t Have Been Successfully Animated
that necessitated doing the dialogue over with a different phrasing or expression that sequence would be marked for a retake the next time the voice talent was at the studio another reason for not recording all of the sound at one session. It became increasingly important to choose just the right actor for this type of live action, since it would have such an influence on the development of a character's personality, and even on the entertainment value in the picture. Some comedians were...
Info Vut
Geppeito and Pinocchio try to push their raft into the ocean when Xfonstro the whale opens his mouth to sneeze. The scene lasts barely four seconds on the screen and shows the amazing concept of what made a good-looking picture for this place in the film. The separate parts are A. Monstro's teeth and upper jaw. C. Wave action on distant ocean. F. Water splashes over the teeth, raft, and characters. G. Pinocchio and Gep-petto pushing the raft. H. The kitten Figaro. Not shown double-exposed smoke...
X
actions all with the same intensity and amount of movement will quickly become tedious and predictable. It will have no punch. But if the overall pattern contains accents and surprises, contrasts of smooth-flowing actions with short, jerky moves, and unexpected timing, the whole thing becomes a delight to watch. Obviously, this is impossible to attain with Straight Ahead Action. Using Pose to Pose, the texture in the variety of the movements can be planned and the action designed to make this a...
Slow In and Slow Out
Once an animator had worked over his poses the extremes and redrawn them until they were the best he could do. he naturally wanted the audience to sec them. He timed these key drawings to move quickly from one to the next, so that the bulk of the footage of the scene would be either on or close to those extremes. By putting the inbetweens close to each extreme and only one fleeting drawing halfway between, the animator achieved a very spirited result, with the character zipping from one...
Info Fwy
nation of these four men that helped Walt set a course that would take Disney films to heights never dreamed of the creation of characters that reached out to audiences in a way only a few live-action pictures ever achieved. However, it is conjecture to say that the big development in Disney animation came just from the chance combination of Walt, Fergy, Ham, Fred, and Bill. But because these men were put in positions of authority, they automatically had certain responsibilities thrust upon...
Poses
together, fascinated by the relationships that were now so evident. A few excited moments later, Walt had another idea. Why not take Margie Bell who had been hired to do the live action of Snow White herself and shoot film of her on the stage, pretending to come through a door, entering the room, looking about in wonder, seeing a small chair and running over to sit on it This could all be done with the measurements of the model of the cottagc blown up to full size. Then on another reel of film,...
usion o
This book is dedicated to Walt Disney and the staff of artists who brought the magical quality of life to character animation. Copyright gt 1981. Wall Disney Productions All rights reserved. No part of this book may he used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the Publisher. For information address Disney Liditions, I 14 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 1001 I. Library of Congress Caialoging-ln-Publication Data Thomas. Frank, 1912 I'hc illusion of life Disney...
Ollie Johnston
Like most of the group, Ollie was at his best when leading off on a character, particularly if the story and the characters were at a stage where they were still flexible. He was often the first to perceive that a character or a story point was not developing the right way and would work tirelessly to correct it. He had a vision of what it ought to be and was dedicated to seeing it come out that way. Through early experimental animation, he was able to show the potential for entertainment in...
Info Xad
cHfZ J Viff AI43mo rv. gt fJ put , A v euep rue At amp ve. nHt 'Vfift HALF tstrtctrt 1 VflAvtriC, 2 IS Vow yaiWtoHO fAJ 5MCf HAur kJA-i tier f, -x . r w artist Gustaf Tenggren Pinocchio.
Backgrounds
The background painters were experimenting, too. trying to capture in water color or tempera1 mediums easy to change if necessary the same effect the stylist had achieved with chalk or inks or some special build up of paints. Taking the layout suggestions as scenes that actually would be in the picture, and surrounding himself with the original sketches that Walt had liked, the background painter searched for ways to duplicate an elusive effect. These painters are not the same as easel...
