From plasticine to digital: the development of three-dimensional animation
early animations
The first form of 3D animation evolved before the use of computers. Long before the evolution of fully digitally animated 3D movies like Frozena technique known as ‘claymation’ was used to make stop motion images.
This involved manipulating clay, plasticine, or other substances used to make models, into shapes for each frame of film. This technique was first pioneered and promoted by British animation firm Aardman Animations, in their beloved Wallace and Gromit series (1989), but the art form can, in fact, date back to 1897, being the first animated film with plasticine that is conserved. The sculptor’s nightmare (1908).
advancing the technique
Later, animation studio Laika advanced the traditional clay animation technique by using 3D printing to create thousands of different facial expressions for each character.
They would change the expression of each frame in one fluid motion, making it appear as if the characters were talking and moving. Laika made several films, including coraline Y for Normanbut it did not have the same acclaim as Disney and, as such, it did not have the same success at the box office.
move to television
Pixar was the first to use 3D CGI animation, with toy story in 1995. It was a huge success and they went on to create 11 other full-length animations, including Monsters Inc., among others.
In the early 2000s, cartoon shows also began to introduce 3D animation. this included Jimmy Neutronbut there have been many others to date.
Attention to details
Details like hair or fur have been a key indicator of modern advances in animation.
One of the most advanced animations of the early 2000s was The Incredibles. It included more realistic fluid movements and detailed models of the human anatomy.
In particular, Violet’s character’s hair was a key part of her personality, often obscuring her face. As such, her hair was made from 1,000 individually processed strands.
Pixar animators also captured themselves on film to get a better idea of human movement. Dubbed ‘Alpha Omega’, the team had to split into four, with one team doing modeling, shading and design, another the final camera, lighting and effects. The third team, known as the “character team”, manipulated, digitally sculpted, and shaded all the characters, while the “simulation team” developed the models for the hair and clothing.
Monsters Inc. (2001) began to focus on paying particular attention to Sulley’s skin, which numbered 2,320,413 individual pieces. With so much attention to detail, it took 3,500 computer processors to create the film.
Similarly, work on the Disney movie Tangled up focused on the detailed animation of Rapunzel’s hair. Before Tangled up, most of the female animated characters wore their hair in a mane or braid, as the digital rendering of individual strands of long hair involved high levels of computer processing.
In contrast, Rapunzel’s hair is made up of 100,000 objects (strands) that collide with each other, hang over her shoulders, and slide across the ground and other characters. As such, Rapunzel is one of the most technically advanced animated characters to date.
The team was committed to producing highly realistic hair, and Rapunzel’s was done using a ‘Hair Bible’ created by Glen Keane, who had animated Ariel’s hair from Tea little Mermaidand the fur of The Beast of Beauty and the Beast.
They then went on to do a series of experiments; including throwing 70 feet of fabric from a balcony to recreate her hair falling from the tower, brushing wigs on their desks, and wearing a live model. They even went so far as to create helmets out of 70 feet of fishing line and run through office hallways while wearing them.
It took a core team of 10 software engineers to duplicate the movement of genuine long hair in a CG environment. Even the color was a chore – blonde is high-maintenance, requiring multiple colors to keep it from looking artificial. Therefore. It took some delicate work by teams of lighteners and shaders to make Rapunzel’s hair look realistic.
icy creations
Disney’s next big box office hit was Frozenand although it lacked the attention to detail in the hair and facial features that Tangled up had, advanced technology meant the studio was able to create a highly detailed world, capturing the appearance and luminescence of snow and ice.
Frozen was a box office hit, and its sequel, frozen Ii, it has become the highest-grossing animated film to date.
Who knows what advances in animation will come next? And will Disney and Pixar continue to dominate the 3-D scene?
We look forward to finding out!
