Animation Still Growing After 100 Years
by Kirk Bangstad
kirk.bangstad@animationschoolreview.com
Animation School Review Columnist
Animation has lasted 100 years and shows no sign of stagnating. In fact, most animators still think the industry is in its early stages.
According to the Cox news service, the first known animated clip was released in April of 1906. It was a three minute clip entitled “Humorous Phases of Funny Faces,” and it consisted of animated chalkboard drawings showing a brief and funny interaction between a man and a woman. Animation really took off after 1928, when the first animated picture came out with sound. From then until about the 1950s, animation continued to grow and develop. For the next thirty years, animation quality stagnated and even declined because most of the animation jobs available were at studios creating children’s cartoons. Those studios must have concluded that kids would watch cartoons regardless of the animation quality.
Adult Animation Market Realized
In the late 1980s and 90s, films like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “The Lion King” gave animation another boost. Animators were now exploring new technology that allowed computer animation to boom. There was now a new market for computer animation jobs as big studios like Disney and Pixar realized that adults would flock to see good animated movies.
High Demands Bring a Rise in Computer Animation Jobs
Today, animators believe the industry has just hit the tip of the iceberg in what is possible with computer animation. Demand for animated movies is still on the rise, and each year, studios are increasing their animated movie output by leaps and bounds. This growth has stimulated the demand for computer animation jobs. Demand has become so high that studios are starting to donate money and talent to animation schools in order to train the next generation of computer animators.
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About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is a singer living in Chicago, IL. Having received his B.A. in Government at Harvard, Kirk previously worked as a management consultant.