Timing Spacing and the Metronome
The action in a scene was planned by the animator and the director at the time of the handout. If there was music, there would be either a prcscored track or a tempo set by the musician that could be marked on the exposure sheet. When a metronome was set to that tempo, those written beats became audible, giving a good indication of the amount of time for the action of the scene. If there was no sound to use as a guide, the metronome was the only way to determine the length of any of the action....
The Principles of Animation
When we consider a new project, we really study it . not just the surface idea, but everything about it. A new jargon was heard around the studio. Words like aiming and overlapping and pose to pose suggested that certain animation procedures gradually had been isolated and named. Verbs turned into nouns overnight, as, for example, when the suggestion, Why don't you stretch him out more became Get more stretch on him. Wow Look at the squash on that drawing did not mean that a vegetable had...
and Overlapping Action
When a character entering a scene reached the spot for his next action, he often came to a sudden and complete stop. This was stiff and did not look natural, but nobody knew what to do about it. Walt was concerned. Things don't come to a stop all at once, guys first there's one part and then another. Several different ways were eventually found to correct these conditions they were called either Follow Through or Overlapping Action and no one really knew where one ended and the other began....
Pose Test
The quickest way to see how a scene is going to play is to shoot what we call a pose test. While the animator is setting up his scene, figuring the size, the movement, the acting, he is making rough drawings that will become the basis of the actual animation. Now, instead of refining those drawings and relating them to each other, he sends them to camera just the way they are. They are the key poses for the scene and show how the scene is being planned. By shooting them at no less than 4 frames...
i An Art Form Is Born
Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive. Walt Disney Man always has had a compelling urge to make representations of the things he sees in the world around him. As he looks at the creatures that share his daily activities, he first tries to draw or sculpt or mold their forms in recognizable fashion. Then, when he becomes more skillful, he attempts to capture something of a creature's movements a look, a leap, a struggle. And ultimately, he seeks to portray the very spirit of...
L
Stone that called for special decisions. The young Arthur had been turned into a squirrel by Merlin, the magician, so that the boy could gain a better understanding of the world of nature. While in this guise, Arthur met some real squirrels who accepted him as one of their kind, even though he could not speak their language. The problem was to animate the boy so that he would be believable both to the audience and to the squirrels. If he were just a boy running around in a squirrel suit the...
The Animator
Story, layout, painting, styling these are creative jobs, difficult and rewarding and interesting, but essentially concerned with solving problems in the most artistic manner. Only animation is magical. This is its appeal. The creative artist can make something here that exists and breathes and thinks for itself, which gets back to our test of all great art does it live Techniques can be copied, mechanics can be duplicated, and even the drawings themselves traced, but the spark of life comes...
Info Rlg
Later, dialogue was added, showing where the take started and ended. Location of sound effects were noted, too. There is still no music suggested, just the beats. -12 j i lt fi t. lt fc -12 j i lt fi t. lt fc The inspirational sketch by Mel Shaw that suggested the scene.
Secondary Action
Often, the one idea being put over in a scene can be fortified by subsidiary actions within the body. A sad figure wipes a tear as he turns away. Someone stunned shakes his head as he gets to his feet. A flustered person puts on his glasses as he regains his composure. When this extra business supports the main action, it is called a Secondary Action and is always kept subordinate to the primary action. If it conflicts or becomes more interesting or dominating in any way, it is either the wrong...
Pinocchio 1
Our first Pinocchio had wooden hands, a stocking cap, and a cocky personality, Walt found this to be too brash and lacking in appeal, so we stopped animating until a new design could be found, matching a new story concept of the character. Fred Moore's drawings at upper right suggested more innocence and the proportions of a boy rather than a puppet. Milt Kahl's drawings of the chubby, naive little boy in the Tyrolean hat became the final model when we resumed animating six months later....
