Hand-Drawn Animation Dead at Disney

[DisneyJedi]

You know, the black and white/silent film did sort of make a comeback in the form of the Oscar-winning movie, The Artist.

[DisneyJedi]

Wait a minute. What about that 2D animation Internship at Disney?! Is that still even happening?!?!

[TsWade2]

Wait a minute. What about that 2D animation Internship at Disney?! Is that still even happening?!?!

I'm sure they're still doing it, I think.

[DisneyJedi]

And how do you know/think THAT?

[TsWade2]

And how do you know/think THAT?

[Kyle]

Wait a minute. What about that 2D animation Internship at Disney?! Is that still even happening?!?!

That's like asking if I know my family (none of them sick or anything) is still alive. It just is, ok?

[SWillie!]

It's still happening. They've already started their program.

[DisneyJedi]

Then I guess that means that hand drawn not only isn't dead, it's the furthest thing from.

To some degree.

Provided the new animators brought in excel in the medium and can carry on Disney's legacy and NOT destroy it.

[DisneyEra]

From Hollywoodreporter:

Late last month, Pixar and Disney Animation chief creative officer John Lasseter essentially declared war on Katzenberg by dating a slew of untitled Pixar and Disney Animation Studios films through 2018, going so far as to claim June 17, 2016, even though DWA already had put How to Train Your Dragon 3 there. Never before have a Pixar and DWA movie gone up against one another. Katzenberg and Fox, where Vanessa Morrison heads up Fox Animation Studios, retaliated by flooding the calendar through 2018 with their own untitled films, even planting one on June 16, 2017, a Pixar date.

And that's that! Instead of WDAS trying new things, they're releasing films to counter Dreamworks! Pixar has the Boxoffice & awards locked while Dreamworks dominates the worldwide BO. This would of been a great opportunity for WDAS to differentiate themselves from their rivals with films in the Paperman style & giving 2D another chance.

[Elladorine]

We "lost" hand-drawn once, yet back it came. And now that we're apparently losing it again, well . . . I can't put myself through that extreme disappointment all over again. Like many, I had dreams of becoming a Disney animator once upon a time, and when it appeared to be dying a decade ago, perhaps it felt like the last crushing blow amid a long line of brutal realities that I took it far too personally.

We'll always have the older favorites. We'll always have the classics that we all grew up on produced by Walt himself. I'll always remember the excitement I felt over watching The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin in the theaters for the very first time back before we knew we were witnessing any kind of "renaissance." Films grow and change over time, and Walt himself was all about innovation and embracing new technology. I'll also always remember the awe I felt the very first time I witnessed the clock tower sequence in The Great Mouse Detective, when I first saw the test screening of Where the Wild Things Are, and upon seeing the early Pixar shorts (and even their television commercials) long before Toy Story made them a household name.

Hand-drawn has always been my first love and always will be, but more than anything I love the characters and stories that are produced in the animation world regardless of the medium. I do believe that the spirit of Walt's legacy will continue to live on as long as the studio is around to produce new animated films, regardless of whether it's CG, hand-drawn, stop-motion, or whatever. As long as we are given great characters and stories to enjoy within a fantastic realm, I'll continue to support the studio.

I'm also certain that hand-drawn is not dead. It survives in other forms; not just through television, but through the pre-production work and within the principles learned from decades of experience of a studio rich in culture and history. I feel that hand-drawn will once again find a theatrical audience once the timing is right; Paperman's success is a small glimmer of hope that may take time for the execs to fully realize.

[Mooky]

I feel that hand-drawn will once again find a theatrical audience once the timing is right; Paperman's success is a small glimmer of hope that may take time for the execs to fully realize.

Well, I'm typing this from the future and I can confirm that hand-drawn animation still hasn't made a comeback (as of June 18, 2016). We did however get Hoverboards so all is not lost.

[Elladorine]

Well, I'm typing this from the future and I can confirm that hand-drawn animation still hasn't made a comeback (as of June 18, 2016). We did however get Hoverboards so all is not lost.

Cool, bring me a dozen hoverboards and some lottery numbers while you're at it; I'll use the money to fund my own hand-drawn feature.

[Mooky]

No problem, just as soon as I fix my time-machine.





All joking aside, that was a great, attentive post. All reservations about CG animation aside, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for hand-drawn's bright future.

