It is essential to know certain things about animation before delving into issues regarding the future of 2D animation industry. Today, it is common to see a 3D animation company near you and several 2D animation jobs advertised on the internet. Meanwhile, let’s get into the basics of animation.

What Is Animation

The animation is the process of giving life to images seen in advertisements and movies. The process involves creativity and the use of technology to move the images in specific ways. The history of animation dates back to many centuries ago. And it is a concept that has a deep historical antecedence.

The animation is the art of creating an illusion of motion. And the first real animation device is the Phenakistoscope, which was discovered in 1852 by Joseph Plateau. It was first used to create a fluid kind of illusion of animation. 

The new type of animation has metamorphosed through different phases involving the evolution of animation regarding technology, first stop motion, motion graphic, and the most popular Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). The history of animation, as featured in an animated film in India dates back to 1934 in the first animated movie titled Jambu Kaka and another animated movie with a soundtrack "A Moonlit Night," which was released in 1934. 

The Future of 2D Animation

Whether 2D or 3D, imagination is the force that drives creativity. The 2D animation is the foundation for all forms of animation, and this cannot be disputed due to its massive contribution to the growth of this industry. 

The animation is an art that is similar to the art of traditional storytelling. People of all ages and trades get captivated and engaged. If you flashback to your childhood days, you would remember the cartoons of the cute bunny and his carrot, cat and mouse, the friendly ghost, the adorable mermaid, and lots more. All these cartoons and characters are the reference points of the animation industry. The animation made our childhood experience memorable. 

The experience is similar to businesses using animated characters in animated advertisements and movies to make people get attracted to animated videos starring adorable characters like ZooZoo in the Vodafone commercial. Viewers tend to connect with such characters, and the ads usually have a lasting impact on them. The animation industry continues to play a prominent role in the growth of the entertainment industry and the commercial sectors. 

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In the traditional 2D animation technique, animators usually draw the images on papers and each movement of animated characters drawn on the celluloid sheets that are painted or colored. The combination of all the drawn images finally creates a particular movement for further integration into a single frame that is usually a 24 frame shot, providing an animation of one second as the final result. 

The process calls for the highest level of precision and artistry mastered over time. The task of characters development, infusing movements to them, and creation of motion videos through various animation software is entrusted to qualified 2D animators. 

Regardless of moving towards 3D animation, the 2D animation still impacts the industry in all ramifications. Some of the most memorable children's movies include Beauty and the Beast, The Shrek, The Jungle Book, Princess and the Frog, as well as cartoons like Motu Patlu, Chota Bheem, etc. 

With several grand achievements, impact, and effect, the future of 2D animation is still pivotal and crucial to the strong standing of the animation industry. Regardless of the popularity of 3D visuals that are eye-catching, the subtleness of 2D animated characters and moves still have a long term effect on the viewers. 

The fundamental purpose of animation aims to convey a message to the audience using a story and visuals through animated characters. The success of the entire process lies in the level of creativity and artistic intelligence of the developer to get the message to the viewers to leave a lasting impact on them. 

Wrong Notions about 2D Animation

The future of 2D animation is not bleak. Instead, it keeps evolving every day. Several reasons necessitate writing about the topic “The Future of 2D Industry.” First, we consider the state of delusion created by the pioneers in the animation industry, such as Disney and Dreamworks. As much as they have moved towards 3D movies, many people tend to be skeptical about the future of 2D animation.

The primary reason is that 3D animation requires less time than 2D animation. In addition, it is faster and easier to create. 

Besides, 2D animation requires knowing the intricacies of drawing pieces of characters by hand one after the other and infusing little changes with each drawing for the easy animation process. Unfortunately, this consumes more time than the computer-generated 3D images. 

Another wrong notion surrounding the future of 2D animation is that it targets children. Well, this is what some people have thought about the 2D animation. The only truth is that 2D stories, movies, cartoons, advertisements, and motion pictures have a huge audience in all demographics and industries, including television and theaters. 

Why 2D Animation Will Always Thrive

What should be prominent in everyone’s mind is that 2D animation is the heart and soul of all other types of animation. 2D shaped the direction of the animation industry. Without it, the modern computer-generated animation would not have been possible. 2D is the first and the earliest animation technique that discovered the animation industry and gave it the identity that it enjoys today. 

Know that 2D movies are one of the favorites of a large number of people today because it is less complicated. It has a fantastic screen presence, and it easily captures the attention of people of all ages. However, 3D can be complicated sometimes. 

2D animation ranks high in the world of advertisement and media. This is because 2D animation cannot be done away with. It has also provided several memorable advertisements like the popular Chintamani from ICICI Bank commercial and lots more. Several companies now use 2D animation to promote their products and services. They also use 2D animation to create their app explainer video. Both small and medium enterprises rely on 2D animation for their promotional videos to convince prospective customers about their growth. 

An online source, DigitalMag, states that a 2D computer-generated interface is a strong industry that will stand for a long time. Experts also say that 2D animation enables experimentation and personal style, which makes it more preferred among experts. 

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The future of 2D animation is expected to get more creative and technical. Besides, content producers and brands now create animated videos with the latest technologies like virtual reality and 360-degree video technology. All these technological innovations are advanced and enable content creation that engages viewers and gets them immersed in the story. 

With several successes recorded in the industry, one can only foresee a greater and brighter future for the 2D animation industry. It is a viable niche regarding career options – there are several 2D animation jobs, and you can find a 3D animation company not far away from you. The industry has enormous potential as regards customers and generating sales.

It is expected that the animation industry has experienced a boom, especially in India, where over 80,000 people and professionals have been employed. One can conveniently say that the 2D animation industry will continue to grow and create more impact in terms of presence and customer satisfaction. Also, it will continue to have the edge over the upcoming technologies.