2d computer graphic animation is a technique based on computer generated digital images that started roughly in the 1950's. 2d Computer based graphics are similar to stop motion animation and cel animation in the sense that you need to produce each frame. It can take the best of both worlds and use them to produce clearer and more high definition animations also while being less time consuming. There are many different softwares you can use to create a 2d computer animation, such as CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator, and some free programmes such as xfig or inkscape. You can create anything from a board game, to a full on 2d animation. The animations can be made by creating frames in the mentioned software, then put the frames together to make an animation and even add sound if you wish. The only equipment you will need is a PC or Laptop and any of the mentioned software. The advantages- You don't need a large amount of artistic ability to use the software and create animations. It is a much more time efficient technique compared to the likes of stop motion animation and if you make any mistakes you can always just erase the mistake as if it was never there. The disadvantages- You need to be creative to use the software efficiently, to create your own 2d animations from scratch. As much as it is more time efficient than stop motion, 2d computer graphics is still a lengthy process and you would need a lot of patience to make a whole animation. The last disadvantage that i would list is that if you don't back up your data regularly if the computer cuts out midway through your work you may lose your progress.
Cel Animation "The invention of the technique is generally attributed to Earl Hurd, who patented the process in 1914. The outline of the images are drawn on the front of the cel while colors are painted on the back to eliminate brushstrokes." - Wikipedia. Cel- Short for Celluloid.
Cel animation is a technique that has been used since the first half of the 20th century.This technique is where characters or objects get drawn onto a cel and a new cel for each physical movement of the character/object, all whilst being used on top of a static background so all that is being done is the cells are being moved around on top of a static background. This works fairly similar to stop motion in a way, but much easier as you only need to redraw the moving objects and not the whole scene. The equipment involved in this type of animation are celluloid's which are transparent sheets of paper, which you can either draw or paint your animations on. And also you will need a camera to take the pictures of the moving scene and most likely a camera stand of some sort. The advantages- More cost and time effective than stop motion, although using the same base technique You aren't doing half as much of the work you would be doing compared to a stop motion animation. The Disadvantages- The first material used for cel animation was highly flammable and had to be replaced by cellulose acetate. It takes a high degree of artistic ability to do this type of animation some may find it difficult to use this technique.
Stop motion animation is a technique that makes a physical object appear to move, this is done by taking a series of pictures with the object moving in each picture. When the pictures are all put in sequence it gives the illusion of the object moving. The first instance of the stop motion technique can be credited to Albert E. Smith andJ. Stuart Blackton, they used this technique in The Humpty Dumpty Circus 1898.
The equipment that can be used for stop motion animation include a camera and a computer for recording and editing purposes, but the models for it can vary. A few known examples are clay models, white board animation, wooden models, and anything else from humans to household appliances. So in theory anything that can be moved can be used for stop motion animations. Advantages- The advantages of stop motion animation is that there are endless possibilities as to what you can do with the animation. You can make objects that cannot move on there own move through means of stop motion animation, for example; you could make toy cars appear to be racing each other. In the case of using clay figures for stop animation you could make vegetables or fruit have arms and legs and run about, the possibilities are limitless. Disadvantages- There are some disadvantages to stop motion animation, the most obvious one is that stop motion animation can be very time consuming and it may take a long period of time just to make a short video. If you were to do a movie made from stop animation it could turn out to be a very tedious project and could take a spectacular length of time to make. Another disadvantage depending on how detailed and long you want to make your video is that it could cost a fair amount of money for the resources you need, this is mostly applicable if you're making a lengthy detailed video or film.
