History of Animation

Animation over the years has evolved in many ways.

Stop motion is where you take models or glay which you place in a manner in which you want take a photo, then move the models slightly then take another photo and repeat until you are done with the animation.

While South Park (by Trey Parker and Matt Stone in 1997) is more of a vector animation now it first started as a stop motion animation. 

There's cell animation where in order to get movement each frame of animation is had drawn. Each frame will have a slight alteration to the last image and when played in quick secession it gives the illusion of movement.

Disney now tends to do more 3d animation for their movies now but when they started they where excessively cell animation. The Hunchback of Notre Dome (Walt Disney Feature Animation/ 1996)

There's Vector/ Flash animation which can be approached in a cell animation way of you can use the tools of the vector program to move the images you have drawn in a puppet like manner.

Nyan Caxx (Redminus 2011)

3d animation is where you make a 3d model and move it in a 3d world which you have made.

RWBY "Yellow" Trailer (Rooster Teeth Productions 2013)