Category: animation

Since the 1990s, 3D animation has enjoyed an explosion in popularity. Nowadays, major motion pictures around the world use its techniques to create lifelike images that allow the viewer to feel as if they are part of the animated world being depicted on the screen. Despite the advantages and popularity of 3D animation, however, traditional animation in the form of 2D animation and elsewhere is still playing a central role in the world of animation. Since its advent in the early 1900s, it has provided a slew of benefits to animated projects. Following are just a few of the many advantages that 2D animation provides.

Efficiency

One benefit of 2D animation is the efficiency with which it can be produced. Animation by its very nature is never a simple process. As an art form, it requires a great deal of skill and creativity to produce objects, characters, and worlds that appeal to the target audiences and that accurately convey stories and messages. In addition, the numerous techniques and styles that have developed throughout the past century provide an array of tools from which the animator can choose.

However, while 2D animation demands as much skill as does 3D animation, it is generally faster to create simply because it does not require a third dimension. 2D animation companies do not need to create lifelike images the way that 3D animators do. Their cityscapes, for instance, do not need to consist of buildings with details that make them look like real buildings. This faster design can be beneficial to those who need a project completed in a timely manner.

Simplicity

A second benefit of 2D animation is the fact that its designs tend to be less complex than those provided by 3D animation. How beneficial a simpler design is depends upon the project. For instance, action films usually benefit from 3D animation because of the detailed action and complex images they use to draw the viewer in.

However, when the design needs to highlight the message, the services of a 2D animation studio are usually preferable. For instance, a clean design is often more effective in advertising, because it more clearly conveys the advertiser’s message to the viewer. Certain games, such as Candy Crush, also depend upon a simpler design to appeal to their audiences. Some television shows, such as South Park, have built their success on a 2D animated design. Even some educational applications or explainer videos require a design that will not distract the viewers from the message that the project is trying to convey.

Cost effectiveness

The efficiency and simplicity of 2D animation lead to greater cost effectiveness, another boon to people who want the benefits of animation but who cannot afford the sometime steep price tag that accompanies 3D animation. The fact that this type of animation takes less time and is less complex means that it can be accomplished with fewer resources, savings that often translate into a smaller price tag. In fact, many projects utilize 2D instead of 3D animation at least in part because it is more cost effective for tight budgets and small companies. Any provider of 2D animation should be able to work with your budget to create a project that meets not only your creative needs but also your financial constraints.

Artistic freedom

Each type of animation brings with it numerous creative possibilities. However, 3D animation must always appear lifelike and realistic, no matter what scene, objects, or people it is depicting. As a result, the fanciful and exaggerated generally do not translate well to the 3D screen, and styles such as anime are more difficult to create through the use of 3D tools.

2D animation, on the other hand, makes entirely new worlds possible. For instance, through traditional animation, the animator can create people, animated cartoons, and more that do not exist in real life. As a result, anyone needing an animated project can use 2D animation to more easily create images and worlds that would otherwise be very hard to film and/or create using 3D tools. This aspect of 2D animation also lends itself well to creating projects targeted to specific audiences. Not only can the animator use their imaginations to create characters and worlds that are not lifelike or realistic, but, by doing so, they can engage in character design and other practices that result in projects tailored to the sensibilities of specific audiences.

Because of the artistic freedom that 2D animation provides, this type of animation requires a high level of talent that makes the animator as skilled as anyone working on a 3D project. The animator must use their creativity and knowledge of the art form to develop characters and worlds that meet the needs of the project, instead of focusing simply on creating as lifelike images as possible. From concept design to character design to storyboards, they must utilize their expertise to create exactly the type of project being envisioned and the goals that are in place for the project.

Choosing 2D animation for your animated project does not mean that you are limiting your choices. Instead, its efficiency, simplicity, cost effectiveness, and the artistic freedom that allows the animator to bring your idea to life provide you with advantages that in many cases make it a better choice than 3D animation for successfully completing your animated project.

