Hand-Drawn Animation Dead at Disney

[JeanGreyForever]

I'm not a huge fan of the animation style but it does look good nevertheless and Disney really should consider making hand-drawn projects for Disney+ at least. I'm getting almost Meet the Robinson vibes which is a film I love. I actually think that film would have been a great choice for hand-drawn animation.

[estefan]

This actually made me recall another hand-drawn animated film made by Disney artists that had a Kickstarter campaign several years ago, "Hullabaloo." Anyone remember that? It was supposed to be a steampunk adventure. I found the official website, which also links to the official Facebook page. Apparently, that's still being worked on. They're just having trouble finding a company or producer to invest in the project.

[blackcauldron85]

^ I haven't heard anything on Hullabaloo in a while, so I'm glad they're still working on it...but what happens when a project is done with no studio to release it?! You'd think someone would release it, especially since they won't really be funding production, just marketing, home video/streaming...

[JeanGreyForever]

I'm glad Hullabaloo is still being worked on. It seemed very promising from what I saw of it initially and I was a little worried when I hadn't heard anything about it for so long.

[unprincess]

yeah Ive been following Hullabaloo through the emails they send you after you contributed to the campaign, but I was unaware that they were having problems finding a distributor. That reminds me if that poor guy who's still hasn't been able to find a studio to distribute Animal Crackers(a CGI movie Im actually interested in b/c of the tf concept) which is weird b/c you see a lot of dreck like Alpha and Omega and Norm of the North get distribution... you'd think it wouldn't be so difficult.

as for Galaxy Gas, it looks neat! I wasn't that impressed at first when I saw the concept art... it looked too much like something designed for television(reminds me a bit of that show Symbiotic Titan) but once I saw the actual characters moving in the promo it looked amazing! Amazing what good classic animation can do to even simpler styled designs.

Btw I was a bit confused at first b/c I thought this was that "Space Race" movie that Disney was rumored to be making for a while, but from what I understand this was an independent project having nothing to do with WDFA right ?

[blackcauldron85]

^ Yeah, Galaxy Gas has a bunch of former Disney employees, like Kirk Wise, Tab Murphy, Ruben Aquino, Nik Ranieri, Bruce Smith, Ed Ghertner, but it's not a Disney project.

[unprincess]

thanks for clarifying. I hope somebody picks up this project someday!

[Sotiris]

A Mouse in Shorts: Animating Mickey Through the Years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-keReykUPrI

The Art of Disney Storytelling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-nLHQJEhB4

[Sotiris]

It's sad that even Ghibli is jumping on the CG bandwagon. Even though Suzuki praised hand-drawn animation and admitted it works better with his studio's type of storytelling, he still went and greenlit an all-CG feature.

Miyazaki’s son Goro began work on Studio Ghibli’s first computer-animation project, a still untitled film centered on a young girl, a character Suzuki called “the wisest person on Earth.”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/movi ... o-max.html

Suzuki confirms Gorō Miyazaki, Miyazaki's son who directed Tales From Earthsea (2006) and From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), is currently making a movie "all done by computer-generated animation." But the hand-drawn craft remains alive as the company continues to evolve.

"What's unique about Ghibli films is they have this atmosphere of reminiscence," Suzuki explains. "When you try to capture that with computer-generated animation, it's going to look new and loses that sense of warmth, reminiscent atmosphere the film should have. I think with hand-drawn animation, it captures that. The animation technique actually connects with what's captured in the story."

Source: https://ew.com/movies/studio-ghibli-str ... -miyazaki/

[DisneyJedi]

It's sad that even Ghibli is jumping on the CG bandwagon. Even though Suzuki praised hand-drawn animation and admitted it works better with his studio's type of storytelling, he still went and greenlit an all-CG feature.

Suzuki confirms Gorō Miyazaki, Miyazaki's son who directed Tales From Earthsea (2006) and From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), is currently making a movie "all done by computer-generated animation." But the hand-drawn craft remains alive as the company continues to evolve.

"What's unique about Ghibli films is they have this atmosphere of reminiscence," Suzuki explains. "When you try to capture that with computer-generated animation, it's going to look new and loses that sense of warmth, reminiscent atmosphere the film should have. I think with hand-drawn animation, it captures that. The animation technique actually connects with what's captured in the story."

Source: https://ew.com/movies/studio-ghibli-str ... -miyazaki/

Why doesn’t this seem reassuring?

[Sotiris]

I didn't know WDAS was asked to animate the 2D sequences in Mary Poppins Returns. I assumed the production people for the film just didn't approach them about it. It's a shame they didn't go for it. It would have been nice if the animation was done in-house like the original's was.

