Two-dimensional classic animation is somewhat looked down upon by other, more artistically expressive and experimental animators. With classic animation much of the success of an animation is tied to its story and character development. Animation techniques and styles are geared so that they are additive to the narrative. Classic animation intentionally constitutes a particular style which reinforces the story and achieves an invisibility of its aesthetic accomplishment. This is considered to be its industrial context. (Wells 37)

Because quality animation of this style was at one point only economically possible with a studio size budget it is not individually expressive of the many individual animators who create it. But CAPS and animation systems such as Softimage Toonz, Animo, and Restas!Pro, while still relatively expensive, are making it possible for small animation groups to put together films that can compete in quality with animation produced by larger studios.

These small animation groups have more independence in the types of animation they can create. This is because they are not under corporate pressure to produce huge block-busters and in this way they push the limits of animation.

Animo, one of the best animation systems on the market, allows users to import or scan in animation sketches and backgrounds, manipulate and clean images, create color model sheets, paint, construct scenes, render final frames, edit, add sound, break down voice recordings, and output the final animation to whatever output device you have(Griffin 2). It pretty well covers all aspects of production and postproduction including sound recording and layout, which could be considered preproduction. The only thing the system does not do is make creative choices. The system does not draw the animation, nor does it decide what parts should be colored, or determine frame composition. This process cuts inking, painting, physical photographing, physical cutting, film processing, and track reading, eliminating days of manpower and much expense.

Many strongly art oriented animators prefer working single-handedly and computers allow them to do this (Pilling 8). Animator Koji Morimoto, involved with such films as Akira, Memories, and Extra, notes one advantage of computers in animation is that, “in the past, people without animation experience could not be in the industry, whereas now, if they’re competent with a computer, and have interesting personalities, they can find a place in the industry” (Pilling 137). Animator Philip Hunt agrees. He feels computers have unleashed a whole flood of creativity, and is excited about what he is seeing currently being done(Pilling 48).

Digital Art/Graphics Programs

Programs such as Photoshop, Paintshop, Microsoft Image Composer and other art/graphics programs have been used to put together bits of animation. I used Microsoft Image Composer to create the animation in the top-left corner of every page. This animation experimentation is typical of animators developing their basic skills. Programs such as these, can also be used to get good ideas out to investors, even if they are not of broadcast quality.

Neville Astley and Mark Bake, creators of The Big Knight, used low-end computers to make their trailer, which got BBC involved and allowed them to move up to broadcast quality production equipment (Pilling 14). Baker enjoys using digital drawing tablets to draw instead of scanning his pencil drawings. He noted how erasing is particularly easy using the computer, with paper it takes longer and too much erasing can destroy your paper (Pilling 16).

However, computer technology can also be used to cut corners, as in the ship scene (right) of Captain Pugwash, when the animation team used a CG ship in place of an animator-drawn ship. There are two reasons I dislike this use of CGI, first, the ship does not fit the style of the show as you can see by looking at the character model of its main character, Captain Pugwash (right), and second, it was done to cut corners, “Sailing ships are technically difficult for animators, so we decided to look into how we could build them on the computer” (Pilling 26).

Flash

Flash is perhaps one of the biggest success stories in amateur experimentation by taking a tool and using it in a way not intended by its creators. Flash has become so popular in amateur animation that many professional animators are starting to use it. In fact, shows completely animated in Flash are appearing on regular television programming. ¡Mucha Lucha! and Kid Notorious are examples of Flash shows that are meeting a mass audience with success. Flash has a fair learning curve and its expense is nothing compared to Animo and others. This makes it a great tool for those who want to start in animation, hitting home Morimoto’s earlier quote.

With a large diverse group of new animators, who knows what new cool things are to come?

The Big Knights, a computer-animated show

poor example of using CGI

Captain Pugwash

¡Mucha Lucha!

Kid Notorious