The Fear Of Lines

As I contemplate on my past lectures as well as brainstorm ways to make it more "now" and "active, I realize one of the most basic fear that we have as an emerging movement in animation that we hope to confront in 2D ... LINES!

I remember what one of my students told me in 2D; " sir, kung mas maraming lines, mas mahirap ang animation." Now we wonder why we keep on coming up with low quality animation outputs in terms of look and feel. I bravely presume, with grace and humble respect, that this sensibility came from those " old timers" who were trained under an oppressive beast that we now call animation outsourcing. I do not berate them by calling them old timers, in fact, I state this two words with sublime fondness.

I saw this program from which an animator said that animation in this country is deeply rooted from early traditions that predates other animation constructs in our region. What tradition? Scooby Doo? Flinstones? Yabada ba doo? I am sorry, perhaps his sordid notion that we have a deep tradition in animation is a means to cover up actions that are rooted, perhaps, from extensions of foreign animation industries.

We do not have a tradition in animation. That fact that old timers in animation discourages young aspirants to embrace the inherent movements of lines is a tragedy in itself. This misguided notion of perverted simplicity within the framework of incompetence makes my blood boil. Simplicity is not about fewer lines to make the animation easy. No! It is about the movements of lines to make the animation natural as framed within the look and the feel of the material.