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Let’s rewind and go back in time to when we used to rush back from school just to watch our favorite cartoons like Mickey Mouse, Mr.Bean, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Tom & Jerry. These beautiful shows are the best memories of our childhood. The sense of satisfaction and comfort we used to get from those characters cannot be re-lived.
Today, Gen Z won’t even recognize any of them. They don’t even know that characters like them ever existed, but they were the superstars of the 2D animation industry. With the arrival of 3D animation in the film industry, things have changed totally. Movies like Frozen, Tangled, Brave, and Encanto have set new standards in the industry.
This dramatic shift in technology has changed many things, but both animation types are still used today. As we know, not everyone can afford to pay for 3D animation because it’s pretty expensive, so they opt for 2D animation, but, still, the FOMO we all have in our minds puts us in great confusion about whether we should go for 2D or 3D animation.
If you’re in the same boat, don’t worry.
Today, we’ll be shedding light on the core difference between 2D and 3D animation, what are their pros and cons, and when to use which animation style.
So, without any further ado, let’s get started.
What is 2D Animation?
2D animation is considered the most prominent type of animation technique. There’s a lack of depth in this time-consuming style of animation, with objects and characters existing in a solely two-dimensional space. Each frame is individually hand-drawn like an old-fashioned flipbook; multiple frames are shown quickly after the other to provide the illusion of movement. As you can imagine, this makes it an incredibly lengthy animation process from storyboard to final product.
Some of the prominent examples of 2D animation include:
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Looney Tunes (Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd)
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Classic Disney (The Jungle Book, Snow White, The Little Mermaid)
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TV Shows (Family Guy, Rick and Morty, The Simpsons)
What is 3D Animation?
3D animation is another popular animation style. Almost all of the movies that Disney, Pixar, and Illumination Studios make are in this art style. It goes without saying that the 3D animation technique has caused huge waves in the animation industry. Rather than draw individual keyframes, in this style of animation 3D models and 3D objects interact in 3D space. In many ways, modern animators work like a director, instructing the digital characters where to move and what to do.
Some of the prominent examples of 3D animation include:
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Pixar (Toy Story, The Incredibles, Turning Red)
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DreamWorks (How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek)
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Disney Animation (Zootopia, Moana, Encanto)
The Primary Difference Between 2D Animation and 3D Animation
Everything in classic 2D animation was created by hand, frame by frame. In 3D animation, you animate your characters and objects in a 3D environment by manipulating them with 3D animation software. Drawing is an advantage, but not a need, in 3D animation.
In 2D animation, animators utilize characters, visual effects (VFX), and backdrops to create the appearance of movement in a two-dimensional space by syncing individual drawings over a predetermined time period.
In addition, in 2D animation, on-screen actors and objects consist simply of height and breadth. In contrast, 3D animation involves the manipulation of three-dimensional figures and objects: height, breadth, and depth. Consequently, 3D animation produces more realistic people and objects than 2D animation.
The two dimensions of a two-dimensional object can be plotted along the x-axis and y-axis. In contrast, 3D forms or three-dimensional shapes require a z-axis to depict the width or depth dimension in addition to the length and height.
In recent years, businesses have increasingly utilized both 2D and 3D animation as their primary form of video animation. Social media and the trend in social marketing for businesses to generate leads, develop online identities, and engage their target audience in a manner that appeals to them are largely responsible for this growth in popularity. This increase was projected to reach $270 billion by 2020, with 76% of marketers claiming that animated content helps them create more visitors.
Pros and Cons of 2D Animation
Now that we know the primary difference between the two animation styles let’s learn about their pros and cons.
We all know that 2D animation has become a popular choice for marketers. Most of the brand videos we see these days are in 2D. Why is that? Because of the benefits it offers.
2D animation is comparatively cheaper than 3D animation. All you need is a single software to produce one. There’s no need to draw each frame of animation in 2D, which saves a lot of time and, of course, money.
Moreover, 2D animation is very simple and easy to create. There’s nothing about it that is too complicated. That is why when creating one animator doesn’t need expensive software or equipment. The production time is also less.
Storytelling in 2D animation is comparatively easier as you don’t have to achieve the wow factor which you need in 3D; however, 2D animation is not very dynamic when compared to 3D animation. At times it can be monotonous, dull, and even becomes redundant, which is very scary. Also, moving objects in 2D dimensional space can be challenging.
Also, the demand for 2D has dropped after the arrival of 3D animation. Also, the designer has to dedicate significant time to creating each and every frame separately.
Pros and Cons of 3D Animation
Three-dimensional animations are visuals that have been created and animated using 3D software. You are at liberty to change the composition from any angle within a full 360 degrees of rotation. Environments, objects, and characters are modeled in three dimensions as part of the CGI image-generation procedure.
Thanks to technological advancements, the media, and entertainment sectors are increasingly utilizing 3D animation. It is unique from a promotional aspect in that it is underutilized.
Using 3D animation, one may create objects and people. It contributes significantly to making the animation look natural. However, there is no need to create distinct designs for each frame. To have the computer assume the role of your character, you merely need to develop a model.
