Recent developments in technology have significantly impacted the animation industry. YouTube has provided animators a global platform to share their work, increasing exposure and the overall number of animations created. Additionally, cheaper equipment and free/paid software have lowered barriers to entry, allowing more amateur animators to create and share animations. These developments have given animators new tools to improve their craft, such as onion-skinning to help draw frames, computers for digital editing and animation, and digital photography for easier production and review of work. Overall, modern technology has transformed animation by democratizing creation and distribution while providing powerful new creative tools.

1. How have recent developments in technology affected animation?

2. How has YouTube affected animation? Now that we are able to put videos and films onto youtube, this creates a big audience from all over the world, as youtube is global, it is distributed all over the world. Videos are also spread through viral distribution, someone will tell someone else about the video, and it will spread. Now because of youtube, there has been an increase in the amount of animations uploaded, as new animators are coming forward to get their work noticed.

3. How has the development of cheaper equipment and free/cheap software affected animation? Now that you can pick up cheap software and equipment, it is a lot easier for a lot of people to make animations. Therefore more are made. Amateurs can now make animations, without it costing a lot of money. If animations are cheaper to produce, the more people there will be that want to do it.Using the cheaper equipment you are able to look at and watch your animation before you have finished to make any corrections.

4. How would ‘Onion-skinning’ help animators? Using the onion skinning technique, animators are able to delete frames and edit easily, as well as it helping them know where to draw the next picture, this creates a smoother and better flowing animation.

5. How do computers change animation? Computers have help animators a lot, CGI was created, where you draw on the computer, the animation is now not hand done. Photoshop can be used to colour or change the animation. Computers create a smoother running animation, using ‘tweening’. You are able to edit any part of the animation easily. Animators are also able to check work in between animating.

6. How has digital photography changed animation? Using digital photography, it is easier for anyone to acquire the equipment needed, therefore more amateur animations are made. Then again animators are able to check their work as they do it. Editing software is then available to use to improve it. It is an easier way to create animations.

7. How do these developments affect our animations? By using youtube, my animations is on there for anyone to see, this is global distrubution, as people from all over the world can see it. Cheaper equipment means that we had a lot of useful things to use to create out animations. I didn’t use onion skinning but if I did it would have made my animation run a lot smoother than it did. Using the computer allowed me to edit well and get rid of frames that weren’t needed. Using digital photography allowed me to look at my last picture and decide if I wanted to restart.