SimplicityĢD animation is much easier to create, so that is another reason for its usage.
This is just one factor that has contributed to 2D’s resurgence: almost anyone can create simple short films, allowing them to get a laugh, make a statement on social media, or maybe get an Oscar. I’m not saying that just anyone can be a top-notch animator-that still takes special skills and talents-but it gives many amateurs the ability to have fun and create inspiring animations. So why is 2D technology on the rise? There are now loads of apps that can help almost anyone create animation. We continue to see 2D animated feature films in the theater and on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
Even 2D video games are on the comeback.ĭon’t forget: The Simpsons are still around along with numerous other 2D animated series like Family Guy, South Park, and more. We probably see as much 2D now as we ever have.Īnimated training and learning videos have become very popular with increased work-from-home and remote learning activities. Not only did it not disappear, but its use is now on the rise. There were always old-school animators who wanted to preserve the art form. While its popularity faded for a while, 2D animation never totally disappeared. 2D cartoons remained popular with some specific brands like The Simpsons (America’s longest-running American scripted primetime television series), but for the most part, 3D took over after 1995-not only in films but television, video games, and more. While Disney’s Pixar films were (and continue to be) leaders in this technology, other studios soon followed. With its realistic look and feel, 3D animation grew in popularity with Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, and Monsters, Inc. The art of drawing animated sequences frame by frame slowly faded away.
As these technologies evolved, animation evolved with it-and 3D was born.
As computer technology became widely available, many 2D films used software to make the process easier. Artists had to sit down and draw every frame. What Happened to 2D Animation?Ĭlassic cartoons, many of them legitimate works of art, were very detailed and complicated to create. The combination of movement in any direction and the appearance of texture gives 3D animation a more lifelike appearance. Objects and backgrounds in 3D can also appear to have texture. 2D can only move from side to side, up or down, or some combination of the two. This gives objects depth and feel they may appear to be moving towards you or away from you. Instead of being limited to the x-y axis, 3D adds in a third dimension along the z-axis. How Is 2D Animation Different from 3D?ĢD animation is different from 3D in the way that the objects and backgrounds look and move. The classic method of animation was widely used until the advent of computer-animated graphics almost thirty years ago. If you were a kid in the ’70s like me, you probably grew up watching them every Saturday morning. You’ve probably seen some of the old original Mickey Mouse films, including Steamboat Willie. This type of animation was widely used for Disney Films, Looney Toons, and other popular films and television shows. This process eventually evolved into putting pictures onto sequential film, creating motion pictures, and blooming into what we now call 2D animation. The cards are then displayed rapidly, which gives the appearance that the objects are moving. Early animations consisted of repetitively drawing objects in slightly different positions on pieces of paper or cards. It was first developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Pen-and-paper animation has been around for a long time.
2D drawings often look flat on a piece of paper, without depth. The movement is created in only the x or y axial directions. What exactly is 2D animation? How is it different than 3D? What caused it to start fading away, and why is it back now? What is 2D Animation?ĢD animation is the art of creating the illusion of movement in 2-dimensional space. Once-adored cartoons like Looney Toons, Hanna Barbara, and classic Disney films seemed old and outdated. Not too long ago, 2D was considered old-school. While 3D animation is still huge at the multiplex, traditional 2-dimensional animation has made a big comeback in other media. Pixar and other studios created feature films using computers to create indelible imagery backed up by superb stories. Computer-generated graphics made cartoons more realistic.
For decades-in fact, since Toy Story in 1995-3D animation was all the rage.