The future of animation?

[RedMage]

You know how when you watch an "elderly" anime series like the original Mobile Suit Gundam or Lupin III, it really looks dated compared to the current generation of anime? (Not that you can't still enjoy it, I'm talking from a purely technical perspective.)

Do you think that a couple decades from now, we'll feel the same way about current visual masterpieces like Last Exile or GITS: Stand Alone Complex? It seems to me that animation has advanced to a degree where things should level off (so to speak), at least partially. However, it's also been my experience from studying history that at any given point in time, many people believe that things have progressed to a point where no more great improvements or innovations are possible.

[Myoti]

If Disney has their way, CGI will be the only kind of animation. >_<

[Wakarimashta!]

I have noticed that shows from 1999 and up appear to have improved their animation quite a bit. The choppiness of anime seemed to have come to an end when animators started using computers instead of cels to animate each frame (digital painting). Of course, Gonzo has pioneered these techniques earlier on in that timeframe and many other animation studios now seem to be following their path.

I would say there's a chance technology will change how anime will look in 20 years. For one thing, you can consider the possibility of anime being broadcasted primarily in HD (I am not sure if this has been done yet in Japan). Thus, the potential for that is to motivate animators to focus more on the details of their work. Though it's my guess that we might still see the traditional "lower frame count, higher detail" practice that is still being used today in most anime titles.

[Godly Paladin]

On a related note, is there anyone else who doesn't really care for the new CG-style animation? Personally I think that anime looked the best at around '95 - '99, when it was still mostly hand-drawn but top-caliber as well. Stuff like Vandread just seems cheap...anyone can do a CG show, but not everyone can do beautiful, 100% hand-animated stuff.

[Aka-chan]

Art styles have also shifted noticeably, which contributes to the "dated" look. I think animation will still change as people develop new techniques, but the classic cell look will stick around, even with the growing popularity of CG. I mean, it's classic.

[Godly Paladin]

Not classic enough for Disney and all the other mainstream American animators, apparently. (As far as movies go.)

[Shao Feng-Li]

As long as it's all done in widescreen I'll be happy with it.

[Maledicte]

I'm not against CG animation, but I do enjoy having the option of watching hand-drawn animation, which I admit I like better.

And yes, widescreen is a good thing. I can't imagine Gankutsuou any other way.

[Godly Paladin]

Widescreen needs to be far, far more common. Do people not understand how great it is?

[DragonSlayer]

Just look at Apple Seed, that was a cross mix between cg animation and Anime(the best ive seen)There was already an anime called Kashern that they redid in CG edit:It was te same kind of style that Advent Children took:so the possibility of Anime going to cg isnt really far off.

[Godly Paladin]

(Great avatar, DragonSlayer.)

[/OFFTOPIC]

[GrubbTheFragger]

i agree with dragonslayer about the appleseed animation it look great and i think that in the future that might be what most anime developers will go with.

[Myoti]

I don't want CG to take over anime. I want it to enhance it, yes, but not replace.

[Roy Mustang]

As long as they don't start doing cel shading (sp) anime, I will be happy. I hate cell shading (sp)!


I don't have a problem with CG anime, and I like anime that is drawn into a computer.

As for anime being hand drawn cel anime, its a thing of the past now. As much as I hate to see that, since I love to buy anime cels.


Wingzero22

[Myoti]

I mean, yes, making cels on computer I like, but I don't want full CGI for all anime. There's enough normal toons that use that, but too many of them have it just to make a quick show with little effort. :l

[Roy Mustang]

I agree, I hate to say this, but I don't like Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. I just can't stand the style and I never want to see anymore cartoons done with flash.


I think its okay to have an anime movie done in CG every now and then.


But I think Japan is starting to run out of ideas for anime. Just this past week, I counted five or so, Live-Action movie base from anime or manga that are in the works in Japan.

Wingzero22

[Myoti]

So it's our turn to take control again!

But yeah, stop with the Flash cartoons. That "Xs" thing on Nick made me want to puke just from seeing the previews. It was a crappily done style with quite a few cliche-seeming bits.

The only Flash one I find to be any good is Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, but that's for two reasons:
1) They have a good, more unique way of using the style and
2) They actually try, and succeed, at being funny.

[Godly Paladin]

I agree, I hate to say this, but I don't like Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. I just can't stand the style and I never want to see anymore cartoons done with flash.

PREACH IT, BROTHER!!!

Seriously, though, I hate that! It's the coward's cartooning, and it makes me sick. My eyes just glaze over anytime I see that impossibly-high-frame-rate-and-slick-shading look. *gags*

[Arnobius]

I tend to prefer the old style cel based anime. To put it bluntly, the anime companies seem to suck with CGI nowadays. Most of the anime I saw using CGI seemed to look like some people saying "Look what I can do."