Product designing is an integral phase of any industry. In this phase, designers get to represent their spectacular ideas to the prospective clients and manufacturers. Helping designers in this phase is state-of-the-art method popularly known as 3D modeling. Thanks to the proliferation of animation industry, designers now have multifunctional tools at their disposal that help them to present their designs in a vivid way. Showcasing your products in 3D forms can turn out to be absolutely stunning.

However, if this reason is not good enough for you, then here are five strong reasons that clarify why product designing is in dire need of 3D modeling.

#1 Create Rapid Prototypes

Creating rapid prototypes of products becomes easy with 3D modeling. Often 3D models prove to be beneficial to evaluate certain crucial factors including product details, its manufacturing costs, and designing concept. 3D models of product prototypes can be created either from a handmade drawing or even from a 2D sketch. However, leverage of 3D modeling lies in its ability in allowing designers to create and refine their designs without much hassle.

#2 Get 360-Degree View

The convenience of demonstrating a model from different angles is a huge leverage for designers. This is another perk of 3D modeling. Viewing the product from different angles not only allows people to notice the smallest details but also gives them a fair idea about its production and packaging. The three dimensional 360-degree view turns out to be pretty useful in all stages of production. Users can zoom in on the product and can get better visual expressions of the same; an advantage clearly not found in 2D sketches.

#3 Gripping Animation

A well-animated product will not only ensure success for your marketing campaign but will also help to give your customers a clear-cut idea about its working. Attention-grabbing animation can actually help you to go a long way and with 3D modeling, you can get to show your clients how your product functions.

#4 Perfect Marketing Material

3D models act as perfect marketing materials. Since they are photo-realistic, they can be easily fitted into presentations and commercials. Effective promotion of products can help companies to gain credibility from their customers and with production-ready models that would come easy. Most real-estate companies have already taken advantage of 3D content for promoting their sales.

#5 Precise Specifications

With the help of modern 3D modeling software, designers can now demonstrate the size, shape and other specifications in context to the real product. This almost real scaling of the products allows companies to give nearly-perfect overview of how the finished goods will be to the prospective customers.

Animated cartoons are successful in large part because of their ability to create an emotional connection between the viewers and the cartoon characters. The personalities, faults, and quirks that these cartoons weave into their characters make those characters winsome and engaging. In the hands of a skilled animator, even machines, animals, and household objects become characters with whom viewers can connect. There are many reasons that animated cartoons are so effective at bringing characters to life. Following are a few of these reasons.

Animated cartoons visually depict personalities.

In non-animated productions, the characters’ realism and appeal rely mostly upon the dialogue and upon the actors’ ability to capture the personalities described within the script. In animated cartoons, the cartoon studio often creates this realism and appeal through the appearance of the characters. That is, the studio uses the appearance of the characters and the details in the scenes around them to express the characters’ personalities and foibles.

For instance, in some cases, soft, curved lines may be used to represent the gentleness (or even weakness) of a character. Small background details may give clues to the character’s personality. Other details, such as the shape of the body or the type of clothing the character wears can provide further information regarding their personality. With these physical clues in place, the animated cartoon character springs to life before they ever speak a word or take a step onscreen.

Animated cartoons create an emotional connection with the viewer.

Cartoon production often creates human or almost-human characters who appeal to audiences because they look like the audience. However, animated cartoons also often bring non-human characters to life (consider Simba from The Lion King and the candlestick Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast).

The reason that animated cartoons are such an effective medium for bringing characters of all kinds to life is that they possess a unique ability to highlight the qualities that those characters have in common with the viewer. The character design underlying these creations makes them so believable that viewers find themselves connecting at an emotional level with the animated cartoons.

One reason for this emotional connection is the cartoon studio’s ability to express the characters’ humanity through their appearance and actions. At times, this means imbuing a character (even a non-human one) with certain human features. In addition, animated cartoons often have facial expressions that convey human emotions. Take, for instance, Simba in The Lion King. He is carefully crafted to reveal mischievousness, surprise, sadness, and anger, all skillfully written into his lion-like features. The result is a character that displays human qualities and emotions that resonate with the audience.

Animated cartoons are capable of dealing with adult themes.

