Thinking Animation Panel and Book Signing
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
12-1:00 pm
Disney Feature Animation
This panel seeks to demystify, debunk, and drive the dialogue about the future of 2D and CG character animation. It is motivated by the sea change that is currently affecting our industry. The introduction of the computer has changed an art form that had been, until now, a pen and paper medium for upward of 80 years. Today, traditional animators and artists are giving up their fear of the machine and embracing CG in droves. The art of classical film animation has been ever-evolving since its early days. Artists and the studios have strived to raise the bar visually through storytelling since the first crude attempts at putting moving images on the screen.
We are talking about classical animation and its evolution into computer-generated feature films—think Steamboat Willie and its progression to The Incredibles. It is important to recognize trends in filmmaking, storytelling, and technology for an animator to increase his or her chances of continued employment. Trends and history reveal how evolution of an art form occurs. Paying close attention to the trends and growth of any field helps predict the future of that industry. Three major shifts are responsible for the progression from pencil to mouse in feature animation: aesthetic, audience, and storytelling.
Looking at the interesting turn of events in animation, many questions come to mind. What makes for a smooth transition? What has helped those who have made the jump? How much of the 2D art form is applicable to the digital realm? What have we gained and lost in the rise of CG? What is the impact of more 2D animators entering the CG industry? Without drawing as a craft threshold, is there room for a new set of animation heroes in CG with a signature style like, say, Ward Kimball’s (of Disney’s Nine Old Men fame)? This is a relatively new art in the broader sense of the word, and we are all learning as we go because we are but fleas on the shoulders of giants.
Organizers/Moderators
Tenny Chonin
Walt Disney Feature Animation
Hanna Hurme
Book Soup Sales
Angie Jones
Digital Domain
Jamie Oliff
Ken Duncan Studios
Panelists
Richard Taylor
Electronic Arts
Jerry Beck
Cartoon Brew
Floyd Norman
Disney Publishing Group
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So, I’d like to read a follow up post on how this panel went . Any conclusions ? Any new insights ?
Any rags ,any bones, any bottles today ?
The panel went great. There was a waiting list and we were so proud to be up there talking with Floyd, Richard and Jerry. Tenny Chonin (Head of Artistic Development at Disney)is mailing me a quicktime of the whole talk and we will post it here as soon as we get it!