1. Stop Motion Animation

It is a style where physically the animators manipulate objects, which makes it look like these objects are moving by themselves. So an exact sequence is played back, generating an image of movement and action.

2. 2D Animation

This is the traditional way of drawing for animation. Its function is to produce storyboards, backgrounds and characters in an environment of two dimensions. Now due to computers, it is mostly done on software. But earlier, everything was hand drawn. Though 3D is on the rise, 2D is still in demand.

3. 3D Animation

This is a revolutionary technique. In this style, objects appear in three dimensions. They have the ability to move and rotate. 3D animation is used in feature and short films, television commercials, brand or corporate videos, etc.

4. Mechanical Animation

This is utilised to show assemblies, modus-operandi and configuration of mechanical products. Explaining the functions of machines using this style of animation makes it easier to understand.

5. Cutout Animation

This animation is a form of stop motion. They move paper cutouts under the lens to tell a story. But with innovations in the industry, computers can now easily cut and animate images.

6. Animatronics

This is a robotic animation. This idea belonged to Walt Disney Imagineering, which they created to welcome guests at their theme parks. Many companies later began using this style of animation for their brand’s purposes.

7. Whiteboard Animation

It is also known as an explainer video. Due to its minimalistic design, it allows your audience to keep his/her focus on what is being shown on the screen without getting distracted by the visual effects. In this animation, a story will be told using a whiteboard to the audience using drawings. It is good for an educational purpose.

8. Clay Animation

A kind of stop motion were pieces of clay are used to form various characters. Here water based or oil based clay are used. It is a time-consuming process. That is why clay animated movies are much shorter than other animated ones.

9. Rotoscope Animation

In this technique, the footage is software-traced using the rotoscoping tool. It’s an early animation style. This equipment was developed by Max Fleisher, a Polish-American. Although computers create this animation now, it is still known by its previous name.

10. Typography Animation

In this style, there is both motion and text. This is used in cinematography during the title scene of the movie. If creating font faces is what you like, then this could be your favourite animation style.

At Magic Elements Studios, we are on a mission of making this world a better place, one film at a time.

Despite their experience and action of over three decades, November 2016’s “Moana” was a new chapter, a new accomplishment for the director duo. This went on to be Musker and Clement’s first film with 3D animations.

The last Disney 2D movie was 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog”. It was directed by the duo. All animation used were hand-drawn at their studios. In “Moana” lot of traditional techniques were used for production and pre-production, especially with the Mini-Maui character who was entirely drawn by hand.

Moana’s character was drawn using a computer and not by human hands. However, the character of Mini-Maui is a mix of 3D and 2D animation. The film’s Mini-Maui character travels using Maui’s body. This character represents a big technical accomplishment, as it is a 2D character who seamlessly interacts with the 3D animated world all around.

Animation is an art. For a film, after the artist adds the final touches to the drawings then the technical animation team takes over to draft the animations to the 3D model. Now unlike paper, our body is not flat and has curves. The skin moves and the muscle flex, which moves alongside the character. So to avoid any warping or stretching, the technical animators whipped a whole new technology. This would preserve old-fashioned and modern-day animation.

During the film’s production, the adjustments between 3D and 2D techniques did not always go smoothly. At times Musker and Clements asked for some changes, which made the animators push their limits. In fact, as the movie progressed, the team discussed as to how to make the movie more interesting. Now as 2D animators produced new drawings and the computer animation team had to frame and rearrange digital objects.

Combining a balance of modern as well as traditional animation and also of the techniques and ideas wasn’t easy, but in the end, was really worth it. The audiences and the critics agreed that this was the most advanced technologically animated movies ever produced. Not to mention that it had the same humour, charm and warmth for which Disney has been known and loved for over 100 years.

At Magic Elements Studios, we are experts of 2D and 3D animation styles. We appreciate good pieces of art. Disney’s Moana blended the freshness of 3D animation with old-fashioned 2D, creating a new cult. What a masterpiece!

The omnipresent question every animation wannabe faces.

In all Practicality…..

The job assurance which the institutions gives is again depends upon the quota they get from the studios requirements. These institutions impose this quota on the students who are categorized as per the quota list. Unfortunately not according to the students aspirations, molding them into mere production making workers in this creative industry.

You’ll be wasting a lot of money as well time as most of them dictate what is better for you. Rather than what you like the best even if you are not good at it, learning is always an option.

You better back off from doing any course at such a place.

Great experiences make great stories, usually. The world around us is filled with great stories, we just need to open our imagination. Every person on earth has a story to share. Every success or failure has a compelling story to express. Those unforgettable moments, those unexplained encounters, those unexpected love stories are the experiences that compel us to write a story. We simply need to become aware of our surroundings. Stories are like ping pong balls and all we need to do is catch the right one.

A good storyteller is one who can ignite the emotions of the audience. Storytellers are good listeners, good readers and are aware of the happenings around them. If we see something that incites our emotion, we find ourselves telling the tale.

The more dramatic your story is, the more engaging it will be to the audience. Use interesting words that keep the audience hooked.

