Tuesdays, ANIMATED INSIGHTS BY SHANNON MUIR takes you inside Shannon’s latest reflections on writing, animation, and life in general. To catch up on all posts, check out the Animated Insights portion of the website! This time, she discusses world building in animation.
One of the most powerful things I’ve admired about animation is the ability to create entire worlds that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. While computer technology has brought about some ability to create more diversity in sets for live-action actors to exist in setups previously unable to be seen in television or film, it still has limitations. Once a story’s visual portrayal requires items – including character types – that go beyond what the limits of what can be done, animation still makes the otherwise impossible possible.
I believe that both 3-D and 2-D animation have value. For me, it goes back in the end to the type of story that is being told, and which type of animation best serves the theme and tone. In general, though, it does seem to me that 3-D works better in more serious or straight fare, and 2-D in more comedic settings, but only because there are things that can be accomplished in the fluidity of 2-D animation that 3-D hasn’t quite mastered yet – if it ever can. I’m unsure on that last part.