Of course, as a disclosure, I hate most computer animated stuff of the "Finding Nemo" vein anyway

However, when they use computers to animate anime and it still looks like it's cel based, that's just fine. For example, I didn't realize Excel Saga was computer assisted until I saw the episode making fun of the American interest in anime.

[Shao Feng-Li]

But I think Japan is starting to run out of ideas for anime. Just this past week, I counted five or so, Live-Action movie base from anime or manga that are in the works in Japan.

You just have to pick out the good ones...

[Myoti]

One word, folds: Code Lyoko. XO

[Wakarimashta!]

As long as it's all done in widescreen I'll be happy with it.

Yes, with HD, you will expect everything to be in widescreen in a few more years. With widescreen, the animators will be able to have more room to compose their anime more artistically, as opposed to the square box of the format that is being phased out now.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Most things are done in widescreen in the first place. For some reason people like to make a lil' square out fo the long rectangle.

[taboo]

The reason why I don't like cgi in anime is because anime tends to be more realistic looking than regular cartoons. Ever wonder why people aren't ever in cgi films? It's because we know people. We know the facial shadows and the jerks in movement and hair volume etc like it's the back of our hand (ha ha, literally). CGI is an attempt at reality and we, as humans, KNOW what a human looks like. Think of it as your computer. Say you don't use another computer for about a month, then suddenly use your friends. It's like that with CGI; it's similar to a human, but it's most decidedly NOT. In fact, I'd say it were a step back from 2d anime, where it's far easier to animate the sudden and subtle movements of the body.

Now, if they prefected it, then that's cool but it's still not the same. As I said earlier, CGI is an attempt at realism, so it would have to be perfect. (Final Fantasy was good, but you could still tell.) It's one of the reasons you're seeing an insane flooding of cartoony animal CGI films and not human.

NOW cartooning on the other hand works WONDERS in CGI. Just take the Incredibles for example. CGI cartooning at it's best.

I like 2d more myself. It gives me the warm fuzzies inside. x3

[GundamGeek]

As someone who collections animation art, I really really miss being able to get my grubby little hands on those unique pieces of painted plastic from my favorite new anime! Though all the new shows are CG, most still have artists who draw the genga (key pencil sketches) for the computer artists to use when they create the sequences. Now the scratchy pencil sketches are fetching as much or more money than decent painted cels from the older shows.

Though the CG art can be of consistently higher quality than individually hand-painted cels (where you have a key beginning and end cel, then sometimes lots of mediocre cels in between), the CG stuff sometimes moves SO fast that you lose some of the beauty of a scene... especially battles or other scenes that are large in scope. (i.e. my gundam shows... the older animated shows like GGundam and Wing, the gundam battles are slower and more "choreographed"... you really get to see the gundams moving. In the new CG shows like SEED, they move so quickly that the individual moves are completely lost.) So I guess you have both the good and the bad with the CG revolution.

And even though we can't imagine anything getting markedly better from what we see now, I think it would be silly to think that we'll be watching the same kinds of things in 20 years. 20 years is an eternity in electronics and in media... I think we will be AMAZED at the advances we will see in 20 years; things we can't even fathom that will make our High Def Widescreen 6.1 surround sound marvelous home theatre systems of today look pale.

[Wakarimashta!]

I'll be happy with the animation as long as it doesn't sacrifice content. The story, no matter how advanced the animation will be, remains to be the only thing that really matters in a series. If the advancements in 20 years enable the animators to put more details in easily, then that'll mean it will be easier to put more attention on the characters and plot.

[DragonSlayer]

[quote="AnimeHeretic"]I tend to prefer the old style cel based anime. To put it bluntly, the anime companies seem to suck with CGI nowadays. Most of the anime I saw using CGI seemed to look like some people saying "Look what I can do."QUOTE]

Yup, lot of it just seems experimental for the most part, I mean what happened to the good ol animation, Flame of Recc'as animation was very good, (Especially for when it came out) and I dont recall seing any cg animation in that ever.

[taboo]

I'll be happy with the animation as long as it doesn't sacrifice content. The story, no matter how advanced the animation will be, remains to be the only thing that really matters in a series.

That's true, but it's always awsome if the animation works with the story too. But you're right.

[That Dude]

I don't mind when the CG stuff is done in a traditional cel style like in Excel Saga. Though I'm not really a fan of Computer animation I don't mind it as long as it's done well and isn't overly obvious. Such as in "Ghost In The Shell II: Innocence." That movie is a supurb example of computer animation done right.

[Godly Paladin]

Interesting points on the detail issue...it seems like those animes that are hand-drawn (at least later-gen ones like Endless Waltz, etcetera) paid more attention to smooth movements and killer intricacy. CG shows tend to emphasize lots of explosions and hyper-fast movements, just like you said, GundamGeek. It's a sad day when you have to watch everything in slow motion to enjoy it.