Rotoscope animation was everywhere in the past, especially from its early days through the 1900s. Think of classic rotoscope animation examples like Snow White (1937) and Out of the Inkwell (1918), where animators traced over real film footage to create lifelike movements. While modern movies mostly use computer animation (CGI) now, some artists still use the rotoscoping technique.
Even so, it’s developed and changed over the years, adapting to the art styles of different periods and improving with technology. But before we get into rotoscoped animations across eras:
What is the Meaning of Rotoscoping?
The birth of the rotoscope was in 1917, fathered by Max Fleischer. The aim of rotoscoping was to produce movements that appeared as seamless and realistic as possible. So, rotoscope artists would trace live-action actors, who would be reshaped and given cartoonish features.
The early method of rotoscoping animation was to project a live-action sequence onto the back of a glass panel, on which animators would place a sheet of paper to draw on. The process was tedious—each second consisted of numerous frames, so to successfully string together a coherent animated piece, time and care had to be invested.
However, in the modern day and age, rotoscoping is much different. Colour and three-dimensional aspects are significant, but its production has also been digitised. The need to have clunky, space-consuming setups of glass and projectors is removed—and pieces are much quicker to make.
Current technology allows rotoscope artists to use vector shapes and interpolation. Therefore, modern programs would copy and use basic forms that an animator provides to form other movements. Every single twitch no longer needs to be traced over, cutting down the hours artists spend on monotonous frames.
List of Notable Rotoscope Animation Examples
A. The Early Birds (1900s)
1. Out of the Inkwell
Release date: June 2, 1918
Genre: Comedy, Silent
Country of Origin: US
Director: Dave Fleischer
Easily the first piece of rotoscope animation, Out of the Inkwell is an animated show by Max Fleischer himself. It was initially a silent series of three films but gained more instalments due to its popularity. Max Fleischer’s younger brother, Dave, was the rotoscoped model of the show’s main character, Koko the Clown. It was a comedic series, where each episode would typically start with Fleischer drawing Koko, followed by his antics and clownish tricks.
2. The Goddess of Spring
Release date: November 3, 1934
Genre: Musical, Drama
Country of Origin: US
Director: Wilfred Jackson
This 9-minute Technicoloured short was Disney’s technological predecessor to Snow White. It acted as a foundation for the classic film’s rotoscoping techniques, being a much-needed experience for the animators of Disney. The Goddess of Spring alludes to Greek mythology, specifically showcasing the Gods Persephone and Hades. It opens with Persephone dancing in a flourishing garden alongside elves and personified flowers, only for Hades to sweep her off her feet and drag her to the underworld.
B. 2000-2010s
1. Titan A.E.
Release date: June 16, 2000
Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure
Country of Origin: US
Directors: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Art Vitello
Humans from the ruined Earth in Titan A.E. were predominantly rotoscoped. This science-fiction adventure follows Cale Tucker, a man who is determined to find the titular ship to save humanity. The spacecraft he searches for has the ability to create an entire planet, with conditions that humans can survive in—but the creation of this technology was what initially caused the destruction of Earth, albeit unintentionally. An alien race called Drej feared its power, so they obliterated the world before any human could do harm.
C. 2010-2020s
1. The Case of Hana & Alice
Release date: February 20, 2015
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country of Origin: Japan
Director: Shunji Iwai
This rotoscoped drama surrounds a 14-year-old student Alice, a fresh face in a new town—but it wasn’t long until she became the target of school harassment. She had been assigned the seat of a dead kid and found out that Hana was the only student with solid information on the potential murder. The Case of Hana & Alice may fall under the genre of thriller or mystery, but its focus is rather on budding friendships, trauma and perseverance.
2. The Spine of Night
Release date: March 18, 2021
Genre: Horror, Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy
Country of Origin: US
Director: Morgan Galen King, Philip Gelatt
The Spine of Night is an adult dark fantasy horror, animated with nothing but rotoscope techniques. It’s a movie about a plant, capable of wreaking havoc across all of time. The plant grants people insurmountable amounts of power while tilting their sense of morality. Despite having plenty of access to modern technology, they had manually drawn the same number of frames as traditional rotoscoping called for, staying true to animations of the 70s and 80s.
3. Exordium (Short Movie)
Release date: 2013
Genre: Animation, Short, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country of Origin: United States
Director: Josh Jones, Morgan Galen King
"Exordium" is a hand-drawn animated short that uses rotoscope animation—a technique where artists draw over real video footage to create realistic movement. In this gritty fantasy story, warriors battle an immortal enemy at a ruined fortress while fighting for the universe's deepest secrets.
Morgan Galen King's "Exordium" exemplifies this evolution in rotoscope animation, depicting a violent fantasy narrative where warriors battle an immortal enemy. This 8-minute philosophical piece combines hyper-realistic rotoscoped motion with rich storytelling, demonstrating how modern animation techniques can preserve the gritty authenticity of traditional rotoscoping while embracing digital innovation through its detailed animation.
4. Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
Release date: April 1, 2022
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Family, History
Country of Origin: United States, Netherlands
Director: Richard Linklater
Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood tells the story of a young boy growing up in Houston during the summer of 1969, blending real history with imagination through stunning rotoscope animation. The film follows a fourth-grader who dreams he became the first person to land on the Moon, all while the actual Apollo 11 mission captivates the world.
Created by Richard Linklater, this 2022 animated film uses the same rotoscope animation technique seen in other famous works like "A Scanner Darkly" and "Waking Life," where live-action footage is traced over to create fluid animated scenes. This unique visual style helps capture both the reality of 1960s suburban life and the dreamlike quality of childhood imagination.
Conclusion
While rotoscope animation - the technique of tracing over live-action footage to create animated sequences - may have decreased in popularity since its golden era, it still creates distinctively beautiful and fluid visuals that no other animation method can replicate.
Modern rotoscope animation examples like "Exordium" and "Apollo 10½" show how this classic technique continues to captivate audiences. As more filmmakers rediscover and experiment with rotoscoping in recent movies and TV shows, fans of this unique animation style have reason to be optimistic about seeing more rotoscoped projects in the coming years.
Author Bio
From Malaysia, Leia Emeera is a writer at TESSR and a published author. She has been putting pen to paper ever since she learned how to, and has an anthology to her name, titled 'Ten'. Leia loves music, games and her beloved labrador retriever, George. She aims to further her studies in English Literature and Creative Writing the moment her gap year ends. 'Till then, you will find her sitting behind a desk, writing with TESSR.
Connect with her on LinkedIn: Leia Emeera