Animation Facts
You might be curious about the different types of animation that have been developed. Learn about the Animation facts of the first animated film by Walt Disney, the highest-grossing animated feature film, and more! Plus, find out about famous animators. Animated feature films are the most profitable genre of films, and they can be expensive, too.
Disney’s First Animated Film
Disney’s first movie was one of the company’s crown jewels. The story centers around a boy named Nemo, who is trying to save a squid from the ocean. Unlike other Disney animated films, this one does not feature talking animals. The film’s protagonist is actually a teenage boy. While it’s not a romantic or song-filled story, it has a sci-fi edge that makes it stand out among the genre.
The film has been a classic ever since. Pinocchio is the first animated film to be nominated for an Oscar, and the film also won a special technical achievement award for Walt Disney. It was one of the first films to use a panoramic film camera, which cost $7 million. This movie features a lot of cute dogs, but you’ll also find many deaths of puppies.
The film’s characters come to life with many special effects. In some instances, the actors’ voice talents make the film worth watching. While some may argue that Pixar has the best animations, the quality isn’t necessarily indicative of its quality. While Pixar is known for its CG animation, its characters are usually not realistic and can be very funny.
The Disney studio faced a major setback when animators struck for three months in 1941, which led to the production of only a few films. The studio’s output remained relatively low until the 1950s, when the company refocused on nature documentaries and short cartoons. During this time, the studio also began to produce live-action movies such as Cinderella and Peter Pan.
Walt Disney’s Most Expensive Animated Film
Walt Disney’s The Black Cauldron, the most expensive animated film made up to that point, cost $44 million to make and made only $21 million at the box office. Despite the expensive production, the film received mixed reviews and a low Rotten Tomatoes score. The production was also plagued by budget cuts and animator strikes.
This Disney animated film is the first to use non-photorealistic rendering technology. This technology enabled the animators to create 3D-looking backgrounds. Considering the film’s high cost, it is surprising that it failed to make money at the box office. Still, Tangled’s incredible attention to detail set it apart from its competitors. The film also combines classical cell animation with modern computer animation.
This year, Disney released Tangled, which is its most expensive animated film. It cost $260 million to make and took six years to complete. It also marks the debut of Tiana, the first African-American Disney princess. The Pirates of the Caribbean movies are also among the most expensive films created by Disney.
Other notable films produced by Disney include The Great Mouse Detective, which was made on a lower budget but brought a new renaissance in Disney animation. Another popular film from this era, Oliver & Company, is a musical comedy about a family of aristocratic cats. Another popular Disney film is The Little Mermaid, a classic adaptation of a Hans Christian Andersen tale. Other films produced by the Disney Company include The Jungle Book and The Rescuers Down Under.
In 2012, Disney released Brave. This film followed the Disney Renaissance. Merida, a Scottish princess, prefers to be an archer and explore the forest. Her bravery won the hearts of many kids and prompted the production to break new budget records. The movie also won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards.
Animated Feature-Length Films’ Highest Gross Margins
Animation feature-length films boast the highest gross margins of any film genre. The average profit margin was 26 percent, which makes this movie genre the most profitable. In 2008, the animation industry was worth US$68 billion. And as of mid-2010, it continues to grow and thrive. A well-made animated project can find audiences across national borders and in all four quadrants of the globe.
Animation feature-length films cost around $100 million to produce and $150 million to promote. The executive producers can reduce costs by cutting water and hair, two of the most expensive elements to recreate in animation. The Minions, for instance, are Universal’s most profitable movie ever. But animation tends to bring out Hollywood’s gambling addiction.
North America is the largest market for animation. It is home to most major animation studios. However, the fastest-growing region for animation is the Asia-Pacific region, which includes India, China, and Australia. Meanwhile, Latin America and the Middle East, and Africa are expected to see moderate growth. Europe is also expected to see significant growth, with France, Russia, and the U.K. enjoying the highest gross margins.
Disney is a big player in the animation industry. Its first animated feature, Snow White, became the first feature-length musical fantasy. While some people thought Disney was crazy, the film made grown men weep and stayed on top until Gone With the Wind was released two years later.
Famous Animators
From the creation of animated films to the creation of multimedia arts, famous animators have made their mark on the art form. This list includes photos and bios of prominent animators from America and around the world. While the people on this list come from different backgrounds, they all are highly respected and talented animators.
After a career in art, Yuri Norstein went on to study at an animation school. He then went on to work at Soyuzmultfilm, where he worked on a wide variety of films. By the late ’60s, he started to direct his own films. His sophisticated style of animation earned him the respect of many, including Hayao Miyazaki.
John Lasseter was born in 1957 and studied character animation at the California Institute of the Arts. In the early 1980s, Lasseter developed an interest in computer-generated graphics and lost his job at Disney. This led him to join Lucasfilm, which later became Pixar. He also worked on the Looney Tunes cartoon series.
In 1957, Hanna-Barbera Studios was founded by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, a dynamic duo in the animation industry. Hanna-Barbera’s productions included many famous animated films and series. Their company produced two-thirds of all animated series on the air. Their work shaped the look of cartoons for years to come.
While his name may not seem familiar to many, he has worked with a variety of media including comic strips. His earliest projects were cartoons. He also worked for French animation studio Eclair.
Early Animation Techniques
The earliest forms of animation included stories told in simple drawings. In 1833, a new type of film called the phenakistiscope was introduced in France that gave the illusion of motion. These films contained elements of animation, including painted props moving in front of a painted background and hand-colorizing the film. In 1895, Thomas Edison’s Mary Stuart featured this technique, which would become known as stop-motion animation.
Popular early techniques included shadow play, puppetry, clay or cutouts, and shadow play. These methods remained the dominant forms of animation for much of the 20th century.
Despite these challenges, some artists used these techniques to create popular animated shorts. One of these early films was Gertie the Dinosaur, which is the first dinosaur film. Another early animated film was Winsor McCay’s 1911 film, Little Nemo. This film was the first to combine animation with live-action footage. McCay’s Gertie the Dinosaur also featured live-action footage. The Dinosaur also responded to the voice of McCay during his vaudeville performance.
UPA Animation Company produced several popular short films, including Mr. Magoo (1949). UPA received 15 Oscar nominations between 1949 and 1959. It won its first Academy Award with Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950), and two more for When Magoo Flew (1954). The UPA’s pioneering work had a positive effect on the Disney and Warner Brothers studios, and it also taught that sparse animation could be just as effective.
