What do you hear when you hear animation?

A look into our world of animation

I am in no way trying to insult your intelligence here, Everyone that has access to a screen has seen an animation video at a certain point in their lives. But what exactly comes to your mind when you hear the word animation?

Way before Walt Disney decided to start work in 1892 drawing mice, animation had a history dating back to 30,000 BC with early humans trying to depict motion with drawings on a wall. This shows that since the beginning of time itself, people have been trying to create the illusion of movement in their drawings. Fast forward to the late 1900s when Steve Jobs decided to put computers in every household, people young and old began to experiment with animation.?

coming back from our brief history session, animation as an art form has been around since the beginning of time (Almost). Artists, animators, and creators all over the world spent lifetimes experimenting, looking for means to tell their stories in ways that resonate with them and their audience. 2D and 3D Animation, Stop Motion, Motion Graphics, Claymation, Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), Typography Animation, Whiteboard Animation, Cutout Animation, and so on. This created all the different types of animations that continue to confuse my mom. When I told her I was joining an animation studio, the first thing she said was “Oh, like Tom and Jerry?” to which I said "Yes", I don't like disappointing my mom.?

In all seriousness this has been a common response from many of our friends and family, with a limited understanding of the extent of the diversity of animation, they can’t help but try to put it in a box. And here lies the purpose of this rant (200 words later), “put in a box”, a metaphor for people's tendency to categorize items based on limited observations or preconceived notions. Animation is no exception, With common misconceptions like “Animation Is Intended Only For Children” and “With Good Hardware & Software, Anyone Can Create Animations” it is clear that there is massive room for improvement in people's perception.??

Mainstream animated films like Frozen, Toy Story, and The Lion King account for billions at the box office contributing to entire economies, not to forget the unrivaled cultural phenomena that is the world of “Anime”. Ouuu, Anime, a masterpiece from the land of the rising sun, no conversation about the diversity and the out-of-the-boxness of animation is complete without a rant about Anime. The mere fact that people haven't agreed on the definition of the word shows us the depth of the art form, from the groundbreaking work on shows like Akira which had a huge influence and were game changers when it came to how animated movies in general were made. From the unparalleled attention to detail they brought to their characters to the plot and storylines, Anime films continue to leave a mark in the wider film industry including live-action films.

In contrast, we see simple motion graphic animations on our screens with social media and advertising that go unnoticed each day. The emergence of powerful software like Adobe’s After Effects and Cinema 4D popularized motion graphic animation. From 30-second videos explaining the inner workings of a clock to short films telling a story about an orphan boy growing up to become a rich man, the creativity this enables is boundless.?

In the same way, live-action films cater to audiences ranging from 3-year-olds who can't read or write, to fully grown adults who may or may not know how to read or right too,( illiteracy is no joking matter). Animation also caters to audiences consuming content like Cocomelon and SpongeBob to shows with serious dark humor like Arcane and BoJack Horseman that are targeted at a wide range of audiences. This just goes to show how diverse animation is as an art form and why It should never be “put in a box”.??

And just like every other type of art form, Animation has a much wider scope and application, particularly for businesses looking for innovative and creative options to capture the attention of their target audience. And this is where we have a vested interest. Business animation, Our bread and butter. We have noticed that there is a common misperception when it comes to animation where most people only picture Animated films or cartoons when they hear the word animation, where in reality, Animation is an all-encompassing art form with a broader range of moving images created through various techniques and it would be unwise to put it in a box.?

As a final food for thought, Art and a?box should only be mentioned in the same sentence if the artist decides to stand on one. Art was never meant to be put in a box and neither is the artist, sadly it seems like nowadays the box was made in Ethiopia, where artists, businesses, and disruptors continue to struggle with their efforts to avoid this trap. In my humble opinion, one way to avoid this trap is to keep an open mind and not be afraid to take risks.?

For more rants like this visit our website, It’s cool.?