Disney Going Back To Traditional Animation
This is really good news (at least I think it is). Disney is getting ready to head back to the medium that made them famous. 2-D animation! They’re obviously not getting rid of 3-D animation, but adding the traditional animation back into its fold!
Our friends over at Cinemablend give us this:
Variety says they’re returning to 2-D animation for the first time since 2004’s Home on the Range. They’ll do it with a movie called The Frog Princess, being developed by John Musker and Robert Clements. They’re the guys responsible for Disney 2-D classics like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. The interesting thing here is that both Musker and Clements abandoned Disney several years ago, and only recently returned after the very public merger of Disney and Pixar, which put people like John Lasseter in charge of Disney’s animation division. With the help of Pixar’s team, it looks like Disney is regaining its reputation as a haven for great animation talent.
I’m a 3-D animation junkie, but 2-D animation is a wonderful medium for story telling. There’s just something magical about it when done right.
At the end of the day, all that really matters is the story… but different mediums can give a story a different flavor… and it’s nice to see Disney shaking up the spice rack again.
1. TM replies at 28th July 2006, 12:57 pm :
I like the idea. You know…if I think about it…I actually prefer the 2D just as much as the 3D animation. Since technology is better, maybe they can make 2D look even better now.
2. hi replies at 28th July 2006, 2:41 pm :
Lion King=best animated movie ever no mater what format. I was very dissappointed when Disney announced that they where gonna stop doing 2D so this is happy news. I think there is more soul in 2D animation
3. chark hammis replies at 28th July 2006, 4:01 pm :
Hallelujah. It’s the story, not the medium. That’s what Disney lost sight of when they shut their cell studio down. Glad to see they’ve woken up.
4. HeroStew.com replies at 28th July 2006, 5:11 pm :
The Pixar guys are to thank for this whole thing.
The Pixar guys are ol’ skool 2D animators, and although love their 3D CGI, still believe there is room for 2D films. There was some movie, I forgot the title, that was supposed to have animated and live action elements. Lasseter (the Animation messiah) told his animators ‘Hey lets submit the animation as tradititional 2D animation to the share holders (money guys who green light a film)’….well the money guys loved it. And thanks to PIXAR, the CGI guys, 2D lives AGAIN!!!!!!! I reported on my site a year ago when all this went down when I had a ‘movieblog’ because I myself am a 2D animator. All I can say is THANK BUZZ FOR LASSETER!
This was a good move by Disney and Pixar. I know when I was seeing trailers for the new summer releases during one film. I saw maybe 4 CGI movies advertised, and could NOT tell them apart. 2D lends itself to diverse style. I like diverse in my summer movie and Christmas season.
The only thing GOOD that happened during Disney’s STUPID move to stop 2D feature films over the past couple years. Was that alot of those awesome 2D animators who stuck it out, ended up working on their straight to DVD releases. Thats why Bambi 2 looks like Feature Film Quality animation.
5. Kristina replies at 29th July 2006, 11:22 am :
The Lion King is THE BEES KNEES.
Anyway, little kids these days are so used to 3-d, when they see a 2-d flick coming out, they immediately have no interest. Sad.
6. HeroStew.com replies at 29th July 2006, 6:31 pm :
Thats not true at ALL!
7. HeroStew.com replies at 29th July 2006, 6:33 pm :
In fact its the opposite. When most under 10 kids see a CGI movie trailer they have no itnerest because they look like their video games they can play at home. Hoodwinked is an example of that (even though I liked it)
8. Chark Hammis replies at 29th July 2006, 8:10 pm :
While not a theatrical smash, Hoodwinked kicked ass on DVD, actually.
9. HeroStew.com replies at 30th July 2006, 7:52 pm :
I liked Hoodwinked. But like most, did not see it until on DVD. It didn’t kick ass in any market. But it was successful in the sense it didn’t cost much to make and made it’s money back and then some. Actually.
10. mogulus replies at 30th July 2006, 9:23 pm :
It’s interesting. As an artist, I watch Disney pretty carefully and usually sigh in disgust at most of their dealings. Ever since the “buyout/takeover”, I havent heard anything from the mouse that I would disagree with from a business standpoint.
Now this.
I have to say, my favorite animated films are probably “The Secret of NIMH”, “The Great Mouse Detective” and “Aladin”.
Of these movies, all used special effects and Computer graphic integration ( though NIMH wasnt recent enough to take full advantage of it ) … and they did it so well it was almost seamless.
