Will 2D animation die?

Post by **Ben** » December 3rd, 2006, 7:58 pm

I think that pretty much sums it up...they just didn't have a clue!

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 3rd, 2006, 8:29 pm

It would be funny (well, kind of tragic-funny) if there was a documentary on the whole thing like "The SweatBox" and we'd actually get to watch it!

There's always those charicatures.....

Still, the whole thing is a shame because it's such a WASTE. How many of us would just love to wake up on morning and say: "Hey! Why not start my own animation studio with my OWN money?" To have the power to do this and find willing artists who'll work for much less, the best in the industry? And then produce something that Ned Flanders probably wouldn't even like? (J/K

)

Those poor guys. Well, glad they're out of that place....maybe they can go back to Disney or DreamWorks or some other place.

Post by **Ben** » December 3rd, 2006, 8:41 pm

Well, not Disney!

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 3rd, 2006, 9:32 pm

I just meant, like, sometime down the line, even if not right now.

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 14th, 2006, 8:34 pm

Some good news for 2d???

Let's hope so!

(via TAG)

http://www.variety.com/awardcentral_art ... nav=toon07

He gets one fact wrong though:

The wane in 2-D features can be traced back to the early 1990s, when the failure of a series of hand-drawn studio pics coincided with a rise in labor costs and major technology breakthroughs in CG

Um....the early '90s? Doesn't he mean the late 90's??

What world is he living in?

Post by **YCougar** » December 15th, 2006, 4:34 am

Tsk, tsk. Silly writer.

I do think there are building rumbles of dissent over the CGI glut, and some nostalgia for those good ol' hand-animated films. Even though Brother Bear bombed at the box office, it was beautiful.

The question is... how long until the Hollywood execs feel like taking the "risk." I'm getting impatient.

Post by **Ben** » December 15th, 2006, 4:50 am

BB didn't "bomb" at the BO, but takings were middling. Worldwide, it was a smash, as proven by the fact we got a DTV sequel (and one of the better ones in fact).

The answer is "now"...Disney is making Frog Proncess, lest we forget.

Post by **Daniel** » December 15th, 2006, 2:58 pm

Ben wrote:BB didn't "bomb" at the BO, but takings were middling. Worldwide, it was a smash, as proven by the fact we got a DTV sequel (and one of the better ones in fact).

Exactly!

No comment on the sequel....

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 16th, 2006, 2:02 am

Just thought I'd post this review of Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.
It's not the subject of the review (which is hardly even in it) but this guy's ridiculous dismissal of 2d as an art form. You have to read it to believe it:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/click/mov ... id=1177401

Some people....UGH!

Post by **YCougar** » December 17th, 2006, 3:56 pm

Ack, yes... that's true, I remember. It was mediocre, but of course to TLK-fattened Disney, it might as well have been a bomb.

And yes... Frog Princess is supposed to be all 2D, right? Yes? Please?

Post by **Ben** » December 17th, 2006, 7:38 pm

That's not so much a review of Sinbad and more a comment on the state of animation...!

However, I actually agree with some of his points: to warrant 50 bucks to take the family out films should be more special (we're getting the same problem with CGI now, that they're all the same), and Sinbad just wasn't "special" enough. Also, the comment on marquee names is more than valid...why make a bloatedly-voiced movie that has to play "safe" to recoup it's silly sized voice budget when actual, real-life voice-talent does a better job?

And, as was also mentioned at the time...who goes to see a Brad Pitt or Catherine Zeta Jones movie just to hear them?

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 17th, 2006, 7:58 pm

Hmmmm.......

That's not so much a review of Sinbad and more a comment on the state of animation...!

Exactly, that was my problem with it. He barely talked about the film, just about how 2d animation is finished.

Anyway, Sinbad did have some problems, (Brad and Catherine's voies chief among them) but overall I found it very enjoyable.

I heard it started out a lot darker (Proteus was more evil I think) and then later they lightened it up with all those jokes. I really wish they'd stuck to the original vision.

(The Road to El Dorado suffered a similar fate.)

I think originally (although I could be wrong) Sinbad was more like Prince of Egypt on the ocean (with the whole Moses-Rameses relationship being played out again.)

This would have been so much better!

Also, Sinbad wasn't too attractive with that beard, although I guess maybe that was the point. Proteus was much more interesting to look at, but he was barely in the film....Sinbad should have looked like Proteus, I think the film would have done much better if he did.

And Marina was pretty, but why was her hair so short? It looked nice but women and that time and place ALWAYS had long, flowing hair.

Very overly modern and anacronistic (as was Sinbad's reference to Fiji when no one had discovered it until centuries later.)

Oh well.....

But Spike was cute, and I loved the Sirens scene.

Post by **Ben** » December 17th, 2006, 8:20 pm

Yes, but that's what I meant by playing safe.

You get all these big stars voicing characters with their big paychecks and suddenly there's this problem that you could be spending a lot of money on something too dark for the fans of those actors to go to. So they lighten it up and it becomes watered down, though more "widereaching" and "commercial".

It's a bad cycle.

In any event, Sinbad ended up tanking because it was so overloaded by all those voices, who all sounded pretty board and not as good as real voice actors would have done. The story was confused and had a random action sequence every 10 minutes or so just to prop it up.

Out of all the DWs films, Sinbad is the weakest. Sorry Vi, but it's a hard truth.

Post by **ShyViolet** » December 17th, 2006, 8:36 pm

who all sounded pretty board

Oh, you meant "bored" right?

Yeah, Brad and Catherine certainly did. *sighs*

Out of all the DWs films, Sinbad is the weakest. Sorry Vi, but it's a hard truth.

To me that would be El Dorado. But I get your points.

Post by **Ben** » December 18th, 2006, 12:09 am

For me, El Dorado had a great score and two great leads who played very well off each other, plus a much more focused storyline that kept its eye on the ball. And it was very, very witty.

Some odd choices (the baddie/cougar thing and It's Tough To Be A God didn't quite work, but I can sit and watch that and feel I'm in good company with spirited performers and a fun story as opposed to Sinbad, which just becomes a loud mess and splinters off into so many directions it's unbelievable.

Just ma takes!