Pictures in Motion (OUDF403)

A Thaumatrope was invented in 1824. It is a victorian toy that consists of a disk with images on either side with a string attached to each end of the disk. When the disk spins you see the images merging together to create a minuscule animation.

Thaumatrope

Zoetropes was produced by William George Horner in 1834. It is a cylindrical device with many pictures printed on the inside. The cylinder has slits cut out the sides in order for you to view the images. When the cylinder spins you can see a moving animation.

Zoetrope

John Barnes in 1868 created a Flip Book which shows motion with still images through flipping a book.The Mutoscope uses the same technique which was created in 1894.

Flip Book

In 1877 a Praxinoscope was invented by Charles-Emile Reynaud. In which the first animations was produced this way.It is very similar to the zoetrope with the exception of mirrors being included with the praxinoscope. 

Praxinoscope

After the praxinoscope the Silent Era came. This consisted of the earliest known example of projected animation. This was viewed at the Charles-Emile Reynaud Theatre Optique. The Kinetoscope by Thomas Edison invented in 1883 and The Lumiere Brothers 1884 invention of the cinematograph was presented there. 

Cinematograph

Kinetoscope

In 1899 stop motion animation came along with the help of Albert E. Smith and J. Stuart Blackton with there animations Humpty Dumpty Circus and The Haunted Mansion. 

Humpty Dumpty Circus

In 1906 Blackton made the first ever drawn animation called Humorous Phases Of Funny Faces. 

Humorous Phases Of Funny Faces

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First known Animation attempts (OUDF403)

Animation originates from Paleolithic/ Cave drawings, which portrayed movements within the drawings. Many people believe the drawings were a way of communicating with each other and other thought that they were just decoration for there home. The earliest one to be found is from the Aurignician period approximately 40,000 years ago found in the El Castillo cave in Cantabria, Spain.

El Castillo cave paintings.

5,200 years ago people attempted to animate their drawings by drawing an animation on bowls which would be spun to reveal movements. For example a bowl in Iran; 

A bowl found in Iran.

4000 years ago Egyptian created murals which revealed wrestlers in action which is also another attempt of creating animation.

The Magic Lantern was invented in the 1650s, there isn't a definite as to who invented it but the main theory is that Christiaan Huygens created the first device. It projects images from a light source pretty much like a modern day projector but bigger and uses candles and oil lamps.

The Magic Lantern

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Information obtained from various websites such as magiclantern.org.uk/history. 

Nick Park (OUDF403)

Nick Park is one of my favourite stop motion artists. He works at Aardman, he has been working there ever since he was at college as they decided to hire him due to his college work of Wallace and Gromit.Park has helped to create Wallace and Gromit The Wrong Trousers, Wallace and Gromit Curse Of the Warerabbit, Chicken Run, Shaun The Sheep, Creature Comforts and Pirates an adventure with Scientists whilst working at Aardman.

Chicken Run

Nick Park has won and been nominated for many awards such as; BAFTAs in '90, '94, '96, '06 and '09. OSCARs in '91, '94, '96 and '05. He has also won an academy award for best animation feature in 2005 for Wallace and Gromit Curse Of the Warerabbit. An Annie award for directing in feature production in 2005 with Steve Box. Nick Park is very successful with his animated movies/ television shows as you can see from the awards that he got from them.

Image may be subject to copyright.

Introduction

My main interests include a lot of animation, I am a huge fan of watching and making animations. I will be writing a lot about Animation artists the history of animation and my favourite movies. Other things that i will include is Film makers, Games designers, Storyboard artists and so on.

One of my favourite artists/ film makers is Tim Burton. He inspires me with a lot of the work he does as that's the sort of animation i would like to create. 

Information on Tim Burton

Corpse Bride- Tim Burton 

 Image copyrighted by Tim Burton