Here's a sound cartoon from 1924, a precursor to the Fleischers' "Screen Song", complete with the (unheralded) famous bouncing ball. It was an experiment that the always inventive Fleischers -- Max had invented rotoscoping -- were trying out. Sound films were in the air, with two or three competing systems in experimental form; these films played with their soundtracks at a small theater chain that the Fleischers co-owned with Lee DeForest; they used his talking picture system.

There had been attempts to make talking pictures from the very beginning. When Edison announced his experiments to make moving pictures a reality, he envisioned linking them with the phonograph. What delayed the widespread introduction was the lack of a system to reproduce the sound loud enough to fill a theater with hundreds of people. DeForest had come up with a system based on his invention of the triode.

Animation is a form of visual storytelling that involves creating visual art and motion through the use of various techniques and technologies. In animation, images are manipulated to create the illusion of movement, bringing characters, objects, and environments to life. Animation can encompass a wide range of styles, themes, and intended audiences, making it a diverse and versatile form of storytelling.

Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Ko-Ko the clown and his glee club lead the audience in an early follow-the-bouncing-ball sing-along.

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