Flip Book Animation: Absolute Joy

Do you know what a flip book is? I am sure you do! A flip book is a book containing a series of images that seem to come to life when the pages are flipped with speed. Each picture is a small variation of the previous one and the pages are usually flipped from back to front. This kind of animation is one of the earliest types and was first discovered in the latter half of the 19th century. You would be surprised to know that even though it requires a lot of time, effort and talent, you don’t need to be a student of one of the top 20 animation colleges in India to try it out at home.

Young children find flip book animation extremely alluring. I bought one for my little cousin, and he made me flip the book over at least 20 times in a row. As I said earlier, you don’t need to pursue multimedia courses to do it yourself. I have briefly mentioned the procedure of making your own flip book at home. Read ahead:

1.    Lots of paper

You would need a big stack of thin paper to create the desired illusion. Notebooks, notepads, post-it notes would do. More frames per second would result in a more realistic effect.

2.    Subject

You could take help from the internet, or draw anything that interests you. Since it involves a lot of drawing, it is advised to choose an uncomplicated subject.

3.    Start from the back

Your first drawing should be on the last page, second on the penultimate page, and so on. Try avoiding the use of indelible ink if you are a beginner. Drawing with a pencil leaves scope for changes. The idea of starting from the back and using thin sheets has a reason. You would be able to trace your last drawing through the thin sheet when you start from the back.

4.    Gradual changes

Keep making slight changes to each image. Being able to look through the previous image would help you draw the next one with a small change. Keep repeating the process till you run out of paper.

5.    Adjustments

When you are done, try flipping the book from the back. If you are not content with some images, don’t hesitate to make slight adjustments. But do keep in mind that one adjustment would lead to another. Be very careful!

6.    Try it out

After all adjustments, proudly show the end result to your friends, family, and acquaintances. Best of luck!

INSPIRING WOMEN IN THE FIELD OF ANIMATION

With Top Animation courses in India, animation as a discipline is conquering new heights, we see girls and boys fascinated with this world of animation. But was it the same all through? Absolutely not, Even though animation existed as early as the early 19th C, its popularity reached the mass only by the last 19th C. It was mostly dominated by men like in all cases, but slowly gained momentum among the woman too, at a time when even education was not a woman’s right, let alone a male dominated profession. But still, some brave women paved the way for others. Let’s have a look at them:

•    Lotte Reiniger:

She is regarded as the first woman animator and also the pioneer of the silhouette animation technique. Born in 1899, she even anticipated Walt Disney by ten years in terms of the use of the plane camera technique. “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” by her was the first animated feature films.

•    Lillian Friedman:

Acknowledged as the first woman animator within the studio system, Lillian Friedman drew and animated the characters Popeye and Betty Boop, among others. Lillian made film history when she was promoted to Head Animator at Fleischer Studios in 1933.

•    Eunice Macaulay:

Born in 1923,Her career began when her hand made Christmas card got her a job in Gaumont British Animation in 1948. In her career, she worked on a total of twenty-five short films and received numerous awards, including an Oscar.

•    Faith Hubley:

Born in 1924, she entered Hollywood at the tender age of 18. Faith won Oscars for two of her films and was nominated for another three, and has been honoured at Cannes, London, Venice, and San Francisco film festivals.

•    Elizabeth Case Zwicker:

Among the very first and few women animators in the very early days at Disney, She is a famous name in the industry.

If you too aspire to be one of them, you should probably enrol yourself at the Best i.e Arena animation, who knows you might be the next Walt Disney!

Of Animation: Childhood Through Adulthood

Do you think that animation is just for children? Well, you couldn’t be more wrong (if you do)! If that’s what you think then I challenge you to never again eat cotton candy –isn’t that also just for kids? So you see what I’m getting at? Love for animation is just the same as love for board games and cotton candy and marshmallows –it might begin in your green and salad years, but it’s sure to stick on.

And within reason! Animation isn’t just restricted to that little mouse chap in dungarees or that bottomless duck quacking away… Animation is made for all age groups, just like movies and all things in life, really.

As for me, even before I had the slightest hint of what the word meant, animation became my life. So much so that (once I learnt the word, of course, and conducted some extensive research), I actually decided to attend Animation Institutes In Delhi and make a career in animation for myself. But alas, an understanding of technology seems to be something that just eludes me. So while I unwillingly gave up my dream of being an animator, I’ve stuck on as a loyal fan of animation.

I may have been just 10 years old when I decided animation was to be my life, but now years have passed and I still love animation just as much as I did back then, if not more. So a word of advice to anybody else who likes the idea of an animation career – go for it! Don’t let your weaknesses bring you down before it’s too late, just go apply to some Animation Institutes In Delhi for some animation or multimedia courses, and see your dream through! Isn’t that what animation is all about –the stuff of dreams?

