie_the_Dinosaur

Whilst Gertie was perhaps the first animated character to gain notoriety, Windsor McCay's animated dinosaur film is worth a mention because it is the first animation to make use of key framing, inbetweening, registration marks and animation loops. These all became part of standard industry practice for traditional animation production for decades to come.

1919 - Felix the Cat

Source: https://animation-appreciation-education.tumblr.com/post/132410311237/feline-follies-1919-produced-by-pat-sullivan

Felix was the leading character of a series of short cartoons created by Otto Messmer and became the first real 'star' of the animated silent film era.

He was a bit of a pop culture icon as well, having dolls, toys, watches, ceramics, postcards and more made in his image.

1922 - Steamboat Willie

We all know this one! Steamboat is often mistakenly thought to be Mickey Mouse's debut, when in fact, this wasn't his first outing. It was, however, the first animated film to both popularise Mickey and to be fully scored.

Yeah that doesn't sound as impressive, but it's still an iconic moment in animation history with some of the most recognisable visuals of any animation ever.

1930 - Dizzy Dishes

This animated cartoon about an incompetent chef gets a mention because it's the first cartoon in which Betty Boop appears. Although not as we know her... Back then, she was some kind of terrifying dog-human hybrid. Sorry for the nightmares.

1932 - Flowers and Trees

This is part of Disney's Silly Symphonies series, and was the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.

The keen-eyed amongst you will notice that we've left the black and white era behind us! Flowers and Trees was also the first animated film shot with a three-strip Technicolor camera, a process so costly that it almost ruined Disney financially. Luckily the cartoon was a smash hit - phew!

1933 - King Kong

Widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time - King Kong earns its spot in the history of evolution for including the most advanced and convincing stop motion animated characters yet seen.

1937 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Probably the first animation on this timeline that still holds up nowadays, which speaks volumes of its polish, Snow White was the first ever full length animated feature film.

The labour-intensive yet visually stunning production perhaps makes this the work that cemented Walt Disney as one of the world's most innovative storytellers.

1960 - The Flintstones

This palaeolithic Hanna-Barbera cartoon was the first ever prime-time animated show.

Amongst its long list of accolades and achievements, did you know that Fred and Wilma were also the first married couple to ever be shown in bed together on TV? Remember that one, might come up in a pub quiz one day!

1961 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians

This one is on the animation timeline because it was the first full feature animated film Disney made using xerography.

This is a process that eliminates hand-inking the outlines of the characters on each cel. Instead, the drawings were printed directly onto the cels, saving a massive amount of time and labour. Keep an eye out for the clear, bold lines in Dalmatians - a direct result of this process.

1985 - The Adventures of Mark Twain

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088678/mediaviewer/rm2051125249/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Another first, this Will Vinton production about Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher was the first ever feature length stop motion claymation film

It paved the way for studios like Aardman and Laika to take this process and run with it.

1988 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

The first feature film to have live-action and cartoon characters share the same screen - we've come a long way since The Enchanted Drawing!

Roger Rabbit is also a major milestone in animated history because of the sheer number of characters and assets from different studios that made an appearance. Where else can you get Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse in the same scene?!

1993 - Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park mixed animatronics, stop-motion and CGI to create the most photo-realistic animated creatures ever before seen on screen.

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the visual-effects studio behind these prehistoric creations, took a year to create just 4 minutes of computer generated dinos.

1995 - Toy Story

Just 2 years after Spielberg's Jurassic Park, Pixar came out with the first entirely computer generated feature film. It had full model articulation and motion-control coding to bring Andy's toys to life, a real breakthrough in 3D animation which secured Pixar's position as the studio to beat.

Toy Story was also the first animated film nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay, showing how animation was beginning to be recognised and respected as entertainment, rather than just for animation-related accolades.

2002 - Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The second instalment of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is remarkable for many reasons, not least of which is the motion capture and CGI work that went into creating Gollum.

Whilst the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park were highly accomplished elements that looked right at home alongside live-action stars, Gollum was the first real character that showed the world what motion capture and CGI was capable of. A fully computer generated character could appear alongside actors and it looked amazing.

Check out our pieces on Andy Serkis and mocap for more technical info and trivia about Gollum and motion capture!

