Virtual Animators

October 6, 2014, 10:57 pm

A little while ago I was invited by my friends over at Virtual Animators to give an online lecture on character animation. We settled on this coming Saturday, Oct. 11. Buddies of mine like Don Hahn, Kathy Zielinski and James Lopez have already been involved in this lecture series, and I feel honored to be in their company. Click here for more details:

http://www.virtualanimators.com/index.php/workshops

Since I am in the process of putting material together for Saturday, I thought I’d ask you what kind of specific subject I should talk about. Is there anything I haven’t covered on my blog, something that might be useful to you? My main objective is to give you ideas about what could help you make your characters come alive.

As you know there are no tricks or formulas to good character animation, but there are things I can point out that you might not have thought of. Let me know.

I look forward to interacting with some of you on Saturday.

A few throw-away roughs from the villains I animated, plus Mama Odie.

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Joe Rinaldi II

October 9, 2014, 12:59 am

≫ Next: Drawing Help from Kahl

≪ Previous: Virtual Animators

Here are more luscious drawings by story artist Joe Rinaldi for Lady & the Tramp.

They are story sketches as well as publicity artwork. Full of charm and personality. It’s interesting to compare Rinaldi’s early version of the encounter with the beaver (above) to the later re-drawn sketch, which shows the characters closer to their final appearance in the film.

I am sometimes startled to realize just how many great artists worked in Disney’s story department.

A publicity cel set up with the movie’s main characters.

If you'd like to see more of Rinaldi's work on this film, go to:

http://andreasdeja.blogspot.com/2013/04/joe-rinaldi.html

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Drawing Help from Kahl

October 11, 2014, 10:42 pm

≫ Next: The Power of Breathing

≪ Previous: Joe Rinaldi II

The Peter Pan scene pictured above was animated by Eric Cleworth. But since Milt Kahl was the supervising animator on the character, he gave Cleworth this one key drawing, which shows Pan being goofy as he interacts with Captain Hook during the Skull Rock sequence.

This kind of drawing help was a big part of Milt’s job at Disney. Since he was the authority on quality drawing, other animators frequently asked him for drawings that would help make their scenes look better.

Milt resented this to a point, because it slowed him down as an animator, but he also knew that this process was necessary to ensure a high level of drawing throughout the picture.

As a result you find many characters and scenes that Milt never animated, but they do benefit from that Milt touch. Then there are animators like Frank Thomas who on occasion wasn’t happy with what Milt came up with, because he felt that the re-drawn poses had lost the essence of Frank’s acting.

You can see how this could become a problematic issue, but in the end I believe Milt’s “quality control” was a good thing that helped to establish visual consistency in the Disney films.

What beautiful clarity in these broad expressions of a pirate.

Milt's early version of of Mr. Smee, which animator Ollie Johnston used as a visual springboard, but then greatly improved upon.

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The Power of Breathing

October 14, 2014, 1:51 am

≫ Next: "I'm an Action Figure"

≪ Previous: Drawing Help from Kahl

I know, this sounds like advice from some health lifestyle guru.

During my online talk last Saturday I mentioned the importance of having your character breathe.

Particularly during a quiet moment, before he or she begins to talk, showing the shoulders go up and then down again during the exhale/dialogue, adds a tremendous amount of life.

The fact that you can have your drawn character (or CG model) fill its lungs with air makes everybody believe that this is a living being. Breathing is the most basic human (or animal) trait, and is instantly connected to having a soul.

For the most part animating a breath is pretty simple. The shoulders rise, the head moves along, and the chest might come forward. (This pose should last for at least eight frames) Usually the face doesn’t need to face downward, then upward for overlapping action in a subtle move like this one.

It is a good idea though to move the head upward during the exhale to contrast the the shoulders downward motion.

If the sound of the inhale is in the voice track, I would definitely animate it and make it a part of the overall acting. If there is silence, but you have a little pause, I would still try and show an inhale.

You are always looking for moments that add real life, and this is one of them.

Milt Kahl animated these inhales very convincingly within different moods.

Shere Khan is mocking the vultures singing after taking a deep breath.

Medusa becomes furious when she talks to Snoops on the phone.

Wart sighs in respond to Merlin’s encouraging words.

PS. I'll answer all of your questions in connection with the "Virtual Animators" post shortly.

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"I'm an Action Figure"

October 16, 2014, 2:44 am

≫ Next: Lee Blair

≪ Previous: The Power of Breathing

When I animated this scene with Hercules I was able to benefit from some live action reference.

The actor who went through the motion in front of a video camera was Robert Gant.

