Will Disney ever bring back traditional hand drawn animated movies?

[DuckTalesFan32]

I've been watching the new Mickey Mouse cartoons. I love them. A mix between the insane 1920s and the early 1930s style and then modernized, it appears to be hand-drawn. Am I right? Either way, it's 2D animation. And it made me wonder, will Disney bring back the 2D style for animated movies? I miss it so much. Don't get me wrong. I love Pixar films. But Pixar should focus on the 3D animated movies, and Disney on the 2D hand-drawn (digitally inking still counts as hand-drawn).

Take Frozen. Because of its story, it would have looked so much better as 2D hand-drawn. Artists have shown concept art about what Frozen would have looked like in traditional animation and it looks a whole lot better than what Disney went with. There is a beautiful fairy tale element that with traditional animation, almost like a storybook, that 3D can't capture.

Again, 3D computer-animated has its place. I don't believe that Toy Story, Wall-E, and Finding Nemo would look as good being hand-drawn. But I feel like the feel of Pixar's stories lend themselves to 3D, whereas Disney stories lend themselves to 2D. Does anyone feel similar? Do you think Disney Animation will ever attempt to make another traditional hand-drawn animated movie?

 

[BrianL]

Well, they won't be bringing back actual hand-drawn animation as it is just too expensive, labor intensive, and time consuming compared to using computers. I could definitely see them still creating 2-D style animation though but it would be done on computers. They do this for TV animation all the time. Sometimes they do a hybrid, like Staar Wars: Resisitance, which is a look that I really love. I do like both (I think Frozen is beautiful regardless), but I would like to see at least some 2-D style features.

Interesting note: In Moana, Maui's tatoos were done using 100% hand-drawn animation and then added to the character model. They do still use the old tricks!

 

[marcyleecorgan]

bringing 2D into the digital world saves so much time and money. they will never go back to celluloid and ink again
I am sure that they will not abandon the style that thousands of artists have perfected and trained in for over 100 years, they just use better tech to get the project done.

 

[Helvetica]

Since The Little Mermaid was the last traditionally animated film from Disney, I'd say it's pretty safe to say that they're not returning to it. I don't even think the talent exists to make a film like Sleeping Beauty today.

Using a 2D program like Toon Boom Harmony? Sure, I could see a new film. However, the biggest problem is that Winnie the Pooh didn't make them any money. I think if they're going to do something, it's going to be a 2D/3D hybrid like Paperman.

 

[BrianL]

Since The Little Mermaid was the last traditionally animated film from Disney, I'd say it's pretty safe to say that they're not returning to it. I don't even think the talent exists to make a film like Sleeping Beauty today.

Using a 2D program like Toon Boom Harmony? Sure, I could see a new film. However, the biggest problem is that Winnie the Pooh didn't make them any money. I think if they're going to do something, it's going to be a 2D/3D hybrid like Paperman.

Well, a lot of the movies since The Little Mermaid used mostly hand-drawn animation - but did use digital ink & paint, CAPS, etc. to enhance things, with things skewing further and further away from traditional drawing as time marched on.

I am a big fan of the late 90's/early '00s movies that used traditional 2-D cahracters with 3-D Computer generated backgrounds - Like Atlantis, Titan AE, Treasure Planet, etc. (not all Disney). That was a cool, experimental phase, though a lot of those movies didn't do too well. I really appreciate them though as I think the hand-dranw characters have a littler more life to them, but the CG backgrounds have more depth. It's the best of both worlds.

 

[Spencer Wright]

My understanding is that they no longer have the equipment or staff to support a hand drawn animated feature, and they would have to start from scratch.

As much as I love it, I don’t see it happening.

 

[old lady]

It is too expensive to do traditional hand drawn animation.

 

[supernova]

Do you think Disney Animation will ever attempt to make another traditional hand-drawn animated movie?

No.

 

[DuckTalesFan32]

My understanding is that they no longer have the equipment or staff to support a hand drawn animated feature, and they would have to start from scratch.

As much as I love it, I don’t see it happening.

You could be right. But then again, people didn't see vinyl records coming back.

A part of me does hold out that traditional animation will come back in time, but Iger has to go first.

Oh, and hand-drawn animation that is digitally inked like the days of Beauty and the Beast is still legit hand-drawn animation. I could understand how animation cels would be too expensive. But I wouldn't think hand-drawn and then digitally inked with computer would be that costly. But again, Iger who has ruined Disney in many ways needs to go first.