CG-animation hybrids

The Common Room Other Animation
#1

How about a list of films that were produced using CG animation in conjunction with traditional animation or live action? Note that this excludes the live-action-with-CG-star category (Scooby-Doo, King Kong, Chipmunks, Yogi Bear); movies with live action bookending traditional animation (The Pagemaster, Balto); and motion-capture films (Final Fantasy, The Polar Express, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol). Please feel free to correct any errors, and no doubt there are more than these:

Princess Mononoke (1997): Some use of CG backgrounds and creature modeling.

Tarzan (1999): First use of Deep Canvas–CG backgrounds with overlaid traditionally animated characters.

The Iron Giant (1999): CG vehicles, props, and title character blended with traditional animation.

Titan A.E. (2000): CG backgrounds and vehicles with overlaid traditionally animated characters.

Dinosaur (2000): Live-action backgrounds with overlaid CG animated characters.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001): Some use of Deep Canvas–CG backgrounds with overlaid traditionally animated characters.

Spirited Away (2001): Some use of CG backgrounds and props.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002): Jeffrey Katzenberg’s “tradigital animation,” supposedly seamless blending of CG and traditional animation including characters.

Treasure Planet (2002): Some use of Deep Canvas–CG backgrounds and vehicles with overlaid traditionally animated characters.

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003): CG backgrounds, creatures, and vehicles with overlaid traditionally animated characters, possibly some tradigital animation of characters.

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004): Some use of CG backgrounds, CG animated title character.

Curious George (2006): Some use of CG backgrounds with overlaid traditionally animated characters drawn to look 3D.

Arthur and the Invisibles (2006): Primarily cuts between live action and CG animation, but several scenes (Arthur in and out of Minimoys’ world and a bouncing ball) could be hybridized. Also, the CG animation is reportedly based on photogrammetry, which seems fairly unusual and hybridized among CG films.

From the trailers, Vexille and Appleseed Ex Machina look like CG backgrounds and vehicles with overlaid traditional anime (and maybe some motion capture), but it’s hard to tell what the processes were for those films.

From this list, one can infer that the hybrids were tried for a decade or so, then abandoned in favor of more uniform production processes. DreamWorks’ upcoming Me and My Shadow might provide a new spin on CG hybridization, or maybe not.

Also, in the interest of completism, here are some traditionally animated films that included stand-alone CG sequences or other limited use of CG imagery:

The Black Cauldron (1985)
The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Oliver and Company (1988)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Jetsons: The Movie (1990)
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Aladdin (1992)
The Lion King (1994)
Pocahontas (1995)
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Hercules (1997)
Mulan (1998)
Fantasia 2000 (1999)
Brother Bear (2003)

Cheers! Steve

#2

The Iron Giant had the Giant and some other props like vehicles, rockets, etc. rendered in CG, while everything else was in 2D. I think that applies to most 2D features from the late 90s onwards, actually…

#3

Thank you, Bryko614! List adjusted to add The Iron Giant.

As for the others…I thought about including Disney’s films produced with CAPS but then decided against it. For example…there’s the famous thru-the-chandelier computer-animated sequence in Beauty and the Beast. A completist might want to include that and other Disney films following it for computer-generated sequences (Mulan also comes to mind). However, I would say that the overwhelming impression of the Disney Renaissance cinematic experience is of traditional animation until it turned a corner with Tarzan. Differing opinions on that point most welcome. Not sure about CG and The Emperor’s New Groove, haven’t seen Lilo & Stitch, Brother Bear, and Home On the Range.

Also, I don’t know enough about The Prince of Egypt and The Road to El Dorado to speculate about their production methods, so any insight is welcome.

Cheers! Steve

#4

Princess Mononoke (1997) has a mix of traditional and CG animation as well.
For example, there are various cel-shaded 3D models (e.g. the Tatarigami tentacles) and textured 3D backgrounds.

Various later Ghibli features also used this (e.g. Spirited Away (2001)).

#5

Thank you, neighbour, several Ghiblis added to the list! Interesting how there’s a marked contrast in look between the Ghiblis and the Vexille type…but it’s all anime. It would be most gratifying to learn that there is some “Spritle mouth” in Vexille.

Cheers! Steve

#6

Beauty and the Beast used it for their dance sequence. And I remember reading that the first movie combining the two in someway was “The Great Mouse Detective” for the fight scene on the clock tower.

#7

Interesting! I never saw TGMD. According to WikiOmniscientia, the tracing of CG linework onto cels was used there, and first used in The Black Cauldron, which I also never saw. One intriguing consideration here is, when you look at the film, do you get the sense that the whole thing was produced using different techniques, or is there a particular short sequence that stands out because it’s noticeably different in technique than the rest of the film? There’s no one answer, just curious about what others think.

The tracing of CG linework onto cels seems reminiscent of rotoscoping and its modern counterpart, motion capture. These are hybrid techniques, but in both I get the sense that live action is at the core, with “animation” superficially overlaid. With CG animation, it still seems that drawing, or at least a human guiding hand, is at the core. But that’s probably another topic…

Cheers! Steve

#8

Another Ghibli film I forgot: Whisper of the Heart (1995) was the first one to include CG effects (in Shizuku’s dream sequence).

#9

I don’t know how many people remember this one but one of the earliest animated films from my childhood was Jetsons: The Movie in 1990, and in that film the mining plant that Mr. Spacely sends George to work at in outer space was shown in early CGI. This also includes the asteroid (which Mr. Spacely built the plant for), the group of apartments that The Jetsons move into, a shopping mall, and other futuristic buildings and vehicles. I’m not exactly sure how much this counts since from what I recall the characters are never seen blending in with the CGI environments, but the exterior shots of these buildings/locations are shown in CGI for most of the film (showoff shots, I guess). I can only remember seeing some 2D people in their 3D flying cars as far as blending goes.

#10

Thank you, list adjusted!

It’s interesting to look at the date ranges of these productions. The trends seemed to be as follows:

1985-1998: Let’s throw a little CG in with the hand-drawn stuff!
1999-2005: Let’s do both CG and hand-drawn together!
2006-on??: Let’s just do CG animation! (the Lasseter exception for PatF and Pooh duly noted).

Cheers! Steve