- Posted
- Jan 19th 2009
Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was something happening on Sheezyart, A community that was full of creative fun. This situation felt like it was never going to end, but it ended so quickly we didn’t have time to say good bye.
I’m talking about the flash community of Sheezyart. Mr Simons recent Journal has made me think a little about what was once going on here, but more importantly what caused it to end. I came up with a couple of theories myself, but I'd like to hear what others think too.
One thought I have is that flash animations simply, “got oldâ€. Back in 2004, flash animation was still pretty new, and people wanted to join in on this fun. But as time went by new things came a long and the community drifted apart.
Another thought I had is that standards changed, flashers suddenly wanted to be more “professional†and this causes fun flashes to die out. I have to say I’m fully guilty of this, there was once a time I would make animations because they where silly and during that time I never had so much fun making something. But I want to make animation fun again, where every new animation I make doesn’t have to be the best work I’ve ever done, and there was a series of short animations I made in 2004/5 that did just that.
I’m not going to say either of those are the truth though, they’re just my theories of what may have caused it. I’d like to hear other peoples ideas though, seeing this from a different angle may provide some additional insight.
Nypherus Says:
I'd have to go with the second theory
Since professional animation has risen and fun animation died out,
You don't see that many cartoon flashes that are made just to be made anymore
You don't see that many Flash collabs around here
And even when you do there is little participation in them
I wonder where SA Flashes have gone at times, too
It's not like it's entirely gone, but there's a lot fewer
Wonchop Says:
Yeah I've gotten that feeling. It's less 'making flash for the hell of it' and more 'flashing to earn a few bob'.
Maybe when I find the time I should make another big-ass collab on the scale of Little Less Conversation.
I agree with you on the second theory aswell, but I also think that it may be due to the change in the frontpage. There used to be a bit there just for flash, which was good for me, at least. I know it kept my head in the small flash scene sheezy has.
I remember wanting to be a part of it, and I enjoyed seeing the latest animations that people voted up to the top spots. Now there's one flash every month or so, it seems. And it's a combination of about 3 people each time.
Bring back the old frontpage I say. Because that was my favourite part about it.
th1rt3en Says:
I was absent from SheezyArt (actually, the Flash community in a whole) for maybe a full year, if not more. I remember back in the day I would think up ideas every few nights, most of which never materialized but I still had tons of them.
Now I'm on a bad dry-spell of ideas. On top of that, I tend to be too ambitious for my skill level, like thinking up complex camera movements that I really can't make in Flash. And my inability to draw. So maybe it's like that for other people as well, they want to try something new and big, and not just comedic shorts.
For me anyway it was going to happen. I always treated my flashes like I was actually filming rather than drawing. My love of films and all of the things I learned in my film classes are drilled well within me now, and I probably can't go back.
Psi43 Says:
It's because people got older, more mature and packed with loads of school work. Then new ones came and weren't accepted cause they were "noobs". Because these new people weren't accepted, the "fun flashers" slowly went away and there was no one to replace them.
Just a very few.
Allingar Says:
In some cases, the flashers just got older themselves, not as much free time to spend on animation as their lives become more crowded with a full time job and responsibilities.
Galloglasses Says:
Agreed.
...
Honestly I think its a case of people realising that animation takes time and patience. Two values alot of people don't have and that more still run out of after a while. Not so much motivation, more a 'I can't be bothered even if I'm motivated kind of veiw.
giascle Says:
All the active members of the Flash community don't have time anymore, and the new generation is kids who want to mimic what it used to be. Every time a Flash makes the front page now, it's completely derivative of some artist that has stopped making cartoons. Just go to the Animation Club and look at the submissions.
Min27 Says:
I think all the animation classes I've had have implanted a set of rules into my work. Having to storyboard everything before animation and working hard to make the storyboard "flow" correctly. I know that this kind of thing only matters if you're doing it for money, but it's become a non-removable habit.
Also Flash takes so long to do that it's easier to make comics or sketch something in Photoshop.
Rubbercookie Says:
How about we just gather people who are willing to make flash for the hell of it and start over again?
All we need is some celebrity of old to take the initiative.