Traditional Animation Is Back (It Seems For Good) At Disney!

[Neal]

There's been speculation over whether "The Princess and the Frog" was merely a one-off traditionally animated film meant to be the more fitting finale to the traditional animation legacy at Disney (rather than "Home on the Range").

Others said that if more traditional animation was to happen, it all depended on the success of "The Princess and the Frog".

Others have stuck to the belief that with Lasseter at the helm, traditional animation was back no matter how "The Princess and the Frog" fared.

It seems that third group may have been right.

I think we have the proof that for sure there will be another traditionally animated feature. Let's bank on 2013.

Ain't It Coll News' Quint went to WonderCon and saw a preview of "The Princess and the Frog". The presenter, a special effects guy from Disney who's been there since "The Lion King" and played big roles concerning effects in "Chicken Little" and "Meet the Robinsons" revealed the following:

He also mentioned that Disney’s animation plan is to have a digital animation film out every 18 months and a traditional hand-drawn animation film out every 2 ½ years.

That settles it. It couldn't be said any clearer.

More and source here:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/40272

[DisneyJedi]

Sweet! I guess Disney is listening to the fans when they say they want 2D to return!

So..... if they're planning on 2D films being released every 2.5 years, then I guess that means that after PatF is released, we should be expecting the next hand-drawn film to be coming out in the summer of 2012, right?

[Will Barks]

It's great to hear Disney has its interest in traditional animation back. Though, I'd rather like a handdrawn movie every 18 month and a CGI every 2 1/2 years.

[yukitora]

This has already been posted, but i guess more people will notice it here.

[Wonderlicious]

Though, I'd rather like a handdrawn movie every 18 month and a CGI every 2 1/2 years.

I don't wanna sound like a Disney fundamentalist, but I have to agree.

[Flanger-Hanger]

It's great to hear Disney has its interest in traditional animation back. Though, I'd rather like a handdrawn movie every 18 month and a CGI every 2 1/2 years.

I'd rather they take the time to do them right than just rush them to get released every year.

[gardener14]

Having a new hand-drawn Disney movie every 2.5 years will be more like the days of old when their hand-drawn movies were an event...something that one looked forward to with anticipation. It will also allow time between releases for each one to stand out on their own.

In the early 90's the brand was hot and trendy, but that could never be sustained. The problem with having one every year like in the 90's or two each year like earlier this decade, is that they cluttered the market with their own brand, and that's even without counting non-Disney animated films. Then came along CGI films from Pixar, Disney, and every other studio, and there were far too many animated films for any to stand out on their own, let alone a Disney film as the "event" it once was.

I think this will be a good thing...more like the 1940's-60's when a hand-drawn animated Disney movie was someting special.

[Simba3]

Good, I'm glad to hear that Disney is thinking about traditional animation past "The Princess and the Frog". I think fans will appreciate that Disney is going back to it's roots. And, there is nothing wrong with traditional animation, it has come so fain in the 70 years since "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was made. The colors and animation in the teaser and promotional photos we've seen so far looks really great, too.

[singerguy04]

I feel that Disney leading the way back to 2D animation will also prompt other studios to do a 2D film every once in a while. I would love for Fox and Dreamworks to do another big budget 2D animated film again. Prince of Egypt and Anastasia being classic examples of how well both studios once were with their animation studios. sigh, the good ol' days...

Anyhow, this announcement is extremely exciting, I think this also might solidify that King of the Elves is going to be traditionally animated as well since it's supposed to be coming to us in 2012. (unless i'm wrong..)

[ajmrowland]

I feel that Disney leading the way back to 2D animation will also prompt other studios to do a 2D film every once in a while. I would love for Fox and Dreamworks to do another big budget 2D animated film again. Prince of Egypt and Anastasia being classic examples of how well both studios once were with their animation studios. sigh, the good ol' days... (unless i'm wrong..)

Yeah, those days were great! Haven't seen the Prince of Egypt, but I'm sort of a fan of The Road to El Dorado. Not all their movies these days are bad, but the older ones were good.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Having a new hand-drawn Disney movie every 2.5 years will be more like the days of old when their hand-drawn movies were an event...something that one looked forward to with anticipation. It will also allow time between releases for each one to stand out on their own.

In the early 90's the brand was hot and trendy, but that could never be sustained. The problem with having one every year like in the 90's or two each year like earlier this decade, is that they cluttered the market with their own brand, and that's even without counting non-Disney animated films. Then came along CGI films from Pixar, Disney, and every other studio, and there were far too many animated films for any to stand out on their own, let alone a Disney film as the "event" it once was.

I think this will be a good thing...more like the 1940's-60's when a hand-drawn animated Disney movie was someting special.

Exactly how I feel too. A Disney animated film begin released will actually mean something instead of being "just another Disney film".

[Kyle]

considering how long it takes to do traditional animation, I'm not too disappointed or surprised at the frequency we'll be getting them. I do think they can eventually release more, more often, but they need to work their way up to have multiple hand drawn movies in production at once. its like pixar, they didn't used to release one movie a year. fast forward to 2012 they'll finally have enough in the works to release 2 a year. so yeah, Disney just needs to work on having multiple movies over lap.

