Hand-Drawn Animation Dead at Disney

[ajmrowland]

That's when I realized 2D at Disney was over as well. It was surprising that some people tried to push Disney's excuse of "finally solving the story issues" as the reason it was revived so quickly.

John Lasseter is a coward! I want him fired! He's an hand drawn hater! How can he break his promise for more hand drawn animation? He's a freaking coward. And I don't if coward is a cowboy name, I can say whatever I want. Because it's true. He better shape up after the next six upcoming CGI films or there will be serious consequences.

A Hand Drawn Hater?

1. That was the medium he got his career started in. It inspired him originally, and while people do change their minds, it would seem very hard to change an opinion on something that gave you your start.

2. He's not the CEO of Disney. The Hand Drawn features he did give us failed to perform to corporate expectations and would have been cancelled regardless of his involvement.

I'm not a huge fan of the guy, but I always give the benefit of the doubt until I'm given *real* facts and in this case, that requires one of us literally becoming a Disney executive.

[TsWade2]

John Lasseter is a coward! I want him fired! He's an hand drawn hater! How can he break his promise for more hand drawn animation? He's a freaking coward. And I don't if coward is a cowboy name, I can say whatever I want. Because it's true. He better shape up after the next six upcoming CGI films or there will be serious consequences.

A Hand Drawn Hater?

1. That was the medium he got his career started in. It inspired him originally, and while people do change their minds, it would seem very hard to change an opinion on something that gave you your start.

2. He's not the CEO of Disney. The Hand Drawn features he did give us failed to perform to corporate expectations and would have been cancelled regardless of his involvement.

I'm not a huge fan of the guy, but I always give the benefit of the doubt until I'm given *real* facts and in this case, that requires one of us literally becoming a Disney executive.

Well, I still want Disney do another hand drawn. I know John is not the CEO, but he is still scared of doing another hand drawn. And I bet he wet himself when he heard the words hand drawn. SNAP!

[ajmrowland]

A Hand Drawn Hater?

1. That was the medium he got his career started in. It inspired him originally, and while people do change their minds, it would seem very hard to change an opinion on something that gave you your start.

2. He's not the CEO of Disney. The Hand Drawn features he did give us failed to perform to corporate expectations and would have been cancelled regardless of his involvement.

I'm not a huge fan of the guy, but I always give the benefit of the doubt until I'm given *real* facts and in this case, that requires one of us literally becoming a Disney executive.

Well, I still want Disney do another hand drawn. I know John is not the CEO, but he is still scared of doing another hand drawn. And I bet he wet himself when he heard the words hand drawn. SNAP!

Yeah, i want it to happen too. It is an understandable risk. Too many big movies in the summer and holidays, and nobody goes to the cinema at other times except March. They would need to choose a release timeframe that, believe it or not, is historically risky and maybe spend lots of money marketing the film enough to make people aware of it.

Then, why is Steve Huelett is always giving us bad news that hand drawn is not coming back? We're living in a cruel and greedy america. There's no hope for hand drawn. And why does John Lasseter think those CGI movies are hand drawn? Their not hand drawn, their CGI! They may have hand drawn feel to it, but their CGI! How can he compare Tangled, Wreck it Ralph, Frozen, and et cetera as hand drawn that their CGI anyway? He just got confronted by that insidemovies.com reporter, but John Lasseter refused to admit it. If he's the member of the Disney company and just receive the Disney Legends Award, then why can't he do another hand drawn animation? I'm sorry, but this doesn't make any sense.

Hand drawn sensibilities are still used. Just look at King Candy. Te animators actually did hand drawn animations to reference his poerformance that are no different than animation tests of yesteryear, one of which is in the iPad App that was just released.

Not to mention the Paperman style, which actually uses drawings in the final product.

[TsWade2]

Yeah, i want it to happen too. It is an understandable risk. Too many big movies in the summer and holidays, and nobody goes to the cinema at other times except March. They would need to choose a release timeframe that, believe it or not, is historically risky and maybe spend lots of money marketing the film enough to make people aware of it.

Okay, fair point. But I don't think John Lasseter will ever come up another hand animated film. Hand drawn animated shorts possibly, but never for hand drawn animated film.
And I bet Steve Huelett from animation blog and Sotiris are proud of themselves for making our hopes miserable.

[DisneyJedi]

Wade, I'm pretty sure Sotiris and Steve aren't telling us this news just to deliberately upset us. They're most likely no happier about telling it like it is than we are about hearing it.

[TsWade2]

Okay, I'm starting to have a theory. What if all the six upcoming CGI movies like Frozen and Big Hero 6 become big hits and maybe decide to give Hand Drawn animation another chance? I hope I was right, unless if Sotiris is going to spoil my theory by saying hand drawn is not coming back.

[ajmrowland]

Not much of a theory. It completely hinges on Disney not "blaming the medium" and the movies would still have to be collossal hits.

[estefan]

I have my own theory that based on the failures of projects like Mars Needs Moms, The Lone Ranger and John Carter in addition to the recent cancellation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea that Disney is going to be entering that brief period where they will take no risks in their motion picture division. Bob Iger just strikes me as the kind of company president, who will primarily allow Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, Disney CG Animation, The Muppets, Planes and Pirates of the Caribbean to be produced in the next couple of years. You also have movies like Malificient, Tomorrowland, Cinderella, Saving Mr Banks and Into the Woods, which are connected to Disney brands. His discussion about Disney focusing on tentpoles leads me to believe that.

