Kirsty Gordon

Alexandra Jackson

May 16, 2017

2D Animation & VFX

From the beginning to now

In this essay i’m going to talk about 2D animation where it came from and where its currently heading in the current and future years. Talking about different shows and their genres to explain animation isn’t just kids entertainment it can be used in the real adult world, this will also be shown by a brief explanation and understand of the term VFX, a subject i presented to my class on in a video format showing the different reasons why film and tv makers use VFX in their projects.

I will be mainly using secondary research, that is research  that i’ve taken from other people, that isn’t my own work. I will take their information and place it into my work in my own words. An important step in using secondary research is to make sure to reference who it came from. We do this by using the Harvard Reference. At the end of this essay there will be a bibliography and a reference list to show all the places i got my information that i personally didn’t go out and get myself. However, there is also some pieces of primary research in this essay and that is information that i have gone out into the world and collected. I will show my findings in the Word Press document as well as shown in charts or graphs.

Animation has been a part of the creative industry for many years, generation to generation. Animation, though it often paired with Disney and entertainment for young adults or mainly children. Over the coming years with shows like Simpsons and Family Guy, animation is now a family and adult entertainment.  Animation itself has been around since H.W. Goodwin invented a celluloid film which could hold images back in 1887. A few years later in 1892 a Frenchman known as Emil Reynaud had used an invention called a Praxionoscope it used light and mirror reflections to create a 10- 15-minute moving picture. 

In 1899 sound was able to be captured. This was discovered by using a magnetic recording device.  It wasn’t until 1908 that there was an official animation had been created by a Frenchman by the name of Emile Cohl, his piece was called fantasmagorie (“2D Animation History Timeline.”). It was arguably one of the first stop motion animations done on what looks to be a chalkboard. This started wave of more animations such as the likes of Gertie The Dinosaur in 1914 by Windsor McCay. 1920 the classic animation characters were born such as Felix the Cat. This animation ended up being very successful, a household name and merchandise. 1928 was the big one that everyone remembers. When you think old Disney animations people subconsciously think of Steam Boat Willie.

After Disney’s success, it didn’t take other companies to follow suit. Warner Bros Studio was born 1930. Looney Tunes were created, apparently supposed to be a spin off to Disney’s Silly Symphonies but quickly became its own individual animated show.  Also, became a household name and is still played on various television companies such as Boomerang! And Cartoon Network. 

The 1930’s was also a big time for other popular animated characters such as Popeye, Betty Boop and Daffy Duck. 1932 was a monumental year for Disney as the three strip Technicolor animation was born. Painting directly on film strips. 1937 was Disney’s and the first full length feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 1940 a house hold name characters were born the may have changed over the many generations of viewers but the original two were created in 1940, Tom and Jerry. For 30+ years 2d animations still had control over animation but that was until around 1993 when a 3D full length feature by the name of Toy Story was created. This movie shaped 3D computer animation industry. 

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As popular as 3D animation Is nowadays there is still a solid demand for 2D Animations, if not in films but for sure in Television. Now in 2017 there is a lot of different 2D animated tv shows for different genres. The most popular adult entertainment show is currently Rick and Morty. This show is currently just released its first episode of its third season.  Its next episode to the highly anticipated season three hasn’t officially been announced yet. it’s still said to be in the summer of 2017.

2D animation, it’s always been seen as just a cartoon but in a recent years with one particular 2D animated show it’s been taken to award shows like the Emmy’s and other stand alone shows. This show is called Steven Universe. I’ve spoken a lot about this show in  mostly all of my research this year and it’s because even though it’s target audience is children to teens who watch cartoon  Network. There are so many deeper meanings so that adults can enjoy it as well. This show has broke so many boundaries by having mostly all female characters who fuse in love which symbolizes the LGBT communities which as can be guessed had a mixed review on release day.

However, like Rick and Morty the show currently has a wait time till next episode.Cartoon Network is known for leaking the new episodes early, a lot of people in the community are convinced they are trying to get rid of Steven Universe to make room for more Powderpuff girls and Teen Titans Go!. Steven Universe has such a diverse and dedicated fandom people from all ages and walks of life.  2D animation will always have long wait time periods as it takes a long time to be created as it is literally frame by frame, where as 3D is usually pose to pose to save time.

