OTL, as i understand it, animation was super early in the twentieth century. But how early is it possible? Guilded Age? Progressive Era in the US? what might some effects be of this medium arising decades earlier?
As @Escape Zeppelin noted, animation's biggest obstacles were not necessarily technological. Precursors like flip books appeared in the mid/late 1800s, and earlier examples like the lanterna magica appeared even further before that. Animation was always considered "for children", and animation requires a great deal of skill. Until the 20th century, children's entertainment was not particularly profitable (children rarely have any money, after all). Animation requires large studios and a wealthy consumer market that is willing and able to spend money on their children. To this day, adult animation is still rarely considered respectable on the same level of live action movies and television.
Perhaps if there was a breakthrough adult animated film in the early 1900s, it could encourage copycats and lead to more animated films being produced. However, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Disney having the means to do so.
Probably technically possible, but it requires a kind of big intuitive/conceptual leapSo high stone age animation would be possible. A potter's wheel on each side, a long strip of papyrus with pictures on it scrolling across a window into a room with a bright fire inside, a wall or cliff opposite cleaned and painted white. Or phantasmagoria: fog banks and clouds for the silver screen instead of a wall.
First animation feature film.The oldest known animated film was an Argentine political satire from 1917.
I know that @DValdron was planning to do a one shot on Renaissance animation at one point, though he never got around to it.
Flashman: Probably technically possible, but it requires a kind of big intuitive/conceptual leap.bpbruce said:
So high stone age animation would be possible. A potter's wheel on each side, a long strip of papyrus with pictures on it scrolling across a window into a room with a bright fire inside, a wall or cliff opposite cleaned and painted white. Or phantasmagoria: fog banks and clouds for the silver screen instead of a wall.