Animating

Animation is the process of generating moving images by displaying a sequence of frames at a suitable speed. Each frame captures a change in position, expression, or lighting, and the sequence creates the illusion of motion when viewed rapidly, commonly around 24 frames per second. Animations can be created by drawing or modeling characters and scenes, or by capturing real-world performances and altering them digitally.

The field has roots in devices such as the thaumatrope and zoetrope, which demonstrated persistence of vision. Early cinema used hand-drawn cel animation, followed by innovations like multiplane cameras. Since the 1990s, computer-generated imagery (CGI) has become dominant, enabling complex scenes and efficient production. Stop-motion animation, using puppets, clay models, or cutouts, remains popular for its tactile appearance and frame-by-frame approach.

Major methods include traditional hand-drawn animation, stop-motion, 2D vector-based animation, 3D CGI animation, and motion capture. In most workflows, animators set keyframes to define essential poses, and software interpolates the in-between frames. Rigging provides a skeletal structure for characters, while shading, lighting, and rendering add realism. The twelve principles of animation—timing, squash and stretch, anticipation, and others—guide the creation of compelling motion.

Workflows typically cover pre-production (concept art, storyboards, animatics), production (layout, animation, lighting, rendering), and post-production (compositing, color correction, sound design). Common tools include Blender, Maya, and 3ds Max for 3D; Toon Boom Harmony and TVPaint for 2D; After Effects and Nuke for compositing.

Applications span film, television, video games, advertising, education, and data visualization, reflecting animation’s broad uses and ongoing evolution.