This had an obvious effect on the likes of art and design, and there are ample amounts of examples which involve a large range of art forms. One particular art form I'm going to briefly look at is animation, specifically motion picture and it's progression.
Walt Disney Animation Studios was founded in 1923 (originally established under the name 'Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio') and is one of the most renowned animation studios in the motion picture industry to date. Having developed many of the techniques and basic principles of traditional animation and seeing how far it has advanced to present date, this studio has played an elaborate role in what we know as the digital age, and I have chosen to look at this specific form of animation as it shows a clear visual of progression from hand drawn animation to, more recently, 3D animation and CGI - and I believe this helps reflect a representation of 'before and after' with regards to the digital revolution.
The very first feature length animation from Disney was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937). The movie was worked on by many animators within the studio, but the man with the authoritative say on any and all of its concept design was Albert Hurter.
Although met with a lot of scrutiny and critique (even before it was released) this feature length animation proved to be a success and set the future standards for the Walt Disney Company.
This still from the animation provides us with a visual example on the overall feel and style of the animation from the beginning of the Walt Disney timeline. It is clearly produced by hand and, looking back on it now, it has a vintage quality to it which helps provide that nostalgic feeling. However, times have progressed, and so has the ways of animation. Despite the hand drawn Disney being a well loved method - contemporary audiences don't have that nostalgic quality to hold onto and thus techniques must change in order for them to maintain their status and popularity. This is where the digital age comes into play.Big Hero 6 is Disney's most recent animated feature and it displays a startling difference to that of Snow White. Of course, this is only natural as not only have methods of animation improved with the addition of technology, but the animators whom work at Disney have also changed and improved.
This particular movie involved the work of over 90 animators and took over 2 years to produce, using an array of software programs to produce the movie's vast amount of distinctive characters, locations and even lighting.
If we compare this still to the one of Snow White, the progression which has taken place within the animation industry (and the art industry as a whole) becomes apparent. The digital age has consumed the likes of art and design, and although some people may question whether this is a positive or a negative, it can't be denied that we have come admirable lengths in our artistic portrayals. Yes, the old methods and techniques (specifically Disney's) are magical and whimsical and remind many of us of our childhood, but the future is just a bright with it's new innovative designs and fancy technology.
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