[DisneyJedi]

Of course hand drawn is far from dead. It was claimed to be "dead" once, I'm sure estefan said it best that it will eventually make a triumphant return. Those animators just need to, as Jeffrey Katzenberg once said, awaken Sleeping Beauty.

[Semaj]

We "lost" hand-drawn once, yet back it came. And now that we're apparently losing it again, well . . . I can't put myself through that extreme disappointment all over again. Like many, I had dreams of becoming a Disney animator once upon a time, and when it appeared to be dying a decade ago, perhaps it felt like the last crushing blow amid a long line of brutal realities that I took it far too personally.

We'll always have the older favorites. We'll always have the classics that we all grew up on produced by Walt himself. I'll always remember the excitement I felt over watching The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin in the theaters for the very first time back before we knew we were witnessing any kind of "renaissance." Films grow and change over time, and Walt himself was all about innovation and embracing new technology. I'll also always remember the awe I felt the very first time I witnessed the clock tower sequence in The Great Mouse Detective, when I first saw the test screening of Where the Wild Things Are, and upon seeing the early Pixar shorts (and even their television commercials) long before Toy Story made them a household name.

Hand-drawn has always been my first love and always will be, but more than anything I love the characters and stories that are produced in the animation world regardless of the medium. I do believe that the spirit of Walt's legacy will continue to live on as long as the studio is around to produce new animated films, regardless of whether it's CG, hand-drawn, stop-motion, or whatever. As long as we are given great characters and stories to enjoy within a fantastic realm, I'll continue to support the studio.

I'm also certain that hand-drawn is not dead. It survives in other forms; not just through television, but through the pre-production work and within the principles learned from decades of experience of a studio rich in culture and history. I feel that hand-drawn will once again find a theatrical audience once the timing is right; Paperman's success is a small glimmer of hope that may take time for the execs to fully realize.

Posts like this make me wish this forum had "like" buttons.

[Disney's Divinity]

[quote=enigmawing]Like many, I had dreams of becoming a Disney animator once upon a time, and when it appeared to be dying a decade ago, perhaps it felt like the last crushing blow amid a long line of brutal realities that I took it far too personally.
[/quote]I think many people who grow up loving Disney dream of being an animator. I know that is something I had always wanted to do as a child, and I still love drawing/art/etc., but the studio was giving up on 2D at the time I graduated high school and since I had no interest in CG animation, I decided not to pursue a dead career. (I don’t blame everything on that though; there’s also the fact that an animating career seems unstable and inconsistent, and that none of the colleges near me offer the program/classes you would need. ) At least you went into animation/graphic arts, etc. because the talent you have definitely would’ve been wasted otherwise.

[Super Aurora]

I feel that hand-drawn will once again find a theatrical audience once the timing is right; Paperman's success is a small glimmer of hope that may take time for the execs to fully realize.

Well, I'm typing this from the future and I can confirm that hand-drawn animation still hasn't made a comeback (as of June 18, 2016). We did however get Hoverboards so all is not lost.

Who won 2016 election?

And yes I'd love to have the hover board to be made by 2015. Want one so bad.

[Sotiris]

Well, I'm typing this from the future and I can confirm that hand-drawn animation still hasn't made a comeback (as of June 18, 2016).

Only as of 2016? Disney announced the release schedule for WDAS films for up to November 2018 and none of them will be hand-drawn (with the possible exception of the Clements/Musker film where there's a slim chance it'll remain a hybrid).

[Mooky]

Who won 2016 election?

Elections are in November and it's only June now, silly.

(It's Clinton vs. Paul, btw )

Only as of 2016? Disney announced the release schedule for WDAS films for up to November 2018 and none of them will be hand-drawn (with the possible exception of the Clements/Musker film where there's a slim chance it'll remain a hybrid).

What I meant to say there has been no announcement of anything hand-drawn beyond the current (well, 2013 ) slate. And you should know by now that those release schedules can be pretty unreliable (Newt says hi ). Speaking of which, Musker and Clements' film has been put on an indefinite hold -- but we are finally getting that Incredibles sequel in 2017.

[Patrick]

Of course hand drawn is far from dead. It was claimed to be "dead" once, I'm sure estefan said it best that it will eventually make a triumphant return. Those animators just need to, as Jeffrey Katzenberg once said, awaken Sleeping Beauty.

And then throw a hissy fit and create Madagascar 1 - 18!