Editorial: "Kiddie-Fare": Why Animated Films Need to Be More Than Just 'Fun'

With the recent releases of The Croods and Epic, I think it's time to reflect on a nagging question that keeps bothering animation enthusiasts around the world: Why isn't animation taken more seriously? After all, animated films are almost guaranteed moneymakers for studios. One animated film can expand into sequels and endless merchandise that turn into billions in profits. Gone are the days when we had one animated films every three years or when we just have one or two animation studios in the world. No, now almost every major studio has an animation division and they're not releasing one animated film per year but two or even three. We are saturated with animated films and yet, when awards season comes, animation almost never receives the recognition it deserves. I mean sure, we have a Best Animated Feature Category and a Best Animated Short category; we also have the Annies and other awards, but animated films get shut out in other categories like Best Director and, until recently, Best Picture.

Brad Lewis Moving

It was announced today that Brad Lewis, the co-director of Cars 2, is leaving Pixar and joining Tradition Studios, the recently opened animation department of Digital Domain.

Digital Domain, partly owned by Transformers director, Michael Bay, is a visual effects company that recently handled effects on Disney's Tron: Legacy. The company set up an animation subsidiary in Florida back in 2009 and is currently awaiting the completion of a 115,00 square-foot campus, scheduled to open in December.

The producer of Pixar's 2007 Academy Award winning feature, Ratatouille, has been at Pixar for ten years now, after spending over eleven years at PDI and DreamWorks Animation, where he produced Antz.

Lewis, who is set to be a director at Tradition Studios, said to The Hollywood Reporter:

“I am excited to join a company with Digital Domain's talent and expertise and to have an opportunity to be a part of its team in creating family-friendly stories and adventures.”

Lewis will surely be missed at Pixar and will be a huge asset to Digital Domain.

Upcoming Animated Films, 2011

There is a veritable plethora of varied and wonderful sounding animated films due for release in 2011, from all of the animation giants, all sounding great. Here is a list of all of the animated films, that I am aware of, due out next year. In no particular order:

• Cars 2 - Pixar Animation Studios
• Kung Fu Panda 2 - DreamWorks Animation
• Arthur Christmas - Aardman Animations
• Rio - Blue Sky Studios
• Gnomeo and Juliet - Starz Animation
• Hop - Illumination Entertainment
• Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer - DreamWorks Animation
• Open Season 3 - Sony Pictures Animation
• The Smurfs - Sony Pictures Animation
• Winnie the Pooh - Disney
• Mars Needs Moms! - Disney and Imagemovers Digital
• Rango - Nickelodeon

Personally, I think that they all look good (except for maybe The Smurfs), which are you most looking forward to?
In terms of the end of this year and looking forward to the next, keep an eye on the blog because in the week following Christmas I will be posting the A113Animation Awards, rewarding the best animated films of the year, if you have any suggestions let me know. Also remember to vote in the poll to the right to see what the People's Choice is.