[tinkerbell]

this past trip a CM over heard me say to my DH how we missed the Animators, the personal areas and thier art work on the tour as we were going in. She said that we were not the only ones. She also said she heard a rumor that Steve Jobs has bought the desk. He wanted them because he believed it all is still about hand drawn animation.

[Jeff O.]

I'm probably as interested in the story of the animators themselves, as I am in the cartoons they produced. I'm glad the CM overheard your important comment!

In case you haven't read it, there is a touching story here about how Floyd Gottfredson's old drawing table was rescued from the dumpster. As you may know, Floyd Gottfredson was the Disney animator that Walt himself chose to take over the MICKEY MOUSE comic strip, resulting in some of the greatest Disney mystery and adventure stories, ever.

To quote from the article, the table now "occupies a corner in a special room at Disney's Publishing department in Burbank, along with a treasure trove of original Disney art. Floyd Gottfredson original Mickey Mouse comic strips adorn the well-worn desk, and visitors in the know, are able to look at a genuine piece of Disney history."

[tinkerbell]

Originally Posted by Jeff O.

I'm probably as interested in the story of the animators themselves, as I am in the cartoons they produced. I'm glad the CM overheard your important comment!

In case you haven't read it, there is a touching story here about how Floyd Gottfredson's old drawing table was rescued from the dumpster. As you may know, Floyd Gottfredson was the Disney animator that Walt himself chose to take over the MICKEY MOUSE comic strip, resulting in some of the greatest Disney mystery and adventure stories, ever.

To quote from the article, the table now "occupies a corner in a special room at Disney's Publishing department in Burbank, along with a treasure trove of original Disney art. Floyd Gottfredson original Mickey Mouse comic strips adorn the well-worn desk, and visitors in the know, are able to look at a genuine piece of Disney history."

Jeff O Welcome to DC, it seems you will provide some excellent information and I look forward to what you have to offer.
Yes that is a very touching story and I had some how missed it. I hope others get a chance to read that.
When I was young I wanted very badly to be an animator. I have minor sketching ability in my opinion. And after moving from california, never had the option to take art in the other high schools I attended. So I was star struck each and every time we took the Old Annimation Tour at MGM. What has really sadden me is my oldest Granddaughter has amazing talent in art ..but when she read about the closing of the Annimation studio at MGM and them letting go of the annimators ..she no longer wanted to some day work for Disney.

Again ..Welcome to DC, I can tell you will have some very important and informative post here and I look forward to them.

[disneyguy]

Welcome to DC!!!

Tink, that would be so cool if they brought that portion back. Thank you Steve Jobs!!!

[Jeff O.]

Thank you for your kind words of welcome, tinkerbell and disneyguy! It really means a lot to me!

tinkerbell, I’m not certain whether the main reason your granddaughter no longer wants to work for Disney is because she doesn’t believe she would ever get to work on big-screen, hand-drawn animated projects there, like she always dreamed of doing; or if it goes beyond that, because she doesn’t think they respect the traditional animator anymore. In the latter case, I suppose she might not want to work for them, even if they did begin producing theatrical 2D cartoons again. (And you don’t need to answer that here, tink.)

No matter what Disney’s future, as long as they are in business, they will always need talented artists – although with the layoffs, they apparently don’t feel they need as many as they once did.

I imagine at least some directors of computer-generated films still need storyboard artists and character designers. Some aspects might be planned-out from the get-go on a computer, but other aspects of CGI characters might still start on a drawing board. I saw some information today on a new book about the pre-production art for Disney/Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, for example. And I hadn’t heard that Disney is going to make all future television animation projects (and toy commercials) in CGI. Somebody might be needed to draw Winnie-the-Pooh for a commercial, for instance. I’m not sure about the status of hand-drawn animation in future Disney direct-to-video releases, though I know Mickey’s new Christmas movie is in 3D.

They will still need artists for theme-park design. Maybe a new roller coaster would start on a computer, but they could still need people to draw or paint the characters on the walls that guests see while waiting in line to get on the ride. Somebody has to design/sketch the costumes that will bring new characters to life around the parks, too, and the Disney pins, dolls, stuffed animals, and figurines that so many collect.

