How was Lilo & Stitch made?

[Skriblinmatt]

I was watching the movie Lilo and Stitch last night with my 5yo and was wondering what program they use to make cartoons like that. It's got kind of a flat, traditional animation look to it, but is clearly digital art. I don't know much about programs like Maya and 3D studio (or anything else for that matter). But it sure doesn't look like the results I know to be from those programs. That's not to say, I don't think it COULD be done with one of those, it just has a different feel.

And to be honest, it looks a little easier. Like maybe, learning how to create things like that would prepare a potential (dreaming) future illustrator for more 3D moving animation.

[Elwell]

Lilo and Stich was traditionally hand-animated.

[Skriblinmatt]

OK. I was a little embarrassed when Elwell first replied. But then I watched it again over the weekend (if you have kids you know how it is, same movie over and over and over) and although most of it is probably traditional hand animation there are quite a few scenes that clearly are either, NOT, or are some kind of combination. Specifically scenes that involve space ships. The intro to Futurama has the same kind of flat 3D thing going on and I've seen it in other places too (of course I can't think of any now).
Also, I find it kind of hard to believe that the way we do "traditionally hand-animated" movies now doesn't involve some kind of computer program. I could very well be just plain wrong, but I'd like to know for sure.
Thanks in advance for any replies!

[wiggum]

I know what you're talking about. A lot of animated cartoon shows use that same technique. I'm not sure exactly what program they use, but I believe the technique they use to make everything look cartoony is called cell-shading. I think you can do this with most 3D animation software, and it appears in a lot of video games as well like Team Fortres 2 (one of my personal favorites).

[Sekino]

I'm pretty sure Lilo & Stitch was made using the CAPS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPS_(Computer_Animation_Production_System)) system. The backgrounds and characters are still hand-drawn/painted but the images are combined as digital images instead of individual plastic cels. So it is indeed traditional 'hand-animation', just not cel animation. The CAPS was also used to integrate 3D effects with the 2D (like Beauty & the Beast's ballroom dance and The Lion King's stampede) so L&S's spaceships were probably done the same way.

[Elwell]

I'm pretty sure Lilo & Stitch was made using the CAPS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPS_(Computer_Animation_Production_System)) system. The backgrounds and characters are still hand-drawn/painted but the images are combined as digital images instead of individual plastic cels. So it is indeed traditional 'hand-animation', just not cel animation. The CAPS was also used to integrate 3D effects with the 2D (like Beauty & the Beast's ballroom dance and The Lion King's stampede) so L&S's spaceships were probably done the same way.
True, but even with the incorporation of digital ink & paint and 3D effects, I would still consider it a traditionally hand-animated film, just like I would still consider, say, the Phantom Menace a live-action film even though almost every shot has animated elements.
Anyway, to answer Skriblinmatt's original question, yes, the spaceships etc are 3D animation rendered so that it looks cell-shaded.

[Sekino]

True, but even with the incorporation of digital ink & paint and 3D effects, I would still consider it a traditionally hand-animated film, just like I would still consider, say, the Phantom Menace a live-action film even though almost every shot has animated elements.

I totally agree. I should have emphasized So it is indeed traditional 'hand-animation', because I don't think using digital files as opposed to cels takes anything away from the hand-animator's direct skills.

And while on topic, I loved Lilo and Stitch for the character design. Lilo was a cute but rambunctious kid and it was nice to see a woman with thighs (Nani)! :)