UNIT -1 : INTRODUCTION TO ANIMATION

FILL IN THE BLANKS

1. Illusion of movement is caused because of a phenomenon called Phi Phenomenon.

2. A sequence of frames makes an animation.

3. Digital media is non-linear which means it can be edited or played back starting at
any point.

4. The basic technique of animation remains a continuous loop of loading a "frame”

and displaying the "frame" onscreen

5. Animation is the process of displaying still images in a rapid sequence to create the
illusion of movement.
6. For smooth appearance, animation requires at least 24 frames per second.

7. stop motion animation is used to describe animation created by physically

manipulating real-world objects and photographing them one frameof film at a time to
create the illusion of movement.
8. A key frame is a single still image (frame) in an animated sequence that occurs at an
important point in that sequence.
9. Flipbook animation is a very primitive way of creating animation purely with
pencil, eraser and a stack of drawing pads.

10. Traditional animation is also called cel animation, hand drawn animation, or
classical animation.

11. Storytelling and creative writing are some of the more obvious ways touse
Claymation.
12. Computer Generated Imagery is the full form of CGI.

13. 2D graphics are still used for stylistic, low bandwidth and faster real- time
renderings.
14. The early zoetrope was invented by Ding Huan.

15. The cinématographe was a projector, printer, and camera in one machine.
16. El Apóstol was a 1917 Argentine animated film utilizing cutout animation.
17. The first film that was recorded on standard picture film and includedanimated
 sequences was the 1900 Enchanted Drawing.
18. The author of the first puppet-animated film (The Beautiful Lukanida –(1912)
was Wladyslaw Starewicz.
19. The cinématographe is invented by history's earliest film makers, Auguste and
Louis Lumière, in 1894.

20. The first entirely animated film the 1906 Humorous Phases of Funny Faces is
created by J. Stuart Blackton.

21. In traditional animation the animators' drawings are traced or photocopied onto
transparent acetate sheets called cels.

22. The Beautiful Lukanida is the first puppet-animated film.

23. Limited Animation involves the use of less detailed and/or more stylized drawings
and methods of movement.
24. Tween frames are intermediate frames with the purpose of creatingsmooth
transition between two key frames.
25. J. Stuart Blackton is considered as the father of American animation.
26. Pixilation involves the use of live humans as stop motion characters.

27. Brickfilm is a sub-genre of object animation involving using Lego or other similar
brick toys to make an animation.
28. In Europe, the French artist, Émile Cohl, created the first animated film using
what came to be known as traditional animation creation methods . Namethe film
Fantasmagorie.

29. Traditional Animation was the process used for most animated films of the 20th
century.
30. Randolph Bray and Earl Hurd are the patents of the cel animation.

31. Claymation is helpful for explanations of scientific processes, human body

functions, visualizing mathematical concepts such as fractions etc.
32. The praxinoscope invented in 1877 was one of the early animation devices.
33. Object Animation refers to the use of regular inanimate objects in stop-motion
animation, as opposed to specially created items.
34. Silhouette Animation is a variant of cutout animation in which the characters are
backlit.
35. Graphic Animation uses non-drawn flat visual graphic material like photographs,
newspaper clippings, magazines, etc.
36. Charles-Émile Reynaud invented Théâtre Optique in December 1888.
37. Yellow Submarine is an example of limited animation film.
38. The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb and Angry Kid shorts are examples of
Pixilation.
39. Brickfilm A subgenre of object animation involving using Lego or othersimilar
brick toys to make an animation.
40. Pixilation involves the use of live humans as stop motion characters.

41. Stop-motion Animation is used to describe animation created by physically

manipulating real-world objects and photographing them one frameof film at a time to
create the illusion of movement.
42. Live-Action Animation is a technique combining hand-drawn characters into live
action shots.

43. Rotoscoping is a technique patented by Max Fleischer in 1917 where animators

trace live-action movement, frame by frame.

