The Future of Cartooning: Trends, Technologies, and Innovations

Cartoons are a source of joy and entertainment for different people, both children and adults. They are full of bright colours, offer captivating stories, pass exciting messages, and give unique characters to which the target audience can relate.

Naturally, cartoons today are far different from the first hand-drawn iteration, Fantasmagorie, 1908, by French animator Émile Cohl. Technological advancements have revolutionized animation, providing more sophisticated ways to tell interesting tales.

The same fate is expected of current cartoons and animations, as technology and innovation will bring an era of additional sophistication. Therefore, this article will explore these upcoming changes, revealing the future of Cartooning.

What Currently Qualifies as a Cartoon?

Before exploring the exciting topic of the future of Cartooning, it’s essential first to identify what qualifies as a cartoon. While the meaning has evolved since the 1900s, cartoons today mean “an image or series of images intended for satire, caricature, or humour; or a motion picture that relies on a sequence of illustrations for its animation,” according to Wikipedia.

Another factor to consider when characterizing a cartoon is that they’re typically in 2D with characters looking closer to reality, originate in the US, and have episodes within 5 minutes to an hour.

This definition is significantly different from its counterpart, Anime, Japanese-based animations with exaggerated physical features (larger eyes and smaller mouths), and tend to be 22 to 35 minutes long.

Some examples of cartoons that fit this definition include:

• The Simpsons
• Family Guy
• Courage the Cowardly Dog
• Tom and Jerry
• Justice League Animated Series
• The Flintstones
• SpongeBob SquarePants

With this understanding in place, let’s discuss the future of Cartooning.

Technologies That Transform Cartooning

Advancements in technology are inevitable as humanity learns new ways to improve already efficient tools. Naturally, these tools will benefit the animation and cartooning industry, and here’s how:

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is rarely mentioned without Virtual Reality since both are considered the next phase of digital entertainment. However, Augmented Reality plays an even more significant role, pairing reality with cartoons.

For example, Slapstick, developed by motion design studio Buck, lets users add digital stickers to their real-world surroundings and share the posts. This feature is similarly adopted in Snapchat as people can inject a virtual character into their surroundings.

With companies like Google and Apple tirelessly working on Virtual and augmented reality technologies, it’s only a matter of time before humans can interact with fictional characters. This future may be closer than expected, possibly within the next decade.

AI-Generated Cartoons

Typically, creating a successful cartoon involves efforts from hundreds of people, including directors, animators, scriptwriters, and even voice actors. However, introducing Artificial Intelligence into cartooning will eliminate these contributors, allowing studios to make thousands of cartoon episodes for a fraction of the cost.

One prominent example of this future is Showrunner AI, also known as SHOW-1, developed by a San Francisco company named Fabel. This new technology can create new episodes for TV shows using little input from the user.

According to Fable CEO Edward Saatchi, Showrunner can anonymously generate full episodes of the popular TV show South Park. Users can also input two sentences into the machine, and it’ll structure its episodes according to that prompt.

Ultimately, the future of cartooning with Showrunner AI is more of a gamble. Still, betting enthusiasts, at least, have the certainty of getting 25 free spins no deposit casino offers regularly.

Nevertheless, such technology makes the future of Cartooning uncertain; on the one hand, it lets fans and studios create quick and easy episodes tailored to their imagination and preference, allowing for peak entertainment. On the other hand, it threatens jobs and the show’s creators, who may lose revenue and control over their intellectual property.

Automated Video Generation

The advent of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning has allowed companies to automate multiple processes, resulting in lower costs and more customer satisfaction. This technology also affects cartooning and animation.

With automated Video Generation from companies like MoShare, sports companies can create beautiful animations equipped with cartoon-like characters. This animation allows the company’s viewers to reveal statistics and scores in real time within seconds.

Studios like Illo also take this concept forward with Algo, which gives users automatically generated animations to convey details about sports and other important ideas. It’s a significant difference compared to companies hiring illustrators and cartoonists to make art to keep their audience engaged.

Interactive Cartoons

The future of cartooning may shift from merely watching animated stories to actively participating in them. Interactive cartoons are set to become a groundbreaking trend, where the audience becomes part of the narrative, arguably creating a more engaging experience than video games.

Companies like Netflix already experimented with interactive storytelling in shows like “Bandersnatch” from the “Black Mirror” series. In this episode, viewers make choices for the main character, influencing the plot’s direction.

While it’s an amazing idea, it’s still incomplete since Interactive cartoons require sophisticated technology to deliver a fluid, enjoyable experience. As technology evolves, we can expect to see more interactive elements integrated into traditional cartoons, making the viewer an active participant in the story’s plot.

Customizable Avatars

With the rise of customizable avatars and even interactive cartoons, viewers may soon be able to insert themselves or their characters into their favourite cartoons. This level of personalization can enhance the emotional connection between the audience and the animated world, leading to more entertainment.

One example of this possibility is VRChat, which already allows users to interact with each other in a virtual environment with avatars they created and customized. This concept could be extended to cartoons, where viewers can participate in the story as personalized avatars using the same technology in Interactive Cartoons, making each viewing experience unique.

Conclusion

Just like how cartoons from the 1900s transformed from hand-drawn motion pictures to digital drawings brought to life using various sophisticated programs, the same will happen to our modern cartoons.

From augmented reality and AI-generated cartoons to interactive storytelling and holographic experiences, the animation industry is on the brink of a transformation. These changes offer incredible opportunities for extremely immersive entertainment while revamping creativity and job security.