Transitioning into the world of 3D animation has been an exciting
adventure for many studios across the world. The chance to gain
inspiration from a whole new perspective is largely a great gift, but
has proven to be slightly problematic for more classic companies. Disney
itself came into a minor crisis, due to the fact that Mickey was always
drawn with both circular ears visible at all angles, to keep his
trademark silhouette.
Translating that into a fully dimensional model
posed a huge obstacle- whether his ears would now be normally attached
to his head, or if a complex solution could be found to keep his ears
facing the camera at all times. Of course, there was no way for them to
realize this problem when he was first created, but designs created in
current times should always be mindful of the process.
Planning in
all three dimensions is likely the most challenging part of 3D
animation design. Creating turnaround sheets of characters, so they have
fleshed out designs from all possible viewing angles, has always been a
crucial step in 3d animation production. This ensures the character
will look consistent throughout, no matter what pose or position they
are in. However, scenery and background objects are often designed from
only one angle, so converting a project would involve conceptualizing
each component over again.