What is Frame-By-Frame?
Frame-by-Frame animation is an animation technique that is achieved by making slight and successive modifications to individual pieces of still illustrations – usually drawings – one frame at a time. The modified illustrations are then presented in succession at rapid speed to give the appearance of motion.
Frame-By-Frame animation is one of the earliest animation techniques. In its most basic form, it can be accomplished by an artist who manipulates multiple two-dimensional illustrations and then plays them in order which simulates movement. Background and stationary objects within the illustration can be copied as base layers while moving objects are layered on top or in the foreground of an animation. This style of animation is like cel (or celluloid) animation, which makes use of successive drawings that are made on a clear cel, photographed, and then adjusted for the next shot.
Frame-By-Frame is most associated with the most primitive styles of animation in a cinematic sense and cel animation is usually considered to be an evolutionary step from Frame-By-Frame animation. While Frame-By-Frame animation is still a viable and desirable form of animation, it is becoming increasingly obsolete in the commercial animation industry outside of a niche demand for its aesthetic appeal.
Additional information
With the advent of CGI as a more efficient and cost-effective mode of animation, Frame-by-Frame is less used, especially as special CGI techniques can be applied to mimic the traditional stop-motion style. Despite its departure from mainstream animation, Frame-By-Frame still offers an easy and affordable mode of animation, especially for amateur animators.
Frame-By-Frame animation can be one of the cheapest and simplistic methods of animating, especially with the rise and availability of applicable computer software to assist in the development and layering of illustrations. Even home or hobby artists can enjoy successful animation projects through use of a variety of software. The term Frame-by-Frame does not have any readily apparent uses outside of the animation industry and is therefore seldom confused with other animation styles.
