I do not know about the Mirror's Edge , but the opening dream sequence for Kung Fu Panda which you linked to was hand-drawn animation produced at James Baxter Animation . The animation was drawn with pencil on paper.
I have read that the software used was ANIMO and After Effects.
The traditional penciled art was scanned into ANIMO for Ink & Paint . Further work was also done using After Effects to layer in textures and special efx levels , plus add motion blur.
There were actually two 2D sequences in Kung Fu Panda : the opening dream sequence animated at James Baxter Studio and the end credits animation which was designed to resemble the Baxter sequence by a title house called Shine , with the character animation in the end credits done by Dreamworks animators (who had all previously worked as 2D traditional animators ).
We use Animo at the studio where I work. I only use it to shoot my pencil tests and do some rough compositing but all in all it's comparably easy to use and rather flexible. Our version doesn't run completely stable, though. Crashes happen rarely but they happen. I'm not sure how much support Cambridge Animation Systems offers for their package these days.
I really loved Kung Fu Panda, but I kinda wish the whole movie was animated like the opening sequence.
Aloha,
the Ape
That would have been cool, from a artsy fartsy view point. The public would not have embraced the movie and it would have falled at the box office. How ever the movie did great and there are plans to make another one. Let is all hope that they make another great one.
I'm going off the way it looks. It has the flat clean look of Flash, but the movement of the helicopter, cars and the characters look like it's 3D. I've poked around and haven't found any interview with the studio saying it's Flash or 3D, but what I have read, "toonshading" has been mentioned several times.
I've seen some other clips from the story aspect of the game and some things look like it's Flash, but that trailer looks 3D to me.
Aloha,
the Ape
—
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
mirrors edge is a 3d game thats footage from the game. the tweening is usually visible in 3d and you wont see a lot of squash and stretch or shape changes in 3d. there is an obsession in 3d with realism which I do not support. that causes them to disregard anything thats not a 100 percent real. the artistic, creative, fun, experimental practices that everbody knows works. get thrown out the window, its crazy in my opinion. usually ending up with something visually flatter than its 2d counterpart
mirrors edge is a 3d game thats footage from the game. the tweening is usually visible in 3d and you wont see a lot of squash and stretch or shape changes in 3d. there is an obsession in 3d with realism which I do not support. that causes them to disregard anything thats not a 100 percent real. the artistic, creative, fun, experimental practices that everybody knows works. get thrown out the window, its crazy in my opinion. usually ending up with something visually flatter than its 2d counterpart
I am guessing that "Kung Fu Panda" would be a good counter point to your comment. However, there is nothing realistic about "Kung Fu Panda" so maybe it would be a weak counter point?
the people behind kung fu panda tend to adhere to the old principles but the fact is. in most 3d thats not the case games would be one of those areas its not that they cant do it. they just dont. thats partially due to the automation of 3d.
but there is a plethora of anime where the characters look like there made of rubber its almost a rule in anime that your 3d must look like its 2d. when the character expresses something they dont just say it there whole body will change shape. the stiff walk its an ode to 2d. but anime is its own thing. 3d in general you dont see to much of that
maybe at some point the people behind kung fu panda will do something that isnt pop music in movie form. thats solely for adults solely artistic but I doubt it
Kung Fu Panda is 3D, not 2D. As for the software, my guess is that they use Maya.
I do not know about the Mirror's Edge , but the opening dream sequence for Kung Fu Panda which you linked to was hand-drawn animation produced at James Baxter Animation . The animation was drawn with pencil on paper.
I have read that the software used was ANIMO and After Effects.
The traditional penciled art was scanned into ANIMO for Ink & Paint . Further work was also done using After Effects to layer in textures and special efx levels , plus add motion blur.
There were actually two 2D sequences in Kung Fu Panda : the opening dream sequence animated at James Baxter Studio and the end credits animation which was designed to resemble the Baxter sequence by a title house called Shine , with the character animation in the end credits done by Dreamworks animators (who had all previously worked as 2D traditional animators ).
Here's an article on the making of :
http://www.studiodaily.com/main/technique/casestudies/9600.html
The two main softwares mentioned are Animo and AfterEffects.
Here's some more about it, with links to higher def. versions of the title sequences:
http://2danimationacademy.blogspot.com/2008/06/kung-fu-panda-2d-sequences.html
http://www.artofthetitle.com/2008/10/03/kung-fu-pan
We use Animo at the studio where I work. I only use it to shoot my pencil tests and do some rough compositing but all in all it's comparably easy to use and rather flexible. Our version doesn't run completely stable, though. Crashes happen rarely but they happen. I'm not sure how much support Cambridge Animation Systems offers for their package these days.
The Mirror's Edge trailer was animated 3D and rendered out with a 2D shader.
I really loved Kung Fu Panda, but I kinda wish the whole movie was animated like the opening sequence.
Aloha,
the Ape
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
That would have been cool, from a artsy fartsy view point. The public would not have embraced the movie and it would have falled at the box office. How ever the movie did great and there are plans to make another one. Let is all hope that they make another great one.
Care to elaborate more?
Are there any article you've come across, or is it from your observation?
Are you asking about cel shading or the steps used in the production of the animation?
Not that, just how he knows it's 3D animation instead of Flash?
I'm going off the way it looks. It has the flat clean look of Flash, but the movement of the helicopter, cars and the characters look like it's 3D. I've poked around and haven't found any interview with the studio saying it's Flash or 3D, but what I have read, "toonshading" has been mentioned several times.
I've seen some other clips from the story aspect of the game and some things look like it's Flash, but that trailer looks 3D to me.
Aloha,
the Ape
...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."
mirrors edge is a 3d game thats footage from the game. the tweening is usually visible in 3d and you wont see a lot of squash and stretch or shape changes in 3d. there is an obsession in 3d with realism which I do not support. that causes them to disregard anything thats not a 100 percent real. the artistic, creative, fun, experimental practices that everbody knows works. get thrown out the window, its crazy in my opinion. usually ending up with something visually flatter than its 2d counterpart
I am guessing that "Kung Fu Panda" would be a good counter point to your comment. However, there is nothing realistic about "Kung Fu Panda" so maybe it would be a weak counter point?
the people behind kung fu panda tend to adhere to the old principles but the fact is. in most 3d thats not the case games would be one of those areas its not that they cant do it. they just dont. thats partially due to the automation of 3d.
but there is a plethora of anime where the characters look like there made of rubber its almost a rule in anime that your 3d must look like its 2d. when the character expresses something they dont just say it there whole body will change shape. the stiff walk its an ode to 2d. but anime is its own thing. 3d in general you dont see to much of that
maybe at some point the people behind kung fu panda will do something that isnt pop music in movie form. thats solely for adults solely artistic but I doubt it