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QUESTION & ANSWER

Q1. What is the difference between key frame and tween frame?
Ans. Key frame:

A key frame is a single still image (frame) in an animated sequence that occurs at an
important point in that sequence. Key frame is always drawn or constructed by the user.
Keyframes are defined throughout an animation and they define crucial points of
motion, for example start of a motion and end of a motion. In hand-drawn animation, an
experienced animator would draw key frames and beginner animators would draw
tween frames (also known as in-between frames). In computer animation, user of an
animation program would draw key frames and computer would insert tween frames

Tween frame:

Tween frames actually create illusion of motion. Tween frames are intermediate frames
withthe purpose of creating smooth transition between two key frames. For smooth
appearance, animation requires at least 24 frames per second (fps). For example, you
can create only twokey frames, one to begin and one to end a movement. Computer
program will then create remaining 22 tween frames.
Q2. How analog medium differs from digital medium?

Ans.
● Animations can be recorded on either analog media or on digital media. A typical
analog device is a clock on which the hands move continuously around the face. In
contrast, adigital clock is capable of representing only a finite number of times (for
example, every 10thof a second).
● VCRs, tape players, and record players, on the other hand, are analog devices. This
isbecause they record data linearly from one point to another. All analog audio or video
mediamust be converted to digital to work on a computer.
● Once the information is digital, computers can be used to edit the data and create
effects that were never possible with analog media. Digital media is non-linear, which
meansit can be edited or played back starting at any point, which can be a huge
timesaver comparedto working with tape.
● Digital information also does not "wear out" after repeated use like tapes or
recordsdo, which results in much better longevity for digital media.
● Digital recordings are made with ones and zeros, while analog recordings are
madewith linear bumps and dips.
● Digital media is more 4 compatible and does not degrade over time therefore, it
hasbecome the common choice for today's audio and video formats.
Q3. What are the different types of animation?
1. Flipbook animation
2. Traditional animation
3. Stop motion animation
1. Puppet Animation
2. Clay Animation, or Plasticine animation
3. Cutout Animation (Silhouette Animation is a variant of Cutout animation)
4. Model Animation (Go Motion is a variant of Model animation)
5. Object Animation (Brickfilm is a sub-genre of object animation)
6. Graphic Animation
7. Pixilation
4. Computer animation
1. 2D animation
2. 3D animation
5. Motion graphics
Q4. Write a note on Flipbook animation.
Ans. Flipbook animation is a very primitive way of creating animation purely with pencil,
eraser and a stack of drawing pads, such as post-it pads. It is cheap and readily available
at allstationery stores. It helps you to use your existing drawing skill and you can easily
understand the basic concept of animation.

Q5. What is hand drawn animation (Traditional animation)?

Ans.
● Hand drawn animation is also called as Traditional animation or cel animation
orclassical animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by
hand.
● This was the process used for most animated films of the 20th century. To create
theillusion of movement, each drawing differs slightly from the one before it.

● The animators' drawings are traced or photocopied onto transparent acetate sheets
called cels, which are filled in with paints in assigned colors or tones on the side
opposite theline drawings.
● The completed character cels are photographed one-by one against a
paintedbackground by a rostrum camera onto motion picture film.

Q6. What do you understand by the terms ―full animation and limited animation?
Ans. Full Animation refers to the process of producing high-quality traditionally
animated films that regularly use detailed drawings and reasonable movement. Fully
animated films can be made in a variety of styles, from more realistically animated
works, such as those produced by the Walt Disney studio (Beauty and the Beast,
Aladdin, Lion King) to the more'cartoon' styles of the Warner Brothers.

Limited Animation involves the use of less detailed and/or more stylized drawings and
methods of movement. Pioneered by the artists at the American Studio United
Productions ofAmerica, limited animation can be used as a method of stylized artistic
expression, as in Gerald McBoing Boing (US, 1951), Yellow Submarine (UK, 1968),
and much of the anime produced in Japan. Its primary use, however, has been in
producing cost-effective animated content for media such as television and later the
Internet (web cartoons).

Q7. What do you understand by the term Claymation?

Ans.
● Clay animation, also known as Claymation is any animation done using a character
orcharacters created out of clay.
● Traditionally, claymation has been associated with the time-consuming techniques
ofstop motion video, but with the advent of affordable computers, digital cameras, and
easy-to-use software like Frames Claymation is accessible to almost every classroom.
● Storytelling and creative ―writing are some of the more obvious ways to
useclaymation.
● It is also helpful for explanations of scientific processes, human body functions,
visualizing mathematical concepts such as fractions, recreating historical time periods
andevents, and demonstrating physical activities such as proper exercises and
stretches.
● Each object or character is sculpted from clay or other such similarly pliable
materialas plasticine, usually around a wire skeleton called an armature, and then
arranged on the set,

where it is photographed once before being slightly moved by hand to prepare it for the
nextshot, and so on until the animator has achieved the desired amount of film.
● Upon playback, the human mind of the viewer perceives the series of
slightlychanging, rapidly succeeding images as motion.

