3 animated features that prove 2D ain’t dead
(and neither is black and white)
I got a bachelor’s degree in traditional animation in 2002. That same year, traditional animation was declared dead. Though we now live in the era of CGI animals, 2D is far from over. In fact, people are using it to do creative amazing things that are far from what the major studios are doing.
In fact, in the process of making a list, I had so many amazing traditionally animated films to talk about that I had to break it down even more. You see, people who make black and white movies got the same memo as me, quite a few years before 2002. But the films I’m about to show you prove that no art form is ever over, and everything is a powerful tool in the hands of the right artist.
1. Fear(s) of the Dark
Why traditional animation?
Fear(s) of the Dark is an anthology film that allows numerous comic creators to tell their own frightening stories. And using traditional animation (along with other techniques) allows those creators’ styles to arrive on the screen unfiltered as though a comics anthology has come to life. Which is creepy in its own right.
Why black and white?
When a film is called Fear(s) of the Dark, you better believe that ‘the dark’ is going to be a main character. This film allows the stark blacks and lack of color to fill the screen, and envelop the characters in ways that few horror films do. The final segment is incredibly minimalist, using simply small flashes of white in a sea of darkness to make the simple act of walking through an old house psychologically disturbing.
See the trailer here. ★★★★☆
2. Everything Will Be Ok
Why traditional animation?
Don Hertzfeldt is not just traditional. The dude is downright Amish when it comes to the way he makes his films. Single handedly. No computers, no compositing. He does his effects by putting and moving things in front of a film camera, frame by frame. Everything you see is a physical object that he touched, and put thought into. What you get is pure, uncut Hertzfeldt. It’s perfect for getting into a character’s head, which is why it works so well for Everything Will Be Ok, which recreates a character’s battle with mental illness.
Why black and white?
There is color in Everything Will Be Ok. Small flashes of it. But always for a reason. Bright red flames creeping into the edges of a panel. Bright yellow light flooding in through a window. Blue water, flooding the frame. All of these are outside effects on the main character’s psyche. Altering the view of the black and white world he lives in. Having the film and animation itself entirely black and white allows these visual effects to clash, and intensify a scene, showing us how jarring the main character’s thoughts are.
Watch the trailer here. ★★★★☆
3. Persepolis
Why traditional animation?
When producers set out to make a movie based on Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical tales of growing up through the Iranian Revolution, they weren’t exactly on the same page as her. She joked that they were all looking to turn it into a Brad Pitt vehicle. She decided to simply make the movie on her own, and decided upon a black and white, hand drawn style that is so close to her book that it’s often impossible to tell whether a given screengrab comes from the book or the movie. And what better voice is there for Marjane’s story than her own?
Why black and white?
The original graphic novel was not in black and white merely to save printing costs. Marjane made a very conscious decision to leave out skin tones so that everyone could relate to the characters. She said that this was so the place and the characters wouldn’t look like foreigners in a foreign country but simply people in a country to show how easily a country can become like Iran. This was so effective, that she made the movie that way as well.
Watch the trailer here. ★★★★☆
Written by Ryan Estrada.
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