As sad as it is to say, 2D animation might be a thing of the past. But with a new Indiegogo project led by a multitude of veteran Disney animators, that might change.
With 3D animated movies like Tangled, Up, and most recently Frozen, it seems that Disney is no longer interested in making 2D animated films. Princess and the Frog and Winnie the Pooh were the last 2D films the company made, and they’ve since laid off several of their veteran animators in an effort to move their priorities to 3D. However, that isn’t stopping a handful of other Disney veterans from making their own project on Indiegogo.
The Indiegogo campaign will fund a steampunk themed 2D animated short titled Hullabaloo. The film is being created by several Disney veterans who’ve worked on animated features like The Lion King, Princess and the Frog, Pocahontas, Herules, Tarzan and more.
The point of Hullabaloo? To help revive the tradition of creating films using hand-drawn 2D animation, and to show investors that it’s an art that is still valued today. The creators behind Hullaballoo hope to use the Indiegogo funds to create the short film, which will then hopefully persuade investors to go ahead and fund a feature length film.
What’s ‘Hullabaloo’ about?
Coming straight from their Indiegogo page, “Hullabaloo is the story of Veronica Daring, a brilliant young scientist who returns home from an elite finishing school to find her father–the eccentric inventor Jonathan Daring–missing without a trace! The only clue left behind points Veronica toward Daring Adventures, an abandoned amusement park used by her father to test his fantastical steam-powered inventions. There she discovers a strange girl named Jules, a fellow inventor who agrees to help Veronica in locating her missing father and discovering the secrets of his work.
“Together, Veronica and Jules learn that Jonathan Daring has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of influential persons, who seek to use his latest invention for nefarious purposes. These villains are wealthy and influential and neither Veronica nor Jules can stop them openly. But determined to save her father and holding true to the family creed that technology should be used for the good of all, not the greed of some, Veronica assumes the secret identity of “Hullabaloo”, a goggled crusader who uses wits and science to combat evil and oppose the nefarious conspiracy that has taken her father.
“But the question remains: what are the villains up to? What do they plan to do with Jonathan Daring’s mysterious new technology? And will Veronica and Jules be able to stop them in time?”
Having two female protagonists with engineering careers, which was almost always associated in films with men, Hullabaloo is not only an attempt to change the fate of 2D animation but also the representation of women in classic 2D tales.
Who’s behind it?
Hullabaloo is created by Disney veteran animator James Lopez, whose previous works include The Lion King, The Princess and the Frog, Pocahontas, Hercules, The Emperor’s New Groove, and the Oscar-winning Paperman.
The five animators also working on this project include fellow Disney veterans Bruce Smith, Rick Farmiloe, Minkyu Lee, Sandro Cleuzo, and Sarah Airriess. Also joining the project are Disney veterans Alexa Summerfield Goriup as the final line artist, and CG modelor Joffery Black.
Combined, the animators and production staff of Hullabaloo have worked on over 18 different Disney projects including Hercules, The Emperor’s New Groove, The Proud Family, Frozen, Enchanted, and Wreck-It-Ralph.
You can find out more about Hullabaloo on their website, and donate to the cause on Indiegogo.