Which is really not the way to run a Hollywood studio, in my opinion. You need to have the risks, along with the easy sells. Big hits like Titanic, Snow White, Toy Story, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Avatar were considered risky projects. Not to mention, the likes of E.T. and Back to the Future, which were turned down by a number of studios.

However, I can see Disney returning to being more adventurous after a while (most likely when Iger steps down), including allowing Lasseter to produce more hand-drawn animated films.

[Disney Duster]

How do you think Cinderella was so loosely adapted?

Well, to some degree, the Disney version is based most on the Charles Perrault version. In the original story, Cinderella sleeps in a col and barren room next to the fireplace. Each morning, shed wake up covered in cinders, hence her name, given to her by her stepsisters. But in the Disney movie, her room is in the tower of the house.

Her father was also alive in the original tale, but was controlled by the stepmother while he pretty much died when Cindy was young in the film.

... I can't say much else as to differences between the Perrault tale (which the Disney film was based on) and the movie.

Exactly. Those few things don't make it loosely based. Those things aren't that loose and the rest of the film is very close to the original.

By the way, Super Aurora called me stupid.

I defended you and told him he shouldn't do that!

[TsWade2]

I defended you and told him he shouldn't do that!

Thanks.

[TheValentineBros]

By the way, Super Aurora called me stupid.

I defended you and told him he shouldn't do that!

Why? I'm not saying you ARE stupid, TsWade2, but seriously, it may be a joke. TsWade2, you need to take a joke. I take jokes too. And Disney Duster, same goes to you, like Dolan comics for instance, you couldn't take jokes. They are dark comedies.

[Warm Regards]

However, I can see Disney returning to being more adventurous after a while (most likely when Iger steps down), including allowing Lasseter to produce more hand-drawn animated films.

It's somewhat upsetting that hand-drawn films in general, at the moment, are viewed as too risky. It's more about the genre and marketing rather than the medium, and I wish Disney would realize that.

Oh well, there's always (possibly...) "Moana" to look forward to.

[Candy-Bonita95]

I agree with Warm Regards,the medium itself should not be considered risky but rather the genre and marketing.
But what I don't understand is that WDP won't take risks even though the empire is expanded (with additions of Marvel,Lucasfilm etc..).Where are they going to lose out?Marvel films already bring in the money.And how risky can WDAS be?Last time I checked,WDAS would never do a PG children's film again.

But given that no other major animation studio (except Studio Ghilbli) is doing hand-drawn animation, wouldn't producing animation films be a big opportunity to build a new fan base?

My idea would be to have DisneyToon studios to produce some solid original hand drawn series. If the series are succesful, WDAS will produce the film versions giving distinct quality between film and series,but both the series and film would be in the same canon.It would be revolutionary in Hollywood to have both a successful series and film adaptation of the same canon.

Yet I don't know about DisneyToons studios taking risks.The theatrical release of Planes makes me think that DisneyToons wants to be taken seriously like WDAS and Pixar ,but I don't know if they want to step up their game discarding fan-fiction quality productions.

[Sotiris]

Q: Is anything moving at the hand-drawn front at WDAS? Is the medium really dead at the studio?

Steve Hulett: Feature-wise, I would say the hand-drawn format is more extinct than a passenger pigeon. But Lasseter himself has said hand-drawn shorts will continue to be produced.

Source: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... sings.html

Q: I've heard a rumor that WDAS will be cutting back on 2D shorts as well. Their last fully hand drawn short was The Ballad of Nessie in 2011. Does that rumor hold any water? Are there currently any 2D shorts in the works?

Steve Hulett: Regarding hand-drawn shorts, I think if somebody comes up with a hand-drawn idea that grabs Mr. Lasseter, they would do one (or more.) I believe corporate thinking is that hand-drawn product doesn't make much money, so why do that format?

Source: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... ounds.html

[DisneyJedi]

But he's not willing to put the effort into a hand-drawn feature. There's a name for people like him.

[estefan]

I don't think there is a name for "employer with overbearing and dominating boss."

[DisneyJedi]

I don't think there is a name for "employer with overbearing and dominating boss."

I meant something along the lines of "hypocrite."

[tweeb²]

Lets try to put things in perspective.

Do you know who was the real genius of design who put Apple products back in to fashion? It was Johnny Ive, BUT the big dog was Steve. All the time, yet he didn't design ANYTHING, he only chose the final product outlook!!

The same goes with this other John. Lasseter is a big name in the animation business, and yes, he loves hand drawn, but he is just another worker under the supervision of the shareholders and Bob Iger, a worker with a really high status, a big name, his decisions do have a lot of weight but not the kind weight that all the people who doesn't like Lasseter tend to think. At the end of the day, as it happens with Ive, he can be fired, or his privileges removed, and that is more likely to happen that you might think.

[TsWade2]

Q: Is anything moving at the hand-drawn front at WDAS? Is the medium really dead at the studio?

Steve Hulett: Feature-wise, I would say the hand-drawn format is more extinct than a passenger pigeon. But Lasseter himself has said hand-drawn shorts will continue to be produced.

Source: http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/ ... sings.html

Sotiris, you and Steve are a bunch of hope wreckers!

[Disney Duster]

And Disney Duster, same goes to you, like Dolan comics for instance, you couldn't take jokes. They are dark comedies.

I found those Dolan comics terrible. That doesn't mean I can't take a joke, it means I find what they are joking about to be horrible.