Limited animation?

[themonster]

I was looking information about Limited animation?

What do you think about?

techniques?, styles?

Anyone here that do limited animation?

like the Flintstones, old 50's cartoons, and new cartoon's cartoon network and nick too...

http://www.amystevensonline.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/flintstonespair300.jpg

[Rodney]

What do you think about (limited animation)?

I'm a fan of limited animation. For some of us at the low end of finance it may be the best chance we've got. ;)

I grew up with Hanna Barbera and Saturday Cartoons and was entirely enthralled. They entertained and enlightened despite the limited animation and artwork.

techniques?,
I am facinated by the techniques of limited and full feature animation.
One never knows when a limited animation technique might be the perfect solution (and more economical!) in a feature production.

styles?
Limited animation can let storytellers tell more tales and tell them more often. An artist can also experiment with styles that are not currently popular. In full featured animation there tends to be less room for stylistic options.

One of my favorite feature films with limited animation is Rankin and Bass's captivating film; 'The Hobbit'. It's rather amazing to me how much storytelling they accomplished with solid voice work and static artwork.

Anyone here that do limited animation?

People would probably call my work 'limited' but in an entirely different context. ;) I'm working on that.

like the Flintstones, old 50's cartoons, and new cartoon's cartoon network and nick too...

Most of today's limited animation I find rather hard to watch.
Most of the shows seem to thrive off of shock value and lowest common denominator. It's nice that we have the variety but for me personally... Bah and Blah!

I'm the same with horror films... I can watch them (mostly by accident if they happen to be on) and even be entertained by them (sometimes I'm interested in seeing where the storytellers wander), but I rarely have any real interest in watching them.

Short answer: Limited animation too can be awesome.

[joedorsey]

I like limited as much as any form of animation. If it stirs an emotion then it's great regardless of the format. I'm still a big fan on Dexter's Lab.

[C. Siemens]

Getting limited animation right is just as hard as getting full animation right. Everyone can cut corners but to actually make a statement through timing or in a certain style (rather than relying more on fluidity and the illusion of weight) requires a lot of abstract thinking.

[lavallelee]

I do limited animation for my website. As time goes on, i add more and more traditional animation to my cartoons. I hope to one day get away from limited animation all together.

Taking traditional animation from paper to computer and redrawing the lines with a tablet is a really hard task. Limited animation is just a lot easier.

I think thats why it is done so much.

[themonster]

Thank guys for your answers!!!

Good explanation Rodney!!!!

I am really fan of dexter's lab, too.....jejeje

I like about the "style freedom" in new cartoons nowadays.......

I am planning to do a "freelance small 2d animation studio"

I was wondering about limited animation, like and option to work fast, nice quality for Ads agencies....

using flipbook for rough animation and flash, Toon boom or Anime studio for inking.........for...... "limited" animation....

that's why my question.....

if somebody is doing that for living.............?

[GdeSouza]

The best limited animation was done by animators who understood full animation. I am a fan of early Hanna Barbera but their best stuff IMO was done between 1959 to about 1964. Then it fell into formula and deteriorated to crap.
Much limited TV animation when it's bad isn't bad because it moves a little; it's usually bad because it animates badly too much and for the wrong reason. Characters seem designed to be limited but the a script writer will script that the character walks down a hall in perspective which just pronounces what the character wasn't designed for. I see this much in Flash shows.Those ealry HB cartoons understood that the didn't have the time nor budget so they need strong voice actors, strong posing; one or two poses that said it all and the began visually with a story board. I\m not against script writers but it takes them a split second to write "and the crowd goes crazy" and virtually forever to figure out how to animate it.

Limited animation can be good but was disparaged but some theatrical animators when it was popular on TV. But I've lived long enough to see computer animation in its early days and Flash go through the same criticsms. We know there are good and bad examples of every approach.

Yup, Ive done it professionally. I used a limited approach when I made Ecards regularily a few years ago.

[Sidney]

Isn't Anime limited animation?
Mostly scenery and camera pans with a mouth animated but the bodies remaining static?
I suppose comic books with a ton of camera movments, eh?

Makes Hanna Barbera superior. heh
I suppose limited animation always has it's place in the industry when it's needed because it's just another approach for getting done what needs to be done even when it means saving a buck or time.

[Rodney]

Isn't Anime limited animation?

While its safe to say the majority of Anime is limited animation Anime is a broader category that can consist of limited animation, full animation and everything in between. The term 'Anime' is simply the Japanese word for 'animation' but has largely been accepted by audiences outside Japan as limited animation in the Japanese/Manga style.


It's interesting you mention Anime in terms of limited animation as the two do share a whole lot of history. As televisions began to appear, a techologically hungry Japan was an early adopter and the limited production schedules and limited budgets made limited animation the rule of the day.

Companies such as Hanna Barbera found these overseas production houses specializing in television animation more than capable and willinging partners in suppling the level of labor they so desperately needed on the cheap.

Not unlike how animation largely left its cottage industry of the early 1900s with the advent of celluloid and production line assembly, this highly speicalized production system all but eliminated the classically drawn feature film. Even Walt Disney found he could not compete as economically as he began to venture into the new realm of TV. Soon, all forms of animation would take advantage of and be dominated by limited animation techniques.

This largely remained the case until Don Bluth left Disney. To my way of thinking, Don Bluth's 'The Secret of Nihm' reminded everyone there was more to animation than (limited) technique.

[LordDirk]

I agree with Rodney, and applaud him for his knowledge in animation history. :)

I'll be working on a large group project soon that may be incorporating some limited animation. When you have a small budget it helps to focus most of your time, effort, and money on the scenes that will sell your film, prioritize if you will.