 In tradition with the show's cutout animation style, all characters listed below are composed of simple geometrical shapes and bright colors.Ever since the show's third episode, "Weight Gain 4000" (season one, 1997), all characters on "South Park" have been animated with computer software, though they are portrayed to give the impression that the show still utilizes the method of animating construction paper composition cutouts through the use of stop motion, which was the technique used in creating the show's first episode, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe".In addition to the main characters, other students below will sometimes give a brief monologue as a means of expressing the lessons they have attained during the course of an episode.