Info Chy
rough animation drawings from The Jungle Book establish the action and capture the adoration that the boy Mowgli has for his new friend Baloo the bear. High-quality clean-ups are required where the drawing of the eyes and the subtlety of the expression are the key ingredients in the scene. These were done by specialist Dale Oliver and projected amazing life on the screen. USuAtlW iHc PA T or gooV tunica CuGuE 0 IS THt ore fieSHi P KT M CH t 6AJ gt U gt S lisjujA 2D , iHf 1 L SUAICV IHF oev P...
Its C for me
The well-known phrase of resignation. You can't win was just coming into popularity. One effects animator shook his head and added a second thought. It's not only that you can't win you can't even get out of the game. 14 You know, the only way I've found to make these pictures is with animators you can't seem to do it with accountants and bookkeepers. Walt Disney The isolation of the animator did not end with the move to Burbank, but it was the turning point. Except for one final picture,...
Brave Little Tailor
Carry Tcaiktr onnfidsideof Mickey's hat. Note turn oil brini He really was a funny little guy, but it was not that he was trying to be funny. It was just that his proportions were cute, like his drawings, and it kind of tickled you to watch him move around imitating someone like Fred Astaire or Chaplin, or trying some fancy juggling act. Even if the stuff dropped on the floor, Fred would always end up in a good pose -just like his drawings. He could not seem to do anything awkward. The thing...
Les Clark
When Walt hired Les Clark in 1927, he said, Well, you know this is only a temporary job, Les. I don't know what's going to happen. But as Les said, So it lasted forty-eight years Les just kept going and kept up As Walt asked for the better drawing and greater refinements that left so many others behind, Les was able to adapt and continue in the front ranks of the animators, year after year. His drawings had appeal, were always gentle and warm and likeable, and his timing was always sensitive....
B Scale
Check all layouts for the scale you need in a picture. Examine your sequence for pictorial shots that will remind you of the size of the characters you are animating. The scale of the characters to the things around them, and to each other, is an important part of making them believable, as well as giving them charm and appeal. artist Ward Kimball Cinderella. Long diagonal pan accentuates the scale. artist Bill Tytla Brave Little Tailor. Page of drawings to the best way to show Hood as a gypsy...
The Story Reel
The storyboards must now be altered to match these wonderful sound tracks, so a recording is made that can be played while the crew watches the storyman point to the familiar sketches. It is one thing to tell aboard, making the parts spirited or peaceful by the pitch of the voice combined with the tempo of the presentation, but it is quite another to create any of this drama while trying to keep up with a sound recording that races through the slow parts and drags forever where it should be...
Character Model Department
In the mid-thirties, no model sheet of the characters was official until it bore the seal. OK. J.G. Joe Grant, artist, writer, designer, and. at one time, producer, was the studio authority on the design and appearance of nearly everything that moved on the screen, and his taste and judgment were largely responsible for the pleasing style that identified the Disney product during that period. He collected under his wing, in the Character Model Department, a strong group of very talented artists...
Recording
Walt wanted to find his characters before going ahead with other story sequences or even the experimental animation, so the production unit began searching for voices as one of its first assignments. By this time, we all knew the type of character we wanted in our story, but to find the precise voice that made him just right was always a very demanding process. For Geppetto we had wanted a gruff, crotchety old man, who had a heart of gold but was accustomed to having his own way since he lived...
The Uses of Live Action in Drawing Humans and Animals
This is a very important thing. There are so many people starling in on this, and they might go hay-wire if they don't know how to use this live action in animating. Walt Disney Our term live action refers here to the filming of actors or animals performing scenes planned for cartoon characters before animation begins, as compared to regular animation. which develops entirely from an artist's imagination. The direct use of live action film has been part of the animation industry for years as an...
Info Lvq
fleeting smile, the raising of a shoulder as the body leaned forward these were the precious elements of life revealed by the camera. But whenever we stayed too close to the photostats, or directly copied even a tiny piece of human action, the results looked very strange. The moves appeared real enough, but the figure lost the illusion of life. There was a certain authority in the movement and a presence that came out of the whole action, but it was impossible to become emotionally involved...
