Are 2D animated theatrical movies extinct ?

[ShredderX]

Growing up in the 80's and 90's there was always animated movies produced in the traditional 2D style that got theatrical releases, from " Heavy Metal " to " Transformers : the Movie " to " Oliver and Company " to " Ferngully " and more. Now it seems like all animated theatrical films are now 3D/CGI, and 2D animated films go straight to dvd. Are 2D theatrical movies extinct ?

 

[Ultimatehero]

In America, more than likely with rare exceptions. In Japan, it seems to still be running strong with anime.

 

[redhawk23]

Disney more or less got out of the traditional animated film business. They gave it a shot with Princess and the Frog, but they didn't deem it succesful enough and next year's film "Frozen" was redeveloped as a 3d animated film.

 

[Kane52630]

I think there will always be traditional animated films but it wont be as abundant as the CG animated films. The same goes with claymation/stop motion films, you'd think they've gone away but this year alone we've seen a bunch of them showing up. (Frankenweeine, Pirates, ParaNorman, ect).

 

[bkong0]

CG makes more sense from a budget view but traditional 2d will always have a place.

 

[bullets]

The major studios will get away from it , but you'll still see some every once in a while.

 

[Vapor]

I wish Don Bluth was still making films. American Tail, Land Before Time and Titan AE were all great.

 

[Octoberist]

Tradional animation still lives strong in foreign film. Not just in Japan but in Europe too.

My beef with CG animation is that unlike traditional animation there's a fear of trying to do different types of styles. Right now many animated stuff may look alike to the broad audience.

Thats why I hope studios are willing to experiment and that's why a short like 'Paper Man' gives me hope.

 

[BlueLightning]

One of the reasons I found Wreck-it Ralph so enjoyable is that it played with the animation in a different way than other films. Maybe it was a necessity of translating the 2D sprite world into 3D, but there were many things done with the animation that set the movie apart.

I miss traditional animation so much, the Paper Man short was gold. Like Octoberist said, there is still hope that the studios might return to this kind of animation, or at least experiment with it.

 

[Octoberist]

It's a circular thing. If you look at trends and music, we always look at the past for inspirations.

With 3D animation, we're still in the 'infant' stage compared to the decades we had 2D animation.

In time we'll see new bold attempts at animation. I like the fact that Disney has experimented somewhat with Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph. Tangled looked like 3D film animated in old school 2D style ala Aladdin. The facial expressions were very expressive and embraced its cartoony nature. I liked that.

 

[terry78]

TV is where 2D is most popular right now. Kids and adults will still watch that in spades.

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

If anything, the Paperman short shown before Wreck-It-Ralph shows that not only does 2D animation still have plenty of life left in it, but that it can be used in conjunction with CG to create some really stunning and beautiful animation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZJLtujW6FY
[YT]TZJLtujW6FY[/YT]

Many think it's either 2D animation or bust, but I think modern CGI animation overlayed with traditional hand drawn animation is a great compromise. I could see many future animated films utilize this technique.

 

[CJ]

I'd say.. pretty much.

2D animated movies aren't as profitable as CGI films. A lot of Disney's recent efforts at 2D films have tanked (Princess and the Frog, Brother Bear, Treasure Planet, Home on the Range)

The only 2D animated movies I can see happening these days is stuff based off of TV shows. An Adventure Time movie seems likely, given how popular it is on CN and I've heard rumors of a Family Guy movie being in development.

I think studios are weary to produce a 2D animated movie if it's not based on a popular cartoon series.

 

[CGHulk]

If anything, the Paperman short shown before Wreck-It-Ralph shows that not only does 2D animation still have plenty of life left in it, but that it can be used in conjunction with CG to create some really stunning and beautiful animation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZJLtujW6FY
[YT]TZJLtujW6FY[/YT]

Many think it's either 2D animation or bust, but I think modern CGI animation overlayed with traditional hand drawn animation is a great compromise. I could see many future animated films utilize this technique.

I hope you are right.

Also top animators at Disney and Dreamworks were taught in house how to animate on the computer.

Dreamworks is using 2D in one of their CG films, where a shadow animated in 2D is one of the main characters. It's called Me And My Shadow. But the 2D will probably be done in Canada, like the 2D dream sequences in Kung Fu Panda 2.

 

[Donnie Darko]

I wouldn't say the Princess and the Frog Tanked...

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=princessandthefrog.htm

I am most surprised about the underwhelming BO returns for Winnie the Pooh. The budget was nowhere near as high, but it only made $33 million worldwide.

 

[Project862006]

winnie the pooh for some reason didn't have alot of promotion and opening against deathly hallow part 2 i am sure didn't help

 

[Donnie Darko]

That's true. Although, I made Winnie the Pooh my priority instead of Harry Potter, and actually enjoyed it more. I also think that Winnie the Pooh is viewed as "baby stuff" to the kids like 10 and older, especially boys, so they gravitate toward the 3D, action-oriented animated films.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

Don't know about fully 2D animated movies, but Dreamsworks has an upcoming movie which will blend 2D animation 3D computer animation called, Me and my Shadow.

 

[Lencho01]

TV is where 2D is most popular right now. Kids and adults will still watch that in spades.

And that has always made it odd to me that there aren't many 2D films being made. It's not like people are against it when they watch it all the time.

I'm interested in seeing how the Phineas and Ferb film will do.

 

[ShredderX]

Humans in CGI /3D movies never look right to me. And why is it that the CG /3D commercials for video games like Halo and WOW look better than actual 3D/CGI movies ?

 

[Octoberist]

Humans in CGI /3D movies never look right to me. And why is it that the CG /3D commercials for video games like Halo and WOW look better than actual 3D/CGI movies ?

But what's your definition of humans in CGI movies?

Do you mean the 'dead eye' humans from the motion captured stuff like The Polar Express? When they are trying to reach for 'realism' instead of 'stylized realism'?

 

[Octoberist]

winnie the pooh for some reason didn't have alot of promotion and opening against deathly hallow part 2 i am sure didn't help

The movie came and went. Like Disney wanted to kill it before it's release. I didn't understand it back then, and I still don't understand it now.

 

[Ash J. Williams]

I hope not because 2D animated movies such as Heavy Metal are part of what inspired me to study digital arts and animation.

 

[redhawk23]

Tradional animation still lives strong in foreign film. Not just in Japan but in Europe too.

My beef with CG animation is that unlike traditional animation there's a fear of trying to do different types of styles. Right now many animated stuff may look alike to the broad audience.

Thats why I hope studios are willing to experiment and that's why a short like 'Paper Man' gives me hope.

Exactly. This is why I'm so excited for the prospect of Blur studios finally moving forward with their "Goon" film. Look it up, stylistically, it is great.

 

[redhawk23]

Humans in CGI /3D movies never look right to me. And why is it that the CG /3D commercials for video games like Halo and WOW look better than actual 3D/CGI movies ?

Because almost all of those commercials are made by Blur Studios, who are amazing. They also made the opening credits to Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.