Squigglevision
Squigglevision is a patented method of computer animation in which the outlines of shapes are made to wiggle and undulate, emulating the effect of sketchily hand-drawn animation. Tom Snyder of Tom Snyder Productions invented the technique, which his animation studio Soup2Nuts subsequently used in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, Dick and Paula Celebrity Special, Home Movies, O'Grady, and Science Court.
Compared with traditional animation, Squigglevision is relatively fast and easy to produce. The non-stop motion of the "squiggling" outlines reduces the need for more complex animations in order to make a scene feel dynamic. Tom Snyder describes the result as "economy of motion". "There are almost no disadvantages," Snyder asserted. "It costs just as much to do a helicopter scene as it does to do a living room scene." However, some viewers have described Squigglevision as distracting and annoying, and some even claim Squigglevision gives them headaches.
In order to create the line oscillation effects that characterize Squigglevision, Tom Snyder Productions' animators loop five slightly different drawings in a sequence called a flic. The animators then operate software from Avid Technology to merge the flics into the scene, and synchronize them with the soundtrack.
Science Court
Science Court (retitled Squigglevision in 1998), is an edutainment, animation/nontraditional court show from Tom Snyder Productions, which was aired on ABC's Disney's One Saturday Morning block from 1997 to 2000. The cartoon was 'filmed' in Squigglevision.
Overview
“The half-hour program mixed courtroom drama, science experiments, and humor to teach fundamental concepts in elementary and middle school science such as the water cycle, work, matter, gravity, flight, and energy. As each case unfolded, the characters in the trial used humor to highlight scientific misconceptions and model good scientific practice.” In a typical episode, a lawsuit or criminal action would take place based around some scientific point. Humor and musical numbers were used to break down scientific concepts. Science Court earned top television awards for Tom Snyder. Science Court utilized Squigglevision as its style of animation.
Characters
The primary characters of Science Court were the trial lawyers, Alison Krempel and Doug Savage. Alison Krempel, voiced by Paula Plum, was modest, intelligent and kind. Her logical and articulate arguments always lead to the explanations of the scientific points. Doug Savage, voiced by Bill Braudis, was ignorant, arrogant and unscrupulous.
Podcasts:
