The enduring magic of 2D animation

In an era dominated by the photorealistic wonders of 3D animation and the rapid advancements of AI, it might seem surprising that 2D animation continues to captivate audiences worldwide. 

But 2D animation has survived the advent of every new-fangled technique in its 132-year history and, somehow, the magic of 2D always has the ability to capture people’s imaginations. 

The magic of 2D always has the ability to capture people’s imaginations. 

From the earliest days of silent films to the modern masterpieces of anime and indie cartoons, 2D animation has proven its resilience as a powerful and expressive medium. What is it about the oldest form of the moving image that endures with audiences, and how does it continue to thrive and evolve to create some of the most exciting content out there?

Above: Disney's 2D classic, Steam Boat Willy saw the debut of Mickey Mouse in 1928.

From an early age, we are encouraged to grab a crayon and create something new. But, if you ask a kid to talk about these treasured masterpieces, they are often filled with hidden meaning; a purple smear down the left is of course Granny, some jagged hieroglyphs in the centre, her cat, and the angry red staccato top right is the sun beaming through the window.

There’s something about the simplicity of a shape on a page that allows us to easily give it meaning, and a story to emerge.

There’s something about the simplicity of a shape on a page that allows us to easily give it meaning, and a story to emerge. The immediacy of 2D animation, with its simple, stylised characters and expressive line work, perhaps has a unique ability to hark back to this universal experience in a way that we can all connect to. 

“In 2D projects, the goal isn’t to replicate reality but to interpret and play with its perception," says my colleague at Nexus, director FX Goby. "It’s the most hands-on film medium, where the artist’s craft is visible on screen — what’s drawn is what moves, with minimal alteration. I love this art form for its raw reliance on skill and talent.” 

Above: HBO/Netflix's Scavenger's Reign has "wonderful, surprising, mesmerising ideas".

While superficially simple, 2D animation also offers a rich canvas for visual storytelling, particularly in a flourishing independent animation scene, where innovative and experimental works can thrive. The careful design of characters, backgrounds and animation sequences can convey complex narratives and themes without relying heavily on dialogue.

There is also a shorter line between the original creative idea and the execution itself, with less opportunity for it to be diluted or lost in translation. In the magnificent Scavenger’s Reign on HBO/Netflix, which tells the story of a group of survivors who encounter a menagerie of alien life on the planet they crash-landed on, the wonderful, surprising, mesmerising ideas seem to have jumped onto the screen, unfettered, straight from the minds of the filmmakers Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner. It’s hard to imagine any other medium being able to pull that off so effortlessly.

From the whimsical charm of classic cartoons to the gritty hyperrealism of adult animation, 2D can cater to diverse audiences and various tastes.

2D animation is also incredibly versatile, capable of adapting to a wide range of styles and genres. From the whimsical charm of classic cartoons to the gritty hyperrealism of adult animation, 2D can cater to diverse audiences and various tastes. Some of the scenes in Netflix’s amazing Blue Eye Samurai are so outrageously explicit, they explore tastes that would scandalise in other mediums, or ultra-violence that would turn the stomach, but in 2D it's not only palatable but delightful!!

Above: Fx Goby's 2D animated spot for the BBC's coverage of the 2024 Olympics is "meticulously choreographed to convey the movement of the athletes as they perform their feats of athletic excellence".

Blue Eye Samurai is also a good example of using 2D as a more cinematic medium because it’s cut more like live-action. This approach can also be taken when giving commercial work a cinematic feel, as seen in the recent BBC Paris Olympics campaign by Nexus Studios. Directed by the aforementioned Fx Goby, each scene was meticulously choreographed to convey the movement of the athletes as they perform their feats of athletic excellence. 

Indeed each scene was animated with ‘handles’ - frames either side of the action - so that the full physical movement was explored, to discover the perfect moment to cut into and out of the shot in the edit. This goes against the instincts of 2D animation (why animate something when you’re never going to see it?), but the result is a fluid film that flows seamlessly from scene to scene across the Olympic sports.

“The most important thing in 2D animation is the balance between design and compositing."

“The most important thing in 2D animation is the balance between design and compositing," another of my colleagues, Bethany Levy, our 2D Lead, told me. "To ensure cohesion, we keep the art director involved well into the late production stage, even after design frames and matte paintings have been finished. The connection needs to be very organic, and by passing a composited shot back and forth between the compositor and art director, we can really push the look into a beautifully framed artwork, while adding textural notes and maintaining continuity in the feel of each sequence.”