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Live action is a form ofcinematography orvideography that usesphotography instead ofanimation. Some works combine live action with animation to create alive-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or similar visual media.[1]Photorealistic animation, particularly moderncomputer animation, is sometimes erroneously described as "live action", as in the case of some media reports about Disney'sremake of thetraditionally animatedThe Lion King from 1994.[2][3] According to theCambridge English Dictionary, live action involves "real people or animals, not models, or images that are drawn, or produced by computer".[4]
As the normal process of making visual media involves live action, the term itself is usually superfluous. However, it makes an important distinction in situations in which one might normally expect animation, such as when the work is adapted from avideo game, or from ananimated cartoon.[citation needed]
The phrase "live action" also occurs within an animation context to refer to non-animated characters: in alive-action/animated film such asSpace Jam,Who Framed Roger Rabbit,Looney Tunes: Back in Action, orMary Poppins in whichhumans and cartoons co-exist. In this case, the "live-action" characters are the "real" actors, such asMichael Jordan,Bob Hoskins andJulie Andrews, as opposed to the animated "actors", such asRoger andJessica Rabbit.[citation needed]
As use ofcomputer-generated imagery (CGI) in films has become a major trend, some critics, such as Mark Langer, have discussed the relationship between live action and animation. New films that use computer-generatedspecial effects can not be compared to live-action films usingcartoon characters because of the perceived realism of both styles combined.[5]
In producing a movie, both live action andanimation have their own pros and cons. Unlike animation, live action involves the photography of actors and actresses, as well as sets and props making the movie seem personal and as close to reality as possible. The only drawback is one's budget. On the other hand, animation works well in conveyingabstract ideas but it generally takes much longer to produce.[6]
