Animation: HSC Industrial Technology Multimedia Technologies

What this dot point is asking

Animation creates the illusion of movement from a sequence of images, and it is a distinctive media element of the Multimedia Technologies focus area. NESA expects you to describe the principles and techniques of animation, from frame-by-frame and tweened animation to 2D and 3D approaches, and the technical factors of frame rate and file size. This knowledge shapes any animation in your Major Project and is examined in the written paper.

How animation works

Animation relies on a quirk of human perception: when we see a rapid sequence of still images, each slightly different from the last, our eyes blend them into smooth motion. The faster and more numerous the images, the smoother the movement. Every animation technique is a different way of producing that sequence of frames, from drawing each one to letting a computer generate them.

Frame-by-frame animation

In frame-by-frame animation, each frame is drawn or created individually, just as traditional hand-drawn cartoons were made cel by cel. It gives the animator complete control over every detail of the movement, allowing rich, expressive results, but it is slow and labour-intensive because every frame must be made by hand. It suits short, detailed sequences where control matters more than speed.

Tweening and keyframes

Tweening (in-betweening) makes animation far more efficient. The animator sets keyframes, the important frames that define the start and end of a movement, and the software automatically generates the in-between frames that interpolate between them. To move an object across the screen, you set its start and end positions as keyframes and the software fills in the motion. Tweening handles position, size, rotation, colour and more, so a few keyframes produce smooth motion with far less work than drawing every frame. It is the workhorse technique of most multimedia animation.

2D and 3D animation

Animation comes in two broad forms:

• 2D animation works with flat images, drawings and shapes, animated in a plane. It covers traditional cartoon styles, motion graphics and animated interface elements.
• 3D animation builds models in three-dimensional space and animates them, with the software calculating how light, perspective and movement appear from a chosen camera. It produces the realistic depth seen in modern films, games and product visualisations, but it demands more skill and computing power.

Choosing 2D or 3D depends on the look required, the time available and the skills and tools at hand.

Frame rate and file considerations

Frame rate, the number of frames shown per second, decides how smooth the animation looks: too few frames make motion jerky, while more frames give smoother movement at the cost of more work and larger files. As with all digital media, there is a balance between quality and file size, and animation must be optimised so it plays smoothly and loads quickly in the finished product.

Using animation in multimedia

Animation is most effective when it has a purpose: explaining a process, guiding attention, providing feedback on an interface, or adding personality. Gratuitous animation distracts and slows a product, so animation is used deliberately and kept efficient. In your folio, justify why and where you used animation, the technique you chose, and how you balanced smoothness against file size to serve the brief.