Info Vsh
Drawings for the splash of i passing storm in Bambi reflect study and observation by the effects animator. animator Paul KoSSoff Rite of SpringFantasia. Imagination in both design and movement was needed for this scene of lava Jlowing down the primordial landscape. artist Jules Engel ' 'Rite of Spring.9 9 Fantasia animator Ed Aardal Rite of Spring. Fantasia. artist Jules Engel ' 'Rite of Spring.9 9 Fantasia The Rite of Spring in Fantasia called for mist, rain, smoke, wind, water, falling rocks,...
Special Effects
Pinocchio is swimming madly to escape the powerful charge of Monstro the whale. He is surrounded by frh. all dashing for their lives. He finally breaks to the surface and apparent freedom, but the monstrous foci rises from the depths, and his huge jaws close with a heavy sound on all who had tried to elude him. It is a exciting moment the audience should feel the tension. the suspense, the desperation of the characters trying to escape. The animation of Pinocchio is good and does exact what is...
Pinocchio
COWWJni StlfS Of pmoocmo to t'vrro if to Roro - ptnocch o Jti HALF S 2 to lt gt tfo 3ultram always added xtra dimension to the acters he portrayed. i writer, gagman, and c. he helped build such onalities as Napoleon, arm dog in Arislocats Sheriff of Nottingham obin Hood Luke, the less muskrat in The tiers. labor gave elegance harm to Duchess in gt cats and deter mi-i and compassion to a in The Rescuers. anted more comedy-roles but we needed irmth and sincerity ojected with her dis-e voice. our...
X Aaw
A man landing and jumping contacts the ground for six to eight frames. Charted on the exposure sheet. it looks like this The exposure sheet with the action notes for the run. the jump. and the splash. The animator makes a chart showing where the pup's head will he on each of the drawings in the run and jump. When Pluto was sniffing, his nose hit the extreme up ami down positions on every other frame. 0 ie exposure sheet, the chart looked like this The exposure sheet with the action notes for...
Info
8. Burbank and The Nine Old Men 10. How to Get It on the Screen 13. The Uses of Live Action in Drawing 16. Animating Expressions and Dialogue 18. Other Types of Animation
Anticipation
People in the audience watching an animated scene will not be able to understand the events on the screen unless there is a planned sequence of actions that leads them clearly from one activity to the next. They must be prepared for the next movement and expect it before it actually occurs. This is achieved by preceding each major action with a specific move that anticipates for the audience what is about to happen. This anticipa- tion can be as small as a change of expression or as big as the...
Sweatbox
lo with film lacking as it he viewing lies a test as try to see ier. Walt had to have a way to see the animation before it went into his pictures. He could flip the scenes and study the drawings on the pegs, but the only way he really could tell how they would look was to have the drawings filmed. This was known as a pencil test, and it gave both Walt and the animator a chance to study the action and make corrections before the scene was inked and painted. Ub Iwerks had devised a way to look...
thinking up funny business look prsvsta over the
long-term, seemingly distant rewards of self-improvement. In many cases, the aspiring artist whose curiosity kept him seeking more and more knowledge often found himself the subject of ridicule from his coworkers. Bill Tytla was asked. What the hell do you want to go to art school for you're animating, aren't you They could not know it at the time, but actually there was little chance for these cartoonists to improve, given the type of material they were animating. The spot gags, stereotyped...
Camera
The first animation camera was suspended from a wooden frame so it would point straight down at the drawings on a table. There was nothing fancy about it and most filmmakers built their own. Since the drawings had to be held in register so each always would be in the same place, various methods were tried, with holes punched in the paper that matched little metal pegs becoming the most successful. To hold the drawings absolutely flat while photographing, a large piece of heavy glass, called a...
Blue Sketch
New procedures were suggested constantly that would make the checker's job simpler and eliminate some of the expense created by needless errors. The Blue Sketch was one of the most practical. One time a background painter was given a layout showing an ominous evening sky with the vague shapes of tree branches silhouetted against the clouds. The color key that styled this sequence showed a greenish sky with an evil look. The background man was intrigued. Here was a good-looking design, simple...
