Animation is a form of art that involves the use of images, objects and characters to create an illusion of motion. Traditionally, animation was done by hand, but now it’s done using computers in a process called digital animation.

Digital animation is similar to traditional hand-drawn or stop-motion animation in that it creates the illusion of movement by displaying a series of pictures. In digital animation, however, computers are used to create and edit each image, which allows for more control over the final product. The images are stored as digital files and displayed on a screen either as separate frames or as a sequence known as a filmstrip.

The first digital animators were pioneers in their field who experimented with computerized techniques in order to produce animated works. One example is John Whitney Jr.

who went on to receive an Academy Award for his work on “Gertie the Dinosaur” (1914). His short film showed stop-motion animation with live actors interacting with animated dinosaurs — one of the first examples of this type of film ever made.

Another early example was Norman McLaren’s “Blinkity Blank” (1957), which shows moving lines and shapes projected onto paper cutouts that have been set up like a flip book.

Last modified: July 31, 2022