They will still need traditional artists (cartoonists and painters) for Disney storybooks, greeting cards, stickers, wrapping paper & gift bags, and comic books. (Sometimes, though, the person would actually be working for a publishing company or card company with whom Disney has a contract, rather than for Disney itself). Newly-published Disney comic books are bigger today in parts of Europe and South America, than they are in the USA. Some of the writers and artists for the foreign Disney comic-book market have been from the USA. I don’t think they had to move out of their “country of origin” to work for a foreign publisher of Disney.

I’m sure artists are still needed for Disney clothes with characters on them; for Disney Halloween costumes; for Disney posters, rugs, beach towels and wastebaskets; and for the boxes or other packages that Disney toys (and even Happy Meals) come in.

I’m sure you knew all this, tinkerbell, but I hope your granddaughter is aware of all this. There are at least still options for an artist to be paid to draw beloved (and future) Disney characters and places, and make a child’s day with that art – even though CGI is in the spotlight right now. Floyd Gottfredson saw the MICKEY comic strip as a step-down from animation, and yet some put him just below Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks in terms of impact on Mickey Mouse’s “fictional” life.

At the minimum, steady or occasional work in these areas could help supplement your granddaughter’s income one day while she works on traditional animation at another company.
If it’s freelancing for Disney, obviously it doesn’t give the security that lifelong Disney animators had/once had. But even “Unca” Walt had disputes with labor in the Glory Days.

[tinkerbell]

Jeff O, yes there will always been a need for hand draw art, but she really has been dishearted by just as you said .. the lack of respect for the true art of animation and it being tossed aside. Like me she has always seen it as real art.
I am not trying to brag of show off ( lol already done that when I posted this thread)
but here is just one of her sketches from last year ..and needless to say she has improved since then!
http://www.disneycentral.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=4540
but since this she has turned to sketching characters from anima.

[Jeff O.]

Thank you for the link to your treasured drawing from TREASURE PLANET! I'd hang a ribbon on it if I could! Thank you for the link to your younger granddaughter's fine work, too! I'm sure she has a steady supply of pencils always on-hand.

If it's your wish, I hope that Roy Disney and SAVE DISNEY learn of your granddaughter's story. I'm sure Walt would've been saddened to ever know his company disheartened a young person from wanting to draw his characters.

[tinkerbell]

Jeff O thank you :) as to my youngest Granddaughter she wants to work with the animals at Animal Kingdom ..but she would also make a wonderful imagineer.
yes I think that it would go againest every thing Walt Disney believed and worked for that a child would feel that the action of Disney company would have a negative effect on a young persons dreams.

http://www.disneycentral.com/forum/a...achmentid=2871

[Young_Donald]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell

.she no longer wanted to some day work for Disney.

Tell her 2D animation is not dead
It's just a exect fad that it's going to fade soon
Tell her also don't believe in those that say that there will always "only" be little place for 2D animators in relatively small projects
Truth is 2D animated features will be back soon and when this happens they will need lot of animators
Also, she could work in the meanwhile for TV Animation such as House Of Mouse, Mouse Works, Tarzan and Winnie th Pooh
She could also works for Warner Bros in television series such as Tiny Toons or Silvester and Tweety Misteries
She could also works for anime series or even join the wonderful Miyazaki crew
And what about working for the Simpsons series

We all need to think in a rational manner
All this 2D is dead is just a blame-on-something-else tactic used by Disney and Dreamwork not to admit their last feature was a failure because they were formulaic and aimed at competition instead of talent
They so chose to copy the Finding Nemo formula by making their movies with CG without realizing that Pixar is successfull because they have all those Disney features that at Disney are not longer utilized

1) Lack of idiot execs
2) Storyboards instead of screenplay
3) Appealing characters and stories in the best Disney tradition
4) Creative power to the animators

For years people requested a magical and warm fairy tale at the Disne and they keep producing what people where not requesting: teathrical dark stories: Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, silly demential pop-culture gags movies such as Hercules and Emperor's New Groove or rebelling teenagers shoot-em-up stories such as Atlantis and Treasure Planet
And while Disney ignored people requests they found what they were looking for at Pixar: funny, enjoyable, non-dark, non-lecturing, little fairy tales of growing up fish, tender heart monsters or brave ants
That's what exactly what people wanted from Disney and found instead on Pixar movies