Q8. Describe Stop Motion Animation

Ans.
● Stop-motion Animation is used to describe animation created by physically
manipulating real-world objects and photographing them one frame of film at a time to
createthe illusion of movement.
● There are many different types of stop-motion animation, usually named after
themedium used to create the animation.
● Computer software is widely available to create this type of animation,
however, traditional stop motion animation is usually less expensive and time-
consuming than thecomputer animation.
● Stop motion animation is animation that is captured one frame at time, with
physicalobjects that are moved between frames.
● When you play back the sequence of images rapidly, it creates the illusion
ofmovement.
● The basic process of animation involves taking a photograph of your objects
orcharacters, moving them slightly, and taking another photograph.
● When you play back the images consecutively, the objects or characters appear
tomove on their own.
Q9. What are the different types of stop motion animation?
Ans.
1. Puppet Animation
2. Clay Animation, or Plasticine animation
3. Cutout Animation (Silhouette Animation is a variant of Cutout animation)
4. Model Animation (Go Motion is a variant of Model animation)
5. Object Animation (Brickfilm is a sub-genre of object animation)
6. Graphic Animation

7. Pixilation
Q10. Describe the terms Puppet Animation, Clay Animation, Cutout Animation,
ModelAnimation, Object animation, Graphic Animation and pixilation.

Ans.

Puppet Animation typically involves stop-motion puppet figures interacting in a

constructed environment, in contrast to real world interaction in model animation. The
puppets generally have an armature inside of them to keep them still and steady as well
as toconstrain their motion to particular joints.
Clay Animation, or Plasticine animation (often called claymation, which, however, is
a trademarked name), uses figures made of clay or a similar flexible material to
create stop-motion animation. The figures may have an armature or wire frame
inside, similar to the related puppet animation that can be manipulated to pose the
figures. Alternatively, the figures may be made entirely of clay, such as in the films
of Bruce Bickford, where clay creatures morph into a variety of different shapes.
Cutout Animation is a type of stop-motion animation produced by moving two-
dimensionalpieces of material such as paper or cloth. Silhouette Animation is a variant
of cutout animation in which the characters are backlit and only visible as silhouettes.
Model Animation refers to stop-motion animation created to interact with and exist as a
partof a live-action world. Intercutting, matte effects, and split screens are often
employed to blend stop-motion characters or objects with live actors and settings.
Go Motion is a variant of model animation that uses various techniques to create motion
blurbetween frames of film, which is not present in traditional stop-motion. The
technique was invented by Industrial Light and Magic and Phil Tippett to create special
effects scenes for the film The Empire Strikes Back(1980).
Object Animation refers to the use of regular inanimate objects in stop-motion animation,
asopposed to specially created items.
Brickfilm -A sub-genre of object animation involving using Lego or other similar brick toys
to make an animation. These have had a recent boost in popularity with the advent of
video sharing sites like YouTube and the availability of cheap cameras and animation
software.
Graphic Animation uses non-drawn flat visual graphic material (photographs, newspaper
clippings, magazines, etc.), which are sometimes manipulated frame-by-frame to create
movement. At other times, the graphics remain stationary, while the stop- motion camera
ismoved to create on-screen action.
Pixilation involves the use of live humans as stop motion characters. This allows for a
number of surreal effects, including disappearances and reappearances, allowing people to
appear to slide across the ground, and other such effects. Examples of pixilation include
TheSecret Adventures of Tom Thumb and Angry Kid shorts.
Q11. What is Animation? (Write a note on animation)
Ans. Animation is the process of creating a continuous motion and shape change illusion by
means of a rapid display of a sequence of static images that minimally differ from each
other. The illusion rely on the phi phenomenon. These images can be hand drawn, computer
generated, or pictures of 3D objects. There are three main types of animation: traditional,
stop motion, and computer generated. Each can be used to make 2D or 3D images. There are
also other less common forms, many of which focus on using an unusual medium like sand
or glass to create the images, as well as combination of live action and drawings or computer
created images.
The basic technique of animation remains a continuous loop of two steps:
1) loading a"frame"

