Which Animation Tools and Styles Will Bring Abie and Plummy to Life? (IYO)
Hey Y'all! 👋
I have been working on animation ideas for our Abie and Plummy project. It's a multi-stage story with editions for kids, tweens, and teens. It follows a girl named Abie and her quirky aubergine friend, Plummy. As the characters grow, the tone shifts from light and whimsical to reflective and symbolic.
Thinking About the Possibilities
I'm still deciding how best to handle the animation. Should I hire professional animators (Pixar, previously freelancers) to get that polished, high-quality finish? Or should I roll up my sleeves, dive in, and animate it myself? There's something exciting about getting hands-on and learning along the way—plus, it could give the story a more personal touch. If you've been in a similar situation, I'd love to hear your thoughts about your experiences.
Below are some questions to start the conversation, with a few notes from me. Feel free to jump in with any advice or suggestions!
Part 1: Animation Tools & Styles
Finding the Right Tools and Animation Styles for Abie and Plummy
- What animation software have you used before?
I've looked into Blender for 3D and Adobe Animate for 2D, but I'm still figuring out which tool best fits Abie and Plummy. Would something like Toon Boom Harmony be better for polished character animation? Or maybe OpenToonz for simplicity?
- What animation style would fit Abie and Plummy best?
I'm torn between 2D animation for that hand-drawn feel and 3D to make Plummy more expressive. Maybe a 2.5D style—combining both—could work. Which approach would give it the right mix of whimsy and depth?
Thank you.
Abie
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Recent Comments
6
Hi, Abie.
I'm afraid I can't help you much here. I have no experience or knowledge of animation, except for the idea of turning my stories into animated movies.
2D or 3D? Hmm. I don't know. For my stories, I want them to look realistic. I mean so realistic that you think you're watching an actual live-action movie instead of animation. Since you want it to be for children, might I suggest starting with the younger ones with 2D, transitioning to 2.5D for the middle ones, and possibly going full 3D for the oldest set? I am not sure how this approach will work.
Hope it helps.
JD
I'm leaning towards 3D because when this story catches on the transition for tools like Oculus Rift and other 3D Viewers will go smoothly. With everything TV-wise coming out 4K Ultra or higher the 3D renderings will be very well received on the devices of today and tomorrow.
What about some sort of 'hybrid' approach, Abie? The 2.5D animation combines the 2D elements in a 3D space. You can maintain a whimsical, hand-drawn style while giving the illusion of depth. This may work for younger kids if you are aiming for a playful, storybook-like atmosphere.
Then maybe use 3D for more visual depth and realism for the tweens and teens? By this age, they may want more immersive environments and animations - similar to the dynamic and realistic visuals that they'll start to see in the gaming environments.
Just my thoughts.
Isaiah 😊
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