2009 - Avatar

Moving from LotR's CGI characters in real world settings, the next milestone in animation history came from James Cameron's Avatar featuring real actors in completely computer generated worlds

Avatar blew audiences away with its advanced CGI and motion capture techniques, bringing the lush, alien world of Pandora to life in both 2 and 3 dimensions.

2012 - ParaNorman

Stop motion has come a long way! Us Brits, having grown up with the likes of Pingu, Bagpuss, The Magic Roundabout, Wallace and Gromit, and Creature Comforts on our screens, tend to have an especially soft spot for the medium as well.

ParaNorman by studio LAIKA represents some of the most advanced stop-motion and modelling techniques in animation to date. It was the first to make use of mass 3D printing for its models - creating over 31,000 individual face parts during production.

This technique is why the puppets in ParaNorman are so expressive and versatile - over 250 unique faces were used for one character to create a single shot lasting only 27 seconds. These groundbreaking stop motion techniques are enough to make viewers question if it's even models at all!

It's your turn!

The animation timeline doesn't end there - in fact, it's one of the most rapidly advancing and exciting spaces to be creating in today. Flashy, endearing and high-impact visuals are becoming available not just in entertainment, but in business animation as well.

If you've got ideas for your next communication project and you think animation is the way to grab attention and achieve your goals, give us a bell. We're a friendly team with loads of experience, we'll definitely give you some inspiration!

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A Timeline: The Evolution of Animation - Fudge Animation Studios

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From first hand-drawn animation to fully digitalised CGI movies, how did animation evolve over the last few years? Find out more in our blog.

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1900 - The Enchanted Drawing

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYDmH2B9XJw

We kick things off with a silent film by J. Stuart Blackton, who some call the father of animation. His silent film shot in Thomas Edison's Black Moria studio in New Jersey is credited as the first animated sequence on film ever.

An actor essentially does a bit of prop work and a cartoon man drawn on an easel occasionally changes expression thanks to some basic stop motion photography. Nothing fancy, but enough to capture the imagination of its viewers and other's looking to run with this new and exciting visual entertainment medium.

1906 - Humorous Phases of Funny Faces

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGh6maN4l2I

Without any live action actor this time, J. Stuart Blackton returns with this, the first animation recorded on standard picture film. Humorous Phases begins with an artist drawing portraits on a blackboard in chalk, before they begin to animate and interact with each other.

It may be primitive, but this film would have blown your monocle clean off your face if you hadn't seen a drawing come to life before!

1908 - Fantasmagorie

Source: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/12/06/the-first-fully-animated-film-ever-the-1908-fantasmagorie-was-made-by-emile-cohl/?chrome=1

French Charicaturist Émile Cohl steps into the ring now, producing the first fully animated cartoon with no live-action whatsoever. Made from 700 drawings, each double-exposed, this 2 minute long film is the earliest example of what became known as traditional animation.

With his characters morphing and transforming throughout, Cohl wanted to really demonstrate the fantastical, reality-defying possibilities of animation with his production.

1914 - Gertie the Dinosaur

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertie_the_Dinosaur

Whilst Gertie was perhaps the first animated character to gain notoriety, Windsor McCay's animated dinosaur film is worth a mention because it is the first animation to make use of key framing, inbetweening, registration marks and animation loops. These all became part of standard industry practice for traditional animation production for decades to come.

1919 - Felix the Cat

Source: https://animation-appreciation-education.tumblr.com/post/132410311237/feline-follies-1919-produced-by-pat-sullivan

Felix was the leading character of a series of short cartoons created by Otto Messmer and became the first real 'star' of the animated silent film era.

He was a bit of a pop culture icon as well, having dolls, toys, watches, ceramics, postcards and more made in his image.

1922 - Steamboat Willie

We all know this one! Steamboat is often mistakenly thought to be Mickey Mouse's debut, when in fact, this wasn't his first outing. It was, however, the first animated film to both popularise Mickey and to be fully scored.

Yeah that doesn't sound as impressive, but it's still an iconic moment in animation history with some of the most recognisable visuals of any animation ever.

1930 - Dizzy Dishes

This animated cartoon about an incompetent chef gets a mention because it's the first cartoon in which Betty Boop appears. Although not as we know her... Back then, she was some kind of terrifying dog-human hybrid. Sorry for the nightmares.

1932 - Flowers and Trees

This is part of Disney's Silly Symphonies series, and was the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.

