Reason CGI Animation Becoming Popular Animation Technique

Hope you all know that CGI stands for Computer-Generated Imagery.

Today we will try to find out the reason behind the popularity of CGI animation technique.

Before CGI two animation techniques were very popular one is hand drawn Traditional Animation and other is Stop-Motion Animation.

In Traditional Animation artists used to draw the images on a transparent celluloid or cel.

Traditional artists used to place cels on top of the background image to create multi-layered frame.

And in case of Stop-Motion Animation clay model puppets were used.

But with the digital technology animation artists switched to computer screens instead of pen and paper.

Animators can now place 3D models easily in three-dimensional space and can make then interact with each other.

In the current scenario CGI animation technique has become popular and the other two techniques have taken back seat.

CGI Animation Took The Front Seat

In the year 1993 Jurassic Park Movie changed the face of movies and entertainment.

Jurassic park proved that CGI movie not only look good but can become popular also.

Computer generated Dinosaurs with real actors created a fantasy world both for the audience and film industry.

In case of Jurassic park dinosaur’s models were scanned with lasers and imported within the computer.

For the first time animator added movement to bare-boned, wireframe models of dinosaurs and the audience could watch something beyond their imagination.

Skins were added on the Dinosaurs with the help of 3D software.

Animators built the scene frame by frame with the software tools.

CGI allows the animator to create huge possibilities.

Various user friendly 3D software are available in the market today which helps the artist to model any figure of their choice.

Computer generated 3D models look very similar to the real life figure as because of the depth dimension.

Previously Traditional animated figures had only two dimension i.e length and breadth; depth got added to the figures due to the 3D technique.

As because computer generated 3D figures looks more close to the real life character both the animators and audiences is preferring CGI techniques.

Until 1990s CGI was used in a restricted manner but in 1995 movie Toy Story became the first full-length CGI feature.

3D software became more user friendly by the time of Toy Story thus allowing small team of animators to give life to the Woody Character.

Reduction in the price of computer allowed the animators to have their own digital set ups to work with images and animation.

Young talented artists get interested towards the digital technology and they find this CGI animation technique less painstaking.

CGI Modeling Technique

Autodesk Maya or 3D Max helps the animator to create any model using polygon meshes.

3D models are gaining popularity in the entertainment fields due to their closeness with the real figures.

Animators can give movements to each body parts of the computer generated models something which is possible only in the CGI animation technique.

Detailing in the wrinkle skins, a blink of an eye, a lip movement looks more realistic in the CGI animation techniques.

Development of RenderMan; a photorealistic 3D rendering software by Pixar Animation Studio added more advancement in 3D technology.

RenderMan facilitates communication between 3D model, animation and render engine to generate high quality images.

This rendering process has been used to provide stunning visual effects for Hollywood blockbuster movies.

CGI is non-linear in nature; animators can work on different parts at the same time; one team may work on body movement while another can work with facial expressions.

Background construction to lighting effects almost everything can be divided to different artists to speed up the big project.

CGI Fur and Cloth Simulation

One of the toughest works of animator is to animate hair or fur of the creature.

But this work also became easy when Pixar developed fur simulation program called Fizt; with Fizt program animators gave motion to Sulley’s fur in the movie Monsters Inc.

Fur Simulation allowed the animators to animate the body fur in more real manner.

With CGI animators can give detailing touch to every each and every body parts of creature or human.

Similar to Fur Simulation; CGI allows cloth simulation.

CGI allows cloth modeling in the 3D space; with cloth simulation artist can manipulate colour, texture and crease of the cloth to make it look like real cloth.

CGI Simulation process has become very popular now and it has taken the animation technique to the highly advanced stage.

CGI Simulation was quite impossible in the previous or hand drawn animation technique.

CGI Motion Capture Technique

Motion Capture is another CGI technique where performance of the actors can be recorded and transferred to the computer generated models.

This technique came to use in the year 2001 with the film The Lord of Rings where master of motion capture director Andy Serkis used this technique for the character Gollum.

Motion Capture is no doubt an exceptional CGI technique which put life into the images.

Within few years facial capture joined motion capture to make sure that each facial expressions could be recorded and rendered.

Movie Avatar came into the theatres with the innovative facial capture CGI animation technique in the year 2009.

And then there is no looking back, today to get to watch movies with Motion Capture technique more often compared to last decades.

This technique not only portrays in-depth facial expressions but also human emotions.

In the year 2018 Andy Serkis thrilled the audience with his latest Motion Capture Movie Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.

Presently CGI animation has received a great media attention due to success of the visual stunning movies at the theatres.

CGI Crowd Simulation

CGI technique can be used to create Crowd Simulation where huge crowd gets movements.

