This document provides information about stop motion animation. It begins with definitions of animation, including that it is the simulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures or frames rapidly. The key difference between animation and video is that video takes continuous motion and breaks it into frames, while animation puts together independent pictures to create the illusion of continuous motion. Examples are given of different types of animation, including drawn/cell animation, stop motion/model animation, and computer generated animation. Stop motion specifically manipulates objects in small increments between photographed frames to appear as if moving on their own. The document aims to provide background information on animation types to support learning about stop motion animation.

1. UNIT 33 Stop Motion Animation – Sheet 1 Page 1
WORKSHEET & NOTES
1 – WHAT IS ANIMATION?
OBJECTIVE – To produce your own short (30 word maximum), precise definition of
animation.
 Read this passage – highlight the key words and phrases that explain the process of
animation:
 Write down the key words and phrases that you’ve highlighted:
Animation can be used to describe an enormous range of activities, from pushing clay
figures round on table-top to manipulating pixels through a sophisticated computer
package. Animation is the manner in which movement (or the illusion of movement) has
been created. This process involves two steps: 1) moving, modifying or replacing an object
or image, and 2) recording a frame.
Sounds a little time consuming, it’s also tremendous fun.
You are going to use the internet to find two further definitions of animation.
 What search engine have you used?
Google Chrome
 What search term did you use? (i.e. what did you type into the search box?)
What is animation?
 How many results did your search term generate?
About 42,400,000
“Animation can be used to describean enormousrangeof activities,frompushing clay figures
round on a tabletop to manipulating pixelsthrough a sophisticated computerpackage. The
common thread thatlinksall forms of animation is themannerin which movement(orthe
illusion of movement) hasbeen created. In a nutshell, this processinvolvestwo steps:1)
moving,modifying orreplacing an objectorimage,and 2) recording a frame. Performthis
sequencetwenty-fourtimesand you will havecreated onesecond of animation.
Although this soundsa little time-consuming,it’salso tremendousfun. Anything ispossiblein
animation;a fish can growwingsand fly,or a teapotcan wear a tutu.You are in complete
controlof yourown world,aswell asthe charactersyou create to inhabit it.”
Get StartedinAnimation, Murphy, M. (A & C BlackPublishers Ltd, 2008)

2. UNIT 33 Stop Motion Animation – Sheet 1 Page 2
Look through some of the webpages your search found. Choose two (short) definitions that
explain what animation is.
 Write the first definition here:
Animation is the process of making the illusion of motion and the illusion of change by
means of the rapid display of a sequence of images that minimally differ from each other.
The illusion—as in motion pictures in general—is thought to rely on the phi phenomenon.
VIA WIKIPEDIA
 What are the key words / phrases that explain the process of animation?
- Making the illusion of motion
- The rapid display of a sequence of images that minimally differ from each other
 Reference your source as follows - Name of website if given; Name of author if given;
Full URL (date accessed :)
"Animation". En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation Web. 26
Apr. 2017.
 Write the second definition here:
A simulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures, or frames. Cartoons on
television is one example of animation. Animation on computers is one of the chief
ingredients of multimedia presentations.
Note the difference between animation and video. Whereas video takes continuous motion
and breaks it up into discrete frames, animation starts with independent pictures and puts
them together to form the illusion of continuous motion.
Example web reference:
Geoff’s Dictionary; Geoff Martinez; www.geoffsdictionary.com/definitions/?/animation
(date accessed: 7.9.2016)
If you can’t find the website or author’s name, just give full URL and date accessed:
www.geoffsdictionary.com/definitions/?/animation (date accessed: 7.9.2016)

3. UNIT 33 Stop Motion Animation – Sheet 1 Page 3
 What are the key words / phrases that explain the process of animation?
A simulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures, or frames. Cartoons on
television is one example of animation.
The difference between animation and video – video takes continuous motion and breaks it
up into discrete frames, animation starts with independent pictures and puts them together
to form the illusion of continuous motion.
 Reference your source as follows - Name of website if given; Name of author if given;
Full URL (date accessed :)
Beal, Vangie. "What Is Animation? Webopedia Definition".
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/animation.html N.p., 2017. Web. 26 Apr. 2017.
 Look at the key words in your three definitions of animation – use them to write
your own definition here. (30 words maximum)
Animation is a simulation of movement which is created by displaying a series of pictures, or
frames – cartoons on television is an example of this.
The is a difference between video and animation, and that is that video takes continuous
motion and breaks it up into discrete frames, whereas animation starts with independent
pictures and puts them together to form the illusion of continuous motion.
 Compare your definition with a partner and then the class. Improve / modify your
first attempt at writing a definition – make this clear, precise and cover all key
points.
Animation is a simulation of movement which is created via a sophisticated computer
package and works by displaying a series of pictures, or frames – cartoons on television is an
example of this.
The is a difference between video and animation, and that is that video takes continuous
motion and breaks it up into discrete frames, whereas animation starts with independent
pictures and puts them together to form the illusion of continuous motion.
EXTRA TASK
List (do research if needed) examples of the following types of animation:
 Drawn / Cell Animation:
Traditional animation (or classical animation, cell
animation or hand-drawn animation) is an
animation technique where each frame is drawn by
hand. The technique was the dominant form of
animation in cinema until the advent of computer
animation.

4. UNIT 33 Stop Motion Animation – Sheet 1 Page 4
 Stop Motion / Model Animation:
Stop motion (hyphenated stop-motion when used as an adjective) is an animation
technique that physically manipulates an object so that it appears 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 fast sequence.
 Computer Generated Animation:
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images. The more general
term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes and dynamic
images, while computer animation only refers to the moving images.
Computer animation is essentially a digital successor to the stop motion techniques using
3D models, and traditional animation techniques using frame-by-frame animation of 2D
illustrations. Computer-generated animations are more controllable than other more
physically based processes, constructing miniatures for effects shots or hiring extras for
crowd scenes, and because it allows the creation of images that would not be feasible using
any other technology. It can also allow a single graphic artist to produce such content
without the use of actors, expensive set pieces, or props.
To create the illusion of movement, an image is displayed on the computer monitor and
repeatedly replaced by a new image that is similar to it, but advanced slightly in time
(usually at a rate of 24 or 30 frames/second). This technique is identical to how the illusion
of movement is achieved with television and motion pictures.