The keen-eyed amongst you will notice that we've left the black and white era behind us! Flowers and Trees was also the first animated film shot with a three-strip Technicolor camera, a process so costly that it almost ruined Disney financially. Luckily the cartoon was a smash hit - phew!

1933 - King Kong

Widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time - King Kong earns its spot in the history of evolution for including the most advanced and convincing stop motion animated characters yet seen.

1937 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Probably the first animation on this timeline that still holds up nowadays, which speaks volumes of its polish, Snow White was the first ever full length animated feature film.

The labour-intensive yet visually stunning production perhaps makes this the work that cemented Walt Disney as one of the world's most innovative storytellers.

1960 - The Flintstones

This palaeolithic Hanna-Barbera cartoon was the first ever prime-time animated show.

Amongst its long list of accolades and achievements, did you know that Fred and Wilma were also the first married couple to ever be shown in bed together on TV? Remember that one, might come up in a pub quiz one day!

1961 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians

This one is on the animation timeline because it was the first full feature animated film Disney made using xerography.

This is a process that eliminates hand-inking the outlines of the characters on each cel. Instead, the drawings were printed directly onto the cels, saving a massive amount of time and labour. Keep an eye out for the clear, bold lines in Dalmatians - a direct result of this process.

1985 - The Adventures of Mark Twain

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088678/mediaviewer/rm2051125249/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Another first, this Will Vinton production about Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher was the first ever feature length stop motion claymation film

It paved the way for studios like Aardman and Laika to take this process and run with it.

1988 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

The first feature film to have live-action and cartoon characters share the same screen - we've come a long way since The Enchanted Drawing!

Roger Rabbit is also a major milestone in animated history because of the sheer number of characters and assets from different studios that made an appearance. Where else can you get Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse in the same scene?!

1993 - Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park mixed animatronics, stop-motion and CGI to create the most photo-realistic animated creatures ever before seen on screen.

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the visual-effects studio behind these prehistoric creations, took a year to create just 4 minutes of computer generated dinos.

1995 - Toy Story

Just 2 years after Spielberg's Jurassic Park, Pixar came out with the first entirely computer generated feature film. It had full model articulation and motion-control coding to bring Andy's toys to life, a real breakthrough in 3D animation which secured Pixar's position as the studio to beat.

Toy Story was also the first animated film nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay, showing how animation was beginning to be recognised and respected as entertainment, rather than just for animation-related accolades.

2002 - Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The second instalment of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is remarkable for many reasons, not least of which is the motion capture and CGI work that went into creating Gollum.

Whilst the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park were highly accomplished elements that looked right at home alongside live-action stars, Gollum was the first real character that showed the world what motion capture and CGI was capable of. A fully computer generated character could appear alongside actors and it looked amazing.

Check out our pieces on Andy Serkis and mocap for more technical info and trivia about Gollum and motion capture!

2009 - Avatar

Moving from LotR's CGI characters in real world settings, the next milestone in animation history came from James Cameron's Avatar featuring real actors in completely computer generated worlds

Avatar blew audiences away with its advanced CGI and motion capture techniques, bringing the lush, alien world of Pandora to life in both 2 and 3 dimensions.

2012 - ParaNorman

Stop motion has come a long way! Us Brits, having grown up with the likes of Pingu, Bagpuss, The Magic Roundabout, Wallace and Gromit, and Creature Comforts on our screens, tend to have an especially soft spot for the medium as well.

ParaNorman by studio LAIKA represents some of the most advanced stop-motion and modelling techniques in animation to date. It was the first to make use of mass 3D printing for its models - creating over 31,000 individual face parts during production.

This technique is why the puppets in ParaNorman are so expressive and versatile - over 250 unique faces were used for one character to create a single shot lasting only 27 seconds. These groundbreaking stop motion techniques are enough to make viewers question if it's even models at all!

It's your turn!

The animation timeline doesn't end there - in fact, it's one of the most rapidly advancing and exciting spaces to be creating in today. Flashy, endearing and high-impact visuals are becoming available not just in entertainment, but in business animation as well.

If you've got ideas for your next communication project and you think animation is the way to grab attention and achieve your goals, give us a bell. We're a friendly team with loads of experience, we'll definitely give you some inspiration!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Timeline: The Evolution of Animation - Fudge Animation Studios

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From first hand-drawn animation to fully digitalised CGI movies, how did animation evolve over the last few years? Find out more in our blog.