create an account
login
create an account
login
create an account
login

9 November 2020

types of animation

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANIMATION?

OLD, PRODUCTION /
Contents
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    They say creative adults are the children who survived, which explains why so many of us in the media industry appreciate a good animation.

    From the believable worlds of 3D cartoons to awe-inspiring magic of stop motion flicks; animation can touch an audience just as well as any live-action film - like the animated short, Sitara Directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy which uses animation and music to tell the story of a young girl in Pakistan.

    Here we explore the five different types of animations and list the software that can be used to create each one.

    Ready to become an animation expert? Well then, we suggest you continue reading!

    What Is Animation?

    Let's start with the animation definition.

    Animation is: ‘moving images created from drawings, models, etc that are photographed or created by a computer’.

    How Cartoons Are Made

    The way a cartoon is made depends on the type of animation the studio/director is opting for.

    Let’s explore the five different types of animations.

    What Are the Five Types of Animation?

    The five types of animations are…

    • 3D
    • Traditional
    • Stop Motion
    • Motion Graphics
    • Vector

    How Do Animators Work?

    Let's run through each of the above types of animations and how they actually work, this way you'll get a sense for which type of animation is best for your needs or skillset.

    1. 3D Animation

    Not be confused with animations presented in 3D (with the special glasses) – 3D animation uses computer-generated imagery (CGI) to develop intricately-detailed worlds and characters.

    What Popular Animations Were Made Using This Technique?

    Since the turn of the millennium, almost all film and television production companies have turned to 3D animation. But the feature films and short films that we associate with 3D animation technology the most is PIXAR.

    What Software Is Used to Create This Type of Animation?

    2. Traditional Animation

    Also known as hand-drawn animation and cel animation, traditional, 2D animation was the original animation method, and therefore the go-to method of 20th Century animators.

    Traditional animation involves each frame being drawn by hand on celluloid: a transparent sheet which the animator draws directly on to.

    What Popular Animations Were Made Using This Technique?

    Early Disney animations are the most obvious, and arguably the best example of hand-drawn animation. We’re talking the likes of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi and Pinocchio.

    What Software Is Used to Create This Type of Animation?

    3. Stop Motion Animation

    Needless to say, stop motion animation involves the physical movement of objects (commonly created using clay) that are animated by being photographed one frame at a time.

    What Popular Animations Were Made Using This Technique?

    If you’re anything like us, the macabre worlds of Tim Burton and Henry Selick (think: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride and Coraline) will come to mind when thinking about stop motion animation.

    Or, of course, the fabulous creations of animator Nick Park’s Wallace and Gromit films, together with Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep and Early Man.

    What Software Is Used to Create This Type of Animation?

    4. Motion Graphics Animation

    Motion graphic animation is essentially animated graphic design, bringing to life text and images that would otherwise be static.

    What Popular Animations Were Made Using This Technique?

    This type of animation is frequently used to bring the titles of TV shows and films to life. Some of our favourite motion graphics are created by Marvel, who switch-up their title sequences for every entry in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe).

    What Software Is Used to Create This Type of Animation?

    5. Vector Animation

    Vector animation is essentially the modern-day version of hand-drawn animation. It is a method that focuses on 2D graphics, popularly used in both children’s and adult cartoon TV shows.

    What Popular Animations Were Made Using This Technique?

    Some of our favourite TV shows are created using Vector 2D animation – including Phineas and Ferb and Rick and Morty. We forecast an increase in vector animation within the next few years as audiences are nostalgic for the kind of films and cartoons they used to watch as youngsters.

    What Software Is Used to Create This Type of Animation?

    Need Music for Your Project?

    At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

    SIGN UP

    This page was updated 28/05/2024.

    WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANIMATION? Read More »

    What Is BPM and How to Find It

    MUSIC, OLD /

    If you’re familiar with the term, but always thought, ‘what is BPM in music?’ or wondered 'how to count bpm', we’re here to help.

    Not to be confused with the BPM that stands for ‘business process management’ applications, what does BPM stand for when you’re using it as a music term: ‘Beats Per Minute’.

    Stay tuned to find out everything you need to know about BPM.

    What's BPM?

     

    BPM is a way of measuring the tempo of a piece of music – ie, its speed or pace. So, a waltz will have a much lower BPM than a track that’s been created to make you want to hit the dancefloor, or push yourself to the max in a spin class.

    Need to find music with a specific BPM for a project? Our super-simple search tool will give you a huge range of tracks to choose from.

    For a quick dive into beats per minute, and how it can be useful when you’re creating content, we’ll look at:

    • How to count the BPM in music
    • What’s the most common BPM in music?
    • How do you use BPM?

    mixing desk

    How to Calculate BPM in Music

     

    Working out a track or piece of music’s BPM isn’t too tricky, but if you know a bit of music theory, then it’s much easier.

    Music’s tempo (its speed/pace) is typically written at the start of its score – as a time signature, in the form of a fraction (4/4. 6/8, etc).

    The top number represents the number of beats in each measure, or bar.

    A particular note – eg a quarter note – is specified as the beat, and the amount of time between beats is a specified fraction of a minute.

    The greater the BPM, the smaller the amount of time between successive beats.

    The tempo determines the speed the music is performed at – so, when you count how many beats are in one minute of a song played at a specific tempo, you can work out the beats per minute. If the tempo is 60 BPM, then there is one beat per second – 120 BPM is thus twice as fast.

    If you’re a DJ, knowing the BPM of your tracks is crucial, as it allows you to mix and beat-match seamlessly.

