W12 Prompt 1

Disney and other major studios began closing their 2D animation divisions in the late 1990s and early 2000s largely due to shifting audience tastes and the success of 3D animation. The turning point came with Pixar’s Toy Story (1995), the first fully computer-animated feature film, which was both a critical and commercial success. Following, 3D films like Shrek (2001) and Finding Nemo (2003) dominated box offices, while traditionally animated films like Treasure Planet (2002) and Home on the Range (2004) were box-offices bombs. Studios saw 3D as more modern, cost-effective in the long term, and easier to market to global audiences and and audiences made it clear that that is what they wanted to see. From a business perspective, the move made sense at the time. 3D films were consistently more profitable and perceived as cutting-edge. But from an artistic and cultural standpoint, many argue it was a loss. The closure of 2D departments meant fewer opportunities for hand-drawn animators and a narrowing of visual storytelling styles. It also sent the message that traditional animation was “obsolete,” which discouraged its growth in mainstream cinema, but it really hard to gauge what casual audiences really want to see Despite this, 2D animation has not died it still used heavily behind the scenes at Disney, with storyboard and concept art, Japan has remained a global leader in 2D animation through anime and indie and international films like Klaus and Wolfwalkers use hand-drawn techniques with modern tools to stunning effect.