Pencils vs. Pixels is a celebration of animation. This documentary will take you from the magic of 2D hand-drawn animation to a computer animation revolution. If you’re a fan of animation or animated films and TV shows, you don’t want to miss Pencils vs. Pixels.
I loved Oliver & Company and The Little Mermaid when I was a kid. The colorful art direction combined with interesting characters and storytelling make me watch them over and over. The animation was so cool to me. And now when films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse come out I am amazed at this new computer animation that brings film to life in a whole different way. But at the core of animation are the incredible artists.
Narrated by Ming-Na Wen, PENCILS VS PIXELS features many of the legendary artists who brought classic films to life as they guide us through the last few decades of animation and into the future. Directors Bay Dariz and Phil Earnest bring together different generations of artists from different studios and experiences to share the evolution of animation.
Interviews with many from the industry like Leonard Maltin, Kevin Smith, Pete Docter, Lorna Cook, Mark Henn, Seth MacFarlane, and more add insight and inspiration to the story of animation. Some of our favorite characters come to life
“by a whole bunch of scribbly strokes on a piece of paper.” It’s incredible to see the genius at work.
When you think animation, you think Disney. However, Disney also allowed other studios to come in for the animation boom by making some mistakes and missteps. We get a history lesson and artist perspective as 2-D animation medium was being blamed for some box office misses instead of perhaps scripts and stories. So animators were being encouraged to shift to more 3-D and CG.
The industry was changing and animators had to make decisions whether they were going to adapt. They had to ask ‘did I get into animation because I love to draw or because I love to make things move?’
However, animators continued their craft and hoped that 2-D animation would come back, because everyone loves traditional, hand-drawn animation. As animators and technology worked together, films such as Tangled and Frozen were able to bring back even more hope that 2-D animation would always live as an art form for audiences to enjoy.
Animated TV shows were also able to showcase 2-D animation and even allow for animators to have more business than usual. With successful shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Gravity Falls, the future is bright!
Animation is a medium in which you can tell any kind of story according to Leonard Maltin. And it’s a powerful art form of humanity that connects us heart and soul. If your kids love animated films or drawing and doodling, then Pencils vs. Pixels is a wonderful documentary to enjoy as a family. It’s where dreams start. And the magic of animation – whether by pencil or computer – keeps the dreams alive for this next generation of animators. Thank you to all those who have paved the way and brought these characters to life.
