Additional source: Wizard of Oz 1939 vs. Captain America: Civil War 2016. The difference between film industries in the past vs present (Verrill, 2016)
3D technology is on a massive upgrade with constant enhancements and software introductions being made to ease the scope of animation in the industry. However, it has always occurred to me that the evolution of 3D technology has had an immense impact on animated films in the past decade.
To begin with, this topic is once again very crucial for the research of my creative media essay – hyper-realism in CGI animation, particularly in the remake of The Jungle Book (2016). By enhancing my knowledge on the history of 3D technology and how it has progressed over the years, I am able to understand the complex procedures animators undertake to achieve realism in animation. This is important not just for my essay but also as an animation student.
According to Kerlow in his book titled The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effects, technical developments in computer systems from the early 1950s until the present date have enriched graphical presentations of scenes that were almost impossible to visualize by the human mind (pp.3-8). Through “various technology-intensive organizations” such as the Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CADAM) systems, simulators, 3D Computer-Aided Technology (CAT) and the interactive Sketchpad system (Kerlow, 2009, p.8), animation was beginning to sprout around the 1960’s. Moreover, with emergent narratives introduced in the games industry along with the development of the RenderMan shaders in the 1970’s, intertextuality became an integral part of animation advancement (Kerlow, 2009, pp.10-30). However, since it was only the beginning, there wasn’t much artistic liberty until the late 1990’s where software and hardware upgrades in operating systems launched a new wave of technology for animation (Kerlow, 2009, pp.12-13). In the early 2000’s, the industry began to witness a growth in the quantity and quality of special visual effects in a number of animations that gained generous praise for its unique feature films such as Pixar’s Monsters Inc. (2001) (Kerlow, 2009, pp.31-33). Therefore, this book encompasses the journey of technology from its early phases right to the present days that allows animators to build on ideas and theories from the past in order to create new context and meaning.
As a fundamental source for my research, this book has taught me about various animation techniques and effects that are continually being revised and refined. Nevertheless, as I have explored the technical differences between hand drawn and 3D animation in my previous blog, even Disney has turned away from 2D animation for the following reasons (Child, 2013, p.1).
Winnie the Pooh (2011) 2D animation film (iTunes, 2011)
In my opinion, a change in consumers tastes have resulted in them preferring more realistic CGI animation to 2D cartoon-like animation. Disney’s Winnie the Pooh (2011) garnered $33m worldwide while former CGI films such as Bolt (2009) and Tangled (2010) garnered $310m and $590m, respectively (Child, 2013, p.1).
Tangled (2010) 3D animation film (Willwerth, 2018)
Also, with the rapid rise in technology, animators prefer to go by 3D animation mainly because of its technical ease and cost-effectiveness. With 3D animated movies gaining huge profits, the industry has used this price mechanism strategy to signal a rise in three-dimensional animation than two-dimensional, where altering preferences are amplifying the want for more realism. Therefore, with the evolution of 3D technology in animated films, there has also been an evolution of consumer tastes.
This research builds a foundation for my essay wherein through the adaptation of intertextuality, interactivity and genealogy, 3D can advance further.
References:
Child, B. [@BenChildGeek] (2013, March 7) Disney Turns Away from Hand Drawn Animation.
Retrieved (2018, March 12, 2018) from
iTunes (2011) Winnie the pooh (2011) [image]. Retrieved from
Kerlow, I. (2009). The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effects. Hoboken, New Jersey: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Verrill, C. (2016, May 4) 18 Photos that show how drastically making movies has changed over
the last century [images]. Retrieved (2018, March 12, 2018) from
Willwerth, M. (2018, February 5) Watch “tangled” With Us Feb 10 [image]. Retrieved (2018,
March 12, 2018) from http://bixbylibrary.org/watch-tangled-us-feb-10/
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