celanimaatio

Celanimaatio, or cel animation, is a traditional animation technique in which individual drawings are painted on transparent sheets called cels and layered over separate background artwork. By aligning and photographing these layered cels frame by frame, filmmakers create movement while preserving static landscapes and settings. The method relies on hand-drawn imagery and optical compositing to produce the final animation.

The typical workflow begins with storyboarding and layout, followed by keyframe animation drawn on paper. Each drawing is transferred to a cel, with ink lines on the front and paints on the back. Cels are then stacked over corresponding background sheets and photographed in sequence with an animation camera. The process requires careful planning of timing, cel layering, and exposure to maintain consistency across frames.

Cel animation emerged in the early 20th century and became the dominant technique for theatrical animation by the 1930s, with major studios such as Disney popularizing the approach. It enabled efficient reuse of background art and the independent movement of foreground characters. In the 1960s, the advent of xerography reduced the cost of inking and painting, giving certain productions a distinctive look. The rise of digital ink-and-paint and computer-generated imagery in the late 20th and early 21st centuries led to a decline in traditional cel work, though the method persists in limited or stylistic productions.

Characteristics of cel animation include crisp line work and a tangible, handcrafted aesthetic achieved through layering. Its disadvantages encompass labor intensity, material fragility, and higher production costs compared to some digital methods. Today, cel animation is often emulated digitally to reproduce its classic appearance.