I received a layout package which included these two enlarged print-outs from the footage. Before animating I studied Robert’s acting and actions on a TV monitor. At the same time I drew a series of thumbnail sketches as I was searching for the key poses.

I remember the live action footage being excellent, and I used most of what Robert was doing. But by not tracing photostats it is still necessary to digest the scene in your head and make it your own.

Hercules has just been told by his father Zeus, that he is doing great, but he hasn’t proven himself a true hero yet. At the start of the scene Hercules is listening to Zeus’ remarks, still feeling good about himself. When he realizes that those words are critical his demeanor changes and he responds with a frustrated tone in his voice:

“But father…I’ve beaten every single monster I’ve come up against. I…I’m the most famous person in Greece. I…I’m an action fIgure!”

At that point he is holding up a little Hercules toy, and I decided what the scene needs is for this merchandise figure to be squeezed, which would result in a mechanical biceps flexing.

It got a laugh here and there during screenings.
Here are the rough key poses from the scene:

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Lee Blair

October 17, 2014, 11:04 pm

≫ Next: Don Lusk

≪ Previous: "I'm an Action Figure"

We all know about his famous wife Mary, but it was Lee Blair who started first working for Disney in 1938. (Mary joined him in 1940). Lee was a master watercolor artist from a very young age. At Disney he produced pre-production art for films like Pinocchio, Fantasia and Saludos Amigos.

In 1941 Walt Disney went on a goodwill/research trip to South America, and both Blairs were chosen to be part of the small group of artists that observed and painted local folklore in preparation for films like Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros.

Here are a few of Lee Blair’s stunning watercolors from that trip. They show a sophisticated mix of color, composition and caricature.

A LIFE photographer took this beautiful shot of Mary and Lee at work. Great photo!

One of Mary’s many exquisite studies. As John Canemaker stated in the film “Walt & El Grupo”, “This trip changed Mary”.

Her sense of color became more abstract and unusual, but always aiming for the essence of a particular mood. Marc Davis said:” Mary created color combinations that were completely unique. She was as good, if not better than Matisse.”

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Don Lusk

October 20, 2014, 1:46 am

≫ Next: Wilhelm M. Busch, Early Works

≪ Previous: Lee Blair

…will celebrate his 101 birthday on October 28. I had the pleasure of meeting him for the first time one week ago at a Disney event. Don has an amazing memory and didn’t mind recounting highlights from his long career in animation. He joined Disney in 1933 (!!) and left in 1960. Many shorts and most of the animated features include great animation by Don. He animated the fish ballet in Fantasia’s Nutcracker Suite, he drew Alice during that long fall down the rabbit hole, where her dress turns onto a parachute. When in Sleeping Beauty Flora and Merryweather start to throw pink and blue pixie dust at each other, that was Don, too. One of his final assignments included Nanny from 101 Dalmatians, as she finds out that the puppies have been stolen and runs out into the street calling for help.

After Disney Don worked for Hanna Barbera and other studios as an animator and director.

I really enjoyed talking to Don, who is one of the most positive, forward looking artists I have ever met.

About a year ago Steve Hulett from TAG conducted a great phone interview with Don. Here are parts 1,2 and 3:

http://interview.files.s3-website-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/TAGInterview_DonLusk-1.mp3

http://interview.files.s3-website-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/TAGInterview_DonLusk-2.mp3

http://interview.files.s3-website-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/TAGInterview_DonLusk-3.mp3

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Wilhelm M. Busch, Early Works

October 23, 2014, 1:47 pm

≫ Next: A Bit of Frank Thomas Magic

≪ Previous: Don Lusk

These beautiful drawings were were done during the 1940s. Busch published them much later in a little book, in which he points out that most of his student work was destroyed during the war, but a few drawings, like the ones shown here, survived.

You can see that he already tries different drawing styles, from realistic renderings to simple line drawings. Whatever the approach, his phenomenal power of observation comes through in every image.

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A Bit of Frank Thomas Magic

October 24, 2014, 10:22 pm

≫ Next: Milt's Llama

≪ Previous: Wilhelm M. Busch, Early Works

Frank and Ollie were perfectly cast on the There Fairies from Sleeping Beauty. These ladies have a warmth that is unique to the work of the two animators. This is part of a pose test that Frank did before getting to the final animation. I don’t know how else to describe it, but there is a SOUL in these drawings. Merryweather does a little dance in the cottage, and Frank’s animation is such a delight.

Even if Frank often had to struggle with his drawing abilities, he always won the battle. Internalizing the character and portraying the inner emotions is so much more important than fancy drawing.

Frank Thomas, great animator, great actor.

