Animation
What is Animation?
Animation is the technique of making still images appear to move by showing them one after another very quickly.
At a glance
- Also known as
- Motion graphicsCGI (in 3D contexts)In-betweening
- Used for
- StorytellingVisual effectsCharacter performanceUI motion designAI video generation
- Common tools
- Adobe animateBlenderMayaToon boom harmonyRunwayKling
- Related terms
- KeyframeFrame rateRiggingMotion captureIn-betweeningCGI
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How it compares
Video captures real-world motion through a camera lens, recording light reflected off physical subjects. Animation constructs motion synthetically, whether by hand, computer, or AI, without necessarily capturing any physical reality. The distinction blurs with AI video generation, which can produce photorealistic animated sequences indistinguishable from footage.
Think of it like…
Think of animation like a flipbook: each page holds a slightly different drawing, and when you flick through the pages quickly, your brain connects the dots and perceives smooth movement. Modern AI animation tools are like having a machine that can fill in all the pages of the flipbook for you, given only the first and last drawings.
Pro tip
When using AI video models to generate animation, providing a clear first-frame reference image alongside your text prompt significantly improves motion consistency and reduces unwanted subject drift across the sequence.
Types and variations
- Animation encompasses a wide range of distinct approaches.
- Traditional hand-drawn animation involves artists producing each frame manually, either on paper or digitally.
- Stop-motion animation captures physical objects or puppets repositioned incrementally between shots.
- 3D computer animation uses rigged digital models animated via keyframes or simulation.
- Motion graphics focus on animated text and abstract shapes, commonly used in title sequences and broadcast design.
- Motion capture-driven animation translates live performance data onto digital characters.
- Procedural and physics-based animation generates movement algorithmically, often used for crowds, cloth, and fluid simulations.
- AI-generated animation, an emerging category, produces motion directly from text prompts or image inputs using generative models.
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Try MorphicCommon use cases
- Animation is used across virtually every screen-based medium.
- In feature film and television, it drives character performance in both fully animated productions and hybrid live-action VFX work.
- In advertising and branded content, motion graphics and short animated sequences communicate messages quickly and memorably.
- In video games, real-time animation systems govern character locomotion, facial expressions, and environmental effects.
- In AI-assisted filmmaking workflows, animation tools are used to previsualize sequences, generate placeholder motion for editorial, and produce final-quality shots directly from generative models.
- Architectural visualisation, product design, medical illustration, and e-learning all rely on animation to communicate complex information visually.
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FAQs
Live-action filmmaking captures real people and environments through a camera. Animation constructs movement synthetically, frame by frame, whether through drawing, 3D software, stop-motion, or AI generation. Many modern productions combine both approaches.
Theatrical animation typically runs at 24 frames per second. Traditional hand-drawn animation is often produced 'on twos', meaning a new drawing every two frames, giving 12 unique drawings per second. AI-generated video typically outputs at 24fps natively.
Yes. Generative video models such as Runway Gen-3, Kling, and Sora can produce animated sequences from text prompts or reference images. AI tools can also automate in-betweening, motion retargeting, and rigging tasks within traditional pipelines.
Keyframe animation involves defining the position, rotation, and other properties of an object or character at specific points in time. The software then interpolates the values between those keyframes to create smooth movement.
'On twos' means each drawing is held for two frames, resulting in 12 unique images per second at a 24fps playback rate. It reduces the workload compared to animating 'on ones', which requires a new drawing every single frame.
In AI-assisted filmmaking, animation tools are used for previsualization, shot planning, and generating final sequences via generative models. AI can automate labour-intensive tasks such as in-betweening, lip sync, facial rigging, and motion retargeting.
The 12 principles, codified by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, are foundational guidelines for creating believable motion. They include squash and stretch, anticipation, staging, follow-through, and slow in/slow out, among others.
