Find an example of 2D animation in which the lightening defines a mood or dramatic event. How is lighting created in this 2D work

The example I chose for my 2D animation was Dark Dark Woods by The Animation Workshop. In this short film dark lighting is used to create both scary, and fantastical scenes that either make the viewer feel happy and curious. In one scene, where the little girl is chasing a character through the forest, there is a light to dark gradient being used to mimic the lighting in a real forest. There are also light beams shining holes in the leaves of the trees. 

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Identify three of your favorite animated characters. What about their design and animation makes each of them compelling?

My favorite animated characters are Spike from Cowboy Bebop, Ralph from Wreck-Ralph, and Shrek. I enjoy Spike as a character because every one of his movements exudes confidence. There isn’t a moment in the entire series where Spike doesn't look like the smartest guy in the room. Wreck-it Ralph is another one of my favorite characters because his design is perfect for the story that the movie tells. As a 2-bit character, or as a silhouette, Ralph looks scary and mean, but as soon as we get a closer view we can easily see that Ralph is the classic “gentle giant” that we grow to love. I like Shrek because his look reminds me of a stereotypical jock douche who acts confident, but is really insecure. I like this because this stereotype ends up relating to Shrek's personality as the movie goes on. 

 

Both conceptually and technically, how do you hope commercial animation will evolve?

In the future, I hope that commercial animation will continue to expand into all realms of our lives. I believe that animation can be used to make products more intuitive. I believe that the possibilities are endless but my hope is that technology in the future will allow animation to be more economically feasible so that it can be used more often.