Persistence of Vision: How 2D Animation Education is Surviving Today

Saturday, January 01, 2005
By: Ellen Wolff

When last year’s student Oscar for animation was handed out, it went to a 2D animated film, Alex Woo’s Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher.

But the extent to which 2D will continue to flourish among students seems to be an open question in today’s 3D-saturated climate. Some well-known schools like Sheridan, Cal Arts, The Art Institutes and The Savannah College of Art And Design are maintaining 2D classes, but training in traditional animation has given way to an emphasis on 3D at many other institutions.

Some educators chalk this up to the influence of a professional marketplace in which 2D movies are increasingly eclipsed by 3D. “There are more opportunities in 3D than in 2D,” admits Eric Elder, who teaches 2D animation at The Art Institute of California in Los Angeles. “I always have several students every quarter who say: ‘ I only want to do 2D.’  I feel it’s my responsibility to tell them  ‘Don’t stop doing 2D, but be realistic and learn some 3D to be employable.’”

Elder, himself a 2D animator whose credits include King Of The Hill The Simpsons and Beavis and Butthead, oversees 2D classes in two Bachelor of Science programs at The Art Institute—Media Arts & Animation as well as Game Art & Design. He teaches 2D in what he calls “Special production team classes.” “I encourage students to do actual films, not just demo reels with spinning models that are samples of class work,” he notes. “I want to make their education as close to a real world experience as possible.”

The results of this approach can be seen in a DVD collection of shorts from two production teams dubbed Shooting Stars and Red Giant, which Elder plans to submit to festivals. Meanwhile some of his 2D student animators have played a role in AICLA’s student-produced videogame Mage’s Mayhem, and others have landed jobs at THQ game developer Heavy Iron Studios on games like SpongeBob SquarePants. Games clearly offer a professional opportunity for 2D artists, believes Elder, “especially wireless games, where you can have 2D gaming experiences on your cell-phone. These ‘casual games’ are a multi-million dollar industry.”

The belief that videogames offer a promising career path for 2D artists is shared by classical animation professor David Quesnelle at Ontario-based Sheridan College. While Quesnelle’s background includes stints at Nelvana, at Disney’s Toronto animation studio and on Don Bluth films like The Land Before Time, he has also worked on 2D-animated videogames.  “I think there’s a wonderful opportunity there. There are lots of 2D games out now for the younger market.”

Quesnelle also sees a hopeful sign in the growing presence of 2D animation on the Web.  He points to the rapid Internet distribution of Eminem’s 2D-animated video Mosh as a high-profile example.  “It’s amazing.  Students can show their films to the whole world now.”

How soon the Web will provide a moneymaking venue for animators is unknown of course, but clearly 2D animation is poised to take advantage of the current downloading capabilities of the average home computer.  Given this, it’s probably not surprising that Macromedia’s web animation software Flash has joined the digital toolkit in many 2D animation courses. While Photoshop, AfterEffects and Flipbook are standard tools in current 2D animation classes, the ascendance of Flash is especially notable.

Eric Elder notes, “The shorts done by our Shooting Stars and Red Giant teams were Flash-animated.  And the newest version of Flash is even more animator-friendly.” Another hopeful sign for 2D animators, adds Elder, “is that producers are starting to adapt Flash as a way to produce television shows. There’s a business model there. I know Mucha Lucha! ‘ is a show that uses Flash, and I think there are several new shows on Cartoon Network. Flash is giving U.S. producers the option of being able to produce a show here instead of shipping it overseas.”

While that might stir hopes for future employment among 2D students, neither Elder nor Quesnelle think the overall prospects for their graduates lie in knowing a particular tool. “You never know what software will be viable when someone graduates,” says Elder.

Which is why Quesnelle believes the best preparation still lies in knowing time-tested fundamentals. Traditional animation is the foundation at Sheridan. Students leave here with excellent drawing, acting, and visual language skills, and we’re fighting to keep up that tradition. Even as the 3D animation industry grows, studios are finding that the more traditionally trained animators they can bring in, the better their shows are. Animators who just work on computers are giving themselves a handicap. At most studios, things start off on paper. If you need to go to a computer to communicate an idea, that slows things down immensely.”

The burden on educators is actually increasing as 2D animated feature production declines, believes Elder, “because we don’t have the studio apprentice system anymore. My biggest fear is that this tradition will get lost.” So, like Quesnelle, Elder has one over-arching message for animation students who love 2D: “Don’t give up that love. Keep on drawing, because it will make you a better animator in the end.” n
Ellen Wolff is a Los Angeles-based journalist who specializes in animation and visual effects.