[Goliath]

Having a new hand-drawn Disney movie every 2.5 years will be more like the days of old when their hand-drawn movies were an event...something that one looked forward to with anticipation. It will also allow time between releases for each one to stand out on their own.

In the early 90's the brand was hot and trendy, but that could never be sustained. The problem with having one every year like in the 90's or two each year like earlier this decade, is that they cluttered the market with their own brand, and that's even without counting non-Disney animated films. Then came along CGI films from Pixar, Disney, and every other studio, and there were far too many animated films for any to stand out on their own, let alone a Disney film as the "event" it once was.

I think this will be a good thing...more like the 1940's-60's when a hand-drawn animated Disney movie was someting special.

While I agree with you, remember it was Walt Disney's own wish to release a feature-lenght animated film every year. He even planned for having one released eevry year as early as 1940, but then WWII crossed his plans. For this to work, he planned on having a few 'big' pictures in production at any given time, while cheaper, more formulaic pictures would 'fill the gap' between those big productions. At least that's how I've read it in Barrier's book, and checking his incredible array of sources and endnotes, he seems reliable enough.

And there were situations where there was a release every year, like Pinocchio AND Fantasia in 1940; Dumbo in 1941; Bambi in 1942; all the package films in the second half of the 1940's; Cinderella in 1950 and then Alice in Wonderland in 1951...

[gardener14]

^Goliath, thank you for adding your thoughts to mine. Perhaps the key is what you said about Walt wanting to have annual releases by filling in the gaps between "major" films with less expensive films that presumably would have lower box office expectations. It makes sense to not expect every film to be a blockbuster, and to treat only some as "events" when it comes to marketing and budgeting. Over the past decade or so, it seems that there has been an expectation that every Disney animated movie should be as big as The Lion King and that only leads to disappointment.

In live action, Disney seems to have a more realistic approach, producing some movies as "events" and others not so much. It's when the unexpected minor film becomes a hit that everyone gets excited. Maybe they should take this approach to feature animation instead of setting themselves up for a letdown when something like Home on the Range doesn't become a huge hit.

[lighthousemike]

BEST NEWS EVER

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE OLD STYLE HAND DRAWNS ANIIMATION FILMS AND MISS THEM A LOT - THIS IS SUCH GREAT NEWS TO ME!!!

[Barbossa]

And alongside those hand-drawn animated features, we need more shorts!

[ajmrowland]

And alongside those hand-drawn animated features, we need more shorts!

Yeah! Even more episodes of House of Mouse would do.

[rb_canadian181]

It's great to hear Disney has its interest in traditional animation back. Though, I'd rather like a handdrawn movie every 18 month and a CGI every 2 1/2 years.

Agreed! haha
there's just something special about being able to see the texture of the canvas that the films backgrounds were painted on. it's much easier to see on a blu-ray movie presented in HD like Sleeping Beauty, but those movies have such a higher level of quality to them! Of course, its difficult, costly and could easily be replaced by a couple computer-generated images, but who can appreciate a computer's work over a human's?

I'd love to see the disney 'musical' have a re-birth. Menken's not too busy lately and that's a problem. Disney just doesn't seem to get it. His first score won an academy award, and then his next 2 scores did. All of them got nominations for major honours! Some of them became stage productions. Does anyone else see that his music works!

[ajmrowland]

It's great to hear Disney has its interest in traditional animation back. Though, I'd rather like a handdrawn movie every 18 month and a CGI every 2 1/2 years.

Agreed! haha
there's just something special about being able to see the texture of the canvas that the films backgrounds were painted on. it's much easier to see on a blu-ray movie presented in HD like Sleeping Beauty, but those movies have such a higher level of quality to them! Of course, its difficult, costly and could easily be replaced by a couple computer-generated images, but who can appreciate a computer's work over a human's?

I think you mean a Human's work on a computer over a human's work with his own hands.

I'd love to see the disney 'musical' have a re-birth. Menken's not too busy lately and that's a problem. Disney just doesn't seem to get it. His first score won an academy award, and then his next 2 scores did. All of them got nominations for major honours! Some of them became stage productions. Does anyone else see that his music works!

He's working on "Rapunzel". I think that's why he's not doing PatF.

[Kyle]

but who can appreciate a computer's work over a human's?

your implying that it doesnt take human's effort in 3d animation? come on, they both have their pros and cons, but I loath the term "computer generated" as it implies it all happens like clock work. animation is generally the same weather its hand drawn, 3d, stop motion, whatever. they all require precise timing by humans. and even in 3d, it still reqires humans to sculpt the 3d character models and breath live into them. the only time comuters really dont need people as much is for things that are truelly generated, or simulated. things like the school of fish in nemo. but to downplay the effort of animators for their work in something like the main characters of nemo (and Im just using this as an exmaple) would be just plain disrespectfull.

I do get that hand drawn stuff has more tangable feel to them, I just think you (and others with that mindset) worded it poorly.