As you learn about animation and about how to animate characters in stories, it is good for you to learn about and be able to recognize different types of animation. Animators utilize different types of animation to tell stories in television shows, animated shorts, and feature films. The type of animation used may be influenced by many factors. The animator may choose to animate his/her characters based on what they first learned in a class or in art school. He/she may choose to utilize a type that is easiest for them to do. They may choose to use a type never tried before or based on the materials and instruments that are available to them. Their decision may also be based on the time they have to complete the project. There can be many reasons that an animator chooses one type over another. But it is important to note that each type makes it possible for the characters to come to life with a different look and appearance. Each type will present the story in a slightly different way based on how the project is made.
Whatever the reason for choosing any one type of animation to use in a story, it is good to become familiar with them all. In this way, those who desire to develop animated projects will gain knowledge of how their stories will look as finished products. The list of animated cartoon shows and feature films here will present examples of different types of animation.
Pocahontas (1995)
Pocahontas is a 1995 American animated musical historical drama film loosely based on the life of Powhatan woman Pocahontas and the arrival of English colonial settlers from the Virginia Company. The film romanticizes Pocahontas's encounter with John Smith and her legendary saving of his life. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was released on June 16, 1995.
The film received two Academy Awards for Best Musical or Comedy Score and Best Original Song for "Colors of the Wind". The film was followed by a direct-to-video sequel, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, in 1998. It is an example of traditional or cel animation. Also, Disney’s multilayer technology is used to create the realistic world in which Pocahontas lived.
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the ABC and NBC television networks. Produced by Jay Ward Productions, the series is structured as a variety show, with the main feature being the serialized adventures of the two title characters, the anthropomorphic flying squirrel Rocket J. ("Rocky") Squirrel and moose Bullwinkle J. Moose. The main antagonists in most of their adventures are the two Russian-like spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale, both working for the Nazi-like dictator Fearless Leader. The series is an example of limited animation.
Dexter’s Laboratory
Dexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. The series follows Dexter, an enthusiastic boy-genius with a hidden science laboratory in his room full of inventions, which he keeps secret from his unsuspecting parents, who are only referred to as Mom and Dad. Dexter is at constant odds with his older and more extraverted sister Dee Dee, who always gains access to the laboratory and inadvertently foils his experiments. Dexter has a bitter rivalry with his neighbor and classmate Mandark, a nefarious boy-genius who attempts to undermine Dexter at every opportunity.
The half-hour series aired from April 27, 1996, to June 15, 1998. On December 10, 1999, a television film titled Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip aired as the intended series finale. The series was renewed airing from November 18, 2001 to November 20, 2003. The series is an example of two-dimensional (2D) animation. It is also limited animation.
Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story is a 1995 American animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the franchise of the same name, it was the first entirely computer-animated feature film, as well as the first feature film from Pixar. Taking place in a world where toys come to life when humans are not present, the plot of Toy Story focuses on the relationship between an old-fashioned pullstring cowboy doll named Woody and a modern space cadet action figure, Buzz Lightyear, as Woody develops jealousy towards Buzz when he becomes their owner Andy's favorite toy.
Toy Story was released on November 22, 1995. It grossed over $373 million worldwide. It holds a 100% approval rating on film aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. It was honored with a non-competitive Special Achievement Academy Award. It is an example of three-dimensional (3D) computer-generated imagery (CGI) animation.
James and the Giant Peach (1996)
James and the Giant Peach is a 1996 musical fantasy film based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film is about how an orphan who lives with his two cruel aunts befriends anthropomorphic bugs who live inside a giant peach. During the story, they all embark on a journey to New York City. It was released on April 12, 1996. The film is a combination of live action and cutout stop-motion animation.
Gumby: The Movie (1995)
Gumby: The Movie is a 1995 American stop-motion surrealist claymation adventure comedy film featuring Gumby. In this offshoot of the 1950s "claymation" cartoon series, the crazy Blockheads threaten to ruin Gumby's benefit concert by replacing the entire city of Clokeytown with robots. It was released on October 4, 1995. This film is an example of Claymation stop-motion animation.
Fantasia (1940)
Fantasia is a 1940 American animated musical anthology film produced by Walt Disney Productions. Walt Disney was one of the producers of the film. It consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. Music critic and composer Deems Taylor acts as the film's Master of Ceremonies who introduces each segment in live action.
Fantasia was first released as a theatrical roadshow that was held in 13 cities across the U.S. between 1940 and 1941 by RKO Radio Pictures; the first began at the Broadway Theatre in New York City on November 13, 1940. Since 1942, the film has been reissued multiple times by RKO Radio Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution with its original footage and audio being deleted, modified, or restored in each version. The Fantasia franchise has grown to include video games, Disneyland attractions, and a live concert series. A sequel, Fantasia 2000, co-produced by Walt's nephew Roy E. Disney, was released in 1999.
Although the attached video is a movie trailer, it is also an example of an early version of motion graphics. It is an example of how television studios often include reviews and comments from movie critics about their films on advertising and movie posters.
The videos you see here are just movie trailers or scenes from these animated shows. Feel free to watch more of each cartoon series on YouTube or watch the complete films on television or on a streaming channel if you are interested in seeing how the stories end.
Have fun learning!
(Sources – Internet Movie Databased, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia)