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The First Stop Motion Animation Ever Captured

Writer's picture: Sean CooperSean Cooper


George A. Smith was filming a live circus performance in 1898. He was surprised to see one of the puppets move on its own. He filmed the puppet and discovered that the end result was very realistic. Smith used this technique to create the world's first stop-motion animated film, Humpty Dumpty Circus.


Stop-motion animators must work with various objects and puppets, moving them one frame at a time in front of a camera. This process gives the appearance that the objects are moving on their own.





Making these films is a complex process that requires skilled hands. Animators must be able to create puppets from scratch by drawing, sculpting, casting, and molding them. They must also understand how to use special effects such as smoke, water, and other special effects to produce realistic images.


This historic film was shot in black and white and required each frame to be painstakingly hand-tinted by a team of artists. All of the animated characters' facial expressions are also noticeably different from how they appear today.


While this may appear to be difficult to watch in the twenty-first century, the concept behind this achievement has been used in countless animated films over the past century and is still used by animators today.


Animation has advanced significantly in the last few decades, with digital animation now being widely used. However, some animators still prefer the stop-motion technique, and others are drawn to it entirely because of its distinct aesthetic.


As digital technology advances and expands its reach, there's no doubt that more animators will adopt these techniques—which is fantastic.


Even if you're not an animator, there's a lot to learn from the history of stop-motion animation, especially since new techniques are still being developed today.



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