Expanding the creative possibilities of 3D design. The animation’s three-dimensionality offers greater artistic license in terms of motion and visuals.
In addition, the complicated technology utilized to generate 3D images offers practically endless expressive possibilities. It allows designers to create intricate objects and characters that would otherwise be hard to animate in two dimensions.
There has been a significant increase in the usage of 3D animation. 2D animation has its supporters, but it will likely become obsolete in the near future. Disney, DreamWorks Animation, and Pixar’s success have raised the profile of 3D animation on all screens.
3D animation is harder to create than 2D animation due to the numerous moving pieces required. To produce a 2D animation video, the characters must first be created and then animated. Before modeling the character, animating the character, adding lighting, and creating textures, you cannot determine how the final motion will look in 3D.
3D animation is harder to create than 2D animation due to the numerous moving pieces required. To produce a 2D animation, the characters must first be created and then animated. Before modeling the character, animating the character, adding lighting, and creating textures, you cannot determine how the final motion will look in 3D.
To get to the stage where you can see your character, a substantial amount of work must be completed beforehand, which increases production timeframes. The creation of three-dimensional animation is a time-intensive process that requires a substantial amount of computer power.
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When Should You Use 2D Animation?
As we all know, 2D animation is one of the finest mediums of communication. It helps in delivering your idea or message in an engaging and informative way. This is definitely a cost-effective way to explain any complex idea, tell a story, and educate or entertain the audience.
2D animation can be used in many ways. It’s a versatile form of animation style as it can be easily adapted to any marketing or brand guidelines.
2D animation is often used in the advertising domain. It’s an effective way to deliver the message in a short amount of time. 2D animation is ideal in the advertising industry as they are short, snappy, and engaging enough to deliver the message. Marketers use 2D animation when they have shown a demo of any product or service. Even 2D animation is used for creating long explainer videos. 2D animated explainer videos are used for corporate explainer videos, product and service showcases, as well as to display and educate consumers about complex processes.
The 2D animation media helps consumers stay focused and engaged in material for longer since they can better comprehend what they are watching, even if the content is a number of minutes lengthy and regardless of whether it is intended to market or teach about a complex product.
It’s because people of all ages like watching 2D animated cartoons! The 2D animation medium is economical, versatile, adaptive, and visually pleasing, making it simple to consume. Using 2D animation is a terrific approach for a business to effectively market and explain its products and services to the general public!
Every business, organization, and person employs 2D animation in a manner that best meets their objectives and optimizes the visibility of their brand, goods, and services.
The use of 2D animation in medical applications is advantageous since it eliminates any visual distractions that a video or 3D render may cause. Maintaining the clarity and precision of any instructional explanation for the desired message.
Organizations utilize 2D animation to provide a softer touch to technical material, so making it more visually appealing and engaging.
Businesses utilize it to generate advertisements for social media, television, and video-on-demand services.
Associations utilize it to clarify complex procedures and processes. Individuals employ it to market their ideas or companies and have compelling internet material.
To put it in simple words, everything is possible to make with 2D animation and motion graphics. There will always be a method to leverage 2D animation to increase your brand’s exposure and sales, even if you’re unsure of how to do so.
When Should You Use 3D Animation?
3D animation is another significant animation style as it facilitates businesses to communicate in an immersive and memorable way. Of course, using 2D animation is an ideal option, but as technology advances, you should also know when you can use 3D animation.
Among the uses of 3D animation, character animation is undoubtedly the most well-known. We could not exclude it. It was born there, after all. Because it resembles playing with a lovely toy, 3D character animation has always been incredibly popular. Their vividness indicates that there is more to love, particularly for youngsters. As stated previously, 3D characters must be modeled and set up prior to being animated. This helps them to live independently.
Next, 3D animation might be utilized in the educational sector. If a teacher uses a graph to demonstrate a point, it is doubtful that many pupils will be captivated; however, if the instructor plays a 3D animation of the same subject, you can be certain that the students will be attentive. This is because 3D animation makes learning a new procedure or concept enjoyable and memorable for pupils. In a sense, younger generations are more familiar with 3D animation due to its prevalence in entertainment. In education, 3D animation is frequently used to teach scientific processes.
Regarding business, 3D animation can be used for:
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Presentations: As when a teacher delivers it to a class, 3D animation has the ability to captivate like nothing else. People may utilize 3D animations to promote their items more vividly in business presentations.
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In marketing and advertising: Marketers employ 3D animation to enhance and market their products. They also utilize the procedure if their product is naturally a touch lackluster. On-screen, 3D animation may enhance any product to its greatest potential.
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Education and training: Forget about gathering hundreds of employees in the same room for staff training. This worry is fully alleviated by 3D animation, allowing you to upload the course online. This implies that your employees may access it anytime and as often as they like. Additionally, the 3D animation will make the material much simpler to remember.
Wrapping Up
So, this was all about the use cases of 2D and 3D animation. We hope by now you have learned the difference between the two animation styles, their pros and cons, and when you should use which.