Hand Drawn Animation
Research
Introduction
Becoming increasing popular from the 1930s, layered, frame by frame moving images have been drawn individually to create narratives. This new form of entertainment will allow the public to escape the social and economical issues such as The Great Depression, and to this day still allows us to escape reality in a light hearted way.
The Process
A feature length would require a million or more drawings. But before the frames are created, a lot of work goes into making sure production goes smoothly;
Storyboarding- Often a quick drop down of sketches and ideas are placed in the first draft of a storyboard, followed by a more provoking board with descriptions and highlights on certain ideas and shots.
Designing- More thought goes into the way each aspect of mise en scene looks and sounds like.
Voice Recording- Characters are brought to life with voice actors constructing an obviously important peak of a production.
Story Reeling- The animation directors watch a completed, edited draft and make any adjustments before the movie evolves to final animation.
Key Frames- The most crucial frames are revisited and perfected before they are placed in the definite final draft
‘In Between’ Frames- Transitions and shots to be placed between the significant frames are perfected last and are added to the ending production.
Side Note: Many Hand Drawn animations follow the basics of the shapes and ‘emotions’ of a drawn Flour Sack. As shown in the sketch to the right, the different shapes create images that trigger certain thoughts and feeling to the viewer.
Death of Hand-Drawn Animation?
Since the mid-Nineties, traditional animated film-making is supposedly been in constant near-extinction, with new technological evolution such as CGI and Stereoscopics rising to our screens. Although, evidence supporting hand-drawn animations die out have been exaggerated, take 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya' for example, the film from Studio Ghibli, could power through any doubts about the art form’s long-term drop in a heavenly mix of watercolour art. The film is the ninth feature from the studio’s 79-year-old co-founder Isao Takahata, who worked on the project for eight years.
Hand Drawn Animation in Gaming
The 1994 video game, Earthworm jim, was originally drawn frame by frame (taking years to develop) but, as an interesting progression, the drawings were then individually scanned into a computer and enhanced.
Non-Disney Animations Of Interest: The Iron Giant, Batman, Beavis & Butthead,The Simpsons, Watership Down, Looney Tunes, Klaus, Duet, Two Angry Beavis
Disney Animations Of Interest: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (First Traditional Animation for Disney), The Princess and The Frog (Last Traditional Animation for Disney)
Bibliography
