The death of Cell animation?

[Marcus Telcontar]

I have a question for you all to ponder. With the release fo Finding Nemo, it's clear already from the reviews that Pixar has hit a home run yet again. This makes an incredible run of success for Pixar and coupled with the success of Shrek, Antz and Ice Age, are we witnessing the death of cell drawn movies?

The reasons why I think this migt be yes are two fold -

1) CG animations have been wildy successful due to the talent they are now attracting. Artists who may wel have gone to cell drawn are now in CG. The writers and producers are with the CG productions as well. There is a freedom in CG that cell does not offer - even if both are painstaking. Even the stories are better., another pointer where the talent lies

2) THe Almighty Dollar. The only CG feature to bomb AFAIK is Final Fanstas. Look at the dollars CG features have produced since Toy Story - hardly anything below 170 million USD in the USA. The cost of computers is goign down, the tools that exist to help create CG features are getting better and cheaper.

Given those two reasons, it looks to me only a matter of time before cell animation from the USA is gone. I suspect it will last in Japan longer. But not much longer I suspect.

What do you think?

[Dae Jinn]

They already combine the two, so I don't think it'll be a huge deal. I personally prefer the old-frame animation for tv, and CGI for movies (with the almighty exception of anime).

Cell-shading though, is terrible. Some of it doesn't blend together with the normal cell animation and it's just...yuck.

[imported_J'ktal Anajii]

I hope that cell animation never disappears. The 3'rd dimension cannot contain some of the expessions necessary for a good cartoon, and lacks many dramatic angles.

I prefer good cell animation over CGI any day of the week. Even over Pixar's work. If I get my way, there will be an animated series based off my books, and I will be lead art director.

[JMK]

I personally prefer the old-frame animation for tv, and CGI for movies
I agree totally. Would anyone rather watch the original Transformers or Beast Wars?

I think a huge reason CG is doing so well is because CG movies are not regarded as "kids movies" as most cartoons are. Would most adults go to see Rugrats or A Bug's Life, children aside?

[Morgan Evanar]

Both have thier places, but I think the actual usage of pure cell animation, the animation itself is going to die pretty quickly.

But 2d image animation is here for... till whenever, regardless of how it gets accomplished. Right now there is a lot more energy being directed at CG in America. In Japan, with Macross Zero, they're hybridizing it. Some people like that, some people don't.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think cell animation will survive maybe mostly on TV (it would be too expensive at this point to go to full CGI for TV) there are some good animated shows on TV that I even watch Justice League and X-Men Evolution are both well drawn and good shows.

[Mu Satach]

Cell animation will survive... pixar's success is because of their story's and inclusive nature of their films. Their cgi work is excellant... but it's really their focus on creating entertaining films for adults and children that has led to their hit after hit after hit.

[Morgan Evanar]

I think that cell animation using conventional cells and then animating onto film won't survive. I don't mean the drawn art will die. That would suck.

Scanning an image and moving it around in various apps to the PC and then exporting right into whatever format you want is probably a lot more effecient.