Info Suz
just sort of decorative, they're pleasant to look at, they're aesthetic instead of understanding what the basic thing is about 'image.' I don't know how else anyone could get this except in motion pictures, and, particularly, in cartoons you sure don't get it in an art school. It is impossible to judge the films that were made, or the animation that was done, or even what is worth preserving in the methods that were used, without an understanding of this language of imagery that spoke so...
Ward Kimball
Not all nine of the supervising animators were interested in personality animation and character relationships. To Ward Kimball fell the mantle of true iconoclast of the group. He had tried and done successful personality animation on Jiminy Cricket, but soon found this style too limiting for his particular talents. He felt the proper use of animation for him lay further away from live action. His conception and execution of the long song sequence in The Three Caballeros is a classic in the...
An
The animators saw Walt at the story meetings where he acted out everything as it should be. and then again in sweatbox, when they showed him the scene as they had animated it. In between times, the directors discussed with them what actions would be used, argued about how to stage them, how long the scenes should be, and how best to do the business. The animators learned from each of the directors, and animation flourished. In 1934, when the big expansion began, there were three directors....
Djw
Sketches by 0 What makes and appealing tor tries to di sketching fro for Aristocats bulge coming up, or a joint moving under the skin much more clearly. Many people get the idea that production stopped for six or seven weeks while everyone learned to draw a new character. That would have been a lovely way to gain knowledge, but it was not economically feasi ble. Other than a special class that might start at 4 30 I'M and go until 6 00 one hour of our time against a half hour of Walt's , all of...
Eric Larson
Eric's Figaro is one of the finest examples of pure pantomime ever done at the studio. The acting, texture in timing, and inner feeling for the character were remarkable things to achieve without benefit of dialogue. His flying horses in Fantasia were graceful in movement and convincing in action. He supervised the animation on the very difficult stag in Barnbi and ani- and would still be going strong at five o'clock while the rest of us sat in exhausted admiration. He was the only director...
Hyperion The Explosion
Mygreatest reward is that I have been able to build this wonderful organization. Walt Disney Many a philosopher has observed that a person's physical environment greatly determines how he will behave and what he is apt to do. One historian of animation has claimed that the old studio on Hyperion Avenue at the far eastern edge of Hollywood was largely responsible for the innovative and imaginative thinking of the artists who worked inside. The studio was indeed unique, but then it would not have...
Fergy
Norm Ferguson or, as we always called him, Fergy used to like to tell of the lonely night when he switched from cameraman to animator. He was staying late to finish shooting a scene when he discovered that some of the drawings were missing. There was no one else around to complete the animation and no one to call, so as Fergy put it, I had to fill in. The scenes were so successful that he was offered a job drawing. And he reasoned, 4tIf this is all there is to animation. I guess I'll switch...
Experimental Animation
With the voices recorded and the lead story sequence approved in the story reel, it becomes time to start the experimental animation. The term is misleading in some ways. It means thatNa supervising animator will now take these ingredients along with the suggestions for the appearance of the main characters and, putting it all together, see if he can come up with a personality that comes to life on the screen and is interesting enough to hold the picture together. The sequence that is chosen...
Acknowledgments
This book belongs to the people, past and present, of Walt Disney Productions, whose cooperation and assistance made it all possible. Special thanks must go to the executives E. Cardon Walker. Ron Miller, and Vince Jefferds, for without their continued support over the four long years we spent putting it together, this book would never have been written. We wish to thank the many departments who were more helpful than their jobs required. In alphabetical order, they are the Animation Research...
Sound Effects
Funny sounds always have been an integral part of cartoons. It is almost impossible to think of the early films without the slide whistle, ratchet, pop-gun. xylophone. and bells. These had all been written in as part of the score and were not recorded until everything on the picture was completed. The animation had been done to a specific beat, the actions were all marked on the score itself, and four or five percussion men were now brought in with the orchestra to record the whole picture in...