cel animation
Painted transparency filmmaking
Cel animation is the traditional technique of creating animated films by drawing or painting images on transparent celluloid sheets (cels), which are then layered over static backgrounds and photographed frame by frame.
Each cel captures a slight change in position, creating the illusion of movement when played in sequence.
The method dominated animation from the early 1900s through the 1990s, when digital techniques largely replaced it: Disney's classic films were all made with cel animation.
- tweeningAutomated in-between frame generation
- stop-motionAnimation using posed objects
- inkingApplying liquid pigment
- multiplaneLayered animation camera setup
- light tablesBacklit flat work surfaces
acetate · character design · compositing · xerography · hand painted · Looney Tunes · cels · frame-by-frame · frame rate · layering · anime · color palettes · cartoon · animator · shading techniques · keyframing · Disney · film reels
cel animationCGI
Digital movie imagery
computer animation · computer-generated imagery · digital animation · motion graphics · virtual production