Today's computer graphics, in their diverse applications, show a trend towards color and motion. The increasingly common use of computer-generated animations as openings, in commercials, and also in scientific visualizations achieves their effect through the simulation of optical effects, such as the reflection behavior of metallic surfaces, and through sophisticated movements that can even mimic correct physical behavior. This book presents techniques for producing such photorealistic computer animations and demonstrates them using the computer film "Occursus cum Novo." Each chapter concludes with overviews of the state of the art and references to relevant further literature. For potential developers of animation systems, this book outlines fundamental methods and their efficient implementation in algorithms and software.