What is 2D Animation?
2D animation is the art of creating movement in a two-dimensional space. This includes characters, creatures, FX and backgrounds. While these graphics can be manipulated to look 3D, ultimately, if you can’t rotate the object to get multiple views, it’s 2D animation.
2D Animation advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- Less complicated with a vast array of styles. And more artist available.
- Handmade feel (Even though there are some new techniques that can achieve this style with 3D software, Blender is a good example)
- Usually more affordable than 3D (well… most of the times)
- Modifying animations on rigged characters can be relatively straightforward
- Render time! 3D rendering is by far most time consuming.
DISAdvantages
- You can’t easily rotate around characters and scenes
- Tweaking a fully hand drawn sequence can be really fiddly and it might require starting from scratch (this is why a tight storyboard and a carefully planned pre-production is essential).
2D Animation TechnIques
HAND DRAWN 2D ANIMATION
The illusion of movement is created when individual drawings are sequenced together over time. One second of time is usually divided into 24 frames. Depending on the style of animation there can be as many as 24 unique drawings in one second of animation (24fps) or as little as two. Conventionally animation is done on “2s” meaning there is a drawing every 2 frames (12fps). This allows artists to save on production time/costs and gives 2D animation its unique look.
Examples:
- Classic Disney and Ghibli movies (The Aristocats and Spirited Away not Toy Story!)
- The Simpsons – a classic example of a fully hand drawn 2D animation TV series
- The Triplets of Belleville (2003) – European independent animation at its finest
- Song of the Sea (2014) – European independent animation at its finest
CHARACTER RIG / CUT OUT 2D ANIMATION
Drawing individual frames will give you the best results but it can be painstakingly slow and costly, if you need to cut corners character rigging can be a valid alternative. A 2D rigged character looks a bit like a paper puppet. The animators get separated layers for the head and the limbs and they move them over time instead of drawing single frames. This technique is also called cut out animation.
Examples:
South Park – very crude cut out animation but it fits the narrative
Princes et princesses (2000) – silhouette animation
Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969) – quintessentially British
La Planète sauvage (Fantastic Planet) (1973) – experimental adult animated science fiction
2D Animation Software
Software commonly used by professionals include:
- Toon Boom Harmony
- TV Paint
- Adobe Animate
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Photoshop
- Procreate
2D vs 3D Animation
None is better or worse.
Each of these types of animation is self-sufficient and has its own niche in modern film, advertising and video game production. Comparing 2D and 3D animation is initially a large-scale and challenging task since they differ in almost all aspects. We usually recommend a combination of both techniques to facilitate the process and get the most out of each of them.
2D ANIMATION SERVICES
Animation and motion graphic productions
corporate responsibilitY
Movie & documentary post production
TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
Environmental awareness content
Social
content
EXPLAINERS
CORPORATE CONTENT
Short live-action productions
Commercial post production
Design and Visual Art productions
Sound
Animation and motion graphics for films
MOVIE & DOCUMENTARY POST PRODUCTION
Enviromental awareness content
Explainers
Short live-action productions
Commercial postproduction
Design and Visual Art productions
Sound
2d Animation costs
Below we include a list of indicative costs of 2D animation per minute, excluding studio costs.
The table below shows an approximate range of 2D animation costs per minute for small companies and charities. Branded and commercial projects are normally budgeted depending on several factors such as license, exposure, etc:
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2D Animation SIMPLE – £4,300
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2D Animation STANDARD – £6,500
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2D Animation MEDIUM – £13,000
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2D Animation COMPLEX – £17,500
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2D Animation TRADITIONAL (Disney) – £35,000+
Contact us
for 2D animation
If you are looking for a 2D animation studio to help you reinvent your content, give us a quack and we will be in touch in no time!