In 2019, Disney released the animated movie The Lion King. It made more money than any other animated movie. It was made with computers. Lots of new technology was used. It was advanced.
But animation has changed a lot over time. Old school animation was a lot simpler. Artists drew pictures. Each frame was a new drawing. Then, the pictures were put together. It looked like the picture was moving.
A flipbook is a type of animation. It has many drawings. When you flip the pages, it looks like the picture is moving. They are easy to make. They can be made at home!
Traditional animation was the dominant method before computers. Everything is drawn by hand. It takes a long time. It takes a lot of people.
First, we need a story. When there is a story, someone will draw a storyboard. It contains simple drawings. It shows how the story will flow. It takes lots of tries to get it right.
When the storyboard is complete, a soundtrack is made. It includes music, sound effects, and speaking. This is done before the drawing. It is easier that way.
Next, an animatic is created. It uses the drawings from the storyboard. The drawings are cut with the soundtrack. It is the plan for the movie. Everyone must agree that it is perfect before moving on.
When that is finished, it is sent to the designers. They draw model sheets for characters. They make sure everyone draws them the same way. Someone else designs the backgrounds. That is where the scene takes place. Finally, someone selects the colours that will be used.
When they finish, it is time to start drawing. Artists draw on transparent paper. They used coloured pencils. It is a long process. Artists must match everything to the soundtrack.
Loops are used to save time. To loop means to play again. Simple things like walking can be looped. When a character has been drawn walking once, it can be used again. But looping can be easy to notice. It must not be done too much.
When the drawing is done, photography begins. This process is called ink-and-paint. The image is moved from the paper to a cel.
A cel is a thin piece of plastic. The characters are matched to the background. Glass is put on top. It keeps the drawing flat. Then the photographs are taken.
When they have been taken, they are spliced into the final film. It is sent off to be approved. The hard part is over!
The process of making an animation is not easy. But the results are amazing. Lots of movies were made like this. Animated movies have changed a lot. But they are still popular. What is your favourite animated movie?