Computers in Film

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Computer animation is the art of creating moving images via the use of the computers. It is a subfield of computer graphics and animations (Computer Animation). It is created through the use of 2D and 3D computer graphics. This technique is becoming increasingly popular in the world of the film industry. Several animated features are now being created by the use of computers. Special effects are being created by computers as well.

Movie companies that are becoming famous for using computers are Pixar, Dream Works, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Square Pictures and Walt Disney. Dream Works developed the computer animated movies, “Antz”, “Shark Tale” and “Shrek” (1 and 2). Paramount Pictures created, “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius”, Square Pictures created, “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within”, and Walt Disney created the recent animated feature, “Dinosaur.” The most inventive and successful company is by far Pixar with their creation of “A Bug’s Life”, “Finding Nemo”, “Monster’s Inc.” and “The Incredibles.”(List of Computer-animated films)

In computer animation an illusion of movement is created by an image being displayed on the computer screen which is then quickly replaced by another image that is very similar but shifted slightly. One may wonder, how do these movies create images to look like smooth moving figures? The pictures must be drawn as 24 frames per second or faster. Some movies these days are putting 70 frames a second which makes it impossible for the eye or brain to process to notice the break between objects. Computer animation requires high frame rates to reinforce the realism of the picture. There is no jerkiness seen as the higher speeds due to “persistence of vision” (Computer Animation). Humans’ eyes and brains help out with computer animation, they automatically smooth out minor breaks because they store a picture for a fraction of a second and it creates the illusion of continuous movement.

After an image is sent to the screen to a back buffer, a computer can draw the image and make any changes needed before it is complete. Once the image is correct the computer tells the screen to draw from the back buffer either by copying the image from the back buffer to the primary buffer or making the back buffer the new primary buffer.

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