Computer Animation Arts

"The Early Animated Films" by The Royal Ocean Film Society The early history of animation is widespread and worldwide, and chalk full of marvelous films showcasing the lengths to which animation can strive towards. Let's take a look at a handful of filmmakers and the technical innovations they developed that got us from the turn of the century to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

"Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices" "Melvin Jerome Blank (May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality. After beginning his over-60-year career performing in radio, he became known for his work in animation as the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and most of the other characters from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoons during the golden age of American animation. He later voiced characters for Hanna-Barbera's television cartoons, including Barney Rubble on The Flintstones and Mr. Spacely on The Jetsons. During the golden age of radio, Blanc also frequently performed on the programs of comedians from the era, including Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, The Great Gildersleeve, and Judy Canova. Blanc was nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Voices", and is regarded as one of the most influential people in the voice acting industry". - Wikipedia

Chuck Jones: Extremes and InBetweens. A Life in Animation Documentary You all know the animation work of 'Charles (Chuck) Jones'. He wrote, produced, and/or directed many classic animated cartoon shorts starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, Pepé Le Pew, Porky Pig, Michigan J. Frog, the Three Bears, and a long list of other Warner characters. He animated and edited theTom and Jerry cartoons and directed, anaimted, and produced the 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' (1966), 'Horton Hears a Who' (1970), and the 'Phantom Tollbooth' (1970). Chuck Jones was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three times. He won for the cartoons For Scent-imental Reasons, So Much for So Little, and The Dot and the Line. "Bonus: Chuck Jones - The Evolution of an Artist" by Tony Zhou (Every Frame a Painting)

"A Portrait of Tex Avery" "Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator and director, known for producing and directing animated cartoons during the golden age of American animation. His most significant work was for the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, where he was crucial in the creation and evolution of famous animated characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Droopy, Screwy Squirrel, George and Junior, and Chilly Willy." - Wikipedia

"How Does Animation Work?" by Tyler Pacana Tyler describes his film as "An overview of how animation is made with traditional, 2D-rigged, stop-motion, and CG techniques." However, I don't think this does it justice. Tyler elegantly and effortlessly explains over a hundred years of changing animation processes using fun and creative visual techniques. He uses whats unique about animation to explain animation - A very clever trick.

"Phil Tippett is the Oscar-winning stop-motion animator and designer behind some of the greatest fantasy creatures and sci-fi set pieces in cinema history. From his humble beginnings as an alien patron in the iconic Cantina sequence from 'Star Wars: A New Hope', to pioneering stop-motion techniques used throughout 'Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi', to seamlessly merging practical animation and CGI in Jurassic Park and beyond..."

A really engaging profile of Chuck Jones - the talent behind many of your favourite classic cartoons. Chuck Jones - The Evolution of an Artist from Tony Zhou on Vimeo .

A six minute history lesson - enjoy!

You've got to start somewhere. "In 1972 Ed Catmull (founder of Pixar) and his colleagues created the world's first 3D rendered movie, an animated version of Ed's left hand. This is the film that they produced. It includes some "making of" footage (around 1:30) and some other early experiments. Read more at nerdplusart.com/​?p=1106. "

Another chance to see 'From Pencils to Pixels' - a great documentary from the BBC's Imagine series, featuring excerpts from the animations of Winsor Mccay, and lots of screen time with John Lasseter, in which he discusses the pioneering days of Pixar.