How Anime Studio Behind Beastars & Trigun Stampede Makes 3D Animation Look 2D

3D animation is pretty much everywhere nowadays. Sometimes it's used for entire productions, and other times it's mixed with 2D, like for backgrounds or complex objects in projects such as Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, and The Ghost in the Shell. When you think of 3D animation, you probably think of Pixar or Disney. But 3D doesn't always have to look like that, and that's where Studio Orange stands out.

You might know Studio Orange from Land of the Lustrous, Beastars, and Trigun Stampede. They've made a name for themselves by pushing 3D animation in anime in some really interesting ways. In this video, Class Creatives teamed up with Hobbes Sakuga to explore how Studio Orange combines 2D and 3D workflows, algorithmic camera technology, and traditional 2D anime key-frame drawing, while also taking inspiration from Western animation.

If you're interested in animation or game development, Class Creatives has plenty of other in-depth videos to explore:

And if you're looking for ways to achieve a 2D look with 3D, we've got plenty of tutorials on our site:

We also highly recommend checking out our interview section, where we talk to 3D Artists working in anime-inspired styles and share their tips and techniques for achieving a 2D look in 3D.