The use of 3D animation allows animators to bring their projects to life. By utilizing a procedure known as rigging, animators can create skeletal structure that is digital in nature that enables the control or manipulation of a mesh. This gives birth to animation that appears to be true to our visionary expectations. This process is widely utilized today in Hollywood for motion picture visual effects. The process allows you to see more than a flat animated appearance. The viewer will see all the dimensions and the depth will be comparable to what is seen in real time.

Belka And Strelka
Belka and Strelka is a 3D animated production developed by the Centre of National Film in Russia. This film was produced just last year in 2010. Back in 1960, a half century ago, the Russians sent two dogs on the journey of their life. They got a free ride into space in a project designed to ensure that human cosmonauts would be able to survive with the life support systems available. The dogs survived the journey and this 3D animated film is a tribute to their story.

Antz
Antz is a 3D animated feature that was released in 1998 starring some of the most famous actors in Hollywood. One of the alluring factors surrounding this film was that you could see comparable facial characteristics in the characters these actors lent their voices too. Developed by DreamWorks Antz was the first animated film produced by the media giant. The film was very well received and went on to earn over 172 million dollars. Antz won numerous awards for visual effects and editing in an animated feature.

Shrek
The interesting thing about this 3D animated film is that it became the first one to be issued the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2001. Of course numerous outstanding movie stars lent their voices to this project led by Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy. The animated film was based around a loveable ogre, a pesky donkey, and of course a princess. The film won audiences over and went on to earn 485 million dollars worldwide.

Monsters, Inc
Monsters, Inc also found its way to theatres in 2001. This 3D animated feature would end of grossing over 585 million dollars world wide. Developed by Pixar Animation and displaying voices by the likes of Billy Crystal and John Goodman, this film was an instant hit.

Avatar
Many have compared Avatar as the holy grail of 3D animation. This film represents what 3D animation has become with modern technology. It is the highest grossing film of all time earning over 2.8 billion dollars. The success has been mind blowing and it leaves the bright future of 3D animation wide open.

Summary of Famous 3D Animations
Although these are all famous 3D animations it should be said that we have only scratched the surface here. There are famous 3D animations in commercials, web series and numerous other animation projects. The 3D animation process has opened our eyes visually and we are drawn forever to the possibilities it presents.

The History of Flash Animation

Before we jump head first into the history of flash animation we should really explain what exactly flash animation is. Basically flash animation is nothing more than a flash cartoon. By utilizing Adobe Flash and a variety of animated software, the animated film is given birth. The format that is most commonly utilized for flash animation is the .swf file. Although there are obviously a variety of different opinions about flash animation and the quality it presents; it is safe to say that the process has been widely used and appreciated all over the television media.

From commercials to series television flash animation has been utilized for well over a decade to create numerous work destined for web distribution. Flash animation is like any other computerized procedure in practice. Some of this work is impressive and others are not as impressive suffering from movements that are jerky and simply don’t look crisp and clear. For the cleaner picture it is often understood that drawings that are vector based are more effective in flash animation. This Internet based process can be interactive in nature but should not be mistaken for the web comic that is not presented in animation.

Flash Animation: The Beginning

The history of flash animation has actually been rather short in the big scheme of things. On that note it should be observed that the Internet age itself is quite young although it has grown so vibrantly. It was John Kricfalusi who first used flash animation successfully. Most cartoon enthusiasts would know that he was the founder of the odd ball animated series Ren & Stimpy. It was back in October 1997 that the flash series The Goddamn George Liquor Program was developed by Kricfalusi to be displayed specifically on the World Wide Web. Once this project was deemed a success he went on to utilize flash for a variety of other television and video music programs.

Just a few years later in February 1999 the web series WhirlGirl established flash animation as successful technology when Showtime presented it on their premium cable channel and on their website as well on a regular basis. Before it was all said and done this flash animated series would appear over 50 times and was part of a marketing extravaganza involving millions of dollars for Showtime.

Flash Animation Summary
Today there are way too many flash animated series being utilized all over the Internet to be mentioned in this article. Flash animation has come a very long way in the last decade in a half. The process was actually created by Macromedia, but was purchased by the Internet Media Mogul Adobe in 1995. Flash animation has been a powerful media process and has drawn many music labels and big name entertainers into projects of established popularity. The history of flash animation is ongoing. With the ever changing technology on the Internet it is hard to predict the future of flash animation, but it is safe to say that it will be interesting indeed.

Five Ways Animation Can Help Your Business

1. Improve the look of your website.

The addition of 3D animation to your website will add a flare and uniqueness to make your business stand out from others. An increased audience attraction to your company website will increase the length of time potential clients will spend on the site, resulting in increased conversion rates.

