by V R Rutledge

Created on: July 17, 2008

Any analysis of Animation Production has to be done in consideration of the various mediums that use animation. Whether Movies, Web Pages, Presentations, Television, or just video clips, the uses and companies vary widely. Even the software used is legion. From 3ds to Qarbon, not to forget Studio 3d max and Adobe, you can buy software for creating anything from an instruction video to a feature-length Movie. With so much software out there, you would expect to see more than a few companies. I found 33 in New York alone. There are giants, like Pixar, Toei Studios(now Toei Animation Company) and Sony, and smaller companies, like Digital Elixir, Eight Point Productions and Stellar Media. Companies even specialize, either in 3d animation, Blue/Green Screen, Digital Effects, Film Post Production, Video Post Production, Commercial Production, Film Production, Video Production or simply Animation and 3D. To try to assign a category of Best' to any of these companies is a daunting task.

When you are looking at over 500 major companies in the US and Canada alone, you should probably consider what they have done in the past. A&S Animation, Inc. has won Telly awards and Pulcinella Awards, not to mention a host of other acclamations. They specialize in character animation for TV, commercials, training videos and the web.
Pixar has won Academy awards for Animation five times since 2000, and that's just for movies. In all, Pixar has earned thirteen Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, and one Grammy, among many other awards, acknowledgments and achievements. If that isn't enough for you, consider Industrial Light and Magic, with 33 Academy Awards for Visual Effects, 33 BAFTA awards and 19 Scientific and Technical Awards. Let's not forget Sony Pictures either. As the owner of Imageworks, Sony Pictures Animation, Columbia Tristar Pictures and part owner of MGM, they have a few awards of their own.
Awards aside, the companies listed above have made entertainment that changed the culture of the world. We all know Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and many of us are familiar with The Smurfs. 'The Chronicles of Narnia' will probably enter the ranks of Movies we all know, as well. Animation, in the form of CGI and other special effects has become the medium of both Television and Movies, and is rapidly becoming a staple in all forms of electronic communication.
If, however, one is forced to select a single best company, history will tell us to look no further than Disney. The first and best, by any standard, for almost a century, Disney was the definitive name in animation from its beginnings. In 1937, Disney's innovative first full length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was released to critical acclaim and worldwide success. In the late 1940s, Disney launched into the production of live-action features and television programs, but did not forget to animate them. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was a movie that contained special effects animation and is a classic of the genre. Mary Poppins', with audio-animatronics and a combination of live action and cartoon images, is another Disney Classic. A few other classic movies from Disney which employed special effects animation include, The Absent Minded Professor, Blackbeard's Ghost, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Pete's Dragon, and Tron. Walt Disney, himself, received 25 academy awards in his lifetime. He also received the Congressional Gold Medal on 24 May 1968 and the Lgion d'Honneur in France in 1935. I can find no list of the awards earned by Disney and its affiliates, but the number appears to be around sixty and includes almost every type of award that a studio can be given. In short, Mickey Mouse wins again.

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