Animation Types and Techniques Animation is an incredibly varied art form. Since its introduction in the early 1900s, it has evolved into many different styles and can be used in many different mediums, from television to the Internet to video games. Likewise, the types of animation and the techniques used to create them have multiplied over time. Animation studios that are capable of utilizing a wide variety of these techniques are well equipped to handle whatever animation project you require. Following are a few of today's most common types and techniques.
Traditional Animation: Traditional animation has been around since animation came into its own in the early 1900s. Otherwise known as drawn or classical animation, this type of animation is created by drawing the project's individual scenes and then combining them to give the impression of movement.
The earliest technique for creating traditional animation was hand drawing, in which each scene was drawn painstakingly by hand. The slightest change in the scene as the characters moved across it required a separate drawing. On average, every second of film required about 12 separate drawings. Because of the high number of drawings needed, it was a significantly time consuming process that required thousands of pictures to complete even very short films. In addition, there are other techniques, such as rotoscoping, in which the animator traces over live action footage to create an animated version of that footage. Other styles, such as the Japanese form of animation, called anime, also use the drawn animation technique. Countless films, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Batman have utilized traditional animation.