Tim Burton: Animator, Genius

When I think of animators, the first name that pops in my head is Walt Disney. But I’ll just attribute that to the extreme popularity of Disney (well-earned, of course, but when you see the name flashed about everywhere there’s no way your brain doesn't pick up on it and register it better than any other). So, the second name, now that’s more important for me: Tim Burton.

Tim Burton, that crazy and twisted fellow makes some of the best animations of today. A director, producer, writer, animator and artist, he’s an all-rounder when it comes down to it, and the ace in his field. But first let’s give you a little background on his roots. Tim Burton attended the California Institute of the Arts (most renowned for its animation, it did also offer other multimedia courses) where he did an animation course. His talent wasn’t picked up for a while, but when it was, all hell broke loose (quite literally, seeing as his films are more often than not fairly dark and twisted).

His movies like Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood, Sweeney Todd, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have all been big hits. Burton’s animated films take on a dark, gothic, macabre theme that’s got fantasy, quirk, humour and horror all at the same time. That’s what sets him apart. Despite his seemingly off-beat film ventures, he comes out at the forefront of the mainstream as well. Tim Burton’s stop motion pictures creep under your skin, but you’ll love it. Movies like Alice in Wonderland Corpse Bride are the epitome.

So if you're as inspired by Tim Burton as I am much as I am (and are actually able to do something about it if you have the necessary technical and artistic skills, unlike me) then pick an animation course or choose one of many multimedia courses available worldwide, and kick start your animation career. If it’s anything like Tim Burton’s, you’ll be sure to have at least one fan in me!

Animation and Creativity as a Calling

Computer Graphics and Animation is a promising industry. Animated movies tend to score over the non-animated ones. And it is not only the movies that amass acclaim, but games, themes parks, virtual reality and scientific and medical research that make use of computer graphics and animation are gathering steam.  The extensive use of graphics in design sector including automotive design, consumer products, industrial design and interactive design has only perked up the utility and efficiency of the animation and multimedia courses.

Graphic designers are known for having an attention to detail, design sense, problem solving skills and knowledge of the latest software and hardware pertaining to design and animation. Most design schools start with conceptualization and sketching before jumping onto 2D and 3D software which comes up in the advanced stages. They begin with the good old drawing concepts and then move on to the design fundamentals of colour theory, graphics, typography, scanning, colour correction and printing, says a student of animation course. Character modelling, set modelling, texturing, lighting, animation, visual effects and rendering are some of the other exciting aspects of a design course.

Many D-schools focus on basic education required to learn and unlearn the rest that keeps springing up in the profession. The curriculum and development team from design schools are adept at collecting inputs, interacting with the industry related personnel to keep themselves updated on the current trends and updating the curriculum in parallel to improve upon the employable skills of the students. Group discussions form an essential and an indispensable part of D-schools and they pep up the knowledge by providing all vital creative design inputs, asking students to analyse the concepts and inspire them to engage in innovative activities.

Becoming An Animator

Animation is probably the most sought after career choice today. Sought after-- because the very idea of creating graphics and cartoons is captivating. The work normally involves blowing all the creativity on a set of software tools to conjure visually stimulating graphics that are an immediate eye-catcher. As riveting as the work may sound, hopping into an animator’s shoes might not be that facile a task, says a student of an animation institute.

True, there is a lot of fame and money in the job, yet making a plunge into the untested waters might be risky in case you are simply curious to do something ‘different’ and ‘happening’. Don't blindly chase your curiosity just because a jazzy, shiny advertisement in the newspaper caught your eye. Do yourself a favour and ask a simple question-why would you want to go for animation?  Do your skills cater to the requirements needed an animator's task off?

Once you are done answering, it’s time to reflect upon the next step-the time to contemplate your next move.

Here you go!

Do an in depth research about schools, colleges, universities or animation studios and understand their curriculum, their faculty, their teachers and the kind of work they make their students do. Knowing the job placement rate of the animation studio is equally important.

Animation is a rapidly carving a niche of its own. What used to be done behind the few closed doors within the confines of a shallow establishment has become a thriving industry. You can either work in electronic entertainment (gaming, that is), Broadcast or film industry, or even professional visualizations for that matter.

There is a tremendous demand for 3D animators, character animators and lighting artists and matte painters in the ever expanding industry. If you are serious about the animation profession, go ahead, and embrace it. With a composed and a dedicated approach, there is no possibility that you can go wrong.