The fluid movements featured in the indie fighting game Skullgirls were traditionally animated frame by frame, meaning that each detail was included meticulously by hand. 

In this 2015 GDC session, Lab Zero's lead animator Mariel Cartwright demonstrates her process with a live 2D animation demo, where she discusses her technique when it comes to animating for 2D games.

Cartwright walks the audience through the animation of a punch, highlighting the technical details of the game in relation to animating, and providing detailed instructions for artists interested in traditional animation. 

Artists interested in learning how Skullgirls was animated may appreciate the fact that you can now go back and watch the talk completely free via the official GDC Vault YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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