Reader Comments

• khushvinder singh : animator : planet it

  Saturday, July 15, 2006

  i did not want to job i want to learn about animation software as flash mx/ 3d/ 2d information. as action scriptin etc.

• Amelia : Animator : -

  Wednesday, September 13, 2006

  -

• Hari Krishna T : Computer Engineer : Polytechnic

  Wednesday, September 27, 2006

  i want information

• tejal : flash devoleper :

  Sunday, January 28, 2007

  i want job in animation field

• jain puja : as a 2d animator : animaster

  Friday, March 30, 2007

  i want job on traning base

• pankaj purohit : na : Anime_pro

  Monday, July 30, 2007

  I in India (dehradun,near himalayas)started an 2d animation programme name Anime_Pro as what I know about i explore to children with no profit and no loss Probably i\'d started to make 2d animation healthy so that it can live .But I also requesting people all over the world to take part volunterly to help me for this my e-mail id is mirjaehind@yahoo.co.in and phone number is +919897336755

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  Monday, October 29, 2007

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  Contact Information:
  
  I.SaravanaKumar
  28,Tansi Nagar 2nd St
  Velachary
  Chennai – 600 042.
  Telephone (M): 94446 - 96563
  Email: saro.17.05.78.@gmail.com
  Date of Birth: 17th May 1978
  __________________________________________________________________________________
  
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  I have about 9+ yrs experience in 2d Flash Animator & Traditional Cell Animator (Hand Drawing)
  
  Objective:
  
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  Employment History
  Assistant Animator
  Militone Animation (P) Ltd. Chennai (2.6 Years)
  2D Animation Traditional Hand Drawing
  
  Graphic Designer
  DQ Entertainment (P) Ltd. Jupli Hills Hyderabad (1.6 Year)
  Macromedia Flash Software
  
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  Colour Chips India (P) Ltd. Jupli Hills Hyderabad (1 Year)
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  EZ Cartoons (P) Ltd. Faridabad Harena (1 Year)
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  Aowra Big Mind (P) Ltd. Chennai (1 .6Year)
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  Z Axis (P) Ltd. Chennai (1 Year)
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  Education
  
  UG
  
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  Personal Details:
  Permanent Address:
  § Father’s Name : A.Iyyadurai
  § Name : I.SaravanaKumar
  § Voice : 9444696563
  § Language Proficiency attained : English( Read, Write, Speak)
  § Date of Birth : 17.05.1978 Age:29
  § Marital Status : Married
  § Nationality : Indian
  § Address : #28,Tansi Nagar 2nd St, Velachary,
  Chennai-600 042.
  
  
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• steve fenuccio : 2d animator-director and illustrator : no company

  Monday, November 26, 2007

  I\'m an italian animator; here producers aiming to 30min.tv series, seem not even understanding what\'s the difference between traditional 2d animation and flash. 2D animation is just a work to send in asia for slaves payied 30/50 cent per day. It\'s difficult finding a quality clients here. I need some indications for escaping abroad wherever and finding nostalgic oldfashioned people loving to keep their hands dirty of graphite. My site is www.fenoanimation.com. I would like to collaborate with someone willing to keep alive this beautiful art in some corner of the earth. phenofenuccio@hotmail.com tel.0039 347 2367256

• jayaprakash.r : lay-out artist : green gold animation[p]ltd hyd

  Sunday, February 03, 2008

  i have four year experience in 2d animation. now i am working as a lay-out checker in green gold animation since last one&half year. i want to do pre production also.so if u satisfy me plz mail [jaya_prakash07@yahoo.co.in]

• Brian : none : none

  Monday, February 11, 2008

  Does anybody know if there are any 2D hand-drawn animation firms hiring in Los Angeles?

• Sribatsa Maharana : 2d Layout artist & Flash Animator : india news

  Saturday, September 06, 2008

  cv con,
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• Vamsi :

  Monday, October 27, 2008

  are u looking out for any openings in pre-production?

• Angel :

  Monday, October 27, 2008

  does anyone are interested to compose music for our animation new projects which is placed in hyderabad?
  contact us at :
  sparkanimation@gmail.com

• rupali : photoshop background aritist : green gold animation company

  Monday, March 23, 2009

  I have good knowladge for adob photoshop, crawldraw, pagemaker ,Flash.I am looking job animation company.i have BFA dregee .

• rupali : photoshop background aritist : green gold animation company

  Monday, March 23, 2009

  contact us at : rupali_pawar21@yahoo.com