What that simply mean is that since CG is not in competition with hand-drawn and that the two are simply different and despite execs claims people want and love them both, with Eisner reign coming to an end hand-drawn will coming back
In fact, hand-drawn animation will coming back as CG bubbe will burst after many formulaic CG movies getting the same direction of formulaic hand-drawn animation
With execs always changing their minds and thus higher budgets hand-drawn animated features costed a lot, but without execs giving the creative management to anmators it would be possible to create full quality hand-drawn animated features at half the cost of CG animated feature
This surely is a new that would fde CG fad as CG movies are preferred because they're supposed to cost less

If the new ceo will be a capable and intelligent person hand-drawn animation will come back as soon as Eisner leave
It wouldn't be that strange is they discontinue their CG scheduled project as they have do that before in the past with even 60% already completed projects

Take John Lasseter, vice-president of Pixar
While Disney execs (the one that are supposed to love and nurture Disney tradition) said that Classic shorts characters such as Goofy and Donald are: boring old staff, unsympathetic characters, not relevant to 21 century kids, dated and boring, old-fashioned, ugly, unfunny and dead history *sigh*
John Lasseter said that his five sons always watch old Disney cartoons and that they and he love old Disnet shorts especially Mickey Mouse black and white shorts
So much for the "kids on the 21 century didn't like those past cartoons" idiocy
If John Lasseter would become the new Disney ceo I'm sure he would re-open the animation studios and would bring back hand-drawn animated features
One could thing that it won't be easy to get back all the sold desks, pencils and material
But guess who bought all the hand-drawn animation studios material Eisner sold? Pixar!! Strange, isn't it

Bottom line, instead of crying we should all help Roy in his battle as this "2D is dead" idiocy is not something tough to fight and defeat
It's just a bad management bubble that will bust very soon
Nothing has the charm and warmth hand-drawn animation and CG is not an evolution of hand-drawn; it a completely different thing, entitled to exist but not in competition with hand-drawn as they have nothing in common

If Disney want to change they have to find a new ceo, a new board chairman, fire all creative execs, change all board members, fire all screenwiters and find someone to control creative management
If this is not going to happen then there will be no Disney anymore be it 2D or CG and this is very unlikely with all the shareholders in the world plus savedisney support

Finally tell your grandaughter that they said animation was dead even in 1940, but in 1970, then in 1985 but it servived because animators instead of crying and depressing worked on it the same, even when they were told thatit was a dead medium
If it weren't for those people we wouldn't have a Little Mermaid, Lion King, Simpsons and not even Pixar, Finding Nemo and Monsters today
Eisner said "animation is dead" even in 1986, so much for his claims !!

2D animation is not dead and instead of giving up animation school or moving in other countries or states it's better to keep in business as there will be a lot of work for anyone as soon as Eisner leave and animation come back after the failer of Dreamorks and Disney formulaic, plagiarized Disney CG features

[VTSFY]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell

Jeff O, yes there will always been a need for hand draw art, but she really has been dishearted by just as you said .. the lack of respect for the true art of animation and it being tossed aside. Like me she has always seen it as real art.

This is so true. I have always believed Disney art to be TRUE art. I'm not the only one that thinks so, too. Did you know that Japanese animation - commonly known as anime - was originally based off of Disney artwork, because it was so admired?

http://www.disneycentral.com/forum/s...592#post156592

[tinkerbell]

:) Jeff O Meet my granddaughter VSTFY

[royorb1]

Excellent art work, reminds me of my older sister when we were little. She was talented just like your daughter. 2d art is the essential art. Wheter a feature is 2d or 3d, 2d is essential!! Your daughter is fantastic and she can do it!!

[tinkerbell]

Originally Posted by royorb1

Excellent art work, reminds me of my older sister when we were little. She was talented just like your daughter. 2d art is the essential art. Wheter a feature is 2d or 3d, 2d is essential!! Your daughter is fantastic and she can do it!!

well she is actually my granddaughter :) but thank you. One thing about both our granddaughters ..they learned early "if you can dream it you can do it"

[royorb1]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell

well she is actually my granddaughter :)

I'm sorry, I mean granddaughter

[VTSFY]

Originally Posted by royorb1

I'm sorry, I mean granddaughter

Ehhh, close enough. ^_^ We're always mistaken that way, it doesn't phase me.