animation Where Would 2D Animated Movies Be Today Without The Rise Of CGI?

[Denim&Venöm 16,490]

We are firmly entrenched in an era of 3D CGI thanks to Pixar and Dreamworks among others. A sort of second renaissance for animated movies. But it came at the cost of the first. The peak of 2D animated movies during the 90s, when Toy Story beat out Pocahontas. 2D animation was never given the same kind of care as their 2D counter parts. Atlantis, Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, Spirit, Prince Of Egypt, Sinbad. This was pretty much the last batch of 2D films before the trend died in the mid 2000s. What have we gotten since then? The Princess and the Frog? The MLP movie? The odd Studio Ghibli film? 

But what if that didn't happen? What if 3D looking CGI films just didn't catch on? Where would 2D animated movies be? What changes would we have seen? Would the industry still be flourishing like it is today? Or would it have petered out? And what films would have benefited from the 2D style today?

 

[Sparklefan1234 161,804]

I think that people would be bored with the "same old stuff" & would want to see something new.

[SharpWit 2,472]

I see three things coming out of those circumstances. Firstly, there'd be more 2D films drawn out so well that they'd look 3D animated, but probably only a handful that are on a whole other level of mind blowing, like parts that look too real to have been drawn. Second, in order to save money, we'd probably see studios producing children's films not only pump out plenty more 2D films like we've seen mostly with animal based knock offs for little kids, but we'd also see more live action kids movies in theatres. Thirdly, and we've seen some of this recently with the Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance series on Netflix, from some of those live action movies, we'd see the continuance and improvement of some amazing practical effects and set designs. Perhaps the Jurassic World series could've had a chance to hold up despite having some critically poor parts to their story, because visually they'd stand out like the original series does. Even the third Jurassic Park film holds up and it has plenty of eye rolling moments.

I think we'll get a brief period where 2D becomes popular again, because the moment Disney or Dreamworks or some other giant spits one out, everyone's going to want to see it, but then there'll be copies and it'll fade off because a modern 2D movie won't be special once everyone gets on board.

 

[Brony Number 42 9,925]

We would see 2D computer animated shows like MLP FIM, and computer assisted hand drawn, like we see now. I don't think things would be very different. Some 2D animation, like Futurama, has 3D elements. It is so much easier to animate vehicles in cg.

The question should be where would animation be without computers?

[Dreambiscuit 8,023]

As with any genre, animated films would have undergone changes to reflect the demands of current trends and popularity. The artwork and (non CG) technology would have continued improving and resulted in smoother, richer looking films with each passing decade. People may want to see something new but that’s always been the case in any genre of moviemaking. Movies and writing have to be kept fresh to keep an audience engaged. But by no means do I think 2D animation would die out on its own. It’s been around for decades and only needed an occasional shot in the arm to keep audiences interested, like it is with any kind of film, animated or otherwise. If interest wanes it’s up to the studios to step up their game. Look at how The Little Mermaid brought about a whole new era in animated movies, ushering in Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and so many others. Audiences only cooled when it once again became rote, like Hunchback of Notre Dame. As long as creative people keep it fresh and let true inspiration guide their way, we should never have to see the end of any great art form, especially 2D animation. Unfortunately, with the arrival of CG, the studios found an easier way that audiences also respond to, and no one seems to realize there’s room for both. In short, 2D would remain and flourish if given the proper care and attention, something it’s been denied now for years.