Is 2D Animation Really Dead?

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• published: 26 May 2016
• views: 2131

http://www.studioartfx.com The question, is 2D animation really dead? There are some cases, and some places, where this may seem to be the case, but the reason is not what you may think. It's not because audiences out there are tired of 2D, traditional animation and no longer want to see it. The reason is largely because of the cost to produce said 2D, traditional animation. When you go to make a $150+ million movie, you can't take any risks. This means the studios are going to go with what has worked before. In this case, the animated movies that have made a lot of money in recent history, have all been 3D. But that's not the only reason. 2D animation has survived on television mainly because of Flash or other forms of vector based animation. It is only through the use of these vector based tools that 2D animation can remain competitive in the modern market. You see, the cost to produce a half hour episode of animation in Flash, can be as little as a quarter of the cost to produce traditional, 2D animation, and this is talking about the kind of limited animation used in anime TV series! The cost to produce 3D animation, however, just gets cheaper and cheaper, as is the case with any form of technology. I talked in the previous episode about game engine rendering. Tools like this are making the production of high quality 3D animation fast and inexpensive. So now you see a lot of shows on television, especially here in China, being done in 3D animation. They are simple, but pleasant to look at and audiences are connecting with them. This isn't to say that audiences don't connect with 2D, but there is yet another reason. You now have a generation of young people who grew up on video games. They live in a world in which 3D has always existed. Toy Story is pretty old after all. For this generation, 2D animation is something old. They are simply more used to 3D. On top of this, there are more job opportunities in the world of 3D animation, and they pay more. In some places, a LOT more, which is certainly the case in China and Japan. So what are kids going to study? They are going to go where the money is. This means there are fewer and fewer people even interested in learning how to do 2D, traditional animation. The famous film director Hayao Miyazaki said that when 2D finally dies, it won't be because people no longer want to see it, it will be because the artists with the true skill to do it will have all disappeared. All of this can make it seem like 2D is dead, but there is one arena where it doesn't have to be. That is the arena of the independent creator. The indie creator can use the amazing tools available today to create fast and cheap 2D animation, without the restrictions of the big studios. The indie can take those risks! The independent animator can leverage the techniques and software on the market today, some of it even free, to create the way they want to create, and keep 2D alive. Finally we take a look at Anigen Final Secrets. http://www.studioartfx.com/ArtFXshop/FinalSecrets/FinalSecrets.html This is the fastest and easiest animation technique ever developed, to help any indie creator get started on the road to seeing their dreams come alive on screen!

Is 2D Animation Really Dead?

• Report rights infringement
• published: 26 May 2016
• views: 2131

http://www.studioartfx.com The question, is 2D animation really dead? There are some cases, and some places, where this may seem to be the case, but the reason is not what you may think. It's not because audiences out there are tired of 2D, traditional animation and no longer want to see it. The reason is largely because of the cost to produce said 2D, traditional animation. When you go to make a $150+ million movie, you can't take any risks. This means the studios are going to go with what has worked before. In this case, the animated movies that have made a lot of money in recent history, have all been 3D. But that's not the only reason. 2D animation has survived on television mainly because of Flash or other forms of vector based animation. It is only through the use of these vector based tools that 2D animation can remain competitive in the modern market. You see, the cost to produce a half hour episode of animation in Flash, can be as little as a quarter of the cost to produce traditional, 2D animation, and this is talking about the kind of limited animation used in anime TV series! The cost to produce 3D animation, however, just gets cheaper and cheaper, as is the case with any form of technology. I talked in the previous episode about game engine rendering. Tools like this are making the production of high quality 3D animation fast and inexpensive. So now you see a lot of shows on television, especially here in China, being done in 3D animation. They are simple, but pleasant to look at and audiences are connecting with them. This isn't to say that audiences don't connect with 2D, but there is yet another reason. You now have a generation of young people who grew up on video games. They live in a world in which 3D has always existed. Toy Story is pretty old after all. For this generation, 2D animation is something old. They are simply more used to 3D. On top of this, there are more job opportunities in the world of 3D animation, and they pay more. In some places, a LOT more, which is certainly the case in China and Japan. So what are kids going to study? They are going to go where the money is. This means there are fewer and fewer people even interested in learning how to do 2D, traditional animation. The famous film director Hayao Miyazaki said that when 2D finally dies, it won't be because people no longer want to see it, it will be because the artists with the true skill to do it will have all disappeared. All of this can make it seem like 2D is dead, but there is one arena where it doesn't have to be. That is the arena of the independent creator. The indie creator can use the amazing tools available today to create fast and cheap 2D animation, without the restrictions of the big studios. The indie can take those risks! The independent animator can leverage the techniques and software on the market today, some of it even free, to create the way they want to create, and keep 2D alive. Finally we take a look at Anigen Final Secrets. http://www.studioartfx.com/ArtFXshop/FinalSecrets/FinalSecrets.html This is the fastest and easiest animation technique ever developed, to help any indie creator get started on the road to seeing their dreams come alive on screen!