Jeez...it's almost like every time I post something to liven the mood, something like this follows...

NOTE: This is one of my infamous rants about the industry. If it's something that you want no part of, TURN BACK NOW! Otherwise, if you want to continue on, I suggest you read the following article to see what I'm referring to. Due to yet ANOTHER inability to link due to emoticons, just copy and paste into your prowser and eliminate the space between the "&" and the "pag=2" Thank you.

extranews.net/news.php?nid=3727& pag=2

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<rant>
So, I've picked up this newspaper this morning because it had an article on asthmatics in Chicago. Me being one of them, I picked it up. I've also noticed that there was this article about a Spanish Animator that worked on a bunch of Dreamworks' movies, including their latest, "Kung-Fu Panda" (see above for the link), so I've read the article, since articles or interviews with animators that are not of the normal demographic is a rarity and therefore an interesting perspective, or so I thought. (That demographic, by the way, is men of Caucasian or Asian descent...there seems to be many of them being publicized.)

The article began on a somewhat annoying tone, then it just went downhill from there. The coup de grace (and the basis for this rant) being, and I quote:

The Newspaper: Animation seems to be getting bigger and better each year. Is there room in this industry for 2-D animation?

The Animator: It’s a far more expensive approach. Producing an animation movie is a very expensive and lengthy enterprise. I don’t think there is going to be any more 2-D movies. The only people that are still doing 2-D movies are the Japanese with their anime. They don’t focus on the animation but on the storyboards and the visual effects.

THE HELL? "I don’t think there is going to be any more 2-D movies." I mean, we are all entitled to our opinions, but COME ON! Him, of all people should know better than that. 2D animation will always be there. I'm not just talking about the computerized stuff using Flash, Toon Boom, and After-Effects, but traditional hand drawn animation as well. ALL of them are only means to an end. Always have been. Always will be. Just because the majority of the major animated movies done here in the U.S. are in 3D does NOT mean that 2D on the big screen is dead and buried. The Japanese are not the only ones in the world doing 2D animation and they are not always limited to visual effect and storyboards. In fact, I can say the same holds true for any type of animation out there fundamentally. Look up various animated works all over the globe on youtube and mytoons. That is only a tiny fraction of what's out there.

Even here in the U.S., there are animated features shown all the time in festivals all over the place. Sure, they may not have the Hollywood backing, but they do exist and they are being made, so that point he made is baseless, to say the very least.

In short, 2D animation is not dead and will never be replaced by 3D. At the same time, I won't discount 3D animation,or any animation anywhere as some beast that's here to destroy the industry as I'm sure some zealous 2D animators would claim. Needless to say that article is tacked to the wall of the office in my apartment. It seems to bring out the fire in me.
</rant>

Oh yeah, FYI: For those who don't know already, the term "anime" is Japanese for animation. Therefore, those of you that "hates anime" dislikes animation. Therefore making the statement baseless. You wanna know how to avoid baseless statements like that? Keep an open mind. That's the lesson for the day. *cue "The More You Know" Theme.

Now I'm off to play with this new program called "Pencil" which is a freeware version of toonboom. Haven't played with it yet, but it seems pretty decent. Here's the link.

[link]

Till next time.




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