Hi all willing to listen and teach,( Thank you in advance)
Um my question, to you all out there that either know just because or actually have had some "studio elightenment", is what is "limited animation" and how does that differ with for example full feature animation i.e.-THE IRON GIANT? Also, what how does that effect the animantion process 2d or even 3d as funny as that seems( what with the simplicity of 3d-in my opinion)?
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-HannaBarberaGuy-
As far as I know, "limited animation" was created by Hanna Barbera around 1952 when they released "Ruff & Reddy", the first TV animation series. What they did was pretty simple yet genious. They created animation techniques that allowed them to make episodes that were long enough to be shown weekly on TV, and yet could be produced fast enough by a small cheap staff.
These techniques included the classical walking loops with panning cycles of scenario, among others. My favorite technique is to make the body and head in separated layers to make it easier to animate the head talking. Have you ever noticed that all Hanna Barbera characters have something on their necks, no matter how wild they are? Alligators, gorillas, bears... all of them weay neckties and scarves!! :)
These techniques are still used today in most TV series, specially Cartoon Network ones. I think it's really nifty, and very hard to make good decent limited animation. Is kinda like punk rock. Some people think that limited animation is wrong and awful, and that full animation is always great. Well, I prefer to apprecate the good use of limited animation instead of dissing it. It is very hard to make something really limited and fast to do, and yet entertaining. You can make long full animation movies that don't appeal to anyone, and you can make TV series with very limited animation that make legions of fans around the world and last on TV for decades. Compare the popularity of Speed Racer and Top Cat against the popularity of Prince of Egypt and Pocahontas and you'll see what I mean.
My favorite limited animation series ever is called "Fractured Fairy Tales". It's still brilliant, specially because of the scripts. But the smart use of three frame loops brings tears to my eyes.
Limited animation is the punk rock of animation. It's simple, and people love it. And also you can see it and think "hey, I can do that too", and then go there and try it. Most people diss it, but those who love it can see beauty in its simplicity. And also, most people think they can do it, but only a few can really add something to it.
I have to work more on that comparison... :)
danielpoeira.org
Thnx Daniel,
It's always a joy to recieve information from someone that knows , and really does know, what they are talkn' about. So I have another iquiry of you. Um, are you an animator by trade, college, or just love it to death and were meant to be...so to speak? Only because that sort of information sounds to be the "teaching" of someone far more educated in a particular field of animation...but who knows. Well much thanks for the help and will anticipate many more replies to this thread because of the all too intersesting topic!
-HannaBarberaGuy-
HannaBarbaraGuy, I can't offer the informed opinion Tony or Daniel can give you, but I can tell you what I believe. I like all animation and I truely believe the old adage that, 'form follows function'-limited animation is not 'bad' artists choose the style which best fits the intention. What do you want to say and what is the best way to present it-and that not only factors in aesthetics, but time, money, access, etc. I believe that the most revolutionary work springs from using your resources to their capacity, you find solutions with what you have available. :) Bird
bird16 just said everything.
A friend of mine once did a workshop with a guy from Pixar (forgot his name) and the guy was showing them some old Peanuts cartoons. Man, that's really limited animation. But whoever doesn't like that is a cold stone. Not ony because of the text and the characters, but the animation is so simple - in a honest way.
As for my education...
a) are you an animator by trade
b) college
c) or just love it to death and were meant to be
I'd add another one:
d) All of the above!!
danielpoeira.org
To offer a slight correction: UPA (you know, the studio responsible for Gerald McBoing-Boing) pioneered the use of limited animation. They were a studio formed by ex-Disney employees and, as I've been told it, good-ol' Walt used the red scare to his advantage and UPA was shut down. Evidently, he was a bit worried about their ability to compete.
Hanna Barbera certainly made limited animation a cornerstone of their success, producing the first prime time time cartoon ever, The Flintstones.
Here's a few links to back me up. Be carefull, you could spend a lifetime clicking through the Wikipedia...
Limited Animation
UPA
Hanna Barbera
*gniltrohc yawa srednaw*
That sounds like the Salem Witch Hunt- a case of one family business attempting to eliminate another by accusing them of being witches. UGGGGG!
That's precisely what it was like, bird. Fear of the Red Menace was the perfect excuse for certain, already powerful, people to wrest even more control. There are hunts like that throughout history, usually in religious or moral trapping, usually more about secular power and wealth.
All part and parcel to the human condition, I suppose.
*gniltrohc yawa srednaw*
It's funny, for years I wanted to get involved in animation, but my daytime job didn't give me much time. Then I finally found the time after I was fired for bein accused of the exact opposite, that is, of not being a communist. Guess there's a bit of everything in the world. ( I Eventually won the case, but now I alredy got started in animation, so don't intend to stop)
But back on the thread... Obviously not everyone can hire 400 animators, so for must of us, limited animation is necessary. The trick is to do it right, and realize that animation isn't everything in a movie. A clever camera angle or soundtrack can really save the day.
Imagine how would Diney make the 3rd segment of Katsuhiro Otomo's Memories (Cannon Fodder). They would have modelled the whole thing in 3D.
Yet the Japanese jus makes a few backgrounds, only they are the RIGHT backgrounds.
Last night I saw Disney's long forbid "Victory Through Air Power". It is very interesting, not only because of the historical content, but also because of the technique. It's not the kind of movie that would make you think of the Disney style, and yet it's marvellous. A must see!!
danielpoeira.org