MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

CGI Animation is Cheaper and Faster to Produce Than Hand-Drawn Animation

     Walt Disney

While it may seem that 3D animation costs more, considering the technology required for it, the opposite is in fact true. According to Guru, 3D animation does involve more technology, but this technology is cheaper than paying animators to draw each frame of a film by hand. Disney’s decision to move exclusively to 3D animation lowered labor costs by making less work for the artists. All the animation is now done digitally with the use of CGI, effectively streamlining the animation process. This not only eliminates the need for more artists but also speeds up the production of the films, reducing the amount of time needed to actually create the film. All of this works to Disney’s benefit because, with a lower production time, Disney has more time to crank out new content, which is an even bigger win for the audience as they can anticipate more quality content being released at a rapid pace.

2D Animation Became an Excuse for Weaker Storytelling

     Buena Vista Pictures

While the plots of the original 2D animations were usually solid, they grew less and less so over the years. According to Digital Spy, John Lasseter, who pioneered 3D animation at Disney, said that the amount of work that was needed for the hand-drawn 2D animation somehow outweighed the content of the film. With animators throwing all their hard work into the hand-drawn 2D animation, this often led to the actual story of the film being neglected. This was a major reason that Disney took a step away from 2D animation, as there was too much focus on the form of the film rather than telling a memorable story. With the use of CGI, 3D animation makes animation easier so that the filmmakers can focus on all aspects of the film rather than expending all their energy on the animating process. Yet another reason for Disney to switch to 3-D animation.

3D Animated Films Are More Profitable

     Walt Disney Pictures

Disney’s first 3-D animation Toy Story was exceedingly profitable upon release, especially compared to Pocahontas and A Goofy Movie, all of which were released the same year. Disney experimented with 3D animation after this point, alongside Pixar, and found that 3D films are more profitable than the old-fashioned hand-drawn 2D animation. Can you really blame Disney for seizing a good opportunity to save and make money at the same time? 3D animated films cost less to make, and they make more money at the box office. Why do 3D animations draw more attention than their 2D counterparts? Some can chalk this up to the more refined look that 3D animation brings to the screen, some say that the 3D aspect makes the experience more immersive, and the list of reasons is long. While some are hopeful that Disney may return to its hand-drawn roots, this is highly unlikely at this point as 3D animation continues to dominate the market.