Another way in which animated cartoons bring characters to life is by transcending exclusively child-focused themes in order to embrace the whole realm of thought and action experienced by the adult viewer. Of course, some cartoons are directed at children and therefore possess those appearances and deal with those themes that are suitable for their young audiences. However, many other animated cartoons skillfully incorporate violence, use adult humor (such as The Simpsons), or tackle modern-day issues (such as South Park). In addition, these types of cartoons are able to put forth characters who accurately represent the wide variety of personalities present in the real world.

This ability to embrace adult themes and create diverse characters adds to the life likeness of the cartoons’ characters, because it adds to their believability. A viewer is far more likely to engage with a cartoon that accurately captures human emotion and personality. When the viewer sees an animated production dealing with themes and issues that they recognize, they feel closer to the characters and are more likely to be convinced of the characters’ realism and message.

This ability of cartoons to capture a variety of personalities, emotions, and themes also allows the cartoon animation partner to tailor the project to the needs of the target audience. By doing so, the animator allows the cartoon to resonate with viewers in a way that adds to its realism and power, whether the goal is to target potential customers, entertain executives, or create education animation.

Animated cartoons utilize exaggerated actions and expressions.

Finally, animated cartoons bring characters to life through the use of exaggeration. Realism and exaggeration must be carefully balanced by the cartoon studio. On the one hand, the features and emotions of each character must be realistic enough to connect with the viewer. On the other hand, they must be exaggerated enough to provide the entertainment factor that makes cartoons such a popular medium for everything from feature length films to advertising animation.

One area in which exaggeration is put to good use in animated cartoons is in the actions and facial expressions of the characters. These exaggerations, when done properly, accurately capture how the body looks when the actions and feelings are registering in a real person, while exaggerating these appearances to the extreme. For instance, a look of surprise would include huge eyes and a grossly dropped jaw instead of the more subtle appearances that actually occur in real life.

3D animation is the latest trend in the market with every one trying to get the best and dazzling effect to give their final product that “wow” feel- which viewers like to see. But the art of 3D animation is an all-encompassing one which is determined by many factors.

One of those factors is character modelling. Simply put, it is the process of creating your character in a 3D space using software. It may seem like a simple and meaningless task but involves a lot of technical knowledge and detailing. A sound understanding of human anatomy is required apart from the knowledge of the software that you use to make it. Arms, legs and head should be made to proper proportion to each other to make the character look believable.

After this step, the character modelling artist adds texture or color to his model to give it a finished look. The textures and color should look real or as prescribed by the designated look for the character by the client. This is a crucial step, the artist needs to understand the effects of different textures and lighting and their effect on the overall composition of things. There are several methods that he can use involving different brush types and the access to bump maps, which add the final feel to his model.

The character modelling is an important aspect because they are the “actors” in your 3D animated film and actors must always look appealing to engage the audience. Well executed Character modelling is necessary for the 3D animated film to look classy and have the “wow” feel. It is essential to make the star of your animated film the most captivation and engaging element of the film.

The most common tools used for Character modelling are Z-brush, blender and Mud box, to name a few. But all these tools do not make a great 3D film, it is the responsibility of the Modelling artist to create a believable character out of his tools. The character is considered complete when it is properly sculpted with proper proportions followed by correct texture and mapping applied, and if this step is properly executed only then can proper rigging and animation be done to the model. So, a lot of the later parts of the production pipeline depend on the Proper execution of Character modeling.

It is never a bad thing to invest time and effort in this area. Especially in the realm of 3D animation all parts and phases of the pipeline are important. Character Modelling is just one of the phases which is often sidelined and greatly underestimated.

Animatronics is a process of building mechanized puppets or full-size costumes that resemble animals, dinosaurs, or other imaginary creatures, and made to look quite lifelike. The idea behind animatronics was first created by Disney Studios back in the 1950s for use in some of their early films. Plus, it is possible to combine the mechanized movements with other special effects in an attempt to create the more convincing look and a greater level of realism.

