The animation industry is dynamic and keeps evolving constantly. There’s a huge market for people to both create and consume this art form. It’s used in advertising, movies, education, and more. Animation trends keep changing and it can be tough to keep up with them. Regardless of this, the scope of animation in India is great, with the annual salary being ₹3,12,737. If you see yourself playing a role in the future of animation in India, you need to read this guide on the top 5 animation trends that are going to rule the scene in the coming years.

Top 5 Animation Trends That Will Rule

1. 3D Style

3D animation isn’t new but it’s growing in popularity. There are many 3D effects being used to create fascinating results that are being used in movies, advertisements, training videos, and more. The trends here include simplicity, futuristic shapes, and rounded figures. Nature-inspired visuals are also gaining tremendous popularity, and are touted to be the rage this year. Maybe it’s because we’re all missing the great outdoors. Isometric animation – which is creating 3D illusions from 2D figures – is also going to be a hot trend.

Examples of 3D-styled animation include Toy Story, The Incredibles, Shrek, and Frozen. In films, the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and the famous robots from Transformers are examples of 3D work.

2. Minimalistic Aesthetics

In 2021, we’re going to continue to see minimalist aesthetics – this includes using clean lines and dots, and fewer pattern usages. In animation, this will translate into using simple texts and images to convey ideas in an elegant and uncluttered way. Get ready to see thin lines that look almost hand-drawn. The vibe will be fresh and contemporary, with a few surprising twists here and there. Typography, on the other hand, will remain bold and attention-grabbing with maxi-typography staying a top trend.

For your reference, advertisements for ZENDESK, PayPal, Ipsen, and Altius Exigo are great examples of minimalistic animation.

3. Realistic Textures

Along with minimalist designs, there will be a lot of realistic textures at play. You will see textures that are reminiscent of touch. For example, soft-looking fur on a cat or woolen detailing on a blanket. Using and creating realistic textures is going to be a major animation trend. This helps create depth and warmth to any creation while retaining a fantastical feel. This will add interest and complexity to your creations. Making animated objects look increasingly lifelike is a point of competition between pro animators.

If you want to see examples of realistic textures, check out Anomalisa and The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn. Doesn’t Snowy’s fur look super soft?

4. Retro – Styled Motion Graphics

While contemporary aesthetics are the hottest trends, lovers of old-school retro animations will be happy too. Retro never goes out of style and you’ll see comic-book and graphic novels making a huge comeback. Of course, animators will do their own takes on these classics. This will instill deep feelings of nostalgia and bring viewers flocking for a blast from the past. You’ll see outlined characters, flat colors, and even speech bubbles. There will also be bold, loud, and unexpected colors that will draw people’s attention and make that content stand out from the others.

Take a look at Arkuma’s Chrome, VHS recordings, and the Illuminati for an idea of this style. Social media is rife with GIFs and more complex creations as well, as you can see in the VapourWave art style.

5. Live – Action Animation

Something fresh and new this year will be a mixture of live-action and animated scenes. Think of the new Deathnote, as an example. You would have seen more examples of this in music videos, where they use animated elements alongside real-life ones. Unusual shapes, doodles, written text, and more will be used to add symbolism to educational videos, advertisements, fashion commercials, and more.

You should see this trend dominating social media as well. This is visually surprising and exciting as you don’t know what to expect from the screen when watching live-action. It brings the charisma of an actor and the magical quality of animation together to make a unique and fascinating combination.

Now that you know the hottest trends in animation that will rule 2021 – are you inspired to try your hand at it? If so, you’ll have to study comprehensive 3D animation and visual effects courses from a top-notch school for animation.

DICE – VFS is one of the best animation schools in Mumbai and will prepare you for a career as an animator. It’s partnered with the world-renowned Vancouver Film School. Together, we’ve created an intensive course built on strong concepts of entertainment arts, industry-led theories, and hands-on experience.