TV & Film What Happened to 2D Animation?

[Count Gensokyo]

I've been wondering about this a lot now. 


Just rewind 10 years, and it was still easy to see a lot of great 2D animated films and shows. Nowadays, it seems like 2D is dead in the west and that anime is the only thing still consistently using it. All the big Disney and Disney/Pixar films are in CGI 3D now, which isn't really bad (as long as it's a good movie or show, I don't care), but I'm just surprised by the overall lack of traditional 2D animation nowadays. Thoughts on this?

 

[charleen]

wooo praise the 2007's and its glory  :BishieSparklesL:

 

[Shelter]

A lot of the reason has to do with costs. It costs less to hire animators than 3D artists, and you need less 3D artists to animate too. Shows like Kim Possible and Invader Zim, high regarded shows of the 2000s were cancelled because of animation costs, especially for Kim Possible. It would be profitable to do reruns of the already made episodes than make new ones. Anime has still been 2D because the Japanese respect tradition above cutting costs, but even they have to make a profit so they make popular light novels adaptations or reduce animation quality. Studios like Madhouse are struggling also from economic pressures but also their push for focusing on the art of animation than making money.


It's a disjointed rant but this every reason I know why 2D is disappearing.

 

[Devious Dilbert]

A lot of the reason has to do with costs. It costs less to hire animators than 3D artists, and you need less 3D artists to animate too. Shows like Kim Possible and Invader Zim, high regarded shows of the 2000s were cancelled because of animation costs, especially for Kim Possible. It would be profitable to do reruns of the already made episodes than make new ones. Anime has still been 2D because the Japanese respect tradition above cutting costs, but even they have to make a profit so they make popular light novels adaptations or reduce animation quality. Studios like Madhouse are struggling also from economic pressures but also their push for focusing on the art of animation than making money.


It's a disjointed rant but this every reason I know why 2D is disappearing.

This is really true actually. Sad, but true. (Though I thought Invader Zim was canceled because the creator was pushing his ideas a little too darkly for the network that it aired on, which was mainly watched by kids. Wasn't it Nickelodeon? I mean, coulda been both reasons.)


A lot of people "complain" about how there's a lot of shit animated shows and anime, and that's because of how much it costs to produce 2D animation. Highly ambitious projects are extremely risky to actually do because of this. Which is why many production companies just throw out whatever makes them enough money to keep them up and running. It sucks, but it's understandable to be honest.

 

[MrNeko]

If I the skill to animate and time to do it would create my own animations 

 

[Kidstupefy]

2D animation is the shit. I prefer it over 3D. I always heard it took much longer to make however. Not sure if that is right, but yea.


Sometimes in my RPs I visualize the setting in 2D-ish. Don't cost nothin.

 

[Axel The Englishman]

Gotta love Adventure Time.

 

[AnimeGenork]

I really miss 2D. That's probably why I'm rewatching some of the old Disney cartoons and still watch stuff like My Little Pony.


That might've been why I loved The Princess and the Frog so much. Probably the last 2D movie that's not anime that's come out.


(Don't quote me on that I'M PROBABLY WRONG.)

 

[Count Gensokyo]

I really miss 2D. That's probably why I'm rewatching some of the old Disney cartoons and still watch stuff like My Little Pony.


That might've been why I loved The Princess and the Frog so much. Probably the last 2D movie that's not anime that's come out.


(Don't quote me on that I'M PROBABLY WRONG.)

That's the only notable one I can think of, at least.

 

[volchan]

2D will always be better in my mind. There is something about it that just feels way more alive than 3D does, even if 3D is more "realistic"...if you know what I mean. It's one of the reasons I love anime so much

 

[Gabe]

Part is production costs. Most of the time it's really time consuming and expensive to make a decent 2D animation. Part is technology and what the public wants. They see games with Ultra 3D graphics and want that on their movies too, and the industry just gives what the public wants.

 

[Ratatoskr]

Costs plus casual moviegoers think that 2D animation outside of Japan is obsolete.