The various tools available to the novice and professional alike have also broadened the pallet of the animator so that the boundaries between media have blurred. "Basics Animation: Digital Animation" will look at the history of the medium charting its progress with references to specific examples, which demonstrate the growth and development of the form over the last 50 years. With contributions from innovators and pioneers in the medium to present day practitioners in the cinema, game, and television industries, "Digital Animation" will introduce and examine some of the key aspects involved in producing digital animation.
Introduction. How to get the most out of this book. Foundations <1960: Early mechanical developments; The first animated films; The foundation of modern computing. Pioneers 1960-1980: Experimental animators; Early special effects; The birth of computer games; First CGI in cimena; GUIs and SIMs. Development 1980-1990: The first digital games; The animator's role; CGI aesthetics; Character animation; Computers for everyone; Digitally animated shorts; Digital animation in fine arts; Photorealism. Maturity 1990-2000: The internet and animation; Digital animation in cinema; Digital animation in television; Traditional skills in CGI; Digital worlds and digital actors. Integration 2000-2007: Digital tools for all; Digital feature films; Digital auteurism; Media crossover; Aesthetic confidence; Beyond cinema and television. Predictions 2007>: Machinima; Return to core values; Digital auteurism revisited. Glossary. A timeline of digital animation. Conclusion. References and bibliography. Further resources. Acknowledgements. Picture credits.