2. Help you connect with customers.
Appealing to a broader customer base is a focus for many businesses. This can be achieved through animation. Animations to target new customers can be created inexpensively with the ability to easily make adjustments depending of the demographics of the audience being targeted.

3. Provide powerful sales presentation material.

Typically boring sales presentation material is given a boost when animation is incorporated. Animation keeps the audience engaged in what is being presented, thus increasing the amount of information from the presentation that is being retained.

4. Increase sales of your product or service.

Animation incorporated into the pitch of a product or service helps the audience to better understand what the product or service is and how it will benefit them. The increased communication and understanding of the product or service benefits will increase the sales.

5. Show why your business is better than the competition.

Taking the time to create an audience-friendly website and sales material through the use of animation demonstrates the commitment of your business to being client focused. Potential clients will recognize the effort your business makes compared to your competition.

Sell Products and Services Using 3D Animation

Animation is considered to be an extremely versatile marketing tool businesses can use to increase sales for a specific product or service.  Because animation is considered more of a new media tool, many traditional marketers are not familiar with the possibilities available. Used effectively, animation is capable of demonstrating a product in order to get consumers to purchase it. The main benefits and applications of animation with the intent to sell a product or service are listed below:

3D Animation Benefits:

- The demonstration of a product is simplified.
- An upscale feel of a product or service can be created, justifying the demand for a premium price.
- Animation can make a product or service seem more attractive or sexy, while enhancing the value perceived by the audience.
- The addition of graphics and animation can give an otherwise boring presentation a visually stimulating boost.
- Boring information and data can be dramatized.
- With animation, just about anything can be made to appear to be cutting edge and state of the art.
- There are fewer limits with animation compared to live shots.

3D Animation Applications:

- Demonstrate how a product or service can be applied to a specific problem.
- Reveal the internal components of a complex product.
- Take a potential client on a tour of a facility or property using a 3D animation.
- Show how a product will interact with customers.
- Explain how an extremely complex system will work through animated sequences and diagrams.
- Showcase a product or facility that has not yet been built.
- Show consecutive operations of a system of assembly line.
- Demonstrate a variation of negative scenarios that can be resolved using the product or service.
- Zoom to explain a microscopic detail of a product or its component.
- Show each stage of the planned development of a product.
- Demonstrate how a product will interact with the human body without actually demonstrating it on a live human body.

Animation is the perfect solution for a business looking to enhance a presentation to market a product or service.

Animated Online Marketing Campaign
The goal of a marketing campaign is simple: to turn potential customers into paying customers. An online marketing campaign is no different and can be extremely beneficial for companies looking to reach a global audience.

An online marketing campaign may be completely different from any other campaign being run by a company, because the online interaction with the company may have a completely different set of user demographics to target. Animation is a simple solution to creating an online marketing campaign that will peak the interests of each of the targeted user groups. Through the use of animation there is an opportunity to create and run several different marketing campaigns to target different demographics.

Animations allow for easy adaptation of other languages in order to appeal to consumers in many countries. A short, adventure-packed animation can help to arouse people’s interest in learning more about the company and the message being sent. When using a trial and error method with a marketing campaign, unsure about what will convert and what will not, marketers are quickly turning to animation because of the low cost and the ease of changes.

“People retain information at an almost doubled rate when they are engaged by both sight and sound at the same time.”

Researchers at Boston University conducted research showing that people retain information at an almost doubled rate when they are engaged by both sight and sound at the same time. A successful marketing campaign is often more than just a catchy slogan, or a celebrity. To be successful, the marketing campaign must engage the audience in such a way that the audience will remember the company.

Animation is visually and audibly engaging to an audience and will clearly, concisely and effectively get your company’s message across.

Contact us at 713.789.8699 to learn more information about how we can create an animated online marketing campaign for you.

The History of Animation: The Beginning

The history of animation is a fascinating look at the way humans express themselves, and an intimate look at imagination and common interests. The first attempts at drawings that convey motion are found on cave walls and ancient pottery! While some may say this is not true animation, I would think that spinning the 5200 year old bowl unearthed in Iran would bring the images portrayed to life!

The History of Animation: The First Devices

True animation is attributed to devices created to entertain such as the zoetrope. The oldest known Zoetrope was created by Ting Huan in China, around 180 AD. It consisted of translucent paper or mica panels with art painted on them. When hung over a lamp rising heat would cause the zoetrope to spin, and the images to appear to move. The modern version of the Zoetrope would not be produced until 1834, by William George Horner. This cylindrical device is still used in animation courses to illustrate the concept of animation to students.

When I was a kid I would entertain myself by creating flip books on the corners of the pages of paperback novels. The first patented flip book is attributed to John Barnes Linnet in 1868, but I wonder if the concept is older. It certainly is the basis of modern animation which employs characters drawn, one frame or cell at a time, with a minor change from one frame to the next.