Crowd Simulation is a unique aspect of CGI that has been applied to many Hollywood movies like Lord of the Rings, Creed II and many more.

Hence here we gave you reasons about why CGI technique animation is becoming more popular in this modern world.

Know more about CGI Animation click here and join us.

3D Animation Short Film “GULAL” Nominated in Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2019

3D Animation Short Film “GULAL” Nominated in Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2019.

24FPS International Awards, also considered to be the film festival of MAAC.

Gives an opportunity to the students across various centers of MAAC to showcase their talents in 3D Animation and VFX and other categories.

While also enriching them with production experience while they create their own masterpieces with their own teams.

We, at MAAC Chowringhee, Rashbehari and Ultadanga have always supported and encouraged our students to participate and perform to the best of their abilities, leaving no stones unturned to achieve the same.

So, in accordance with it, we always look forward to participating in the 24 FPS international awards.

Yester year too we did our best by participating in the Script to screen (Where students are supposed to make a short film on a given topic, starting from the very concept to the final look of the film) category of 24 FPS.

We put together the concept of brotherly love in the short “GULAAL”, which received a special jury mention award at the 24 FPS international awards 2108.

The short tells a story about cross border hatred and how the means of destruction itself can become instrumental in abridging the emotional gaps and solidify the fraternal love in all of us.

We at MAAC Chowringhee, Rashebhari and Ultadanga are very proud of the achievement garnered by our students.

We received the mail at our center informing us that our short has been a part of the “official selection” for the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival, 2019 in the Animated Films Category, BEST ANIMATED (student) Award.

This is a proud moment for us, to be able to bag a nomination in such prestigious film festival.

Even being nominated is such a great feeling. Now, to shed a little bit of light on the film festival, here we go.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest and most prestigious award in Indian cinema.

The award is presented at the National Film awards ceremony held by the Directorate of Film Festivals.

The award ceremony is held annually.

The Directorate of Film Festival is an organization that was set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The award was first presented in the year 1969. In commemoration to the Contribution made by Dadasaheb Phalke to the Indian Cinema, the government of India decided to introduce an award under his name.

Dadasaheb Phalke(1870-1944) was a film-maker of Indian origin, who directed Indian’s first ever full-length feature film which was “Raja Harishchandra” in the year 1913.

As the award is named after such innovative and genius personality, who made great contribution for the development in Indian Cinema.

The recipients of the awards are also honored for their outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema.

The selection procedure is undertaken by a committee , which constitutes of great eminent personalities from the Indian Film Industry.

As the years rolled on the awards have expanded to include the genre of animated as well as short films under its umbrella.

The feeling of pleasant surprise cannot even be summed up in words when we received the mail containing the information regarding the nominations.

The students and faculties involved were equally surprised and overjoyed at the intimation of the same.

The months of toil that they had put in into churning out the basic story structure out of the theme given to them.

And then going forward the concept was transformed over tedious hours into a short animated film.

The Journey of the people who live the movie making experience through the 24 FPS international award is in itself quite an adventure.

With the start of the entire experience the students and faculties alike work tirelessly towards the goal to make a movie out of a bare concept and stop at nothing till the goal is reached.

The journey of our students began in may, 2018 with the receiving of the theme on which the story was to be made, and the medium was already set in stone to be 3d.

Since then the flow of the production kicked in, starting with the basic story and scripting, to the concept sketches of the characters and background.

With the pre-production in place and approved by the faculties and mentors from the research and development team in MAAC HO, the team jumped to the most tedious and the longest part of the journey, that is production phase.

This particular phase involved the concept sketches to be turned in full fledged 3d models, which were then to be textured and rigged properly to be able to produce any lifelike movements.

Which in itself was a very rigorous process.

After the completion of these particular phases, the 3D Animation was done, this was the time when our team of students went under the pressure of sticking to the deadline.

The time was slipping with still lots to do.

At this time the team raised their collaborated as well as their individual efforts to speed up the process. It had become something like a race against time.

The animation phase passed by swiftly with the lighting and rendering taking place simultaneously.

The sound track for the entire film was being prepared as the production was going on and so was the edit lineup ready.

With production and post-production running parallel to one another, it was like buzzing through the whole process.

But all is well that ends well and so, the efforts really paid off.

When we receive a nomination in our very own 24 FPS International Awards, which in itself is the most prestigious award to be adorned with for the students of MAAC across India, it becomes a cause for celebration for us.

Winning one is a goal for all of us, although the bar of the competition is raised every year with the fabulous submissions and the undying dedication of the students.

When the Film Festivals, across the world and India showcase the work of our students and recognize their handwork put in through months, our pride and joy knows no bounds.