Over the course of this semester I have expanded my knowledge of 2D animation. There was so much that I didn’t know about the process, history, and aesthetic of 2D animation. I’ve always appreciated the work of Disney and other hand drawn animations but after going through the course of ACM 216 I now fully understand the massive amount of work that gets put into those kinds of films. I never knew that there were so many artists that assist the main artist and some even specialize for specific features like color, clothing, etc. What really amazed me was how much work you have to put in just to animate 1 second. 24 frames per second means that a movie about 1 hour and 30 minutes would be 129,600 pictures only if the time was constantly 24 frames per second. A lot of people don’t appreciate the fact that an animated film takes so much effort. As I was doing my final 2D project just 4 seconds took my 96 drawings. And the entire process of drawing and taking a picture of each frame took me about 7 hours. I think that 2D animation is something that isn’t held at as high of a standard as 3D. Even though, 2D takes so much more time and dedication.
Other than the process and history of 2D animation there was a lot of aesthetic I learned. In class and reading the assigned documents have taught me that 2D animation takes personality, exaggeration, careful thinking, and planning. When animating a character you have to really think about what you’re trying to portray; who is this character you’re animating? Every character is a different person, therefore every character reacts, walks, talks, and moves differently. Animation exaggerates actions; that’s what makes them so entertaining to watch. They break down the boundaries of reality. When I think about 2D animation it’s really about bringing your ideas to life. Your style of drawing could be very detailed and flawless but if you don’t have the aesthetic knowledge of 2D animation your film will feel like it’s lacking something.
