Hayao Miyazaki is regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of animation. Over 50+ years, Miyazaki made some of the most critically-lauded animated films; earning him numerous awards, including an honorary Oscar for “inspiring generations of artists to work in the medium and illuminate its limitless potential.” We’re going to rank the best Hayao Miyazaki movies by way of three criteria: story, animation, and direction. By the end, you’ll know the great films in an oeuvre of cinema classics.Continue reading Best Hayao Miyazaki Movies — Celebrating a Life in Animation
Animated music videos: you love them. I love them. They’re the perfect form for bridging the gap between the poetic realism of music and the surrealist imagery we construct through lyrics. We’re going to break down a variety of the best animated music videos by looking at what makes them tick. By the end, you might be inspired to make your own animated music video!Continue reading Best Animated Music Videos of All Time — Top 20 List
You’re probably very familiar with stop-motion animation, which is distinct for having three-dimensional objects move on their own, usually in a jerky fashion. Well, clay models aren’t the only ones that get to have their picture taken a trillion times to look like they’re moving — human beings can get in on the fun too! But it’s not called stop-motion in this case; it’s called pixilation. What is pixilation, you ask, and why is it spelled with an “i” instead of an “e”? Let’s answer those questions by learning a bit more about this filming technique, along with some examples.Continue…
What is a background artist? It might sound like a simple question, but the answer is a bit more complex than one might expect. The term ‘background artist’ can be used to label two different professions and both of them can be found working on a film set. We will break down what those two different meanings are and what each of them does.Continue reading Background Artist — Animation & Film Crew Position Explained
The world of animated movies has opened doors to limitless types of stories. It’s limitlessness, however, comes at the cost of labor. The innumerable moving parts of an animated movie production are all overseen by a director. While it can sound like an overwhelming task, directing an animated movie can be broken down more simply. In this article, we’ll dive into how to direct an animated movie, the stages of creating an animated movie and the director's role throughout production. Continue reading How to Direct an Animated Movie From A to Z in 10 Steps
Animation has undoubtedly opened countless doors in the stories filmmakers are able to tell. It has allowed worlds, characters, and adventures to seep out of the imagination of artists and onto the big screen. Many are drawn to the world of animation because of its limitless possibilities. If you are one of the many, at one point you will have to learn how to use animation software. However, not all animation software is made equal. So we’ve made a list of the best animation softwares out there to highlight each one’s strengths, weaknesses, use in the industry, and cost. Continue reading Best…
There’s more than one way to animate a film. And one of the most innovative, albeit time-consuming, ways to bring a movie to life is through rotoscoping. But what is rotoscope animation? While it’s typically associated with modern works like the 2006 film A Scanner Darkly and the recent Amazon Prime series Undone, the technique has roots dating back decades. Let’s take a look at some movies that use rotoscoping to see how it can be utilized for future filmmakers.Continue reading What is Rotoscope Animation? The Process Explained
One of the most fascinating aspects of animation is the creation of visual continuity and motion, through still images. While technology may have changed the way animation works today, it hasn’t changed the underlying mechanism of the craft. If you’ve ever seen anything move on screen, persistence of vision is at play. So, what is persistence of vision? To start, it’s the very foundation of animation, but as an animator, how do you use it? How do you create that smoothness from frame to frame? It takes some understanding of a pretty basic optical concept that’s been at play for well…
Over the years, animated movies have changed the landscape of cinema with fantastic imagery, other-wordly stories, and sobering morals. We all remember watching animated movies when we were children, whether it be the work of Disney, Pixar, Studio Ghibli, Dreamworks, or another production house - but there’s so much more to animated movies than what we saw as children. In this article, we’re going to rank the best animated movies of all time - from Aardman Animations to Zootopia.Each film on this list was selected because it offers something extraordinary to the world of animated cinema, whether it be for…
Pixar shorts inspire imagination. They win awards. They deliver the goods. We’ve watched and compiled the best 21 Pixar short films right here, from the first Pixar movie to the most recent. They’re sure to entertain, trigger creativity, and — for filmmakers — spark short film ideas of your own. Storytellers, take heed: there’s a lot to learn on this list of animated short films.Continue reading 24 Best Pixar Shorts That You Need to Watch
