Animation has developed significantly over recent years with the advances in computer technology giving animators a wider range of tools to realise their ideas.

Animation consists of several main techniques:

Traditional animation (or cel animation) are hand drawn illustrations, each one varying only slightly from the previous illustration. When these are placed together the viewer is given the illusion of movement. The first animations used this technique. Disney's Snow White used this method.

Stop motion animation is similar to cel animation, except that instead of drawings the animator uses models. Wallace and Gromit is probably the best known modern day use of this technique.

Computer animation has now become a well established animation medium. Production studios such as Pixar make use of sophisticated computer technology to produce feature films such as Toy Story.

Other techniques and technologies are also used in modern animations. Motion capture (used in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and King Kong) and flip book animations are two examples.