| Animation, contrary to what many people think, has a | | | | using the strings, the bird appeared as if it was inside |
| long and illustrious history of its own. Ancient Egyptian | | | | the cage. Such early inventions were forerunners to |
| excavations reveal that the Egyptians did extensive | | | | the present day animation. |
| wall decoration way back in 2000 B.C. Even the | | | | Later, an instrument called the henakristoscope was |
| Greek, in their ancient paintings and drawings reveal a | | | | invented by Joseph Plateau, which was a circular card |
| fascinating sense of imagination. Leonardo Da Vinci | | | | with slits around the edge. The viewer had to hold the |
| has used some form of animation in his famous | | | | card up to a mirror and peer through the slits as the |
| illustrations. The Japanese have used scrolls to tell | | | | cards whirled. A series of drawings would be present |
| stories from ancient times. The ideas behind animation | | | | around the circumference of the card. What the |
| are not a recent phenomenon and have existed for | | | | viewer would see was the optical illusion of a moving |
| centuries now. With the increasing impact of | | | | picture. Plateu introduced this to the US in 1826. |
| technology, the face of animation has been | | | | Decades later, the advent of computers and software |
| revolutionized. | | | | literally changed the way animation was done. Now |
| It has been mankind's quest from the beginning of time | | | | literally nothing is impossible as far as animation goes. |
| to capture the sense of motion in art. This gave rise to | | | | Using current animation software, one can create mind |
| ancient paintings which could be found in caves. One | | | | boggling animation. Hollywood is full of animation |
| has heard of such drawings associated with several | | | | pioneers. In fact, who can forget Walt Disney's |
| civilizations of the past. A Frenchman named Paul | | | | innumerable animated characters, which have become |
| Roget invented something known as the thaumatrope, | | | | American icons. Animations have become more |
| which was a disc with a string attached to both sides. | | | | realistic in the sense that one can virtually duplicate real |
| One side of the disc had the drawing of a bird and the | | | | life situations using state-of-the-art animation software. |
| other side an empty cage. When the disc was twirled | | | | |