THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL ANIMATION IN THE CONTEMPORARY MEDIA LANDSCAPE: ARTISTIC VALUE, CULTURAL RELEVANCE, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADAPTATION

This article examines how traditional animation continues to exist and develop in the modern media world. The main goal of the study is to understand the current role of traditional techniques and to analyze their artistic and aesthetic value in today’s visual culture. The paper gives a short historical overview of puppet, clay, hand-drawn, cutout animation and explains how these methods have been preserved, so renewed through time. Using comparative and analytical methods, the study explores how traditional animation interacts with digital technology, creating hybrid forms that combine manual creativity with modern innovation. The research also considers both European and Uzbek experiences, showing how different cultural backgrounds influence artistic style and storytelling. The findings suggest that traditional animation remains an important artistic form that connects human emotion, craft, and authenticity with the possibilities of new technology, making it relevant and meaningful even in the digital era.