Infusing these key elements to make your story more dramatic:

• Conflict/Tension
• Surprise elements
• Extraordinary character behaviour and nuances
• Controversy
• Mystery
• Suspense

There are many ways to tell a story visually:

• Computer Animation: 2D Animation, 3D Animation,
• Graphic writing: Comics, hand-drawn animation
• Drawing
• Movies

Scripts – the key to Storytelling in a visual medium

A good script helps you to hook the audience into the story. The audience, in turn, needs to see and hear the suffering of the protagonist to feel it themselves.

Previsualization is important for good storytelling. Here, you don’t just explain the feeling, you show the feeling. We only love the movies and characters that captivate our imagination.

It has been around since the first director framed a shot with his thumbs and forefingers and the first pencil sketch illustrated a proposed set.

Previz can be plainly described as a visual rough draft of a shot, sequence, or show. Not to underestimate its power, we’ll take a look at how the technology and scope of previs have grown.

In the silent era, Storyboards were used in one form or another for many decades as a pre-planning tool. In time they evolved into Leica reel or “Animatics for live action”, storyboards with specific timing to determine the pace of the story. Later on with the advent of economical video cameras and editing systems, animatics became a norm as a pre-production tool in the film and commercials production process.

Throughout these years, Previz was used by Directors to help visualize and plan more elaborate and complex sequences. Even though it was a norm, previz was seen as more of a novelty technical tool needed to plan complicated shots. That in the recent times has thankfully changed. Previz really demonstrated how concept becomes reality in the production process. Over the years, it’s become an all-inclusive process, a hub of communication, a new medium in which all the various departments and players in the making of a film, commercial, or video game cinematic, can gradually improve the quality of the work they are collaborating on. It’s exciting to see previz come into the forefront and be recognized as that medium of change.

It often represents not only the best way to develop a sequence but the best way to collaboratively link the variety of departments, technologies, and points of view that have to come together in a modern production to bring the sequence to life.

The focus is to support the director, producer and key filmmaking departments in making the film they set out to make in the earliest stages. Basically it help create a teaser trailer or proof of concept for their project that many production companies and major studios are using as a tool to raise financing and confidence in their project, their director, or both.

A very simple but very crucial question posed by any wannabe 3D artist. Why do I need to do drawing if I am doing 3D? I can just model whatever I want.
This is one question that’s been asked for a very long time and one that i feel to rest in this post. So i hope you stay with me, as i share my experience and try to clear this out.
Firstly it all depends upon how you perceive yourselves to be in the future as an Animation artist (not necessary of any particular stream like modeler, animation, etc but contributing to the overall animation process). Like for example, if you want to grow up to become an Animation film maker, you might as well as start now itself as it will help in increasing your chances of becoming one well rounded artist.
Just visualize Drawing as grammar of a language called Animation. And as it is in animation is all about communicating visually, for that we need to know aspects of what makes a clear and great visual.
Learning to draw is about more than just creating visuals; it’s about understanding the building blocks like physics, line of action, strong staging directly from real life of those visuals and recreating that on-screen convincingly. You see the whole process of animation starts in the mind. Being able to draw well helps you visualize it clearly and put it down quickly on paper while it still fresh and also troubleshoot any problems at an early stage.
Drawing helps in building a visual library of how we communicate in our daily lives. This will be your very own reference library from where you’ll source and can come up with sincere and real animation artwork.
All in all you’ll miss out a crucial part of the art you are pursuing if you ignore Drawing, and your chances of getting of the game.

As laymen, we may fail to technically understand creating or using the effects. It may be difficult to differentiate between special and visual effects. However, there is a considerable difference between the two.

Visual Effects Explained !

The visual effect is the process of creating moving images or imagery, enhanced or manipulated with the help of Computer Graphic Imagery (CGI). These effects are added to a scene later during post-production after primary imagery is complete. These effects are an integral part of science fiction movies.

Techniques such as matte painting; rear- and front-screen projection; miniature or forced perspective sets; computer graphic objects, characters, and environments; and compositing disparate images are some CGI techniques. The best example of this is the movie, Avatar. All of Pandora was CGI, including the planes and helicopters shown in the movie.

Special Effects Explained !

Special effects are generally described as effects that can be done while the scene is being filmed and are commonly called Practical effects. Even though it is often difficult to determine as both of them (Visual Effects, Special Effects) go hand in hand going by current methods. This collaboration has been enhanced by digital technology.

For instance, digital rig removal from live-action footage has allowed more freedom for special effects artists to create more elaborate rigs on. Other than that examples of more typical special effects are bullet hits, practical explosions, rain, fire, car gags of all sorts, flying rigs, motion rigs that shake sets or props or vehicles, gimbals to mimic the motion of boats or planes, and artificial ocean waves and spray.

Hope now the difference between Visual Effects, Special Effects is clear !

It always is a special feeling to be a part of an Incredible Movie. But to be appreciated by people of the highest order for our contribution is something that stays with you for years to come. On the eve of the LOP India release, sharing this mail from Erik Jan De Boer, Animation Director (Rhythm and Hues) on Life of Pi, sent as a token of gratitude !!!

For those who don’t know Suzanne Award:

Let’s hope for the best !