Squigglevision is a method of
computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images ( moving images), while computer animation re ...
in which the outlines of shapes are made to
wiggle and
undulate, emulating the effect of sketchily hand-drawn animation.
Tom Snyder of
Tom Snyder Productions invented the technique, which his animation studio
Soup2Nuts subsequently used in ''
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist'', ''
Dick and Paula Celebrity Special
''The Dick and Paula Celebrity Special'' is an adult animated series that aired on FX in 1999. The premise of the show was that Dick and Paula hosted a talk show where famous individuals, usually deceased, talked about their work or what made them ...
'', ''
Home Movies
A home movie is a short amateur film or video typically made just to preserve a visual record of family activities, a vacation, or a special event, and intended for viewing at home by family and friends. Originally, home movies were made on ...
'', ''
O'Grady
''O'Grady'' (stylized as ''O*gRAdY'') is an American animated television series created by Tom Snyder, Carl W. Adams, and Holly Schlesinger for Noggin's teen-oriented programming block, The N. The show was animated at Snyder's Soup2Nuts stu ...
'', and ''
Science Court
''Science Court'' (retitled ''Squigglevision'' in 1998) is an educational entertainment, animation/ non-traditional court show from Tom Snyder Productions, which was aired on ABC's Disney's One Saturday Morning block from 1997 to 2000. The ca ...
''.
Compared with
traditional animation
Traditional animation (or classical animation, cel animation, or hand-drawn animation) is an animation technique in which each frame is drawing, drawn by hand. The technique was the dominant form of animation in cinema until computer animation. ...
, Squigglevision is relatively fast and easy to produce. The non-stop motion of the "squiggling" outlines reduces the need for more complex animations in order to make a scene feel dynamic. Tom Snyder describes the result as "economy of motion". "There are almost no disadvantages," Snyder asserted. "It costs just as much to do a helicopter scene as it does to do a living room scene."
In order to create the line oscillation effects that characterize Squigglevision, Tom Snyder Productions' animators loop five slightly different drawings in a sequence called a . The animators then operate software from
Avid Technology
Avid Technology is an American technology and multimedia company based in Burlington, Massachusetts, and founded in August 1987 by Bill Warner. It specialises in audio and video; specifically, digital non-linear editing (NLE) systems, video ed ...
to merge the flics into the scene, and synchronize them with the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
.
See also
*
Animated cartoon
*
Animation
*
John Callahan
*
Richard Condie
References
Animation techniques
Audiovisual introductions in 1995
Computer-related introductions in 1995
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