Various devices were invented over the years to astound people with art in motion. The Magic Lantern, the Thaumatrope, the Phenakistoscope, and the reinvention of the Zoetrope all contributed to modern day animation. Charles-Emile Reynaud, building on the ideas of his predecessors, invented the Praxinoscope, which was commercially produced in his workshop in Paris. Building on that idea he later invented the Projection Praxinoscope. Finally, animation created for projection onto a screen was born.

The History of Animation: The Pioneers of Animation

Without the pioneers of film, Eadweard Muybridge with his zoopraxiscope, Thomas Edison inventing the kinetiscope, or George Eastman and his nitrocellulose based film strips, we would not have the animation produced today. It was because of these greats that the next phase of animation would take flight. With the advent of celluloid Charles-Emile Reynaud had a new medium to work with. He combined his earlier inventions with the new and created Theatre Optique, the original cinema for the public. His first film of five hundred hand drawn images was presented in 1892.

When we think of the history of animation, we are generally talking about the first animated films “Humorous Phases of Funny Faces” in 1906 and “Fantasmagorie” in1908 are the among the oldest film animations of record. It was film that fueled the fires of entertainment, giving artists a new way to express themselves, and delivering a new breed of artists. Where before art might be realistic or abstract, now whimsical art became more prevalent. Beginning with his animated short Plane Crazy, Walt Disney would build an empire out of animation.

The History of Animation: Modern Day 3D Animation and CGI

In the late 20th century animation met the computer age and CGI was created. 3D animation was finally achieved. In Avatar, CGI at it’s best, live actors wore specially designed outfits which mapped their body and facial movements then translated that to the computer generated images to bring life to animation. Now the faces of animation can resemble the actors voicing the models. Animation entertains young and old alike. It’s kind of hard to believe that it all started with some cave paintings and ancient pottery.

Interested in utilizing animation to improve your sales materials?
Contact us at 713.789.8699 to learn how we can help you improve sales with animation.

“Upgrade Your Business with Animation”
Houston’s TOP Animation Studio, Immix Productions wants to help you develop animated supplementary material to best suit your needs.

Animation has become one of the most popular tools utilized to increase consumer awareness of a company or product. Using animation is also one of the most successful ways to grasp audience attention of a presentation, website or advertisement.
A 2D animation, 3D animation, or Flash animation can be created to increase interest and motivation, to direct a viewer’s attention, to illustrate procedures, and explain how things work. While animation is well known for entertainment purposes, there are a multitude of applications for animation that can accelerate your company.

· Increase Website Appeal and Traffic ·

· Demonstrate Use of Product with Enhanced Audience Consideration ·

· Educational Tools to Train or Instruct ·

· Video and Game Entertainment ·

· Expansion of Audience Attention with Logos or Advertisements ·

Whether you are looking to promote your company, communicate intricate concepts, or entice audience action, Houston Animation can create your ideal animation.

Houston Animation can help you to decide which type of animation is right for your company and how to take the next steps toward developing a unique approach toward enhancing your company.

Houston Animation: Types of Animation

Animation is the repeated display of sequenced images in a rapid manner, creating the illusion of motion. Drawings depicting motion have been around since the Egyptians, however, animation as we know it was not created until the advent of film making.

There are three primary types of animation:

1. Cel Animation.

Famous types of cell animation are; 1. The simpsons, 2. Family Guy, and 3. Futurama. The drawings are made on celluloid paper which is transparent and they are laid on top of one another to combine characters and backgrounds.

2. Stop-Motion Animation
Stop motion is created by taking multiple ‘shots’ of a model or puppet in sequence and then run together. The tiny changes make it appear as a smooth motion. Clay animation is a type of stop motion animation and was first made popular with the creation of the cartoon Gumby.  While stop motion is not used as widely now, it was used in the popular MTV series, “Celebrity Death Match”.

3. Computer Animation

Computer animation is becoming more and more popular as computer rendering improves. There are two primary types of computer animation; 1. 2d animation, and 2. 3d animation. 3d animation has become very popular over the last few years as movie studios have begun creating movies in 3d.

How Houston Animation Can Help You

1. Create professional and captivating presentation materials.
2. Increase sales conversions.
3. Increase the length of web site visits.
4. Turn boring data/material into an exciting presentation.
5. Easily explain complex data and processes.

Types of Animation offered by Houston Animation

1. 2d Animation
2. 3d Animation
3. Flash Animation

Our animation services can be tailored to meet your companies objectives. Animation can be a powerful tool for increasing company revenue by allowing salespeople and company media better explain the product offering in a compelling manner.