Very interesting read from Clay Shirky. He explores how the systemic complexity in how current visual media is made may end up being a huge roadblock that will prevent old-guard media systems from adapting to new formats and audiences. For additional commentary, read the TechDirt summary, too.
The take away for us animators? Our pre-conceived idea about what constitutes "good animation" may need to seriously shift if we want to be nimble enough to find a niche for ourselves in the coming media landscape. As horrible and unfathomable as it sounds, "good" animation production values are not a pre-requisite for successfully finding an audience. Being entertaining and appealing are. All that said, if you can still afford to make "good" animation, then I think you owe it to yourself (and your audience) to try and do so.
UPDATE: Mark Mayerson just posted some thoughts on the same article. His insightful analysis is always a favorite of mine to read. Check it out, too.
2 comments:
Great links, Keith.
My take is that complexity is being mixed up with handwork. Shift Shirky's comments from the animation itself to the animation workflow and I agree 100%. We have hopelessly clunky, complicated processes - particularly when it comes to digital hand-drawn animation. To think that we (still!) refer to 3D in hand-drawn software as parallax-enabling planes is just bonkers.
Let the content go low-end, ultra cheap. (And it will.) Then a well-animated something from a talented, technically open someone will emerge, succeed and earn loads of money. Then the suits will be touting the "new model".
Hello nice bloog
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