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Art: The history of animation
I can talk about animation techniques.
1. Check the meaning of the words in the box. Then match them with the pictures.
| cel character backgrounds stick figure |
2. 🎧1.46 Read and listen to the text. Match headings a-d with paragraphs 1-4.
a. Stop-motion animation
b. Computer animation
c. Early animation
d. Hand-drawn animation
The history of animation
1. ____________
In the 1880s, Eadweard Muybridge invented the zoopraxiscope. This machine took photographs of moving things. This was the earliest form of animation.
2. ____________
In 1895, the Lumière brothers invented the cinematograph. Early film-makers used it to make stop-motion animation. With this technique, they made King Kong in 1933.
3. ____________
In the 1920s, Walt Disney began to use 'hand- drawn animation'. Artists drew the pictures onto transparent pieces of plastic, or cels. The film-makers put the cels on painted backgrounds and photographed them one at a time. In 1928, Disney studios introduced the character of Mickey Mouse in the first cartoon with sound, Steamboat Willie.
4. ____________
In the 1960s, people started using computer animation. At first, computers could only make simple stick figures move on films, but by the 1990s, studios used realistic computer-generated imagery (CGI) for special effects. Soon, they were producing completely computer-animated films: Toy Story (1995) was the first fully CGI cartoon.
3. Read the text again and answer the questions.
1. What did the zoopraxiscope do?
2. When did the Lumière brothers make the cinematograph?
3. What technique did they use to make King Kong in 1933?
4. Which studio made the first cartoon with sound?
5. When did film-makers start using computers for special effects?
6. What is the name of the first CGI feature film?
4. 
USE IT! Research the making of your favourite animated film. Prepare a short presentation (60-80 words) on the film. Include this information:
• Which film-makers and studios worked on the film?
• What animation techniques did they use?
• Was it a blockbuster?
• What do you like about it?
Give your presentation to the class.
