A Brief History of Animation

We will begin with the origins of animation and Early Animation Devices, then continue with the first animated cartoons. From there, we will address animation in every period well into the present day, touching on a range of styles, techniques, innovations, and historical moments, from the invention of the multiplane camera to the computer animation revolution and everything in between.

We will discover who is called the Father of American Animation and who made the first fully animated film using hand-drawn animation. We will find out about the most influential person in animation, who revolutionized cartoons with sound and color. Discover who was the first animated movie star. Plus, look at other icons of animation and the new age of TV animation. And finally, the computer animation revolution.

This course covers the world history of animation however, foreign animated films have been included, based on their overall effect on American animation or on how later films were made.

The main criteria for including any animation in this course were: unique artistic achievement later copied by others, technical advances, commercial success, cultural and historical importance, the setting or altering of trends as well as anything interesting that helps to tell the inspirational story of the history of animation.