Today, the online edition of The Hollywood Reporter posted Debra Kaufman’s article suggesting that the TV animation industry is witnessing a ‘toon boom.’ Near the end of Debra’s piece, the discussion turns to ‘Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends,’ and Macromedia’s Flash is pegged as the best production software for low-cost projects:

Cartoon Network’s “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” offers an example of another relatively inexpensive option for content providers to consider: Flash animation.

“People thought of Flash as something only for online, inexpensive animation,” (Cartoon Network’s Jim) Samples says. “It was a bit of a risk for us, but it has been very, very successful.”

Flash production surely helps teams cut corners, but I hope to see this stereotype slowly die. Limited animation is a snap with Flash, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg, as evidenced in every episode of ‘Fosters,’ a recent nominee for the Best Animated Television Production Annie award.

Offering up the article’s coda, Christopher Keenan, who I have the pleasure of working with, lays down the big picture:

“We’re going to start to see a wider variety of TV programming, both in terms of content and execution,” Keenan says. “As technology advances, we’ll see more CG animation produced in unique and interesting ways. We’ll start to see the art of animation more fully explored, (and) we’ll start to see more hybrids as art and technology continue to merge.”

Efficiencies are inherent to the Flash TV production method, but what Keenan is talking about is allowing technology to show us the way, both financially AND artistically. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

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