Currently there is dispute through the animation industry that the trend of 3-D computer animation is a wrecking ball for the tradition of hand-drawn animation. At the same time, there is argument that the classical tradition of hand drawn animation simply has a charm about it that cannot be replicated through electronic medium. The reality however, is that the different styles of motion picture media exist because they all have their unique advantages and disadvantages which help to add personality, and thus animation to the entertainment experience. The medium is not the movie; whether a tale is told through drawings on paper, stop-motion, or 3-D software on a computer, it’s all about entertainment and thus it is important to keep in mind that the key feature of an animated film is the human aspect. While “Digital Animation” is commonly thought to be another term for “Computer Animation”, a better definition would be “animation that is performed with the fingers or the human touch”.
For a film to work there has to be an effective story and characters that we can connect with; this does not only apply to movies, but also to books, video games, etc. Shrek did not just walk across screen and amaze viewers without the coaxing from the fingers of skilled animators, nor did Bambi and nor did Gumby. The audience must feel empathy toward characters, and must be enraptured by the plot to truly enjoy a film. Storyboard teams on successful films have been known to work on revisions of a plot for up to five years, a task which computers are not capable of performing on their own. As Kaj Pindal once put it, “Humans tell the story, computers are a technical process no more important than a projector, and should not steal the show. If the style of the animation steals the show, then the point has been missed.” This is why when thinking of digital animation, it is important that one not think of computers, but rather the thought and care that goes into producing a film.
Perhaps the animation industry would be better off to adopt the term “Digital Animation” into its regime. Pixar’s Finding Nemo was an immense success and was fully animated on computers, however despite Michael Eisner’s claims that “2-D is Dead” much of Disney’s upcoming 3-D feature Mickey’s PhilharMagic, had to be reanimated by hand on paper and then transferred to computers(Evidence). At the same time, Spirited Away won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was fully animated in the classical manner. “This should help to illustrate the fact that people are most satisfied after a film if it has entertained them. Entertainment and communication is the point of animation, not fighting over whether 2-D or 3-D animation will earn more money”(Pindal). Animation must maintain a good sense of story, and acting to succeed. Studios, and animators alike, need to realize that with animated movies, it is not all just about technical proficiency, and that no one medium is better than the other. As long as people think of computers when hearing the term “Digital Animation” they are becoming focused on the medium and forgetting that there should also be a message. Remember that “Digital Animation” is not “Computer Animation” but rather animation which has been touched by the human hand.