Regular listeners to the Major Spoilers Podcast will know that we have many discussions about practical effects versus computer generated and the merits of traditional animation versus the digital alternative. For my part, I always noticed computer animation (especially when used in mixed media formats, such as the vehicles on ‘Family Guy’) and enjoy its precision, but I can’t help but admit that there’s a warmth and humanity to traditional animation that just can’t be replicated by a machine (especially if that cartoon was a Chuck Jones creation), leading to today’s walk-cycle query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) doesn’t like to split hairs when it comes to the MS-QOTD, but my honest answer is “Both, as seen in ‘The Iron Giant'”, asking: Traditional or CG Animated?
2 Comments
I’m kind of with you. CG is just another type of animation in a long list. CG, hand-drawn, stop-motion or claymation (and anything else I missed); they are all beautiful in different ways, and I like different things about all of them.
When hand drawn is done well, nothing can top it, but CGI helps when time and budget are tight. Some studios have good taste to make computer animation look good and I have nothing against it, until it starts to look like video game. Most blockbusters already do and I’ve played games long enough it not having any kind of “wow” factor for me. Something like Marvel movies big fights are “oh, kinda neat” to me at best.