2) displaying the "frame" onscreen

A frame is defined by a combination of the image to be displayed and the time the image is
tobe displayed. A sequence of frames makes an animation. Each frame is displayed on the
screen until the next frame overwrites it. Since each frame remains displayed on the screen
for a tiny but finite time period, you can think of an animation as frames displayed at
discreetintervals of time in a continued sequence. There are two types of frames: key
frames and tween frames.
Q12. What is Phi phenomenon?
Ans. The phi phenomenon is the optical illusion of perceiving continuous motion between
separate objects viewed rapidly in succession.

The basic technique of animation remains a continuous loop of two steps:

 loading a "frame"
 displaying the "frame" onscreen
Q13. Define the following
1. Frame - A frame is uniquely defined by a combination of the image to be displayed and the
time the image is to be displayed. A sequence of frames makes an animation. Each frameis
displayed on the screen until the next frame overwrites it. Since each frame remains displayed
on the screen for a tiny but finite time period, you can think of an animation as frames
displayed at discreet intervals of time in a continued sequence.

2. Frame Rate - The frame rate of an animation is the number of individual images (or
frames) that are being displayed over the span of one second. It is a setting you can adjust in
the animation software.

3. Working on One's & Two's - Working on One's or Two's is a term used in hand drawn
animation. Working on one's would mean doing a new drawing over every single frame of
the animation.

Working on twos means holding each drawing for two frames, so one second of animation at24
frames per second would only be 12 drawings, not 24.

In 2D animation working on two's looks fine in most instances, and there are even cases
where drawings can be held longer. In 3D, though, working on one's is the standard.
Animation is usually done in 24 frames per second (FPS).
4. Onion Skinning - When animating, it's very useful to be able to see more than one frame at a
time. In paper animation this is done by having multiple drawings on a light table, but in
modern animation programs there's often a feature called onion skinning. It lets you see semi-
transparent representations of the frames behind or ahead of the current frame you're working
on.

5. Motion graphics - The last big category of animation is motion graphics. Motion graphics
focuses on making dynamic and interesting presentations of moving text logos and basic
illustrations.
Motion graphics can be both 2D and 3D, and you'll find them everywhere in commercials,
explainer videos, sporting events, the news and other TV productions.

Proper character animation is generally outside the scope of motion graphics, but many of the
core animation principles apply to motion graphics too.

Q14. What is the important characteristic of stop motion animation?

Ans. They all have to be shot straight-ahead, which means starting at frame one and shooting
eachframe, one after another, all the way through the end of the scene.

If a mistake is made on one frame, it's very difficult to fix it without having to start all over
again. You can't just redraw that frame like you can in 2D animation. This makes this type of
animation particularly intense and it requires a lot of patience.
Q15. Write the advantage of Flipbook animation.
 Flip books offer the most versatility and creativity in hands-on animation projects because they
are not limited in length or materials, as is the case with some other techniques.
 They're inexpensive to create with common materials and require no viewing devices.
 Most important, the process used to make a flip book forms the basis for all of the more
sophisticated animation techniques, including filmed animation

Q16 Differentiate between Rotoscoping & Live actin animation.

Rotoscoping is a technique patented by Max Fleischer in 1917 where animators trace live-action
movement, frame by frame. The source film can be directly copied from actors' outlines into
animated drawings, as in The Lord of the Rings or used in a stylized and expressive manner, as
in Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly.
Live-Action Animation is a technique combining hand-drawn characters into live action shots.
One of the earlier uses was in Koko the Clown when Koko was drawn over live action footage.
Other examples include Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Space Jam.

Q17. What is Computer Generated Imagery or Computer Animation? Ans.

● Computer Imagery Animation or CGI Animation is the process used for generating
animated images by using computer graphics. It includes both static scenes and dynamic
images, while computer animation only refers to moving images.
● Modern computer animation usually uses 3D computer graphics, although 2D computer
graphics are still used for stylistic, low bandwidth, and faster real-time renderings.
● It is now possible for animators to draw directly into a computer using a graphics
tablet or a similar device, where the outline drawings are done in a similar manner as they
would be on paper.
● Computer animation is essentially a digital successor to the stop motion techniques
used in traditional animation with 3D models and frame-by-frame animation of 2D
illustrations.
● Computer generated animations are more controllable than other more physically based
processes, such as constructing miniatures for effects shots or hiring extras for crowd scenes,
and because it allows the creation of images that would not be feasible using any other
technology. It can also allow a single graphic artist to produce such content without the use of
actors, expensive set pieces, or props.

