Did people literally just draw thousands of pictures that looked almost identical and then they stitched them together, like a flip book? How did they do it, and how was it even remotely cost-effective and worth the effort?
In: 40
Yep! Moving parts of an animation were drawn on their own on transparent sheets called cels, then put on top of painted backgrounds that were moved sideways to simulate movement. Every transition from one position to another was photographed separately, with the cels containing movement being switched between each photographed frame.
To save time, most animation was photographed at 12 frames per second instead of the usual 24 frames per second normally reserved for live-action movies.
Today, everything can be done by computer, but using much of the same building principles. Best of all, you’re not required to do full 3D animation. There are animation software suites specifically engineered to create traditional 2D style animation very efficiently, even allowing you to throw in a few 3D background effects for added depth during moving scenes.
Best thing is that, today, animation is no longer exclusively the domain of children’s entertainment. There’s now a lot of adult-themed shows and movies available that could never be created in real life because of their potentially huge level of complexity and huge production expenses. Futurama, Disenchantment, Star Trek: Lower Decks, The Venture Brothers, Bojack Horseman, Rick and Morty…
You can finally be a grown-up and enjoy cartoons created for a grown-up audience!
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