# What do you call this kind of animation?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-kind-of-animation/109840>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 19, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-kind-of-animation/109840 "2002-05-19T18:41:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Barking\_Spider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Barking\_Spider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Spider)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-kind-of-animation/109840/1 "2002-05-19T18:41:00Z")

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There’s a certain type of animation which is popular in Britain. It’s not like regular cartoon animation in the characters move about freely. It’s more like still drawings, with the drawings being moved about.

To give an example, it might have a picture of Queen Victoria. All of a sudden, a boot will come out of the top of the cartoon and smash her head.

I’ve seen this type of animation in some British movies. I think even Monte Python movies contain it.

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**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-kind-of-animation/109840/2 "2002-05-19T19:05:57Z")

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I think Monty Python _started_ that style – specifically Monty Python animator Terry Gilliam. It’s Gilliam’s distinctive style. I don’t think it has a name – it should probably be named for its creator

(Gilliam went on to become a director. _Brazil_ and _Twelve Monkeys_ are some of his best-known works)

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**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-kind-of-animation/109840/3 "2002-05-19T19:46:08Z")

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You can classify animation either as to the way it is made, or its style and typical content.

In terms of ‘how it is made’, the kind of animation you are referring to would be known as **rostrum animation** or **flatbed animation**. The animator has a flat working area or ‘rostrum’, rather like a desk top with a hinged glass lid. A movie camera is mounted overhead, pointing face down at the glass-topped desk or rostrum. The animator positions the elements of the artwork on the rostrum, lowers the flat glass lid to keep everything nice and flat, and exposes 1 frame of film. He then lifts the glass lid, moves the artwork elements a small amount, puts the glass lid down again and exposes the next frame of film.

When the film is run in real time, at (I think) 24 frames per second, the artwork seems to move. Bingo! Animation.

In terms of style or typical content, this would be called ‘absurdist’ or ‘Pythonesque’ or ‘surreal’ animation.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Green\_Fool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mr.Green\_Fool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Green_Fool)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-kind-of-animation/109840/4 "2002-05-19T19:55:54Z")

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…Monty Python started it? Doubtful.

That style I know was used in the mid-60s for alot of the MARVEL cartoons of the time.

Captain America, Thor, Namor, and I think the SPiderman cartoon used it sometimes. I seem to remember Spiderman actually having real animation while the others were literally comic panels and character cutouts moved about the screen to simulate action.