In addition to using this technology in the film studios it is a common sight in many of the popular theme or amusement parks, which many feature birds or other creatures in special shows to entertain guests.

What features are involved?

Animatronics can vary significantly with basic to very complex designs. The most basic animatronics are built with basic sound recording features and have the ability to make one or two simple movements. For the more advanced designs it is possible to include software that can complete specific moves, and can even be remotely controlled. On the most complex designs the engineers will create the costumes using the latest special effects technology that includes realistic skin, highly flexible joints, and lifelike actions or sounds.

The creation process starts with a designer sketching out the ideas on paper. Once the initial concept is created, the engineering team will provide detailed plans to start on the construction of a scale model which is known as a maquette. If this first concept is approved, it is possible to move on to the full-scale model which includes the built-in electronic controls and moving parts. The design team finishes the model using special paints, materials and textures in order to create the realistic looking skin.

Many of the animatronics rely on LEDs, servos, and connecting wires to help create the realistic sound effects. Creating the costumes with the servo connectors is great for plenty of reasons, including the wide availability of these components and the relatively low-cost to use. Plus, it is possible to use connect sensors in certain projects to help benefit from the convenience of wireless control.

Future of animatronics

The future of animatronics is still very strong, but because of the time and cost involved in creating the full-size models, many film studios rely on computer animation to help with special effects. There are still many companies that have the sole purpose of creating animatronics for entertainment purposes, such as use in theme parks or amusement parks.

Character design is not that simple as it looks in cartoons, movies and animations. It takes long hours of designers to create a character for a particular story. Character designing may have complexities, but the designers always aim to keep them simple. It’s more than just readable features, clean lines that are needed in a character. It is also about where to emphasize and where to downplay based on the personality of the character in the story. We have seen Disneyland cartoons, Tom & Jerry, Ice Age movies, Jungle Book and so many more, and each personality in each one of the afore mentioned has made a strong influence in our minds to remain alive forever. To start creating a character is very complicated but if one has the idea of the character in the mind then following tips would be helpful.

01. Know the Audience

The audience of the any creative project is important in determining its framework. It should be the most significant step on the way to designing characters. The characters designed for kids are brighter in colours and have got very basic shapes. If one is working for clients projects then you need to follow the character specifications shared by your client.

02. Know the Positioning

In which position and how the character will be introduced in the story also plays an important role in character designing. In what medium character will be seen also has a part to show here. Generally small mediums like mobile phone do not need intricacies in the characters as the big screens need. Besides, whatever the medium is, character designing always starts with paper, pencil, lots of sketches, ideas and more.

03. Analyse Other Designs

You should make an analysis of why some characters are successful and some are not. Do a proper research and through study of the various characters appearing in cartoon channels, animation movies, advertisements, etc.

04. Your Character should be Unique

Whether its shape, its personality, its attire or its colour, animation characters must be unique to stand out in the crowd. It could be an animal or a human or beast, the character designs need to be interesting to draw the attention of the people.

05. Drawing Line and Styles to Emphasize

Lines whether thick or thin line should be even and easily sculpted to create a personality that is cute, approachable and influencing. People demand for accuracy in the creation and have become very watchful of the perfection of the personality that is projected in the stories.

06. Magnify the characteristics

If the characters area magnified then it captures the attention of the viewers as it appears larger than life. It also helps audience in identifying the character and recalling it forever besides enhances the personal traits of the character. It could include – big nose, bulging eyes, hands with 2 fingers, big head sizes.

07. Colours Make a Big Difference

Choose colours carefully; as colours make a big difference and help your creation become noticeable in the crowd. Colours like black, blue, grey projects negative intentions, while light colours – white, blues, pinks and yellows describes innocence and purity.

08. Attire and Accessories

Attire and accessories speaks about the traits of the character in the story, besides also about its social status. Lots of diamond and jewelleries stands for riches and untidy and messy cloths indicate poor lifestyle. Besides accessories like swords, flying tools just adds to the personality and the role of the character.

09. 2D or 3D?