The effect of intimacy that you achieve through hand drawn cell-mation is not possibly duplicated through computer animation. You can tell a killer story ( the incredibles ), you can pull at heartstrings ( Nemo )…but you just dont’ get that same “one on one” feel that this was all done for YOU…
…maybe this is just something that I feel personally…maybe not. But in my mind, this is the BEST news disney could have thrown me.
hooooray : )
11. Chark Hammis replies at 30th July 2006, 10:14 pm :
I’d say a debut at #1 on DVD sales charts on it’s release after pulling in nearly 75 million worldwide (51 domestic U.S.) after a cost of 20 million to make is kicking ass for what it is. Actually.
But seriously- I concede your point, Hero. The animation looked like it was rendered for a video game.
12. naughtinita replies at 30th July 2006, 11:05 pm :
i can’t talk in technical terms and all, but love this move and almost cried when i read this here. 2D should never have died, i loved each and every animation in 2D, and that’s much more than i can say for 3D.
dun get me wrong, i love 3D, it’s improvement and all that jazz, but this 2D move is like black and white movie in high definition. just hope they dun screw this up and make a 2D without soul.
13. HeroStew.com replies at 30th July 2006, 11:31 pm :
Yeah it all goes back to stories.
20 Million!!!! I thought it cost way less. That must be promotion and Patrick Warburton. Worth every penny HA!
Speaking of story, for me, thats why I liked Hoodwinked. Good voice actors, clever writing, and some good music is what makes a good animated flick to me.
There is and always should be room for both mediums.
Actually ;)
14. Joel Gustafsson replies at 31st July 2006, 1:57 am :
When photography came, painted art was declared dead.
When TV came, radio was declared dead.
When VHS came, cinema was declared dead.
2D animation is an artform that is taking a beating right now, but it will, not only survive, but continue to evolve. Right now internet and the flash format is bringing 2D animation possibilities to happy amateurs all over the world.
Just my two cents…
/Joel
15. mogulus replies at 31st July 2006, 2:30 am :
another point i would like to make, to build on some of the above comments…
…when I was a kid, I was well known as someone who could animate, draw, write and create. There was very little technology to pull things together adequately. So those of us who had the imagination to pull worlds together in our own mind and figure out a way to pull others into it were considered GENIOUS.
Now it’s different. ANYONE can put together a flash animation to tell a crude story or get a laugh. Anyone can do a web comic with MS paint or photoshop.
What’s happening with the movie industry with more people having access to make their own movies ( and distribute them online ) is happening, albeit much more quietly, with most art mediums.
Plus, the talent pool is getting richer.
Look at Comic books 20 years ago compared to today. The art is soooo much better drawn that it makes the old masters like Jack Kirby and John Romita look like chumps ( sacrelidge ). Animation is kinda the same.
You turn on saturday morning toons and you see animation that you would have KILLED to see as a kid. in some ways television animation has reached a cinematic quality of it’s own recently. ( not always, but sometimes )…
…it’s going to be really interesting to see what Disney could pull off if they get a kick ass story and put alot of effort and talent into making THE difinitive hand drawn animation film of all time… I doubt any of us would even see it coming.
Then again, they could piss us off with another soulful period piece about a girl and her raccoon…
blagh
16. HeroStew.com replies at 31st July 2006, 9:48 am :
I agree Mogulus. When I was a kid I used to shoot action figure movies all the time with my super 8 camera and some times my dads video camera. Back in the day when the video camera and the vcr were seperate and connected by a wire. Then I started making my own comics and selling them in stores. I didn’t know ANYBODY who was doing that.
Then the web comes and it turned out, so was everyone else. When Robot Chicken first aired I was blown away, ‘OMG. I have been doing that my whole life.’
Its funny, I personaly dont know anyone in my work place or around me that do any of the above. But with the net it seems like ‘everyone is doing it’
17. Greed replies at 31st July 2006, 11:35 am :
im super excited about this decision.
im tired of all these new animated movies coming out and pretty much not being any good.
however, i’ve recently discovered this DVD review show, called cinemattractions, pretty much they the two hosts review upcoming movies coming to DVD. recommending which to rent and watch and which to forget.
the animated ones they’ve recommended have so far been hit.
you guys should check it out.
cinemattractions. com
Greed
18. chark hammis replies at 31st July 2006, 5:05 pm :
Amen and Amen to all of the above.
I don’t mean to get all prophetic, but I knew it was a matter of time. Cinematic 2d cell animation is far too beautiful and artisan to go the way of the dodo. 3D will never replace it.