As we developed it, we had to find an animation house that could animated it because, unfortunately, Disney Animation got rid of all the 2D stuff, desks, people… They ended up not wanting to do it or something, so we had to find a place. We lucked out in that we used Ken Duncan’s studio in Pasadena.”

Source: https://www.laughingplace.com/w/article ... ter-hours/

[blackcauldron85]

^ Yeah, but who's "they?" Maybe the remaining 2D animators would've loved to have had the opportunity to animate it, but the suits didn't let them??? A shame.

[Sotiris]

I think it's safe to say that "they" refers to the studio's management.

[blackcauldron85]

^ Yeah. I love the animation in the film, so no complaints as far as quality goes, but it's a shame Disney just can't/won't handle 2D animation on that level anymore.

[Jules]

I think it's safe to say that "they" refers to the studio's management.

Would that refer to upper Disney management, or WDAS' own management team? (i.e. the CCO, Story Trust, etc.)

[Sotiris]

WDAS' own management. Disney proper wouldn't have a problem if WDAS took on this side project. They don't interfere much with how WDAS is run.

[Jules]

Really? For the longest time I was under the impression that the Disney lords at the top of the pyramid very much suppress the creative range of the WDAS films.

Are you telling me it was WDAS management that killed off hand-drawn once again post-Winnie the Pooh? I always imagined Lasseter was following strict instructions from above not to greenlight any more hand-drawn films, and that he couldn't really challenge this directive after the financial disappointment of both PatF and WtP, even if he was WDAS' head honcho. For all his faults, I never bought that he went back on his word on new hand-drawn films because he didn't give a rat's ass. He seemed way too passionate about bringing back hand-drawn just to toss out the idea nonchalantly after two failed movies. My guess is he was up against a brick wall, and could not talk freely to the press as to why there were no further 2D films planned.

I remember several high-profile WDAS directors always repeating the same story in interviews about how hand-drawn is still alive at the studio and how the director chooses the medium. Of course I knew this was bs, but I never believed these people were lying on purpose or harboured some form of resentment towards hand-drawn and wanted it obliterated. I'm fairly certain they were given strict instructions to reply in this way and their hands may have been tied. It's quite possible they found the statements they had to regurgitate vomit-inducing and just had to grin and bear it.

Re Mary Poppins Returns, I guess WDAS couldn't ever really accept the assignment. You can't create what the Ken Duncan Studios did with just three animators! The only way to do it would have been for WDAS to subcontract most of the work to other, independent studios. And if they did that, there wouldn't have been much of WDAS left in the sequence, would there?

[Sotiris]

Really? For the longest time I was under the impression that the Disney lords at the top of the pyramid very much suppress the creative range of the WDAS films.

There is some meddling from Disney overlords, but not much. Winnie the Pooh and Frozen 2 were imposed on the studio. Bog Iger and Alan Horn watch screenings of upcoming features and give notes. That's pretty much it.

Are you telling me it was WDAS management that killed off hand-drawn once again post-Winnie the Pooh? I always imagined Lasseter was following strict instructions from above not to greenlight any more hand-drawn films, and that he couldn't really challenge this directive after the financial disappointment of both PatF and WtP, even if he was WDAS' head honcho.

I believe it was Lassseter's decision to stop 2D after The Princess and the Frog underperformed. Sure, there was pressure to make WDAS profitable again, but it was his call. At least, that's my impression based on how things unfolded. Even if he was given direct orders to stop 2D features, he could have found a way to keep 2D alive there in some way. Disney higher-ups wouldn't have cared if the studio kept doing 2D shorts and featurettes. Prep & Landing could have easily been 2D, for example.

Re Mary Poppins Returns, I guess WDAS couldn't ever really accept the assignment. You can't create what the Ken Duncan Studios did with just three animators!

They have plenty of 2D-turned-3D animators still working there they could have used as well as animators that know how to animate in 2D from school. I think they could have pulled it off. Not to mention, they could have hired extra help, if needed.

[disneyprincess11]

Sony's VIVO is in 2D!!!!

Good news! Carlos Zaragoza on the Team Deakins podcast (ep 22, ~25:30) has shared that Vivo's animation will be done in a style of "flat 2D illustration".

https://twitter.com/MJHtv23/status/1320173448451141633

[D82]

^Wow, that's great news! Though, I'm not sure if "in a style of flat 2D illustration" necessarily means it's going to be in traditional hand-drawn animation. I hope it is, but either way, it's going to be interesting to see and a a step in the right direction towards the return of 2D animation.