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Film Wars: PC Power

Pro CGI Animation: Matt Isard

There is no question of the fact that hand drawn animation has made classic films. Childhood movies (think Bambi, or Snow White) will forever been crucial to cinema. Now, however, the new way of telling stories is CGI.

You can’t talk about CGI without mentioning the big studios, Pixar, and Dreamworks, who have made a fortune out of the new technology. Pixar’s Up opened with a staggering $64 million, $44 million more than Disney’s recent hand-drawn release The Princess and the Frog. Admittedly high box office figures don’t make a good film, otherwise every Harry Potter would have won an Oscar and The Hurt Locker would be at the bottom of the bargain bin. CGI, however, unarguably has the power to drag you into the film itself. The worlds that CGI achieves have more depth, texture and richness than anything drawn with pencil and paper. The beautiful coral of Finding Nemo and Puss’ fur in Shrek make CGI films feel more real to the audience. CGI animation also gives each character more expression and life than their drawn counterparts. The character that most epitomizes this is Pixar’s Wall.E; the mute metallic robot is one of the most expressive, adorable characters in animation – all done through a computer. It is true CGI films can be nothing more than cash cows, as films like A Shark’s Tale make explicitly obvious. However, what movie genre doesn’t have a few embarrassments that were better off on the drawing board?

CGI will also evolve as films continue to evolve. The animation will improve, the techniques will improve and, if Pixar are anything to go by, the stories will improve. Its existing stunning properties coupled with a limitless potential to be better is why I will always champion CGI over and above hand drawn animation.

Pro Handrawn Animation: Sophie Adelman

Hand drawn over CGI? Are we kidding around here? When Mickey Mouse first burst on the scene in Steamboat Willie in 1928, did anyone tell him that his explosions weren’t big enough? That there weren’t enough Avatars roaming around? No, it was just a mouse whistling in a boat. Sure, he might have been censored later for questionable animal abuse (look it up), but hand drawn animation has a type of charm and wonder about it that makes CGI look cold, sterile, and uninspired.

Nowadays, any Joe Schmoe can crack open his laptop and get to fiddling with some computer animation. One clever piece of programming later, and you’ve got a jerky, bloated figure lurching across a screen like a modern-day Frankenstein. Where’s the artistry in that? Maybe it’s the nostalgic side of me, but I long for the animation of yesteryear, the golden years of Disney, of fat singing mice and enchanted princesses with doe-eyes and extreme amounts of luscious long locks. I find it no coincidence that as computer-generated animation has increased, it has become harder to find quality animated productions. Animation has become an industry hell bent on out-doing itself, and in doing so, has become its own worst enemy, bested by epic battle scenes and gut-wrenching aliens. With the exception of a few notable productions, such as Up, which received a Best Picture nod this year at the Oscars, CGI has abandoned substance in favor of style.

In short, CGI is just an easy way out, becoming a mockery of a true animation-an art form that is visceral, enchanting, and timeless. As for me, I’m busting out the videocassettes and settling down to some entertainment that is worthy of the label of artistry. So you can keep the fifth Shrek in its plastic-wrapped package.

 

 

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