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The start
H.W. Goodwin invented a celluloid film which held images -
An early moving-picture production
Emil Reynaud opened a theatre using an invention called the Praxinoscope. It produced a 10 to 15 minute "moving picture." -
Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope
Using the film developed by H.W. Goodwin, Edison was able to produce moving film pictures on a wall. The film moved over a series of wheels to produce the pictures. -
Sound is captured
Using a magnetic recording device, sound was recorded for the first time. Animation enthusiasts would latch onto the technology. -
The Enchanted Drawing
James Blackton used animation techniques to produce a short film. It documented the drawing process of characters, without ever showing the artist. This made it seem that the drawings appeared. -
The first official animated film
Emile Cohl produced a film called "Fantasmagorie." It was a hit and is known today as the first true animated film. -
Gertie the Dinosaur
This short film became popular quickly. It was created by Windsor McCay. -
A patent on the process
John Bray developed and patented a streamlined process for creating animated films. He tried, unsuccessfully, to force other companies to use his designs. -
Felix the Cat
Otto Messmer, who had been working in animation for a few years, created Felix the Cat. Felix was very successful. -
Laugh-O-Grams
Walt Disney, at 20yrs old, began his first animation film studio called Laugh-O-Grams. It failed after only a short time. -
Steamboat Willie
Walt Disney didn't give up making animated films. In 1928 he released a film called Steamboat Willie featuring Mickey Mouse and, using sound for the first time, and it was an instant hit. -
Warner Bros. Studio is born
Looney Tunes was supposed to be a spin-off on the Silly Symphonies by Disney. It soon took on a life of its own and became popular. -
Other popular charters
Throughout the 1930's, several iconic characters were created. This included Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor man, and Daffy Duck. -
New technologies
Disney developed the use of 3-strip Technicolor animation. In 1935, Len Lye created a method of painting directly on film strips; he used it in his animated film "Color Box." -
The first full-length film
Walt Disney produced the first-ever full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. -
Iconic characters grow
This brought several new popular characters to life. This included Woody Woodpecker, Mighty Mouse, and Tom and Jerry. -
Computer generated movies
At the University of Utah, Ed Catmull developed a method of creating computer generated movies. -
Period: to
3-D and beyond
Apple produced a method for creating 3-D films, and in 1995 Toy Story was released as the first full-length 3-D film. The animation industry would never be the same.