Computer Animation

Graphic output

Jul 10, 1954

on earliest computer. Image from George Dyson's TED talk.

Sketchpad

Jul 9, 1962

by Ivan Sutherland at MIT. Notable as early research in computer graphics. Image from YouTube video on Sketchpad.

Hummingbird

Jul 10, 1967

by artist Chuck Csuri at Ohio State Univ. First representational animation. Previous to this, artists such as Lilian Schwartz and xxx used computer graphic displays to animate abstract designs.

Kittie

Jul 10, 1970

by Nikolay Konstantinov; Animation recorded a single frame at a time from printer paper output. published in: Problemy Kibernetiki (Russian: Problems in Cybernetics), 28, 1974, pp. 193-209

Not Just Reality

Jul 9, 1973

by Barry Wessler at Univ. of Utah. Show figure walking, gesturing and talking. Ahead of its time. It took many years before character animation surpassed this.

Talking Face

Jul 10, 1974

by Fred Parke

Hunger

Jul 10, 1974

produced by Rene Jodoin at the National Film Board of Canada. First computer-animated film to be nominated for Academy Award.

Arabesque

Jul 11, 1975

Example of early artistic abstract computer animation. by John Whitney, programmed by Larry Cuba

Futrue World

Jul 10, 1976

Film showing some of Utah's graphics on displays in futuristic lab (using graphics as 'graphics')

The Works

Jul 10, 1977

at NYIT (date approximate). Never finished as far as I know. It showed an ant-type character in a large mechanical vehicle.

Star Wars

Jul 10, 1977

CG special effects showing line drawing display of the Death Star to the pilots (using graphics as 'graphics'). Produced by software called GRASS developed by Tom DeFanti at Ohio State Univ. and used by Larry Cuba for this film.

Alien

Jul 11, 1979

Used 3D graphics display

Looker

Jul 10, 1981

Film about computer synthesized character taking over for real actors - a story way ahead of its time. Shows synthetic scan of Susan Dey.

TRON

Jul 10, 1982

MAGI, III, Robert Able and Assoc., Digital Productions collaborated to make this film about users being transported to 'inside a computer'. First film to make extensive use of computer graphics as an integral part of the environment that action takes place in.

SGI

Jul 10, 1982

Founded by Jim Clark initially to make 3D graphic displays

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Jul 11, 1982

Uses a particle system for the Genesis Effect

The Last Starfighter

Jul 10, 1984

First use of CG environment - switches to CG for outter space flights of spaceship.

Brilliance

Jul 11, 1984

TV commercial for canned foods by Robert Abel and Assoc. Developed motion capture technology for human-like robot

The Adventures of Andre and Wally B.

Jul 11, 1984

at film by John Lasseter at LucasFilm. Uses motion blur and particle system plants

Tony de Peltrie

Jul 10, 1985

by P. Bergeron at Univ. of Montreal. One of first extensive uses of facial animation.

Luxo Jr.

Jul 10, 1986

Early Pixar (Lucas Film) animation by John Lasseter. Nominated for Academy Award

Young Sherlock Holmes

Jul 10, 1986

First use of a CG character in a film.

Jack

Jul 9, 1987

by Norm Badler at U. Penn (date approximate)

Red's Dream

Jul 10, 1987

Pixar animation by John Lasseter

Rendez-vous a Montreal

Jul 10, 1988

by Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann and Daniel Thalmann at the Univ. of Montreal. One of earliest attempts at recreating specific people - in this case Bogart and Monroe

Tin Toy

Jul 10, 1988

Pixar animation by John Lasseter. First computer animation to win Academy Award for Animated Short. Beat out Technological Threat.

Technological Threat

Jul 10, 1988

About technology taking over jobs of people. Nominated for Academy Award.

Knick Knack

Jul 10, 1989

Pixar animation by John Lasseter. Nominated for an Academy Award

The Abyss

Jul 10, 1989

Used implicit surfaces to construct a 'face' on the underwater blobby lifeforms.

Bragger in Beantown

Jul 10, 1989

by John Chadwick at Ohio State Univ. (date approximate). First (?) use of multi-layered approach (seleton-muscle-skin) to character animation. Used FFDs as an exo-muscular system.

Terminator II: Judgement Day

Jul 10, 1991

Aka T2. First extensive use of CG special effects in a movie.

Jurrasic Park

Jul 11, 1993

Toy Story

Jul 11, 1995

Jumanji

Jul 11, 1995

CG of real animals - meeting the challenge of animating creatures for which there were specific expectations by the audience.

Geri's Game

Jul 10, 1999

Pixar animation. Technical Director: Dave Haumann

Star Wars: Episod I

Jul 10, 1999

Jar-Jar Binks - First featured CG character in live action film

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Jul 10, 2001

Most advanced human figures used in film.

Shrek

Jul 10, 2001

First awardee of Academy Award for Best Animated Feature