Animation : Selecting An Animation Style by Martin Reese

Ooo, now you know I love me some 2D KIPO! LOL I would love to know if there is a psychology behind it, though. I found this write-up on character design, but it does not distinguish between 2D and 3D: https://dreamfarmstudios.com/blog/psychological-insights-on-character-de...

Thanks Karen "Kay" Ross

Really depends on what style you’re looking for. I prefer 2D and thanks to modern technology that can be achieved with computers. It really depends on what art style you’re aiming at. Perhaps experiment with both in production and get a critique.

All sorts of factors go into style. 2D and 3D are not styles, but production methods. You can get a range of styles in both mediums, from simplistic and cartoony to sophisticated and realistic. It all depends on the vision of the creators (and company) you will find all sorts of styles and methods being used for all types of audiences, for me I choose a style that helps set the tone and mood of the story I am telling.

Ask yourself when you see a single image from a movie or show, does that convey the tone? For instance when you see a still from Spongebob, do you get a sense of the type of show you are going to watch, same goes for Akira. both are 2D but different styles and on the 3D side of things just look at Pocoyo vs The Final Fantasy movies.

Thanks Bob Harper and William Schumpert . Very insightful.

My pleasure Martin - keep at it!

Hey Martin Reese as some have said, it just depends on what you the creator are looking for. Most shows, like Kipo was determined by the show creator. The line work and quality of the line was dictated by the show creator, Rad. He has a very fun style and he knew the exact studio he wanted to do the work. From what I read, they were available and knocked the test out of the park. And Bob is right on the money with his questions as well! Bob, I love me some classic Pocoyo! haha.

In an effort to keep Google in check, I kept digging for some information on animated films, not just animated videos. I found this fantastic breakdown into the different animation styles and the history behind each. WARNING: This link is LOADED with promos and ads! Schools, software, you name it, they have it between each section, like whoa. https://www.bloopanimation.com/types-of-animation/

There have also been a few good blogs on Stage 32 of late:

https://www.stage32.com/blog/From-Cartoons-to-Commercials-The-Many-Facet...

This awesome Q&A with our very own Bob Harper! https://www.stage32.com/blog/Stage-32-Member-Spotlight-Bob-Harper-Animat...

Animation Q&A with Frank Gladstone: https://www.stage32.com/blog/Animation-Industry-QandA-with-Frank-Gladsto...

I hope that gives you a little more to chew on as you think on your animation style!