2D animation is what actually got myself interested in learning how to animate different projects. Old school Cartoon Network shows were my biggest inspiration growing up but it wasn’t until around 2013 during a university course of 2D Animation that my interest peaked, I was told by my professor at the time to ditch Film studies and focus on animation as he thought i had a knack for it. Though farthing looking into 2D animation and comparing it to my love for  Pixar animations decided i would go to school to learn 3D Animation.  In this research class however, i discovered another side to animation which i never thought of before this class. I discovered VFX, was a side part of animation. VFX stands for visual effects, this is different to special effects or otherwise known as practical effects because visual effects are all computer animated using 3d max and Z Brush where as special effects are all the blowing up scenes are done on actual set hence practical effects.

Even  though i knew VFX was around I previously before this course and my presentation for the class did i know that VFX was a sub part to animation. This is now where my specialist would come from. I wanted to learn more about VFX, hence why I’ve added it into a small part of this essay as i could get research on the topic more. Visual effects has been used in movies for years for example first appearing in the movie Forbidden Planet. “Forbidden Planet is well known as being Fred M. Wilcox’s filmed version of William Shakespeare’s Tempest, and is still considered as one of the best effects-oriented SF films. It was nominated for Oscar in the category of Best Effects in 1957”. ( (Hyung Ryu 82-100).

Forbidden Planet is a rescue story set in space. The crews of United Planets Cruiser C-57D look for the trace of the crews of the spaceship Bellerophon, missing on its duty on the planet Altair IV twenty years ago. Only Dr. Morbius and his daughter, Altaira, survive, living in their own empire with Robby, the ship’ s robot. Adams, the commander of C-57D, falls in love with Altaira. Dr. Morbius, enraged by the disloyalty of his daughter, sends the monster Id to punish them. Dr. Morbius uses the hologram, the advanced technology of the Krell, the original inhabitant of Altair IV. The hologram projects or transforms his subconsciousness to the invisible monster. Finally, Dr. Morbius sacrifices himself to save her from the monster he created is how the movie goes, It’s actually a very well produced movie. 

Other movies go onto follow the use of VFX in movies this moves onto the Star Wars/ Star Trek franchises to the world famous Harry Potter Movies. It’s clear VFX plays a vital role in the entertainment industry along side 2d and 3d animation. It’s because of this that my interest in the subject grows deeper i start to think of what would happen if there was a live action Rick and Morty but there were VFX used to make it seem just like the 2D cartoon show a good example of this is the Amazing World Of Gum Ball this is another one of Cartoon Network’s Show that incorporates 2D and 3D elements with what seems to be some VFX elements into the show which makes beginners such as myself wonder how complex each episode must of been to create such beautiful and flawless flowing art, so complex seem so simple and pure.

It’s with all this information that I’ve researched for both this essay, throughout the year and the presentation that i’ve learnt i do much enjoy animating but i also enjoy sculpting and texturing which are key parts of VFX. Another reason why i want to learn more about this topic and reasons for looking deeper into the subject matter of VFX. Trying to piece together everything i learnt in film and now currently in 3D Animation and 3D modeling to understand how i can integrate this into my animation VFX journey. i have learnt some very interested facts i knew the technology with the Forbidden planet was animations but i had no idea it was VFX. With learning more about animation i learnt that it’s not as simple as these artist make it out to be or when the item or show is presented on television or film entertainment industries.

In conclusion both 2D and VFX have peaked my interest. I learnt a lot about both and my skills of primary and secondary research have improved with my growth of information on both subjects. 

Reference List:

Websites:

Timeline used”2D Animation History Timeline.”. Timetoast. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 May 2017

Blumenfeld, Zach. “Steven Universe’S Frustrating Schedule Is Crucial To Its Success”. Avclub.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 May 2017.

Frei, Vincent. “Home Page – The Art Of VFX”. The Art of VFX. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 May 2017.

Pulver, Andrew. “From Harry Potter To Gravity: How British VFX Talent Is Leading The World”. the Guardian. N.p., 2014. Web. 17 May 2017.

SEMLYEN, PHIL. “Cinema’s Greatest Effects Shots Picked By Hollywood’s Top VFX Specialists”. Empire. N.p., 2013. Web. 17 May 2017.

Thielman, Sam. “Rick And Morty Creators: ‘We’re Pulling Apart The Tropes Of Sci-Fi’”. the Guardian. N.p., 2015. Web. 17 May 2017.

“Rick And Morty (TV Series 2013– )”. IMDb. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 May 2017.

Sugar, Rebecca et al. “Steven Universe (TV Series 2013– )”. IMDb. N.p., 2013. Web. 17 May 2017.

