Techniques Used for Cut-Out Animation

You may remember those puppet shows from your childhood. Well, they are a great example of cut out animations – perhaps the oldest technique used to create animated movies. Despite there being so many new advanced video techniques, cut-out animation still remains a popular option for businesses and entertainment industry.

• Traditional paper/ fabric cut outs

Animated shows started from this technique of joining paper or fabric cut-outs. The idea is simple – you draw a character on a paper or fabric, cut it into smaller parts and then join them with pins or thread. So, let’s say whenever you wish to show a character walking, you simply move its legs cut-out this is what we called traditional cut out animation.

However, it is not quite possible to achieve smooth motion with this technique. Especially if there is a single animator controlling the pieces, running the whole show demands a lot of practice and intuition.

• Digital Cut out animations

With the widespread use of computers, traditional paper cut-outs are now replaced by digital animations. Here, you first prepare pieces on paper and then scan them to convert into soft copy. Using different software, those pieces are joined together and controlled in movie frames as needed.

It is interesting to know that there are some really cool animated movies based on this technique. Even some brands are also considering this option to create fun explainer videos to engage their audience. Cut out animation is one of the old traditional methods. After all, who does not enjoy that nostalgia while seeing these “puppet shows”?

• Silhouette Animations

This one is perhaps a really interesting technique or sub-division of cut-out animations. By using cardboard, pieces are cut out and tied together with a wire at the joints. Metal or plastic may also be used to support the figures. Then by applying backlight, a silhouette affect is created. This makes the movie appear similar to shadow play with all the characters in black.

Cut-Out animations can be a great choice to give a fun affect to your marketing videos or provide some classical entertainment to your audience. Cut out animation is popularity among people. Still looking for more information? Contact us today to see how you can use cut-out animations.