You need to decide how you want to project your character and how it should look from different angles. 2D or 3D features adds a completely new look to even a flat picture. If your creation is going to run on 2D or 3D platforms then you need to plan the height, weight and shape of the character very carefully as even a small mistake would change the shape of the character and make it look very different from what you envisioned.

10. Personality & facial expression

Personality of the character is a very important rule to follow while creating it. How it reacts in different situations, how it changes its expression reveals the role of the character. Whether the character is dull or sporty or a genius or a friendly one or has a destructive and villainous nature. Facial expression says it all. Movement of eyes, nose or lips can tell whether one is explosive, irritating, jealous, sad, happy, worried or scared. One can read the emotions from facial expressions depending on its temperament.

11. Character with goals

Whether one is watching a movie, reading a story or watching an animation, the goal of the lead character is the driving force behind a character’s personality. To create a dramatic angle to the story, character should be given goals like – solving mysteries, helping needy people, protecting people from evil characters.

12. Creating a background

A story to back the character makes it more interesting. Where it came from, what are the life changing events in his life, what made it think about takin up a challenging goal, etc. can add interesting and inspiring angles to the story.

13. Investigate and learn

It is not necessary to follow the rule book every time. It also depends on the mood of the artist how the personality of the character will be created. You should be open to experiments that can lead to interesting results.

14. Using paper and pencil is not a bad idea

It is always good to draw your character on paper first. Most of the interesting characters of yesteryears were drawn when drawing with the help of software was a distant dream. While working on paper many interesting things happen, this may not be possible on computers. Besides, it gives a good feel to the artist of creating something with one’s own hands and a feeling of giving life to a picture drawn on paper.

15. Let people share their thoughts

This will help you in understanding if you character is able to interact with the audience or if you are able to put the personality you wanted to in your creation. Whether the character is able to express its traits as planned.

16. Think beyond your plans

It is necessary as an artist to envision your creation on different platforms. How it would look on 2D and 3D platforms. Which platform would enhance the traits better and on which platform audience would love to see it?

17. Right environment makes it popular

Environment in which the creation dwells and interacts is important to make audiences feel the character. It strengthens the life of the character in the viewers mind.

18. Breathe life into the Characters

Your creation should look a real life character. Its facial expressions, the environment it lives in and the personality traits in every situation that is close to real world characters make it accepted by the audience.

Whiteboard animations require many innovative ideas, careful decisions and gutsy implementations. Developing a script and the entire pre-production planning stage before the creation of any type of creative work is one of the most important things that one must ensure to work on. Below are a few important tips for an effective whiteboard animation. These tips will enable you to create a great impression in the minds of your audiences and fans.

1. A great script is a must

As far as whiteboard animations are concerned, an average script will not do much favor to you. You need a great script and a one that can help you to create a major impression in the minds of the people or your audiences to keep it simple. Your story must be bought to life in an extraordinary manner.

2. Having a believable flow

Just like it happens in real life, your whiteboard animation should have a story line that is quite distinct in the middle, beginning as well as ending. This means that the videos should be short in order to keep the attention of the audiences. Your story must be told in such a manner that does not take very long to unfold so that the viewers can get a grasp of what you are exactly saying.

3. Having a powerful imagery

Powerful imagery and dynamic illustrations are always at the heart of a successful whiteboard animation. This means that one should ideally spend most of the time creating the images for the whiteboard presentations.

4. A captivating audio

Soundtrack is the heart of a film and same goes to a whiteboard animation. The audio tracks should be captivated in such a manner that they are able to create a very positive impression in the minds of the viewer or a normal audience. There are also a lot of character voice- overs that should be extremely believable and dynamic and this means that they should enhance and not detract from your work.

5. Concentrate on the background music

Background music can also be described as an essence to your whiteboard animation. This is because the viewers will be able to connect emotionally to your content. This means that the will be able to create a great memory as far as your animation is concerned and as a viewer this is what we require. It is one of the important things to remember.

