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International Animation Workflow Lament or Go Speed Racer Go
One thing that most American animation viewers don't think about is how much television animation is outsourced to overseas animation studios.
This has been going on so long that the number of animated shows that are still animated in the US can be counted on one hand. Now this is the process of actually drawing the animation while the design and scripts are done in either California or New York the actual pens to paper is done in Taiwan, mainland China, Hong Kong or South Korea.
In the early 80s Japan and Ireland were used as animation outsourcing houses. Thundercats was animated in Japan while Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was animated in Ireland. This part of the animation process is the assembely line style labor intensive process of drawing the thousands of frames from the storyboard, sound tracks and designs of the show. Granted due to the high value of the dollar and the cheaper labor market in Asia this seamed to make sense.
But it created two problems.
First of is that all the entry level 2d animation jobs in the US are now moved to Asia. It used to be a skilled artist could get an entry level job at an animation factory and work their way up the ladder. Those days are over and all the show are being done by the same generation of talent that got their start in the industry before the outsourcing started in the 80s.
The second problem is that the Asian animation studios are factory line production houses and the skilled and creative people working there do not get to have any creative control over their work be cause all the shots are being called in California.
3d Animation has not been outsourced quite to the extent that 2d animation has and South Park is the only 100% American animated 2D show that I can think of.
But we are now seeing some exciting new work coming out from Korea that is being done by animation houses that are used to drawing The Simpsons and The Family Guy who finally get to work on projects that they are excited about.
Take the movie Wonderful Days for example (found Via Jerry Kindall). My God this animated masterpiece combines masterful 2d with a 3d environment to make one hell of a dystopian show. The movie comes out on April 25, 2003 in Korea and I can't wait for it to come state side.
Also Eolith a Korean company is now in control of the King of Fighter games and KOF 2001 and 2002 were done by them. They are also the best in the series.
So I just hope that things even out a bit more. I hope that in the years to come that more creative control comes to Asia animation sweatshops and I hope that more good animation work comes to the US animators who can't get their first jobs in the industry.
Update: I just thought that I would point out that I have a degree in Animation and I work as a 3d and 2d animator.
Jake at April 15, 2003 
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Comments
What about anything done by the like of Klasky Csupo and whatnot? (Considering they used to animate the Simpsons) Those all outsourced as well?
I watched a old Looney Toons cartoon and remembered the days when it took about 10 people to make a 5minute short.
Posted by: l33t k1w1 at April 15, 2003 11:04 AM
it looks like they oursource some work to Korea as well.
via From PostIndustry, February 15, 2000;
http://www.rugratonline.com/makingrr.htm
Because Klasky Csupo works on a fairly tight production schedule compared to animated features created by Disney or Warner Brothers, they are forced to outsource much of the work to animation companies located in Korea.
Posted by: Jake at April 15, 2003 11:13 AM
It's time for a new creative animation mind to rise up from North America to restore balance. We need another Winsor McCay. (Little Nemo in Slumberland, Gertie The Dinosaur, The Sinking of The Lusitania, etc.)
Posted by: InsaneDavid at April 16, 2003 7:43 AM
Winsor McCay is a master hands down. I think that there is incredible artistic talent in the US but the world of animation is now a rigid industrial conglomerate that is hell bent in off shore production. It is a damn shame. About the only 2d animation being none here is Flash cartoons and Gameboy Games.
Posted by: Jake at April 16, 2003 9:34 AM
:(
Posted by: Lilly at April 16, 2003 11:39 AM
Dear Sir,
I am an animator from India. How can I get the outsourced animation?
Please help me.
Thankx
Subhajit
Posted by: Subhajit at January 3, 2004 10:49 AM
Not from me pal. I hate what India has done to my country and economy.
Posted by: Jake at January 3, 2004 12:30 PM
Jake dude,
India has not dont done any bad to your counrty and thats for sure.....
Its ur countrys high maintenance ,low quality talent that has done to it...American companies are doing nothing but saving their asses and filling the bosses pockets
so long buddy welcome to COMPETITION...
And SUBHAJIT dude get a life
Posted by: Desibaba at January 28, 2004 6:03 PM
Bullshit. "Low Quality Talent"
Let me get this straight. How dare you call the American worker "Low quality talent". So why is it us who dominate the world economically and militarily?
Check the numbers ass lick.
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_Domestic_Product )
I hope that Pakistan does not nuke the slave wage Indian sweatshops back into the stone age.
And to your innane claim that
"India has not dont done any bad to your counrty "
You need to do some research because this is going to stop
( http://www.nojobsforindia.com/ )
( http://yourjobisgoingtoindia.com/ )
Posted by: Jake at January 28, 2004 6:14 PM
