International Animation Day
International Animation Day brings the world together to celebrate the magic of animation on October 28th every year.
This special day marks the anniversary of the first-ever public performance of animation by Charles-Émile Reynaud in Paris in 1892. It’s a day when everyone, from kids to adults, can enjoy the creativity and innovation behind animated movies and shows.
The day was officially started by ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation) in 2002 to honor this unique art form. It often combines technology, storytelling, and visual art to capture people’s imaginations worldwide.
Animation is more than just cartoons. It’s a diverse field with various techniques like drawing, clay animation, and digital methods.
It’s celebrated globally, with over 50 countries hosting events like screenings, workshops, and exhibitions to showcase animation’s beauty and complexity​​​​​​.
We celebrate this day to shine a light on the talented individuals who create animated works and to encourage the public to explore and appreciate the art and science of animation. It’s a chance for people everywhere to learn about animation’s history, techniques, and cultural significance.
Whether it’s through participating in animation workshops, watching classic and contemporary animated films, or simply sharing favorite animation moments, International Animation Day is a tribute to the endless creativity and hard work of animators around the globe​​​​​​.
How to Celebrate International Animation Day
The best way to celebrate animation day is to pick up a series of films that represent the various ages of animation.
From the original Disney Mickey Mouse cartoons all the way through the classic Wizards film and into modern shows like Avatar that show the most magnificent blending of traditional filming and new.
Dig deep and you can find a great variety of animation techniques that will create some fantastic variation in theme, feel, and style. So take this International Animation Day to get out and explore the great wide world of animation, and relive some old adventures, and try some new.
Celebrating International Animation Day can be a blast with these quirky and playful suggestions:
Dive Into Classic Films
Relive the joy of childhood by watching timeless animated films. Whether it’s the enchanting “Bambi” or the adventurous “Aladdin,” there’s no shortage of classics to enjoy​​.
Try Making Clay Animation
Grab some Play-Doh and your smartphone to create your claymation. It’s a fun, hands-on way to appreciate the art behind animation​​.
Visit the Stars
If you’re near Hollywood, why not visit the Walk of Fame? Pay homage to animation legends like the Simpsons and soak in the history​​.
Explore Different Animation Eras
From the early Disney Mickey Mouse cartoons to modern masterpieces that blend traditional and digital techniques, take a day to appreciate the evolution of animation​​.
Learn to Draw With Disney+ Series
“Sketchbook” on Disney+ offers a unique peek into the lives and desks of Disney artists, teaching viewers how to draw iconic characters while sharing the artists’ stories​​.
Watch “The Great Mouse Detective.”
This film entertained and introduced computer animation to the scene, showcasing the blend of traditional animation with new technology​​.
Educate Yourself With “Waking Sleeping Beauty“
This documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at a pivotal time in Disney’s history. Each of these activities provides a unique way to celebrate animation’s creativity, innovation, and artistry, making International Animation Day unforgettable.
History of International Animation Day
The International Film Association was originally established in France, and was organized for the purpose of recognizing all forms of cinema and art.
Among them was Animation, and thus they developed International Animation Day in 2002 to serve as the pinnacle event in the celebration of the rising art of animation.
Animation is the art of creating the illusion of movement through a series of images that each show a separate stage of the animation, then displayed at a set rate through a projector.
The original animation was known as ‘cel-animation’ or ‘hand-drawn animation’, and was quite literally drawn frame by frame into the animated characters that we’ve come to enjoy.
More modern renditions of animation are done via CGI, and these often emulate the age old method of animation that is hand-drawn, while others use computer animation to bring the art into the modern world. All styles of this art-form have their own appeal, and many fans have rallied behind one or the other as the ultimate form of animation.
Other forms of animation that carry their own aesthetic are stop-motion animation where individual pictures are taken and streamed together to create an animated film.
These methods often include complex sets and gorgeous dolls, but have also been done with clay as a medium. These forms are often called claymation.
Animation has been used in everything from short commercials to full feature length films, and have served as a method of delivering everything from entertainment to information through an accessible medium.
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