Frequently Asked Questions About Computer Animation

If you don't know a programming language, is it impossible to learn computer animation?

Sometimes when using a preloader, Flash movies can get stuck loading at a certain percent and never finish.

So you've got this amazing Flash animation with nested layers of movie clip animations. For some reason you need a GIF version of it--but when you publish as a GIF, all of your beautiful movie clips aren't moving. Why is that?

Many people think that 3D movies require special 3D animation in a modeling and animation program, and that there's some trick to it. In truth, that's not how it works at all.

An 'easter egg' is a term describing a programming artifact that has since expanded to include many venues, including televised and online animation.

Animated GIFs are a good way to get soundless animated images on the web without needing any additional plugins or viewers...but why are they so grainy?

Vector animation is generally considered more advanced than raster animation. Why?

You may not know it, but FLV format has been around for quite some time, primarily as a video format embedded into an SWF.

There are 8-frame walk cycles, 10-frame motion studies...but how many frames actually make up one second of animation?

Freehand drawing in Adobe Flash rarely produces attractive results. Why is that?

You've learned everything there is to know about ActionScript 2.0...and then Adobe changes the game with ActionScript 3.0, and now half the scripts you know and love don't work. Why is that?

When creating navigable content, sometimes it's easier to create each screen of differentiated content in a single frame and use Actionscripting to move between the frames as needed. But when is it better to use a separate scene over a separate frame?

Asking if Flash is better than an animated GIF is rather like asking if a USB thumb drive is better than a floppy disk. Both have their purposes, and both can be useful - even if one is a bit limited and outdated.

On the surface, an animated GIF and an animated PNG can look the same. So what's the difference?

We see animated GIFs all the time (no, really, even with Flash and PNGs, we do). But what are they, exactly?

As with many industries, animation doesn't have one set career path. Considering the breadth of specialties covered by the term "animation," animators have as many different career possibilities as stars in the sky. But to take a look at the basics...is it better to sign on with a studio, or to be a freelancer?

You may often hear reference to video rendering, render times, render speeds, etc. in the field of computer animation. But what exactly is rendering?

You've produced hours of animation; how much of your best work should you cull out to present in condensed format?

With the open availability of media on the internet, posting your demo reel online can let you reach an entirely new audience - but can also open you up to certain dangers. Should you post your animation demo reel online?

Many animations feature detailed backgrounds that the characters move against; the backgrounds also sometimes move. Do animators draw and paint these backgrounds in every frame of animation?

Although it's now much easier to produce complex, detailed animations than it has been in the past, traditionally animated characters have used simplistic shapes and minimal colors rather than detailed artwork. Why is that?

Often people differentiate animation techniques as traditional or computer animation -- but aren't always clear as to what the distinction refers to.

So there's some nifty image morphing software that lets you create video of one image blending and warping into another - but does that really count as animation?

While Adobe Flash gets a lot of coverage as a major 2D animation and rich content production package, is it the only 2D animation software package out there?

CGI special effects can add a real splash to animated and live-action films...but do they count as actual animation?

Numerous animated television shows and movies make use of 3D animation rendered to look 2D, inked lines and all. Some use wholly 3D-rendered animation; others combine it with hand-drawn 2D. But how is it done?

Animation and animatronics sound similar, and both involve the process of making things move to simulate real motion - but what's the difference?

Animators often talk about applying principles of squash and stretch, distorting animated objects to flatten or elongate them depending on gravity or momentum. But why is it important?

In traditional animation, you often see the use of non-photo-blue pencils: pencils that draw with a light blue color much like a color pencil. Why do animators use them, and what does "non-photo-blue" mean?

Traditional animation, before the advent of on-screen animation programs and graphics tablets, was hand-drawn on paper, then copied to cels. How did it get from those painted cels onto your TV screen?

mation (also known as stop-motion animation) is generally characterized by somewhat jerky motions, where characters and objects can seem to subtly change positions in ways that have nothing to do with their motion - and that motion can sometimes seem a little stiff and forced. Why is that?

You've likely seen it while watching animated cartoons: in the middle of a fully 2D scene, suddenly the animation (or parts of the scene) will bring in something that looks almost like posterized 3D animation, which almost fits into the 2D scene...but not quite. Why does your 2D animation look like 3D?

So you want to learn to animate, but may not be the best artist. Do you need to refine your artistic skills before you can dabble in animation?

3D rain, snow, and other particles aren't created manually. Instead they're controlled by mathematics, using something called particle systems.

The idea of creating detailed hair and clothing on 3D models can be daunting, when you look at the level of complexity. But do you really have to model every last strand, and create an entire closet of clothing?

Animating expressive, emotional characters isn't just about creating expressive faces. The body shows emotion as well, and movement, body language, and posture matter a great deal in bringing your characters to life.

Ever seen 2D animation that has a weird 3D effect to it? You're probably looking at 2.5D animation.

What's the secret to the animation soundtracks that so perfectly match the feeling and the action of an animated film? Forget the chicken or the egg; what comes first, the animation or the soundtrack?

You may be groaning at the idea of adding more classes to an already heavy course load - but branching out into other fields can go a long way towards broadening your skill base.

Defining a standard unit of measurement when modeling in a 3D space can be tricky - but some sort of standard is necessary to create accuracy, even on a smaller scale.

Should you try to learn everything you could possibly know about animation, or focus on a single discipline?

What is a wireframe or a wire mesh? Do animators really sit there with bits of wire and bend them into shape? Not exactly.

Using attraction in animation can be as valuable to improving the flow of your story as anticipation, foreshadowing, and numerous other tricks. But what is anticipation, and how does it work?

Countless skilled 3D modelers started off with the basics - and many ran into the problem of making their models look like something other than plastic resin molds. So how is it done? How do you make your 3D modeled surfaces look realistic?

You're staring at the overwhelming taxes owed for a year of self-employment as a freelance animator, and you've heard about the tax breaks you get if you register as a corporation. But is a corporation really right for you? Are the benefits worth it, or will you end up paying more in the end?

Often CAD programs are left out of discussions of 3D modeling and animation software, but it's used to produce 3D models and blueprints. So what sets it apart from 3D modeling and animation programs?

Ever wondered why your animations look flat? One of the reasons may be that you don't vary your line weight. Don't know what that is? Don't know how to accomplish it? It's as easy as changing how you hold your pencil.

Applying for college can be nerve-wracking on the best of days, but you can calm yourself a little by making sure you're as prepared as you can possibly be, and understanding the specialized requirements of applying for an animation school.