Disney animation attempting to bring back 2D hand-drawn films.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 9/2/14 at 3:39pm

Even though 'The Princess and the Frog' and 'Winnie the Pooh' were not the gigantic hits that Disney was hoping for, the animators are attempting to bring back 2D hand-drawn animation. They are working on an independent animated steampunk film, 'Hullabaloo'.

Quote:

“Hullabaloo” is described as “a 2D (hand-drawn) animated steampunk film that hopes to help preserve the dying art of 2D animation.” It’s helmed by James Lopez, veteran Disney animator whose 25-year career has included credits such as “The Lion King,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Pocahontas,” “Hercules,” and the recent short “Paperman,” among many others. He’s currently a teacher at CalArts and has also worked for other studios including Warner Bros. and Dreamworks.

Along with other notable current and former Disney animators including Bruce Smith, Rick Farmiloe, Minkyu Lee, Sandro Cleuzo, and Sarah Airriess, Lopez is fundraising to make his project a reality.

It’s a film that not only aims to keep hand-drawn animation alive, but also features two female leads acting as role models, encouraging girls to enter into the worlds of science and adventure. And on top of all that, it’s drawn with steampunk flair.

Lopez hopes to initially create the “Hullabaloo” short film and, depending on how their fundraising goes, produce more shorts, a web series, and possibly a feature length animated film.

Their indiegogo campaign has already raised more than $33,000 in its first four days, aiming to reach a goal of $80,000.

Funds contributed beyond that will allow for more shorts to be produced, even with a fully orchestrated score. And contributors can choose from an assortment of rewards including original artwork."

End quote.

I support this idea. I really do not want 2D hand-drawn feature to disappear forever. There are so many classic films that were a huge part of my childhood and this generation should not only watch them but see new ones as well.


Disney animators aim to revive 2D hand-drawn animation with “Hullabaloo,” an independent animated steampunk film

[tazber]

Posted: 9/2/14 at 3:43pm

I miss the 2D animation.

I hope it does make a comeback.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 9/2/14 at 3:48pm

completely agree - love the classic look without all the CGI
it is a lost art. I know it is incredibly time consuming but...art isn't easy.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 9/2/14 at 3:53pm

^Yeah, ask George if you find him in the park on Sunday, he would know. LOL

Updated On: 9/2/14 at 03:53 PM

[morosco]

Posted: 9/2/14 at 4:03pm

My nephew refused to watch The Jungle Book after the first few minutes because the animation looked "really really old" to him. I wonder if kids still enjoy this 2D animation? I hope so.

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/2/14 at 4:03pm

I wonder if the rise in amount and relative quality of anime production, both in Asia and in faux-anime-influenced Western production styles animated overseas has assisted with killing hand-drawn motion pictures, since so many of the huge animation studios are working on major hand-drawn or hand-and-CGI-amalgamated television or OVA materials.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 9/2/14 at 8:51pm

"I wonder if kids still enjoy this 2D animation? I hope so."

The students at the school I am working at have all loved the 2D films I have been showing them. The list includes 'Peter Pan', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'The Little Mermaid', 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'The Jungle Book', and 'The Princess and the Frog'.

Updated On: 9/2/14 at 08:51 PM

[Gorlois]

Posted: 9/2/14 at 9:32pm

I wouldn't worry too much about your nephew, morosco. As a kid weaned on Disney's Renaissance and Golden Age films, I always found the look of most Xeroxed films to be repugnant-- especially The Jungle Book and The Rescuers. I rewatched the film on Blu-ray recently, and while I can now appreciate the animation, IMHO, it's simply not one of Disney's best.

I love traditional animation and I hope it sees a comeback. I've come to not begrudge CGI like I once did, but I still have a definite preference for hand drawn. Very excited to see the Paperman-style progress with the new "Feast" short which I think is supposed to be attached to Big Hero 6 this November. And of course I can't wait to hear more news about this particular project.

Updated On: 9/2/14 at 09:32 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 5:04am

The Xerox look of the 60s and 70s films (when they could only use black lines) always bugged me as a kid, though it DOES work with the overall look of 101 Dalmatians

I'm all for this, though it should be made clear these are, mostly ex Disney animators and not Disney animation... And I'm not sure about the character designs. But I thought it was pretty cruddy how Disney dropped hand drawn animation--then Lasseter headed them and went on about how important hand drawn animation was and reinstated it, and then a few years later Princess an the Frog "underperformed," and the department was cut again. There seems to be little aknowledgement that a lot of this had to do with the quality of the films--not he animation style.

Darque, while that's an interesting point, I'm not sure it really is relevant. The Japanese (and Korean) studios were ALWAYS primarily involved in TV and OAV work as well as farmed in American TV work--not theatrical.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 8:36am

"The students at the school I am working at have all loved the 2D films I have been showing them."

Beauty...not criticizing you but the U.S. school system in general. Why are U.S. students falling behind in their education? Watching animated films is not helping to increase their knowledge in math, science, history, etc. I know that once in a while it might be fun but my mom was a teacher and all too frequently I heard the same thing - kids watching lots at school: animated and kids movies.

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 12:26pm

One of my favorite/least favorite high school memories is of a rather clueless, politically correct substitute teacher taking over for history class one day.

Teacher: "Now, class, I know you're going to want to laugh at this film, but you should try and refrain from doing so. This is a film about another culture and their religious beliefs. How would you feel if someone from the MIddle East laughed at a film about America or about your religion?"

The film, by the way, was Disney's "Aladdin" starring Robin Williams.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 10:33pm

What if the animated film was Persepolis or Bashir? I do see your point--the only times I remember watching films in school were either horrible "educational" ones, or ones when it was too snowy and cold outside at recess, or occasionally adaptations of a book or SHakespeare play we had just read (which mostly I think was more than justified as it usually led to discussion or essays about why adaptations tothe story were made, etc.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 9/3/14 at 10:43pm

Screw Disney. I wanna see more adult animated movies! Where is this generation's HEAVY METAL or WIZARDS?