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The production of "TVs" came to a stop at end of 1941, when aluminum (required in TV production at time) was rationed for war purposes. After war, TV manufacturing business exploded. In 1946, eight thousand TVs were produced. In next year, over 38 million sets were sold in United States.
The early days of commercial television created a problem for advertising and publishing industry. Large corporations were not spending their money on print advertising, but opting instead to experiment with TV.
Animation lended itself to this new medium. A live person talking about a product worked, but a cute little animated character bouncing around screen commanded attention! In 1949, Television Magazine indicated that four of six most popular television ads were animated.
In 1957, MGM decided to get out of animation business. Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, creators of successful Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoons, found themselves out of work. The two formed their own company and immediately began work on a made-for-television animated series called Ruff and Reddy. This series remained on air until 1964, one hundred episodes later.
With release of The Flintstones in 1960, Hanna-Barbera studio became premier production house for television animation. Acquired by cable mogul Ted Turner (founder of Cartoon Network) in 1991 and then merged into Time-Warner in 1996, Hanna-Barbera cartoons are experiencing a new-found popularity.
Many other animation companies have produced television programming over years. The Walt Disney Company, for example, has produced several programs, from animated segments of Mickey Mouse Club (1955-59) to series such as PB&J Otter on Disney cable network. The Nickelodeon network regularly produces several animated programs for children. The Fox and Comedy Central networks have promoted animated cartoons geared toward an adult demographic, such as The Simpsons, The Critic and South Park.
Animation and Internet
The Internet, as it is currently known, is still a new medium. In 1993, a group of students at National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA) developed a computer program called "Mosaic." This program, known as a "browser," allowed text and graphics to be transferred via telephone lines from one computer to another and be assembled in a predesigned layout on a computer monitor. Mosaic?s page layout ability was very limited and was not a forum for any type of animation, however. Recognizing limitations, team of graduate students and trainee programmers who created software left NSCA to form a new company: Netscape Communications.
In October 1995, Netscape released a new browser known as "Netscape Navigator 2.0." This new browser had ability to display small animated graphics known as "animated gif files." These animations could be inserted on a Web page easily, but were limited in scope. Slow data transfer over telephone lines made it impossible to animate anything other than a few seconds of looped motion.
In 1996, Macromedia, Inc. developed a program called Flash. Macromedia Flash created animations based on vector information - mathematical instructions that are much smaller in file size than animated gif files, allowing longer animations. This program has revolutionized art form. Flash is generally accepted as only truly effective way of delivering animated entertainment online. Many companies are now producing made-for-Internet cartoons.
One notable Internet cartoon series is "The Pink Donkey and The Fly," by a New York based design house called Funny Garbage. The Pink Donkey series features artwork of Gary Panter, best known for creating designs and characters for children?s television program Pee-Wee?s Playhouse. Some of Funny Garbage?s work can be viewed at www.cartoonnetwork.com/wpt.
Other notable series include Bulbo Toons by MishMash Media (http://www.bulbo.com) and Capital Ill by JibJab (http://www.jibjab.com).
Macromedia Flash animation is also being used to enhance e-business Web sites. One Long Island based Internet design and marketing firm, Exploded View, is dedicated to integration of new technologies in Internet marketplace. "No matter what technology is used in a Web site, there are basic psychological design principles that must be adhered to," said Jake Gorst, Exploded View President. "Animation can be a great enhancement to an e-business site if it does not distract from customer buying experience."
These "psychological principles" include proper use of color and vocabulary, object placement and navigation. For example, a Web site that features a large corporate logo and predominantly displays corporate news information could be frustrating to a customer looking for products. If products are not clearly visible, sales will be low. If Web site features a color that is not popular with target audience (due to religious, political or other reasons), viewer attention will be minimal.
"Once these principles are in place, animations can be added that compliment overall message of site," says Gorst. "Care must be given not to create a distraction, however."
Richie Saccente of Troll Studios (http:/ rollstudios.com), an Exploded View customer, is very excited about integration of animation in his company?s Web site. "We are using a small troll-like character to guide viewers through our site," says Saccente. "To my knowledge this is first time Internet animation has been used in conjunction with psychology in this manner. I love our site."
In this day and age, animation industry is so vast that a synopsis of every possible application could not be made in a single article. In addition to Internet applications, experiments in animation are also taking place in video games and virtual reality technology. What does future hold for this art form? Only time will tell, but for artist involved in animation world, this is a good time to be alive.
Jake Gorst is a writer, film maker, and president of Exploded View (http://www.explodedview.tv), a new media advertising and design company. He also is a frequent contributor to various trade publications on topics related to Web site and architectural design psychology and trends. Previously, Gorst served as Vice President and Chief Creative Officer for E-Media Publishing, Ltd. and as an Internet content developer for Citibank and other Long Island based corporations.