Scholarly Journals:

Hyung Ryu, Jae. “Reality & Effect: A Cultural History Of Visual Effects”. ScholarWorks (2007): 1-250. Web. 17 May 2017.

Wells, Paul. “Animation And The Animated Film”. Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets n. pag. Web. 17 May 2017.

Books:

Stanchfield, Walt, and Don Hahn. Drawn To Life : Volume One. 1st ed. Amsterdam: Focal, 2009. Print.

Irvine, Mat, and Mike Tucker. BBC VFX. 1st ed. London: Aurum, 2010. Print.

Gress, Jon. [Digital] Visual Effects & Compositing. [San Francisco, California]: New Riders, 2015. Print

Reference List for What i Looked at but didn’t necessarily Use:

Books:

Stanchfield, Walt, and Don Hahn. Drawn To Life : Volume One. 1st ed. Amsterdam: Focal, 2009. Print.

Williams, Richard. The Animator’s Survival Kit. 1st ed. London: Faber and Faber, 2009. Print.

Mitchell, Larry. Character Animation With Poser Pro. 1st ed. Boston, Mass.: Charles River Media, 2009. Print.

Irvine, Mat, and Mike Tucker. BBC VFX. 1st ed. London: Aurum, 2010. Print.

Richard Rickitt: Special Effects: The History and Technique. Billboard Books; 2nd edition, 2007; ISBN 0-8230-8408-6.

Patel, Mayur (2009). The Digital Visual Effects Studio: The Artists and Their Work Revealed. ISBN 1-4486-6547-7.

Gress, Jon. [Digital] Visual Effects & Compositing. [San Francisco, California]: New Riders, 2015. Print.

Irish, Dan. The Game Producer’s Handbook. 1st ed. Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology, 2005. Print.

Byrne, Bill. The Visual Effects Arsenal. 1st ed. Print.

Sawicki, Mark. Filming The Fantastic: A Guide To Visual Effects Cinematography. 1st ed. Focal Press, 2012. Print.

Scholarly Journals:

Patterson, J. W. “Computer Assisted Animation: 2D Or Not 2D?”. The Computer Journal 37.10 (1994): 829-839. Web. 17 May 2017.

Wells, Paul. “Animation And The Animated Film”. Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets n. pag. Web. 17 May 2017.

Hyung Ryu, Jae. “Reality & Effect: A Cultural History Of Visual Effects”. ScholarWorks (2007): 1-250. Web. 17 May 2017.

Websites:

Frei, Vincent. “Home Page – The Art Of VFX”. The Art of VFX. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 May 2017.

Pulver, Andrew. “From Harry Potter To Gravity: How British VFX Talent Is Leading The World”. the Guardian. N.p., 2014. Web. 17 May 2017.

SEMLYEN, PHIL. “Cinema’s Greatest Effects Shots Picked By Hollywood’s Top VFX Specialists”. Empire. N.p., 2013. Web. 17 May 2017.

Walton, Mark. “From Paintbox To PC: How London Became The Home Of Hollywood VFX”. Ars Technica. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 May 2017.

May 16th 2017

Presentation/Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpGGeEDW0SE

How did it go?:

The presentation itself went a lot better than the presentation i had completed during the first task. I presented alone and it was all on a video as i was given permission to present my findings in a video format as i suffer from extreme social anxiety i can barely speak in front of the class for five minutes let alone ten to fifteen as required for this presentation. My topic originally was going to be 2D Animation but however most of my classmates had done that i felt as i was the second to last person that day to go i would spice up the conversation in the classroom and pick VFX and how it interacts with animation both  3d and hints of the classical 2D.

The feedback on this presentation  was clear but fair but also very constructive. Most of the comments were too much video but that’s because they weren’t told and are all un aware of my deathly fear of presenting in front of people. Most of my research for the presentation was secondary research. Secondary research is research i haven’t gone out and collected its research someone else has collected i’ve just worded it in my own words with the correct Harvard Referencing.

Looking at how i can improve in the future from more presentations is even though im allowed to make videos i should work on making them better in the sense of more interesting or eye catching so my audience stays interested. Also will need to learn how to balance speaking and using visuals so that i can keep clear of the feedback of that fact that i don’t have enough speaking but then also avoid the comment of too much talking not enough visuals i need to find a level playing field.

Even though i do find presentations to be scary and i have zero desire to present i did find this experience to be interesting so i could better improve my skills when i need to present in the 2nd year.