Links

Here are a few websites I have recently visited:

Animation Art Definitions (with Disney examples):
http://www.animationartgallery.com/aanimationdefinitions.html

Glossary of Animation Art Terms:
http://www.animationsensations.com/glossary.html

About Acetate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose_acetate

Animation History:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/animateddogs/animation.html

Disney:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/animateddogs/animation_1.html
An example of the influence Disney had on animation:

But the '40s and '50s saw reactions against the Disney style. Artists like Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera (creators of "the Jetsons," "the Flinstones," "Yogi Bear" and "Scooby Doo"), Tex Avery ("Droopy Dog") Paul Terry ("Mighty Mouse" and "Heckle & Jeckle"), and Chuck Jones (creator of "Road Runner" and "Pepe LePew," also brought Bugs Bunny and friends to life) added an anarchic and surreal quality to their animated films.

Post #7: Disney Style

Color Disney style tutorial (with Photoshop CS)
http://katikut.deviantart.com/art/Tutorial-Color-Disney-style-31752064

How To Draw like Disney:
http://www.craftyartworld.com/howtodrawdisneystyle.php


(very old and badly recorded documentary about Disney animation)
"each cell is painted on reverse side"

I have discovered a programme called Wacom that could possibly be used to make animation: http://www.wacom.co.jp/corporate/en/ourbrand/index.html I'd like to find out more about this programme so I'm posting a note about it here.

Realism // Cel Animation

Wrote up notes on the sections about Disney in the book "Understanding Animation" by Paul Wells.

Aquired a copy of Snow White to watch as an early example of good use of the multiplane camera.

Began researching Cel Animation:

"Definition: A cel is the transparent sheet of plastic upon which final animation artwork is transferred in order to be painted in and then laid over a background and filmed.

The line art of each frame of animation is either inked or copied onto the front of the cel, and then paint applied to the back. When the transparent cels are laid over the static backgrounds, they form a complete picture without having to redraw the same background for each frame of animation.

Early cel animation was done on nitrate cels, which are not only prone to decay, but quite flammable. Currently acetate cels, which are much less volatile and more durable, are an industry standard."

http://animation.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/g/cel_def.htm

http://animatedtv.about.com/od/thesimpsonsfaq/a/celanimation.htm

The Princess and the Frog

http://www.awn.com/news/films/lasseter-talks-princess-and-frog-and-2d

"I believe strongly that there are certain things you can do in 2D animation and still can't do in CG. I think, actually, when you look at PRINCESS AND THE FROG and the amazing animation of Louis the alligator, I'm not sure that would be quite the same way in computer animation. And I always say that if you look at SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, that the animation of the dwarfs themselves is something that's pretty much impossible to achieve in computer animation. That fluidity, that squash-and-stretch, that kind of stuff just works with hand-drawn animation. Also, the rich painted backgrounds, we took a look at the films that Walt Disney made because I asked them to aim high: I said, 'Let's make great art.' So we chose LADY AND THE TRAMP and BAMBI for the bayou scenes, the nature, the way that that was represented there, almost an Impressionistic point of view at times. And then with LADY AND THE TRAMP, the scenes of the humans and the architecture of the character design is just the pinnacle of what was Disney's personal style."

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8380601.stm~ article about the heroine princess in The Princess and the Frog- Disney's ninth princess- being the first coloured

African-American princess. This is a "symbolic step for Disney" which has previously been accused of being racist.

"In fact, the film is also notable for rekindling the art of hand-drawn animation and hand-painted backgrounds, dropping the more contemporary reliance on computer generated imagery."

...

"When you are a child, what you are shown does affect you and I can remember when I was growing up not wanting to play with black dolls," she says.

Disney are keeping up with modern times: the new African- American president (though the film began production long before Obama was made president).

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On issues of race surrounding the film and false information on the internet: http://hollywood-animated-films.suite101.com/article.cfm/frog_princess_damage_control

"The Frog Princess was going to be the first cel-animated movie from Disney since 2005. Not only that, the Mouse House was bringing back the legendary team of Ron Clements and John Musker (Aladdin, The Little Mermaid) to develop the project.

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Photo Gallery: http://makingof.com/happening_now/media/the-princess-and-the-frog/disney-s-return-to-2d-animation/75/267

http://events.animationblogspot.com/2009/01/27/princess-and-the-frog-preview/

Pos #4: Case Studies

~ Watched Bambi and took note of the Disney characteristics of the piece, the effort with nature and the success of the film as a messege about animal cruelty, nature and beauty of the piece as an animated film.

~ Wrote a case study of Bambi

~ Began a collection of pieces of Disney things I find (like advertisements, pictures from magaines etc.)

~ Found a lot of resources in the library for Disney. Rented 4 books to read and photocopied some pages on Bambi.

NEXT:

~ Study the history of Disney's 2D animation a little bit more.

~ Watch more documentarys

~ Watch another animated film to write a case study on

~ Research The Princess and The Frog more. Book tickets to see this in the cinema on it's release. Prepare to collect information on this as it come out in the media such as reviews and box office ratings.

~Put all work to date onto usb pen and email account ready for printing out at uni.

Post #3: Planning Research

~ Made notes of what to ask tutor on meeting: what kind of things do we put into our portfolio? Highlighted notes? Essays?

~ Began research on case study of The Princess and the Frog

~ Choosing a second Disney classic to write a case study on. Narrowed it down to Fantasia, Snow White, Bambi, Aladdin or the Lion King. May do mini case studies on all of these

~ Decided to do a few tests with cellular animation: painting with Guache on asihtate later in the project.

~ Saved and printed some useful web pages

Post #2: Setting Up Project & Background Information

~Got 6 books from the library about Disney and 2D animation
~Made a list of things I'd like to research and include in my project
~Starting research with general research of Disney in books, IMDB and Wikipedia
~sorted out photocopying credits at the library to photocopy relevant pages of books
~Put together a chronology of Disneys animated films
~Chronology of Disney animated films and live-action feature films: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Disney_live-action_films
~Watched 'Walt Disney "Secret Lives" Documentary' by channel 4 1995 about the life and career of Walt Disney in 6 parts on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA2hWgvZKo and wrote up notes on this.

Post #1: Proposal

DISNEY.

I will be looking into the animated films of Disney and will analyse what I is good and bad about them, why they are successful and how they were achieved. This will be carried out through research from sources such as the internet, documentaries, books and DVD bonus features. I will be looking into the many ways in which Disney was influential and how that's changed over the years. I will write about how it went from a leading animation company producing classics like Snow White and Donald Duck to having their name overruled by Pixar and modern companies as 3D animation has become more popular. Live-action films such as Pirates of the Caribbean have been less obviously Disney as they have moved away from their traditional 2D trademark. I will also look into racism and sexism in Disney, how the death of Walt Disney may have influenced it's slight downfall as well as the modern audience being more sensitive to politically incorrect content. I also think disney are making a come-back with it's old (but updated) style of 2D animation with films such as The Princess and the Frog (2009).

This research project will coincide with my second year animation project in 2D silhouette animation in which I will learn to animate in a simplified but very beautiful 2D style. I will also be creating tests with 2D cell animation and 'the pencil test' which were practiced by Walt Disney.

Areas I will be covering may include style and design choices, communication with an audience, cultural representation in Disney movies, choice of medium and influential changes in Disney's career.

Kate Duffy for Northumbria University