    BPM

    How to Find BPM

     

    Get some tips on how to find out the BPM of a track in this video:

    Want a quick hack for how to calculate BPM? Count the beats for 15 seconds, and then multiply that by four!

    Or, if you’re using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), the software allows you to tap along to a beat for a few bars, and the system will then automatically detect the tempo – useful if you’re using a sample or a drum track and don’t know the genre or bpm.

    There’s also plenty of software, apps and websites that feature bpm calculators. Try beatsperminuteonline.com or drop your music file into the song analyser on https://getsongbpm.com/tools/audio and you’re sorted!

    Or, you could strike it lucky with a database – if you’re looking for the BPM of a popular track, try uploading the title into one of these databases:

    • Tunebat.com
    • Songbpm.com
    • BPMdatabase.com

    All of Audio Network’s tracks have their tempo listed on their page, to make it easy to find what you need – such as ‘Carnival Nights’, which is 120 bpm.

    BPM

    What’s the Most Common BPM in Music?

     

    There isn’t necessarily a standard BPM in music, however, most genres can be classified and identified by their BPM.

    Some examples would be:

    Waltz

     

    Slow waltz music is around 28 to 30 bars per minute (84 to 90 beats per minute). Waltz music is in 3/4 time and the first beat of a measure is strongly accented.

    Jive

     

    The Jive is one of a number of different swing dances that developed concurrently with the Swing style of jazz music in the mid twentieth century.

    This group of dances also includes the Lindy hop and West and East Coast swing. The Jive is generally danced to music in a 4/4 Meter between 38 and 44 measures per minute (152 and 176 beats per minute).

    Reggae

     

    Most reggae songs are written using the 4/4 meter with heavy emphasis on the backbeat.

    The average tempo of a reggae tune ranges between 80–110 BPM, slightly slower than commercial pop. Reggae also features very idiosyncratic rhythmic patterns, with plenty of off-beat rhythms, usually staccato beats played by a guitar or piano (sometimes both) on the off-beats (also known as upbeats) of a measure.

    This gives most reggae music a slightly ‘jumpy’ feel.

    Ambient & Chillout

     

    This ends to emphasise tone and atmosphere over traditional structure and rhythm, using textural layers of sound and often being influenced by other genres, ranging from avant-garde music to folk, jazz and world music, together with incorporating sounds from nature to create its simple, dreamy feel.

    Professionalcomposers.com suggests that the BPM is around 50-80 – the lower you go, the more ambient the music will be!

    Hip Hop

     

    Hip hop is more than a genre, it’s a cultural movement.

    A lot of people use rap and hip hop synonymously, but strictly speaking, hip hop is a cultural movement, including music, whereas rap is a specific music technique.

    The central feature of hip hop is the interplay between the rapper and the beat and weaving different beats and melodies together, often from samples, and at a BPM of between 60-100.

    Jazz & Funk

     

    Jazz emerged in America around around the turn of the 20th Century and is characterised by its improvisations, syncopations and swing rhythms.

    The BPM of jazz tracks can vary from extremely slow (ballads at 60 BPM) to very fast (Bebop at around 320 BMP).

    Pop

     

    The BBC reported that the average tempo of 2020’s top 20 best-selling songs is ‘a pulse-quickening 122 BPM’ – the highest its been since 2009 (124 BPM).

    In more recent times, the average tempo of a UK pop single was 104 BPM. Most pop songs hover around 116 BPM, with the fastest at 150 BPM.

    Rock

     

    Hitting at around 110-170 BPM, rock music has a 4/4 time signature and is characterised by its youthful, rebellious energy, with driving rhythms, strong basslines and electric guitar riffs.

    House

     

    House music has a BPM of 115-130; drum and bass is obviously a lot faster at 160-180 BPM.

    Named after The Warehouse club in Chicago where it originated in the early 80s, house takes disco’s use of prominent bass drums on every beat, and developed a new style by mixing in heavy synth basslines, electronic drums and funk and pop samples.

    Electro

     

    Most electronic dance music (EDM) has a BPM of 120-140 and includes everything from trance to techno, breakbeat, gabber and hardcore (which hits 200 BPM).

    As the name suggests, EDM’s main aim is to get you on the dancefloor, so rhythm is paramount.

    Techno

     

    By nature, techno tends to be highly repetitive, following a regular four-to-the-floor beat, and is heavily beat-based. It clocks in at anything from 100-170 BPM.

    UK Garage

     

    UK Garage originated in South London clubs around 1994-6, and it’s original sound had a four-to-the-floor beat.

    However, from 1997 onwards, the breakbeat-influenced 2-Step sound took off. Heavy sub-bass was joined by singers and then prominent MCs, and most UK Garage tracks feature a BPM between 125 and 140.

    BPM

    How Do You Use BPM in a Creative Project?

     

    The tempo and feel of a track can be used to create a feeling for your audience – whether you want something fast and slapstick for comedy, or something more slow and sombre for a documentary.

    Action films will need a track that’s got plenty of pace – a high bpm can really get that adrenaline rushing for an edge-of-the-seat feel.

    Tracks with a lower BPM are slower, which can be great if you’re looking to create romance, or sadness – some of the classical greats are often used for romantic or sad films.

    clapperboard

    That Was Our BPM Guide

     

    If you’ve got a general idea of what genre of music you’re looking for – even if you don’t know the exact BPM – then you can use Audio Network’s expert search options to find tracks by production genre, instrumentation, musical style or mood and emotion.

    Need Music for Your Project?

     

    At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

    SIGN UP(opens in new tab)

    What Is BPM and How to Find It Read More »

    This website uses cookies

    We use cookies to personalize content, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our analytics partners. You can change your preferences at any time. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.