Definitions
2D = Two dimension. (Consists of width and length)
3D = Three dimension. (Consists of width, length and height)
Animation = the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement (Wikipedia)
3D Animation = Computer animation (or CGI animation) is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers. It is a subfield of computer graphics and animation (Wikipedia)
Based on previous two columns, the first black and colour cartoons, released by Walt Disney were introduced. What is next for this final column on cartoons? Today’s column will be on the 3D animation . Chicken Little was Walt Disney's first 3D animation released on 2005.
To be précised, the first 3D animation cartoon was Toy Story but it was produced by Pixar studio and distributed by Walt Disney in November 1995. Chicken Little was produced by Walt Disney Company.
How animation works? As stated above, animation is rapid display sequences of 2D and 3D artworks. Flipping pages of a book is the simplest example to explain animation. To draw a ball bounces once, one must plan how long and high for a ball to bounce. Next, each movement has to be sketched neatly. When the process is done, by flipping the pages from beginning until the end, you see a bouncing ball – it is also call as animation.
The difference between 3D animation and animation is space. 3D consists of width, length and height which bring results of depth. Could you see different layers of shadows and textures on the characters in Chicken Little? By now, you should realize the 3D cartoons are not flat and lively than before.
Now let us come to our final question regarding to 3D, why we have to wear 3D glasses to watch 3D animation? According to 3dglasses.net, the explanations are as below.
In a movie theater, the reason why you wear 3D glasses is to feed different images into your eyes just like a View-Master does. The screen actually displays two images, and the glasses cause one of the images to enter one eye and the other to enter the other eye. There are two common systems for doing this:
Red/Green or Red/Blue 3D Glasses
Although the red/green or red/blue system is now mainly used for television 3-D effects, and was used in many older 3-D movies. In this system, two images are displayed on the screen, one in red and the other in blue (or green). The filters on the glasses allow only one image to enter each eye, and your brain does the rest. You cannot really have a color movie when you are using color to provide the separation, so the image quality is not nearly as good as with the polarized system.
Polarization
At Disney World, Universal Studios and other 3D venues, the preferred method uses polarized lenses because they allow color viewing. Two synchronized projectors project two respective views onto the screen, each with a different polarization. The glasses allow only one of the images into each eye because they contain lenses with different polarization.
There are some more complicated systems as well, but because they are expensive they are not as widely used. For example, in one system, a TV screen displays the two images alternating one right after the other. Special LCD glasses block the view of one eye and then the other in rapid succession. This system allows color viewing on a normal TV, but requires you to buy special equipment.
Last but not least, the cartoon durations during year 2000 has expanded. Chicken Little was 81 minutes long! Cartoons are getting more advanced by the day with the latest technology acquired. It is very interesting to watch how all these progress. Who knows, there may come a day where technology is so advance that with a press of a button, the cartoon on the screen can actually sit next to us?
Ng Min Kim DMC08
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