American Animation is not American

[Toon Dude]

I've been an animation fan for all my life. I've been through the cartoon vs anime thing (siding with both at different times in my life). I was a Japanophile for a while until I decided that I like cartoons more and that anime can just as easily be call cartoons. But don't worry, that's not why I'm here. I simply wanted to make those statements before I begin. My reason for making this thread is to talk about outsourcing and how it's made me cringe at the thought of uttering the words.. American animation. Tell me, how is it American animation when it's animated in Korea or Japan or China or India? What do these so-called "animators" do besides draw a few pictures? Everything from animation to coloring is done somewhere outside the US. I just feel so uneasy when I look at my old cartoons and see who did the animation and foreign names pop up. It's not that I'm prejudice or anything but a HUGE amount of "American cartoons" aren't American. I'm starting to wonder if the storyboard and music is being outsourced, that just leaves the writers and voice actors. Maybe you guys don't understand where I'm coming from but I used to pride myself as a Patriot and I just can't bring myself to like most cartoons anymore. I now only watch classics, Pixar, 3D and Flash animated shows and movies. Just so this isn't purely a rant, I'll ask, how do you feel about outsourcing and how can you bring yourself to say "American cartoons" or "American animation"?

[Floyd Bishop]

Not all productions are outsourced in this fashion. You're casting a pretty wide net.

[Toon Dude]

Is that a matter of fact? Ok then tell me, what 2-D cartoons are animated in America? I'd be amazed if you can come up with 1. (Btw that's not negatively targeted at you but rather at "American" animation studios.)

[Floyd Bishop]

South Park.

[Chris Battle]

Sita Sings the Blues

[Tim Ingle]

It would be nice if all animation was called animation in American, regardless of where it's made. If anime were marketed as animation outside of Japan just as all animated films are called anime in Japan. Same goes for the rest of the world. In my opinion, things should be enjoyed for their story and quality of animation, not necessarily their origin.

[Daryl T]

I never thought key animation was done overseas anyway.

[shay lurie]

key frame animation, directing and storyboarding is all done here in the states, for american shows made in american studios like nickelodeon, for example. the acting, the design is all stateside too. in-betweens and some colors are done overseas for the benefit of cutting cost, but has little to no impact on the style in which our shows are animated in. there is still a lot to done here in america. nearly all flash animation is done here, though i understand there are training facilities growing in asia to teach them the american ways of flash animation. adult swim produces nearly all its content domestically. ATHF apparently is created on, like, 2 computers? its american, because at the top, its created, stylized, conceptualized, edited and finished here. G.B.A!

[Greg David]

Speaking as one whose studio is an outsourcee (if that's a word), the main brunt of our work comes from clients who like us and the work we do. However, I'm not one of those who condone outsourcing to the Far East etc. The reason why so much work goes to overseas studios like those in Korea is because they are cheaper than the US and Europe. When you get Indian studios who are offering 30 mins of animation for $300, despite the fact that it's basically slave labor, if producers are going to save a buck or two, they will. However, the downside to this is that the quality of the work isn't always up to scratch.

There really is no solution. Money rules, and it always has, unfortunately. However, one thing I keep telling animation graduates is that their expectations, especially when it comes to their salary, are far too high. When I get graduates 'demanding' $1500+ per week because they're trained in animation, that's as far as they get. Man, I'm lucky if I earn that in a month, and I'm the head of the studio! However, what it comes down to is this - are you in it for the money, or because you just want to get paid for doing something you love? You can either make your demands and eventually end up working as a store clerk, or, like me, you can think, well, it's worth a shot, and as long as I can pay the bills, that's a luxury.

I tell you, my wife has been struggling to get me a present for Christmas, mainly because I get to draw all day, and so she says she can't get me anything to do with art because that's my job, and I have all the cartoon DVDs you could wish for. (Ahem.... but not the Tex Avery box set -hint! hint!)

Anyway, there's always going to be outsourcing. As a studio head, my thinking is this. If people in places like Korea are going to be sweating over a project of mine, I'd make sure they'd not only get paid a decent wage, but they'd also get a credit - not like most of the TV shows where you just see the name of the studio. as animators, we're artists, people, and we deserve respect, wherever we live.

Merry Christmas one and all. Or as we say here in Wales, Nadolig Llawen.

[Toon Dude]

Is there a place where I can learn more about the animation process? And I mean EVERYTHING. I want to know all that happens when a new cartoon is made. If overseas outsourcing really doesn't matter, I want to see how much it doesn't matter.

[Kyoshi]

Disney Feature is hiring both Keyframers & inbetweeners now. Patricia Beckman(Head Recruiter) told me herself.