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Disney closing Orlando studio Animated Buzz got an e-mail from animator Eddie Pittman—who has worked on such notable films as Mulan and Tarzan—concerning Disney seemingly giving up on the 2D genre in terms of A-level feature films. Animated Buzz fully endorses hand-drawn animation, and I personally view it as a style unto itself, seperate from 3D. The problem is, with studios bent on the bottom line, it's become one or the other, and 2D is losing the battle in a big way. It looks like Disney is strongly considering closing its animation studio in Orlando, which could very well be a huge sign that Disney is officially moving away from traditional animation. Not that the writing hasn't been on the wall for some time, mind you. According to an article in the LA Times, there are curently no projects in production or development at the Orlando studio. A Few Good Ghosts, a film blending computer and hand-drawn animation, would have been the fourth feature to come out of Orlando, following Brother Bear, Lilo & Stitch and Mulan. But Ghosts was given the heave-ho because, as Disney's animation president David Stainton said in an e-mail to employees, "The fundamental idea is not strong enough or universally appealing enough to support the kind of performance our movies must have today." (I have to note that A Few Good Ghosts has indeed reportedly been plagued with problems all along, undergoing numerous name changes and a retooling earlier this year.) Disney has laid off a huge chunk of animators and slashed salaries since its salad days in the early 1990s, most recently dumping more than 100 employees from Orlando to Tokyo. A number of those that remain are being retrained on computers. The house that Mickey built once enjoyed huge success on the backbone of hand-drawn films such as The Lion King and Aladdin. But as computer-animated films continue to break box-office records (Finding Nemo topped the old No. 1 record holder, Lion King), 2D is working its way into a grave. Studios seem to be abandoning it to ride the gravy train. Check back on Animated Buzz toward the end of the year for the definitive article concerning the decline of 2D animation and the rise of 3D. Keep it on the Buzz-Wire for further news as it develops concerning he Orlando studio closing. Below are some links to past Buzz Cuts dedicated to the 2D vs. 3D debate.
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Chris Douvalas |
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