2D Animation in a 3D World
Recently, Disney Animator artist Cory Loftis posted on his Tumblr page some stills of what the hit movie “Frozen” would have looked like had it been produced in traditional (2D) animation instead of CGI 3D. The results were truly beautiful and artistic and showed just how magnificent traditional animation can be. The images prove an important point about animation. Much of animation production work today has shifted towards the 3D style, and it seems as if 2D animation is given less attention by creative directors, big brands, and animation production companies. Disney, for example, said only last year that they have no plans of creating 2D films, though they also pointed out nothing was set in stone. The fact that Disney has absolutely no plans for traditional animation is troubling, as the classics we loved growing up were all hand drawn and 2D. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with having 3D animation. 3D animation has produced incredible content and captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world, of all ages. A recent example involves “Futurama.” A Russian 3D modeler by the name of Alexei Zakharov recently created short clips of what the world of “Futurama” would look like in 3D, and it is certainly stunning. Though he was unable to recreate the characters due to copyright concerns, the 3D world Zakharov built was nonetheless awe-inspiring. 2D is not obsolete, and traditional animation is not dead and gone. In fact, we see it quite often in things like explainer videos and mobile gaming, mediums that have only recently emerged and blossomed as the Internet has expanded. However, it is disconcerting when an enormous and influential animation production company like Disney says that traditional animation might not be in their future. 2D animation is not old or outdated, and it can tell a story with as much strength and verve as any other animation style. In short, there is a place for everything, and each animation style deserves its due attention. If animation were done in one specific style, it would lose its magic. Animation is loved because it thrives on creativity and imagination. We can get the 2D world of “Futurama;” we can also access the CGI universe of “Frozen.” They both offer something unique while still being animated. To simply say that one style is old, however, and the other is the future takes away the artistic qualities of animation and simply turns something imaginative into something ordinary - mere points set on a timeline. What could be less imaginative? Powerhouse Animation is a traditional 2D animation studio based in Austin, Texas with offices in Burbank, California. Since 2001, Powerhouse has been making ideas come to life through animation, illustration, and motion graphics. With a staff of 35 in-house artists, animators, videographers and designers, Powerhouse works on a wide variety of projects and has created animation for companies including Disney, Sony, Marvel, DC, Old Spice, Coca Cola, Miramax, the USO and more. To learn more about some of these projects visit www.powerhouseanimation.com.