Animation Exhibit Planned for Bishop Museum in 2009
Bishop Museum will enter the exciting and visually rich world of animated cartoons when it presents a highly interactive traveling exhibition that brings together art, math, science, and technology to explore the animation process February 14 through May 10, 2009.
The Animation exhibit was created and is circulated by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon, in collaboration with the Cartoon Network. Animation is everywhere! Every time we turn on a TV set, go to a movie, or surf the Internet, we see animated segments. But how does animation really work? Get ready to explore the science behind the art when you visit Animation!
From concept to finished product, visitors will learn all about the intricacies of the art of animations. From storyboarding to character design and drawing techniques, to movement, timing, filming, and sound—come to Animation and see how it all works. Larger than life graphics of popular Cartoon Network characters provide a colorful backdrop to the exhibit, which also explores the history of Animation and features a screening room and a cartoon museum.
To illustrate convincing movement, animators apply knowledge of the physics of motion, and the science of human perception. Animators plot out a character’s path of action on a grid before producing an animated sequence. The animator creates characters in scale with their environments through the use of basic geometry and spatial sense.
Several of the exhibit areas feature digital slide shows of real animators working in the studios at Cartoon Network. Visitors will learn about the skills and training needed to pursue a career in animation.
Six thematic areas are explored in the Animation exhibit:
History: Learn about early animation and apparent motion. Visitors can try using a praxinoscope, posing a three-dimensional figure and spinning it to se the figures morph into a single animation. At the penny Arcade, you can “crank” out animations with an old-fashioned mutoscope.
Animation Studio: Explore the process of animation, story creation, and animator techniques and tools. You can develop a storyboard from a series of picture cards, design objects with a pantograph, and create scenes using layered cels and moving backgrounds.
Art in Motion: With help from the characters of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, discover why art and math are important allies when it comes to creating characters, motion, and change. The illusion of movement will come alive as you magically “move” around a room without using your legs.
Animation Laboratory: In Dexter’s Laboratory, you can delve into the science and technology that make animation possible. Create the illusion of a bouncing ball with the technique of ”squash and stretch” and find out how the action slows down or speeds up with time-lapse videos. You can also see yourself hover while exploring visual effects in a full-body interactive experience.
Sound and Stage: Discover the principles of sound and phonetics with the Kids Next Door, while exploring the complexity of matching phrases to different mouth shapes. You can add your own voice to a silent animation, and set the mood of the film by selecting background music from a variety of soundtracks.
Cartoon Museum: Take a seat in an intimate theater setting and view clips of popular animations while learning the secrets behind their production. For more information about Animation, call (808) 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.
The Honolulu presentation of this exhibit is supported in part by Horizon Lines, Inc.
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