The Evolution of LBT Animation

[Phantom]

So I've been thinking about how the animation of the LBT series has progressed. Obviously, the first film was a masterpiece of animation. The sequels, however, have trends of their own. 2-6, 7, and 8-13 have unique animation styles. At some point, they started using CGI dinosaurs in the background shots, as well as in the backgrounds. One effect was a rotating "earth ball" for the GoF to walk on and create the illusion of traveling. There are other oddities, such as color scheme changes in the GoF that can identify each film.
I might be forgetting some trends.
(Also, there's a shot in LBT 3 of Cera and Topsy running through a fire that has a high framerate for some reason).

[Petrie85]

Well the 1988 movie had awesome animation. But the sequels not so much. They mixed CGI Animation with 2-D animation it was a eyes sore big time. But some of it was nice to look at tho. But not all the time.

[Ludichris1]

Littlefoot looked quite different in LBT 6 imo

[Phantom]

Littlefoot looked quite different in LBT 6 imo

I noticed that, too. I was making a video with clips from that movie and from LBT 4, and he's browner and less pudgy.

[Ducky123]

Ducky's tummy changes from yellow to almost white to light green throughout the franchise and her back is either (dark)green or a brownish color (LBT 6 for example).

Same problem with Littlefoot, Ali!, Cera and Petrie. Esp. Petrie has many different colours for his tummy... In the original it's purple, I think he was light red, light green, light blue and light yellow in different sequels...

The animation style indeed changed strikingly. While the original, having the least technical options, has a great and carefully done animation, not to mention the lovely drawn backgrounds, sequels 2-6 had a bad style imo. Compared to the original, it's far worse, the animation isn't great and the background isn't half as good.
7-10 were okay and 11 and especially 12 were quite well done and the backgrounds look far better.
Well... 13... as good as 7-10 I think.

The Tv-series is as bad (probably even worse) animated as (than) 2-6.

[Petrie]

You can break animation changes into groups:

1 - stands alone as the only one by Bluth and co.

2-4 - same style as 1 with Grosvenor directing

5-6 - animation through a different group of people; its a bit sloppy

7 - bright, bright, colors! >.<

8-13 - computer animation and shadow effects are added to the films

[MurMur]

8-13 - computer animation and shadow effects are added to the films

Of these, 9-13 look similar, but 8 is different from them, it has darker colors and looks blurry.

[Petrie]

While true, it is still using computers for some shading and effects.  They get better with the equipment for number 9, but the effects become jarring.  (e.g. the water in 9 vs the cell animation)

[Petrie85]

I did like the a lot of the animation from the sequels but it was to much when they mixed CGI and 2-D Animation together.

[MurMur]

What I love about the later sequels (9-13) is that they have extremely well-detailed and colorful backgrounds. The earlier sequels had them too, but not too many.

[Petrie85]

I did love the animation in movie X. The backgrounds in there where great and I loved how everything was made. The colors where very good.

[StrutEggStealer]

What I love about the later sequels (9-13) is that they have extremely well-detailed and colorful backgrounds. The earlier sequels had them too, but not too many.

That's how I felt. While I love the traditional animation of the earlier sequels (indeed, hand-drawn animation will never lose its appeal for me ), I felt the animation of the later sequels really enhanced and brightened to a pleasing, aesthetic effect
Sort of like the colors in Ferngully...

[FreckledOne]

You can break animation changes into groups:

1 - stands alone as the only one by Bluth and co.

2-4 - same style as 1 with Grosvenor directing

5-6 - animation through a different group of people; its a bit sloppy

7 - bright, bright, colors! >.<

8-13 - computer animation and shadow effects are added to the films

This is a very good breakdown, Petrie.   The only thing that I would contest is that, to me at least, the animation style in 7 is not very different from 8-13. The only thing that changed significantly was the inking and painting style.
Come to think of it, any criticisms that I've heard about the animation in 7 are actually criticisms of the coloring, which I am still certain stem from it being the first of the movies to use digital coloring.

To comment on the backgrounds of the later sequels; while they have detail, they seem too sterile and artificial to me. But I think that way about most CG-enhanced backgrounds.

[The Chronicler]

The only thing that I would contest is that, to me at least, the animation style in 7 is not very different from 8-13. The only thing that changed significantly was the inking and painting style.
Come to think of it, any criticisms that I've heard about the animation in 7 are actually criticisms of the coloring, which I am still certain stem from it being the first of the movies to use digital coloring.

My thoughts exactly, regarding the animation style of the series at around this time. 7 was the first one in the series to be digitally animated, so it was sort of like an experiment, with most of the resulting flaws (like a lack of shading) being resolved in the following sequels.

[Bruton the Iguanodon]

Yeah, they do change the animation a lot. 2-4 weren't that different from 5-6; but yeah, I also noticed that out-of-place shot with Cera and her dad in 3...