The work puts forward three paradigms of media: a representing system, materials for creation, and a communicating platform.Under these three paradigms, people have different understanding of new media. The animation discussed herein finds out its position in the three paradigms of new media. The work first discusses how the animation practice in the field of contemporary art has been incorporated into the orthodox art history as a new media in the form of materials for creation, and points out its shortcomings in exploring inside the animation images. In contrast, animation must get more direct aesthetic and style research under the representing system. On the other hand, for the new media on the communicating platform, i.e. the Internet and mobile Internet, the animation has obtained much public concern on the Internet, not like the practice of contemporary art animation which is among the minority.Animation and moving image media as a whole have multiple connotations because of the three media paradigms; however, these three paradigms are actually not totally independent, but have something in common.