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Milt's Llama

October 26, 2014, 11:53 pm

≫ Next: Lorenzo

≪ Previous: A Bit of Frank Thomas Magic

One of my all time favorite pieces if character animation is the Lake Titicaca sequence from the feature Saludos Amigos. The way the Llama interacts and reacts to Donald Duck and the little Peruvian Boy is so inspired, I could watch that section forever.

Milt had mastered the realistic locomotion of a different four-legged animal in Bambi.

With this character he just went to town. When the Llama tries to follow Donald’s flute playing, he comes up with some hilarious moves, including a charleston, but eventually looses his balance. I remember Milt talking about this long ago assignment: “Yeah, I did a llama there that was kind of screwy…not one of my better things, nothing to write home about.” Geeezz!

These frames come from Michael Sporn’s animation archive.

Go here for the full pencil test:

http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/?p=2601

This is a Donald Duck watercolor sketch Milt did as part of the promotional material.

A while ago I found a B&W fuzzy reproduction of this Kahl sketch in a book. I couldn’t help it and recreated it in color.

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Lorenzo

October 28, 2014, 11:55 pm

≫ Next: Happy Halloween!

≪ Previous: Milt's Llama

I love Disney’s 2004 short film Lorenzo. It was the last project Disney’s French Studio animated before closing. The award winning film showed where hand-drawn animation could go in the future. The idea of taking rich, fluid hand-drawn character animation and change its traditional look with the help of the computer is extremely exciting to me. Leave the cel-painted look behind and aim for something like rough brush strokes, watercolor or pastel. Anything is possible now, Lorenzo proved that.

At the time of the film’s brief release my excitement was shared by Disney, Pixar and other studios. For some reason that enthusiasm has faded within big studios. So has the love for organic, personal, hand crafted paper animation.

Luckily I see Lorenzo’s potential being played out in many extraordinary student films. And I know that it’s only a question of time until a commercial pencil animated feature film will be produced that could bring to the screen a new, breathtaking mix of drawing and cg. When you draw your animation first, then use the machine to help invent a new world, the level of magic and wonder can hit the stratosphere.

Image Disney/Heritage Auctions

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Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2014, 1:41 am

≫ Next: Happy Birthday, Ollie Johnston!

≪ Previous: Lorenzo

Images/ Disney and Heritage Auctions

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Happy Birthday, Ollie Johnston!

November 2, 2014, 12:38 am

≫ Next: More Ollie

≪ Previous: Happy Halloween!

Photo by Mark Kirkland

This Halloween would have been Ollie's 102 birthday.
Even a few years before he died at age 95 he would say: "Gee, I never thought that I would get THAT old."
A young Ollie animated this scene of Brer Rabbit from Song of the South. Brer Baer shakes the rabbit's hand forcefully thinking they have come to a working agreement. Suddenly Brer Rabbit realizes that Brer Fox is approaching fast, and he knows he needs to get out of here.
Two seconds of animated gold! This scene hasn't been pencil-tested since the movie's production. Just imagine being Walt Disney, watching the rough animation and giving comments.
I just love Ollie's work, it's so intuitive and natural. He rocks my world.

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More Ollie

November 3, 2014, 11:52 pm

≫ Next: Woolie, Tramp and the Rat

≪ Previous: Happy Birthday, Ollie Johnston!

These photos were taken sometime during the early 1990s, when Ollie had invited friends and their families to ride on his model train. The tracks went around the house and beyond, and Ollie enjoyed sharing his hobby train regularly. Even Walt Disney stopped by sometime in the late 1950s for a test ride. I remember what a fun Saturday afternoon this was, riding the train and watching Ollie turn into a kid.

I am sitting at the end of the train, while Hans Bacher is trying to film the trip from a low camera angle.

A few key drawings from one of Ollie's last animation assignments. For Robin Hood he was mostly responsible for Prince John and Sir Hiss, but he animated other characters as well. Here Little John questions Robin Hood's philosophy: "You know something, Robin, I was just wondering. Are we good guys or bad guys? You know, I mean, our robbin' the rich to feed the poor."
Look at how light and delicate these drawings are. No animator's fight to achieve the right poses.
Pure intuition, that's why Ollie always had such an impressive output for footage. He got that from his mentor Fred Moore.