There are several techniques or styles of making an illustration. Each of these techniques has its distinctive process and media specially used for creating the illustration. The graphic artist must therefore familiarize himself well with a particular technique before adopting and using it for the production of a graphic design product. Examples of some of the techniques in illustration are:

1. Pen and wash- This illustration technique involves the drawing of the outlines of the illustration in pencil. Ink is used to go over the drawn outlines in pencil. When it is dried, a small quantity of the ink is diluted with water in a lighter tone. Brush is used to apply the paint at the darker areas of the drawing. The painted areas are washed to create various tones to bring out the forms of the illustration. The outlines are made stronger by the use of pen lines. It is used for catalogues, village and market scenes, fashion design magazines, book covers etc.

2. Pen and ink- This is the use of pen and ink to draw the outlines of the drawing and using any of the shading methods to bring out the forms in the drawing. It is used for illustrations in books, newspapers and magazines.

3. Flat colour painting- In this technique, the colours are painted flat with no gradation in tone. The edges of the sections of the painted drawings are sharp and distinct, setting the difference in the various parts of the drawing. It is used for illustrations in story books, road signs, greeting cards etc.

4. Realistic painting- This is the drawing of objects to show great details as they actually appear in nature. It is used for advertisement, fashion magazine and illustrations in books.

5. Silhouette- This is the creating of the outlines of a drawing in pencil and filling the inner part uniformly with black paint or ink. Silhouette drawings do not show details just the outlines that define the objects are shown. They are used for road signs, package symbols, illustrations in fashion magazines etc.

6. Cartooning- This is the creation of humorous or satirical figures with exaggerated forms. This illustration technique is used for illustrating children books, newspapers, magazines etc.

7. Photography- This is the taking of shots of real objects and scenes by the use of a camera. It gives the exact likeness of the objects and scenes. Photographs are used for posters, magazines, newspapers etc.

65% of people are considered visual learners. This is easy to understand considering that most information (90%) that is transmitted to the brain is visual. It also transmits visual information much faster (60,000 times faster) than text. It is therefore not surprising that videos are the most popular medium for communication and engagement currently available online.

The Rise of 3D Animation

It’s getting harder for brands to cut through the noise and get their message across to their target audience. There are so many videos available online today. You need to have something extra to get noticed. This is where animated 3D content comes in.

Animated audiovisual content has been shown to be very effective in influencing the choices of consumers in the later stages of their purchasing journey. There are several reasons that this type of content is more effective than other visuals.

1. Animated videos are effective at grabbing and keeping the viewer’s attention. They resonate with viewers and spark conversations amongst audiences.
2. Brands are better able to simplify complex topics through animation. You are able to show various concepts using a 3D simulation that would otherwise be impossible with other visuals.
3. Visualizations are a powerful way to convey a technology or product and show their features and benefits.
4. They are fun.
5. They can be about anything.
6. They are cost effective to produce.

Principles for successful 3D AnimationJust because the animated audiovisual content is so popular doesn’t mean that your explainer video simulation will be an instant hit with your audience. There are various guidelines to consider in the production of audiovisual content to ensure its success.

1. Quality and photorealistic Animations- Creating a quality 3D animation is crucial to giving it a photorealistic feel which brings it to life. This takes more details, attention to lighting and using realistic materials and even adding in reflections on to the surface of the object.
2. Anticipation – This principle helps the viewer expect a movement even before it occurs, for example, the heel of the character’s foot pressing down on the ground before taking the step. Anticipation helps to prevent audiovisual content animation from appearing too robotic.
3. Exaggeration – This is used in animation to give more energy to the characters. Exaggeration, for instance, can be used in poses to draw attention to what the character is doing.
4. Staging – This principle involves the placement of objects and characters in the video. It helps the audience to understand the narrative and the role of the characters in it. It involves timing, setting, and cinematography.
5. Timing – Timing is vital as it dictates how fast images move and how long they stay still in the animated video. Speeding something up can help to create a sense of energy, lightness, or speed. Slowing something down gives the impression of gravity, mass, and adds weight to the image.
6. Solid drawing – This is the principle used to make an image appear as if it were three dimensional even though it has been created on a two-dimensional surface. This principle gives weight, balance, and depth to the image.