● To create the illusion of movement, an image is displayed on the computer monitor and
repeatedly replaced by a new image that is similar to it, but advanced slightly in time (usually
at a rate of 24 or 30 frames/second). This technique is identical to how the illusion of
movement is achieved with television and motion pictures.
● For 3D animations, objects (models) are built on the computer monitor (modelled) and
3D figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton. For 2D figure animations, separate objects
(illustrations) and separate transparent layers are used, with or without a virtual skeleton.
Then the limbs, eyes, mouth, clothes, etc. of the figure are moved by the animator on key
frames. The differences in appearance between key frames are automatically calculated by
the computer in a process known as tweening or morphing. Finally, the animation is
rendered.

● For 3D animations, all frames must be rendered after modeling is complete. For 2D
vector animations, the rendering process is the key frame illustration process, while tweened
frames are rendered as needed. For pre-recorded presentations, the rendered frames are
transferred to a different format or medium such as film or digital video. The frames may also
be rendered in real time as they are presented to the end-user audience. Low bandwidth
animations transmitted via the internet (e.g. 2D Flash, X3D) often use software on the end-
user’s computer to render in real time as an alternative to streaming or pre-loaded high
bandwidth animations.
● The process of a 3D animation pipeline is complex and can be a lot more complicated
than any other forms of animation. Depending on what project and which 3D animation studio
is involved, the number of steps may vary.
Q18. List the 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project
● The 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project are:

1. Concept and Storyboards

2. 3DModelling

3. Texturing

4. Rigging

5. Animation

6. Lighting

7. Camera Setting

8. Rendering

9. Compositing and Special VFX

10. Music and Foley

11. Editing and Final Output

Q19. Explain the difference between 2D Animation and 3DAnimation. Ans.

● 2D animation is the traditional animation. It is one drawing followed by another in a
slightly different pose, followed by another in a slightly different pose, on and on for 24
frames a second.
● 2D animations deals more with drawing and framing and is the base of 3D animation.

● 2D animators create frames to define a sequence that are then moved at varying
speeds to create the illusion of motion. Traditionally these were put together in an amazing
process where artists drew pencil drawings of every frame of film, then these images were
painted onto clear plastic sheets called ‘cels‘, and each of the thousands of hand drawn and
painted cels were photographed one at a time over a hand painted background image and
those thousands of images compiled to run as film at 24 frames a second.
● Today most 2D animation involves using computer software to one degree or another,
from just digitally colouring the cels to be photographed in the traditional method, to doing
every single element in the computer.
● 2D Animation Examples

o Bugs Bunny

o Daffy Duck

o Elmer Fudd
o Snow White

o The Jungle Book

o The Little Mermaid

o The Simpsons

o Family Guy

o South Park

● 3D or three-dimensional animation has more depth and is more realistic. The texture,
lighting and colour of the 3D objects are modified using software programs.
● Film, advertising, video and gaming are the fast growing fields for 3D animation.

● 3D allows you to do things that simply are not possible in 2D animation.

● 3D objects, once modeled, can be treated almost as a physical object. You can light it
differently, you can move a camera to look at it from above, or below.
● 3D allows you to create realistic objects. You can use textures and lighting to create
objects that appear solid, and can even be integrated seamlessly into live video elements.
● 3D Animation Examples

o Toy Story

o Shrek

o The Incredible

o Jurassic Park (the dinosaurs)

o The Transformers (the robots)

Q20. What are the steps involved in producing a 3D animation project?

Ans. The 11 most common steps involved in producing a 3D animation project are

1. Concept and Storyboards

2. 3DModelling

3. Texturing

4. Rigging

5. Animation

6. Lighting

7. Camera Setting

8. Rendering

9. Compositing and Special VFX

10. Music and Foley

11. Editing and Final Output

Q21. List the steps involved in animation production pipeline. Explain each one.