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Woolie, Tramp and the Rat

November 5, 2014, 11:05 pm

≫ Next: Pesky Fauns

≪ Previous: More Ollie

Woolie Reitherman was an expert in animating action sequences such as fights and chases.
In Lady & the Tramp he drew the street dogs as they threaten Lady before getting into a brawl with Tramp. But Woolie also animated the rat fight toward the end of the film.
I love what he once said in an interview about animating aggressive confrontations. He felt that among all the action involved there should be a moment or two of pause. The opponents freeze for a second to catch their breath or re-evaluate the tense situation.
I see this kind of stuff over and over again in wildlife films, where two lions battle furiously, then stop as they stare at each other. Then all of a sudden the altercation starts over again.
This is one of the reasons why good old Disney Animation feels so believable and engaging, the best footage is always based on observation of real life.
Now I sound like Eric Larson teaching us the philosophy of Disney Animation way back.

Woolie was a hell of an animator!

Drawings Disney/howardlowery.com

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Pesky Fauns

November 7, 2014, 4:24 pm

≫ Next: The Little House

≪ Previous: Woolie, Tramp and the Rat

...could be the title of this illustration by Heinrich Kley. It's a little unsettling to see these Fauns treating the old Centaur so disrespectfully. Maybe the situation is a part of a mythological story.
What is wonderful to observe is Kley's incredible knowledge of anatomy, and how he applies it to fantastical creatures. Half human-half horse or half human-half goat, his depictions always make us believe that if those things really existed, that's exactly what they would look like.
Most of Kley's fantasy drawings and paintings were produced about one hundred years ago, but they sure don't look dated. Particularly for artists who draw animation, his body of work remains an important source of inspiration and influence.

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The Little House

November 9, 2014, 10:49 pm

≫ Next: Dancing Monkey

≪ Previous: Pesky Fauns

This is an unusual Disney short film from 1952. It brings to life the most rigid objects imaginable, buildings. I love the story and art direction, I’m not so sure how much fun it would be to animate a country house and city skyscrapers, call it a challenge.

Les Clark, Marc Davis and Clair Weeks (who was also Marc’s Clean Up assistant) met that challenge, and by treating windows as eyes and the front door as nose and mouth found a way to humanize architecture.

Mary Blair did a lot of beautiful color sketches, and the final art direction pretty much maintains Mary’s vision.

The story about urban sprawl is based on the 1942 book with the same title, written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton.

It's interesting to compare the Blair sketch to the final background art.

Here is the youtube link to the film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y881yjtFluy

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Dancing Monkey

November 12, 2014, 12:47 am

≫ Next: Milt on Human Reaction

≪ Previous: The Little House

Some animators are great handling scenes that involve dancing. Eric Goldberg is one of them, so is Ken Harris and Ollie Johnston. Frank Thomas had the analytical mind to bring dance to life with unexpected moves and an absence of formulas.
This little jewel of a scene from The Jungle Book shows his extraordinary talents as an animator who knew about eccentric dance movement and how to break it down within twenty-four drawings per second. I LOVE this scene. All drawings are keys, there are no in-betweens. No live action reference was used, Frank pulled this one out of his head. Something is moving in an odd configuration at all times, yet as a whole the scene looks natural and very entertaining.
This is why I love animation, why I adore Frank Thomas and why I keep trying to express myself through moving drawings.

The pencil test with sound loops twice. It is well worth studying.

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Milt on Human Reaction

November 14, 2014, 9:01 pm

≫ Next: Jonathan Freeman

≪ Previous: Dancing Monkey

I am not sure if I recall this Kahl statement from one of his lectures, or if he told me in person.
It is an interesting comment on how a person reacts to, let's say a loud sound, at a moment when he or she is focusing on something in particular. In other words, being interrupted.
Milt said he would hate to see the animated character turn right away toward the direction of the disruption. That way the audience is missing a "thinking beat".
His way of dealing with a moment like this one is having the character straighten up (after a squash), change expression according to how the character feels, THEN animate the head turn in the direction where the disturbance came from.
And that's exactly what Medusa does when she hears a loud noise coming from upstairs, where her alligators are chasing Bernard and Bianca.
Medusa is studying a map before reacting to the commotion. Notice how Milt always keeps her eye in the clear among the messy hair shapes. The expression change happens at the beginning of her head turn, where the audience can see it clearly.
Of course there are exceptions to this "rule", but before breaking it, it's useful to know the rule.
Looking at these drawings, it is obvious that Milt's Medusa is a revolutionary invention.

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Jonathan Freeman

November 16, 2014, 11:01 pm

≫ Next: "Madame Medusa's Pawn Shop Boutique!"

≪ Previous: Milt on Human Reaction

I will update my blog again toward the weekend. In the meantime I am off to New York to see my friend Jonathan perform Jafar on stage. As some of you might know he originated the role for the animated feature Aladdin...a while ago. Can't wait.
When I get back I hope to see some of you at the fabulous CTN EXPO.

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