Early Animation Devices

Paleolithic Paintings Appear to be the Earliest Examples of Sequential Animation and Graphic Narrative

• Magic Lantern

• Phenakistoscope

• Cave Drawings

• Thaumatrope

This device was invented in 1825. It is a simple device with two different images, one on the front and one on the back. A piece of string is attached to each side. By quickly rolling the string between your fingers, the two images appear to blend together making one image.

• Cel Animation

• Thaumatrope

• Magic Lantern

• Phenakistoscope

This device was invented by William George Horner (1786-1837) and patented in 1834. It was an early form of motion picture display that consisted of a drum containing a set of still images, that was turned in a circular fashion in order to create the illusion of motion.

• Magic Lantern

• Flipbook

• CGI

• Zoetrope

This device was developed in 1839 by Joseph Plateau in Brussels. It is actually one of the oldest motion

picture devices. The device consists of a cardboard disc with evenly spaced slots cut along the outside

edge. The face of the disc is divided into pie shaped sections containing a series of images. The center

of the disc is attached to a stick or dowel so it may spin freely. By holding the image side up to a

mirror, spinning the disc, and looking through the slots, the images create a motion picture.

• Phenakistoscope

• Thaumatrope

• Magic Lantern

• Cel Animation

This device, invented in 1877 by Frenchman Charles Reynaud, was the first device to overcome the picture distortion caused by viewing through moving slots. The image produced was more brilliant than other devices and it quickly replaced the zoetrope in popularity. A band of pictures is placed inside an outer cylinder and each picture is reflected by the inner set of mirrors. The number of mirrors is equal to the number of pictures. When the cylinder rotates, the reflected pictures gives the illusion of motion.

• Zoetrope

• Thaumatrope

• Praxinoscope

• Cel Animation

This device is made up of a stack of pages that contain drawings that are slightly different from one another. When the pages are flipped, the drawings seem to move. This was the first form of animation.

• Claymation

• Flip Book

• Cel Animation

• CGI

This is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional,

hand-drawn animation.

• CGI

• Claymation

• Zoetrope

• Cel Animation

This is one of the many forms of stop-motion animation.

Each animated piece is made of a malleable substance,

usually plasticine clay.

• CGI

• Claymation

• Cel Animation

• Praxinoscope

This is the application of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media,

video games, simulators, computer animation and VFX in films, television programs, shorts,

commercials, and videos.

• CGI

• Claymation

• Cel Animation

• Cave Drawings

A timed sequence or series of graphic images or frames put together to give the appearance of continuous movement.

• Frames

• Keyframes

• Animation

• Celluloid Paper