Ans. 1. Story boarding - When a film is in its beginning stages of production, the storyboard is
one of the first aspects to be completed. The story board, a series of pictures with captions that
describe the outline of the story, helps in the placement of cameras and the timing of animation
later on in the production process. The story boarding process begins with an initial rough draft.
Then, one of the creators acts out and describes the pictures in the story to his or her
colleagues in order to receive feedback. After taking into consideration the suggestions
presented, the story board is redrawn with the new ideas. This process is repeated until a final
story is agreed upon.
2. Voice recording - Before the animators begin working on the different scenes, the voices
are recorded for the film. Before the actors are brought in to record the lines, people within the
studio record scratch voices. These recordings allow the animators to gain ideas for the action
based upon the movement of the actors. The recordings also influence the timing in the scenes.
3. Concept Design - Concept design is the process where artists visualize what the director
wants the film to look like. In this process, the characters and environment are created through
sketches. Later on, the modelers use these sketches as guidelines when they create models in
 the computer
4. Modelling - Given the sketches of the characters, modelers use programs, such as
Autodesk Maya and 3D Studio Max to create the 3D computer characters. When modelling,
the base object can be chosen from a cube, sphere, cylinder, cone and other options. Through
the manipulation of vertices, faces, and edges, the original mesh is transformed into the final
character.
5. Rigging - There are two parts to rigging a character for animation. One is constructing the
skeletal rig of the model. The skeletal rig is made from joints connected together. When
rigging you can choose to use a combination of inverse and forward kinematics. Inverse
kinematics is usually used for legs since this allows the animators to place the foot in the
correct spot and the rest of the leg will follow. Forward kinematics is usually used to rig the
arms and the back. This type of rigging requires the animator to move every joint individually.
Once the joints are connected properly, the rigger adds controls to them. This allows the
animator to key only the controls and not to worry about the joints. Once the joints are
connected to controls, this rig is connected to the mesh through "skinning" and then the rigger
must paint weights to specify how the joints affect the mesh geometry.

Secondly, we need to create the extreme positions or modes of the face to give our character
expressions. Autodesk Maya, a software interpolates between these extremes, called "blend
shapes" to allow us to combine different shapes in different proportions and make new
expressions.
6. Texturing - Texturing is the phase where the background is made to resemble the
background of the real world. For texturing, one must "unwrap" the mesh into 2D and then
paint in either 3D or 2D.
7. Animation - Once we have our models, our scene and cameras set up, we can start animating
based on our storyboard. Unlike in traditional animation, where the animator must draw each
individual frame in computer animation, the animator only sets the main key frames and the
computer "tweens" between them.

Autodesk Maya gives animators the graph editor and the dope sheet to help with animation.
The graph editor is used to change how the computer interpolates between the main key
frames set by the animator. The dope sheet is used to change the timing of the animation.
Q22. Define Pre-production
Ans. Pre-production is the process of preparing all the elements involved in a film, play, or
other performance. There are three parts in a production: pre-production, production, and
postproduction. Pre-production ends when the planning ends and the content starts being
produced.
During pre-production, the script is broken down into individual scenes storyboards and all the
locations, props, cast members, costumes, special effects and visual effects are identified. An
extremely detailed schedule is produced and arrangements are made for the necessary
elements to be available to the filmmakers at the appropriate times. Sets are constructed, the
crew is hired, financial arrangements are put in place and a start date for the beginning of
principal photography is set. At some point in pre-production there will be a read-through of
the script which is usually attended by all cast members with speaking parts, the director, all
heads of departments, financiers, producers, and publicists.
Even though the writer may still be working on it, the screenplay is generally page locked and
scene-numbered at the beginning of pre-production to avoid confusion. This means that even
though additions and deletions may still be made, any particular scene will always fall on the
same page and have the same scene number

Q23. Differentiate between Animatics and Photomatic

Animatic - A animatic is a series of still images edited together and displayed in sequence with
a rough dialogue and/or rough sound track added to the sequence of still images (usually taken
from a storyboard) to test whether the sound and images are working effectively together.

This allows the animators and directors to work out any screenplay, camera positioning, shot
list and timing issues that may exist with the current storyboard. The storyboard and
soundtrack are amended if necessary, and a new animatic may be created and reviewed with
the director until the storyboard is perfected. Editing the film at the animatic stage can avoid
animation of scenes that would be edited out of the film.
In the context of computer animation, it helps minimize the construction of unnecessary scene
components and models, just as storyboarding helps filmmakers evaluate what portions of sets
can be omitted because they will never come into the frame. Animation is usually an
expensive, labour-intensive process, so there should be a minimum of "deleted scenes" if the
film is to be completed within budget.

Often storyboards are animated with simple zooms and pans to simulate camera movement
 (using non-linear editing software). These animations can be combined with available
animatics, sound effects and dialog to create a presentation of how a film could be shot and
cut together. Some feature film DVD special features include production animatics.

Animatics are also used by advertising agencies to create inexpensive test commercials.
Photomatic (probably derived from 'animatic' or photo- animation) is a series of still
photographs edited together and presented on screen in a sequence. Usually, a voice-
over, soundtrack and sound effects are added to the piece to create a presentation to show
how a film could be shot and cut together. Increasingly used by advertisers and advertising
agencies to research the effectiveness of their proposed storyboard before committing to a
'full up' television advertisement.

Originally, photographs were taken using colour negative film. A selection would be made from
contact sheets and prints made. The prints would be placed on a rostrum and recorded to
videotape using a standard video camera. Any moves, pans or zooms would have to be made in
camera. The captured scenes could then be edited.

Digital photography, web access to stock photography and nonlinear editing programs have had
a marked impact on this way of film making also leading to the term 'digimatic'. Images can
be shot and edited very quickly to allow important creative decisions to be made 'live'. Photo
composite animations can build intricate scenes that would normally be beyond many test
film budgets.

Q24. What are storyboard? Explain the different areas where Storyboard is used.

Ans.: Storyboards are graphic organizers which are in the form of illustrations or images
displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion
graphic or interactive media sequence. It helps in the placement of cameras and the timing of
animation later on in the production process. The story boarding process begins with an initial
rough draft. Then, one of the creators acts out and describes the pictures in the story to his or
her colleagues in order to receive feedback. After taking into consideration the suggestions
presented, the story board is redrawn with the new ideas. This process is repeated until a final
story is agreed upon.
Storyboarding became popular in live-action film production during the early 1940s, and grew
into a standard medium for previsualization of films.
1. Film Storyboard
A film storyboard is essentially a large comic of the film or some section of the film
produced beforehand to help film directors, cinematographers and television commercial
advertising clients visualize the scenes and find potential problems before they occur.
Storyboards also help estimate the cost of the overall production and saves time. Often
storyboards include arrows or instructions that indicate movement.

In creating a motion picture with any degree of fidelity to a script, a storyboard provides a
visual layout of events as they are to be seen through the camera lens. In the case of interactive
media, it is the layout and sequence in which the user or viewer sees the content or
information. In the storyboarding process, most technical details involved in crafting a film or
interactive media project can be efficiently described either in picture, or in additional text.
2. Theatre

Storyboards are used in theatre. They are frequently special tools that directors and playwrights
use to understand the layout of the scene. The great Russian theatre practitioner Constantin
Stanislavski developed storyboards in his detailed production plans for his Moscow Art
Theatre performances (such as of Chekhov's The Seagull in 1898).

The German director and dramatist Bertolt Brecht developed detailed storyboards as part of his
dramaturgical method of “fabels."

3. Novels
Storyboards are now becoming more popular with novelists. Because most novelists write
their stories by scenes rather than chapters, storyboards are useful for plotting the story in a
sequence of events and rearranging the scenes accordingly.

4. Interactive media
More recently the term storyboard has been used in the fields of web development, software
development and instructional design to present and describe, in written, interactive events as

well as audio and motion, particularly on user interfaces and electronic pages. These are then
presented to the project’s cinematographer who achieves the director's vision.
Q25. What is the advantage and disadvantage of 3D storyboard?
Ans. The advantage of 3D storyboards is that they show exactly what the film camera will
see using the lenses the film camera will use.
The disadvantage of 3D is the amount of time it takes to build and construct the shots.

3D storyboards can be constructed using 3D animation programs or digital puppets within 3D

programs. Some programs have a collection of low resolution 3D figures which can aid in the
process. Some 3D applications allow cinematographers to create "technical" storyboards
which are optically-correct shots and frames.