The animation landscape is constantly changing, driven by innovation and creativity. In 2024, this evolution continues at a breakneck pace, with both traditional and new techniques coming into play. With artificial intelligence (AI) creeping into the industry, the possibilities of animation are becoming endless.
Let's take a look at the various trends reflecting the animation industry this year.
Everywhere 3D
We open our exploration of current trends in animation with a trend that cannot be ignored: 3D animation everywhere. In today's digital landscape, animators around the world are making a conscious decision to embrace and integrate dynamic 3D elements into a wide range of projects.
At Flan Caramel, we have been using 3D animation in our projects for several years. We create 3D animation, but can also import/mix 3D with 2D animation.
You can find an example of a Flan Caramel 3D animation project here.
Mixing 2D and 3D
Besides using 3D, another trend is to mix 2D with 3D. Mixing 2D and 3D means combining the features of both animations in one video. The resulting visual contrast creates a unique and intriguing animation that holds the viewer's attention.
Artificial Intelligence
The use of Artificial Intelligence is a trend that is revolutionising the animation industry by automating complex processes. AI tools are increasingly being used for various tasks, such as, for example, automatically generating lip movements in sync with spoken dialogues.
With ongoing developments in AI-technology we can expect the capabilities to become even more advanced, making the animation process faster and more efficient in the future.
Traditional techniques and hand-made animation
Illustration and animation have always been a popular combination. And today, various software tools make this technique even more accessible to both experienced and novice illustrators and animators. We see a lot of hand-made animation coming back, which contrasts sharply with the emerging AI technology we discussed in the previous section.
You can find an example from Flan Caramel of a sketchy, illustrative animation here.
Cut-out animation
A trend back in popularity this year is cut-out animation. A cut-out animation integrates images, art and digital media to create an artisanal look. Like handmade animation, this modern art form nods to traditional techniques and enriches the digital realm with a warm, personal touch.
Kinetic Typography
Kinetic typography is a trend that has been gaining popularity for several years and continues to grow. In the past year, however, this style has experienced remarkable growth and is even more prominent in the world of animation. Kinetic typography is all about making words or short pieces of text dynamic by making them move, stretch, twist or distort.
