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Is 2D just not wanted anymore?

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Is 2D just not wanted anymore?

Firstly, excuse me for being a newbie ^^; but I really needed to ask this question, and please let me know if someone has recently already answered this question somewhere (although I did look).

Basically I went to look at a university today, at one of their open days here in England. I spoke to the lecturers of the animation courses about what was involved in the course etc.

They told me they mainly do 3D, and everything they do, is to with 3D animation.
I really want to go into the 2D animation industry, and it's becoming more and more apparent, from the universities I've looked at, that the courses are specializing in 3D animation and obviously using 2D drawings etc. for the basics (the university I looked at today, did this).
They also seem to be aiming 3D animation at the games industry mainly, because apparently animators are in real need there.

I know 3D animation is what most people would say is "the way forward" because that is where the animation industry is heading, and most likely where the most money is, but is it wrong of me to just want to do 2D animation only?

And also, should I find a university that allows me to do mostly 2D (obviously with some 3D for the basics), or am I going down the path of wanting to specialize in 2D, and then finding after university that the animation industry has no need for 2D specific artists anymore?

I really appreciate all opinions, please be understanding that I've never posted here before, and joined to ask questions about where i should be heading :) .

Classical and 3D function after the same animation principles. If they don't teach those at that school then they're not training animators, just people who know how to handle Maya or 3D Studio or whatever else it is they're using. Just knowing those programs won't get you anywhere in the animation world. I can't really imagine that they won't cover life drawing, storyboarding, layout and some courses in basic animation techniques. Perhpaps 3D is their focus but everyone here will tell you that whoever can draw well will animate in 3D better, too.

and please let me know if someone has recently already answered this question somewhere

Heh, heh. See mods, I was right. Should've stickied that last thread. Hope your memories not too short...yet. Or it's high blood pressure time again. :)

Heh, heh. See mods, I was right. Should've stickied that last thread. Hope your memories not too short...yet. Or it's high blood pressure time again. :)

Nah, I figure its been said enough at this point.
The info is out there for all to read, all they have to do is take the time to find it.
I also figure its time to just let the folks asking questions get whatever answers come along, be them good or bad ones.
If it confuses the kids, and ill-prepares them for the biz.......c'est la vie.
I figure that if enough people get a BAD education and have limited career options as a result, the schools will be forced to shift gears and teach the right stuff anyways because the studios will bitch at the schools.

Of course, that doesn't help anyone seeking education right at the moment, but ......caveat emptor.

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

This poster seems a nice sort, but I still don't understand the point of the question. If you like 2D, what else is there to do except find a way to learn it and do it? If you're so concerned about landing a job and payin' da billz that you'd "switch teams" and learn, work and live 3D (instead of 2D) purely for economic reasons and concerns about "THE INDUSTRY," then you'd do better not to get into the industry at all and instead seek a profession that pays big, as that's clearly what such a person would be after ultimately; if you're compromising your interests, talents and goals for $'s, why stop halfway?

I hate giving advice to people instead of just disagreeing with them outright, but since the OP was so polite, I think that for them my advice would be to forget about learning animation formally and instead enroll in one of the great fine arts schools of the U.K. Then practice 2D animation on your own time, with Richard Williams' book/DVD's.

Disney has reinstated the classical animation department, and, it looks like, because of ToonBoom, classical animation will continue to make a comeback.

In any case, it's hard to imagine a first rate animation school that doesn't see the necessity of teaching classical animation principles before taking students into computer animation.As the director of Max the Mutt Animation school (Toronto) I'm in touch with many recruiters. Classical drawing and animation skills are valued. Most first rate companies will want a demo reel that includes examples of your classical work.

Perhaps some animation school are going the same direction as some art schools did in the 70s through 90s of the previous centuries, where students were told that figurative drawing isn't taught anymore, because potential buyers of their art wanted non-figurative art (so-called "modern art").

This meant there was a whole generation of artists (and art teachers) who did not know how to draw the human figure. How quaint!

Thank you to those who have replied with good advice. And as i said I'm new so please excuse me if I've missed a post about my sort of subject somewhere in the forum.

@ Addlepate

Thank you for your opinion :), and sorry for being confusing. The reason i asked about the fact that 3D is where the most money will be, is because of a recent comment, from someone i know, who was suggesting i do 3D animation because it would be more successful (money wise).

However, i intend not to do 3D and pursue my interests in 2D animation as best i can, and i agree it does seem more sensible to pursue 3D if i was aiming for getting a lot of money (maybe). But I'm not, i believe 2D is being left behind in education.

