Stop Motion Bailed out Computer Animation?

Major Difference between Stop Motion & Computer Animation:-

1. Computer animation (or CGI animation) is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers. It is a subfield of computer graphics and animation.
2. Stop motion (also known as stop-action or frame-by-frame) is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence.
3. Using Computer animation the rendering can take a lot of time on an ordinary home computer.
4. Stop Motion will move frame step by step so it smooth process.
5. Traditional Computer Animation is very hands-on process; 2D animation is accomplished by hand-drawing hundreds upon thousands of individual frames only to transfer them to clear plastic cells, hand-paint them, and then film them in sequence over a painted background image. This requires a team of artists, cleanup artists, painters, directors, background artists, and film/camera crews, along with the storyboard artists.
6. Stop Motion Animations, the cost and effort involved in the processes, and the quality of the final output is very good comparing to traditional computer animation.
   

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Postgraduate Courses in Computer Animation

The UK is a world leader in computer animation courses and companies. Prof John Vince of the National Centre for Computer Animation at Bournemouth University tells you what you need to know.

The growth of computer graphics over the last three decades has been incredible. Today, the world of computer animation has become a sophisticated discipline supported by exotic software and real-time workstations. A world dominated by young, talented computer animators, who are completely at home building virtual worlds and animating impossible scenarios. No one would dare claim that computer animation has settled down as a stable industry; it is still exploding in all directions creating new opportunities for industry and opening up amazing career opportunities. A postgraduate course in computer animation can enhance your employment prospects and further your career opportunities.

It is therefore, no surprise, that more and more students are considering computer animation as a career. The very thought of being involved in Oscar-winning special effects films, 3D computer games and computer-generated films is very tempting. Add to this the prospect of earning a healthy salary and it is no wonder that computer animation courses are in great demand.

Fortunately, this enthusiasm to seek a career in digital media is more than matched by industry's need for educated and knowledgeable people. And the pressure is really on academic to respond to this growing demand.

Companies such as Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, Dreamworks and Disney are amongst those companies leading the way by creating an incredible market for computer-generated images. However, the film industry is only part of the story: apart from film special effects, there are other important sectors such as computer games, entertainment simulators, advertising, TV, multimedia and the Internet. Collectively, they form a mass global industry that is worth billions of dollars.

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SIGGRAPH Award Winner Nominated for Oscar

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences just announced that the SIGGRAPH 2008 Computer Animation Festival Best of Show winner, Oktapodi, is among five animated short films nominated for a 2009 Oscar®. Since 1999, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival has been an official qualifying festival for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Animated Short Film award. No fewer than 16 films from the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short.

The film’s directors, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand were students when they made the film – a tale of two octopi in their comical escape from the grasp of a stubborn and determined restaurant cook. During the SIGGRAPH 2008 Computer Animation Festival, competition screening audiences were able to vote for their favorite selection to win the esteemed Audience Prize – an accolade also given to Oktapodi.

“SIGGRAPH continues to be the place to showcase the latest technical achievements and innovations in animations and computer graphics,” stated Carlye Archibeque, SIGGRAPH 2009 Computer Animation Festival Executive Producer from Sony Pictures Imageworks. “Having SIGGRAPH films continue to show up as nominees for the Academy Awards® is a testament to the incredible pieces that are prevalent throughout the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival. We expect nothing different this year.”

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Computer animation breathes life into learning

Kindergartners at Seminole Springs Elementary used software to create a book and learn about adjectives.

A first-grade class at Cypress Ridge Elementary created a Claymation movie to study endangered creatures.

And Astatula Elementary kindergartners made a computerized alphabet book.

The youngest students at these three Lake County elementary schools learned old concepts in a new way. And they did it with the help of some new computer software designed to help children bring clay to life and draw on the computer screen, among other things.

Last year, a few Lake County schools piloted the innovative computer programs to help the district's youngest pupils. This year, they're being rolled into more elementary schools.

The programs come from the California-based Tech4Learning. Lake's school district has been implementing the company's multimedia-publishing program called Pixie and its Clay Animation Kit, among other products.

"We have seen some incredible results," said Kathy Halbig, the district's manager of innovative learning.

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Computer Animation- How to Learn How To Do

If you are wanting to learn how do computer animation there are a many things you will have to learn about. Here are a few things to get you started on the right track.

Instructions

Step:1
Design Software. Before you can actually animate things you must be able to design pictures. That way the things you have drawn you can animate. This can be done on the computer or free hand. Things can move a lot faster if you are good with the computer, so try to practice with using animation software.

Step2
Practice. When animating practice is really the key. The more you practice, the better you will get. You rarely hear of anyone practicing and getting worse. So continue to practice your computer animation and you will learn more things that will make your animation better.

Step3
Classes. When starting out things can be difficult to understand and programs can be very complicated. Try taking a class online or, even better, from a school. That way you can get one on one help with any questions that you have. Then eventually you will be able to do your animation all on your own.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/

Computer animation, Its very hot!

One of the hottest job markets today is the field of computer animation. With technology getting simpler, and its possible applications growing, the number of opportunities for anyone to become a computer animation professional is on the rise.

The animation industry has come a long way since the first animated cartoon film. Today, computer generated animation content is being used in varying fields such as films, advertising, simulation, gaming design, website designing and much more. The advances in animation technology make it possible to simulate real life situations and create a "virtual world" such as is seen in films like "Final Fantasy, Matrix, and Star Wars".

Its wide application has made animation a booming industry worldwide. This industry has seen a major growth in the last 10 years. India is on its way to becoming the hub of the animation production industry in the world. The world of cell animation, character modeling, rigging, character animation, Industrial & Architectural walk-through, landscape and terrain design…the list is endless - the more we talk about animation, the lesser we feel we are justifying its growth potential.

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