What happend to Animation?

[eastofthemoon]

Has anyone else notice that for the last couple of years there has hardly been any animated movies except for those Disney sequels and Miyazaki's films? Now, I don't mean computer graphic movies, like Chickent Little and Sherk, I mean the traditional hand drawn and paint like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, or Anastasia, etc.. I just realized this today and it just made me rather sad.

I can remember as a kid there used to be a new animated movie every summer that I looked forward to seeing like Hercules, and Mulan, but now it seems to me lately that movie companies are steering towards to computer graphics more than wanting to use traditional animation.

Now don't get me wrong, I love computer animation. I lOVE the Pixar movies and Sherk and I'm looking forward to seeing "Wild" and "Ice Age 2" when they come out, but I just don't want them to totally replace traditional animation.

There's something cool to know that a person managed to draw an certain expression or scene by hand. I just think that it would be sad if I never have the chance again to see an animated moive on the big screen again.

Comments

[ichiban-victory.livejournal.com]

You didn't hear? Michael Eisner (the then head of the Walt Disney Company) decided that computer animation was the way to go, and Disney shut down almost all of their animation studios around the world. I think that was the last straw though because a lot of the people at Disney finally caused an uprising against Eisner, and he finally stepped down as of the end of last year. There's a new guy in charge now, and I really hope he'll bring back tradtional animation again. Computer animation is neat and all, but I'll never love it as much as traditional animation.

[earthstar-moon.livejournal.com]

I did hear that Eisner shut down the animation department, but I didn't hear that he stepped down. Maybe hope isn't completely lost.

You know, I remember I once found this comic where is was Mickey from Kingdom Hearts fighting against the evil "Lord Eisner." XD I couldn't help but cheer for Mickey.

[ameban.livejournal.com]

Ichiban is right. Every thing she says about Disney's current policy is like that.
Currently, Disney is more interested in CG movies in 3D than traditional cartoons... And if you keep an eye in current cartoon series, you'll see almost all them are made with CG. I think than traditional cartoons are going to become extinted.

On the other hand, it isn't a real excuse for other companies besides Disney (and Miyazaki's which still being rare in foreing countries) for not making cartoons movies. It seems cartoons are monopolized by Disney, only. And it is not fair at all since Disney uses to copy storylines and plots from Japanese series. (I.E. "The Lion King", or "Atlantis") At least, Miyazaki's original and sweet in its own way.

I think other companies should try to make cartoon movies since Disney isn't going to do it anymore. In Spain, there are a bunch of cartoons movies (i.e. the "The Cid") but, even if the idea is good, it's ruined by other things.

[earthstar-moon.livejournal.com]

Some companies have tried to make cartoon movies.

And if you keep an eye in current cartoon series, you'll see almost all them are made with CG.

(Nods) I know and the same thing can be said for anime series now too. It's because CG is faster than paint. I don't mind it for the colouring, but the movies shouldn't all be computer graphics.

FOX did create Anastasia and Titan A.E. and Waner Bros did do Quest for Camelot a few years back, but still you would think with Disney busy with their CG moives, other companies would take this as an opportunity to show they can do better than Disney.

[ichiban-victory.livejournal.com]

I think than traditional cartoons are going to become extinted.

I don't think they'll die out. This same situation happened a few years ago when video games went from sprites to polygons. Suddenly 2-D games were out of fashion, and everyone wanted 3-D. ...at least at first. It wasn't too many years after that we started seeing 2-D games make a comeback, and even compete with the 3-D games.

I have nothing against using computers to enhance hand-drawn animation (Disney has used computers for many years to digitally color the drawings, which saves time and they can save the movies on computer), but to completely take away the art aspect of animation... Computer animation is an art in itself, but how hard is it really for someone to take these digital 'puppets' and move them around?

We might see more animation come from China soon. They're banning all animation from outside the country so they can work on making their own. It'll be interesting to see what comes of it.

[seth-turtle.livejournal.com]

I can't say that I've ever seen 'Chickent Little' or 'Sherk'.

I do find hand-drawn animation to be more personable as you do though. But then, your children will think of CGI as being the only personable form of animation. Hand-drawn cels will be archaic and ugly to them.