From After Effects to Toon Boom: The Evolution of Ubongo's Animation Process
At Ubongo, our mission has always been to create engaging, high-quality educational content for kids across Africa. To achieve this, we’ve continuously sought ways to improve our production processes and the quality of the animations that bring our beloved characters to life. One significant evolution in our journey has been the transition from using Adobe After Effects to Toon Boom for character creation and animation.
The Shift from Adobe After Effects to Toon Boom
Adobe After Effects served us well for many years. It is a versatile tool that allows us to create vibrant animations that resonate with our young audience. However, as our ambitions grew, so did our need for a more specialized tool to keep up with our projects' increasingly complex demands. This is where Toon Boom came in.
Toon Boom is an industry-standard animation software widely recognized for its powerful features tailored specifically for 2D animation. This transition has enabled us to push the boundaries of what we can achieve artistically, allowing for more fluid and expressive character movements and a greater depth of visual storytelling.
Enhancing Quality and Creativity
The move to Toon Boom has significantly improved the quality of our work. The software’s advanced rigging system allows for smoother, more lifelike character animations, making the stories we tell more engaging for kids. The ability to layer and manipulate characters more sophisticatedly has opened up new creative possibilities that weren’t as easily accessible with Adobe After Effects.
Additionally, Toon Boom’s drawing tools have empowered our animators to create more detailed and expressive characters. This enhanced level of detail helps to convey emotions and actions more clearly, making our content more relatable and impactful for our audience.
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Why the Transition Was Essential
The decision to transition to Toon Boom wasn’t just about enhancing the visual quality of our animations; it was also about positioning ourselves to collaborate better with other animators. Toon Boom is widely used software in the animation industry, and by adopting it, we’ve made it easier to work with other talented animators across Africa. This has expanded our creative network, allowing us to bring in diverse styles and perspectives that enrich our content.
A Brighter Future for Ubongo’s Characters
The move to Toon Boom represents our commitment to continuous improvement and innovation as we look to the future. We are excited about the new creative opportunities this transition brings and are confident that it will help us continue to create content that is not only educational but also captivating for kids across Africa.
At Ubongo, every step we take to improve our work ultimately benefits the children we serve. This transition to Toon Boom is just one of many ways we ensure our characters continue to inspire, educate, and entertain.
You can watch full episodes of Ubongo Kids Season 6, animated mostly on Toon Boom. Download #UbongoPlayRoom to watch!
With Utu
Rashid Shekiogwe , Visual Artist Manager at Ubongo
🔻Voice Over Professional 🔻 Professional Translator 🔻 Radio Broadcaster 🔻 Film Actor and Director 🔻 Hausa Rapper 🔻Song Writer 🔻Content Creator 🔻
4moWe’re anxiously awaiting the arrival of Ubongo kids here in Nigeria, especially the bilingual version that’d reach the kids in their local languages, my favorite is the Rapping Giraffe & his creative delivery of lines. I’m a Hausa Rapper & I wish to get the chance to impart knowledge through such a platform when the time comes, I’ve applied once but somehow lost track with the process, pls pls & pls give me a heads up when the opportunity pops up again, Na gode 🙏🏾🙏🏾
2D/3D Animator(Frame by Frame), 2D/3D Character Design, Background Artist and Illustrator
4moAmazing 🤸♂️