(referring to Maxine's post) And i realize that all university/college courses in animation use 2D as the basics before continuing into the proper animation stuff. However, I was pointing out that not many courses allow you to specialize in 2D if you want to. They mostly lead to doing 3D as the main animation type you work with. Which, okay, I understand its keeping up with the times and all, but it's kind of leading students away from the option of 2D animation, if they want to.

But anyway, this is just my opinion and point of view as a student who is currently looking at universities ^^. I value the opinions of others here, because i realize you guys are way more experienced than me in this subject and hey, its better to ask questions then not ask, and not learn at all.

im applying for university for 2009, and i know wat you mean that most courses seem to be focused towards 3d. however, i hav a prospectus for glamorgan (in south wales) that, as far as i can tell, has a course that doesnt mention 3d wat so ever, only 2d and stop motion. i also know a person in ireland whos just finished their first year of animation at university, and hes never mentioned anything about him having to do 3d animation... but he might hav to do in later years i suppose.

ive also been told by lots of people that having life drawing in your portfolio is one of the most important things, and everywhere ive been says that they teach life drawing in the course aswell.

@matt
Thank you so much for your opinion, glad to know im not the only one ^^;
Glamorgan sounds interesting I'll look into that. However since looking at some prospectuses that don't mention 3D i then find information elsewhere that they do focus on 3D. I learnt this at a university open day as well, that even though they didn't specify 3D, they actually did only 3D animation that was aimed at the games industry ^^;. So I'm a little skeptical at the moment.

Just a heads up mate.

I recently graduated from Bradford, and there was alot of allowance for both 2D, 3D and film based projects during the final year of the project. But 2D as an avenue was only taught briefly during the first year. The focus is massively on 3D but lecturers will definately encourage you to be creative with the applications you use.

Personally, i went in from an art background wanting to learn how to do realistic 3D animation, and i came out wanting to do more traditional animation. Your taste will change a lot when you get there as your surrounded by people who are (mostly) as creative and passionate as you are.

Best advice i can give you is to keep open minded and try everything. But before you get there, draw and draw and draw! draw poses, movements, draw from life and draw from your head. Create a bunch of characters that you'd wanna turn into animations, then you've got a mini arsenal at your disposal come project time! Drawing to me is such a major part of it, and our uni offered no teaching on traditional techniques, nor any telling off for people not knowing how to draw. In the end, there were people handing in storyboards drawn on sheets of lined paper! Don't be that guy ;)

In the end, there were people handing in storyboards drawn on sheets of lined paper! Don't be that guy ;)

I'll doodle on lined paper.... and sketchbooks... and chalkboards and dry erase boards and mail envelopes and post-it notes.... and dirty cars and people and sidewalks with chalk. :D

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Z
Z's picture

I honestly hope that more schools will have 2D animation as a major foundation for any animation course. It is what 3D is based upon. And those traditional skills, are needed desperately. *ESPECIALLY* in the game industry. Games are so poorly animated these days, I'd like to see that changed...soon.

--Z

I know 3D animation is what most people would say is "the way forward" because that is where the animation industry is heading, and most likely where the most money is, but is it wrong of me to just want to do 2D animation only?

As 3D becomes cheaper to produce, more expressive, and easier to use, it will probably replace 2D TV animation, as it's already done in the cinema.
2D will always exist as an artform, as stop-motion still does, but I imagine it will become increasingly difficult to find 2D jobs.

If you don't mind struggling to find work in the long term, and are passionate enough, go with 2D. If it's important that you're always able to find work (e.g., you have a family to support), you might want to take some 3D classes.

To answer the thread title question, you obviously want 2D, so it's a silly question.

(BTW, I tried thread title searches for "2D," "2D 3D," and "2D vs 3D" and the engine told me the search words are too short, so my sympathies to anyone who has to start a new 2D-3D thread; and maybe someone should adjust that search engine.)

2-D is definitely in demand at Disney for all their direct-to-video sequels, on kids' tv shows, and also for the blooming anime market growing here out west. Disney might even usher in a new renaissance with The Princess and the Frog in 2009. I wouldn't be too concerned about not being an expert in 3-D. As far as I'm told, good studios are searching for talent and since traditional animation is coming in sparingly in demo reels, it makes you stand out from the crowd (in a good way). It's even more encouraging to know that most of Toy Story's animators had never worked on a computer before, but the quality of animation still surpasses the skill of many college grads specializing in 3-D.

It's one thing to get aquainted with Maya having a good 2-D background, but to backtrack from the CG world and rig your characters with good old paper and pencil is a lot more challenging. I say keep honing your talent and you'll find a job!

~Sarah