Just stumbled across a clip of Walt Disney explaining the Multiplane Camera system.
Two things strike me about this clip. First, Walt Disney Animation is completely different these days, (Okay, 1st that Mickey was way off model wasn’t he?) and yet still very much the same. The magic of the multiplane camera was all about mathematical computations to determine the precise speed and direction of each plane and the camera. These days it’s all done in a computer, but the math is still an important part. One part art, one part science.
Second, not that anyone can ever replace Walt, but that doesn’t mean the public’s desire to see how things work has changed. Where is the person at the Walt Disney Company charged with highlighting the company’s technological and entertainment advances? I’d tune in to watch the modern equivilant of this clip, perhaps explaining the Walt Disney Animation Studios return to hand-drawn animation, wouldn’t you?
Have you seen the Science of Imagineering Educational DVDs that came out earlier this year? They don’t cover animation, but illustrate different science concepts using attractions in the parks as examples.
It’s amazing to see how cartoons (or should I say pixar animation?) has evolved. How long does it take to change out all the slides for let’s say a 10 minute cartoon sequence? It looks like it would take forever since you have to capture every last movement . . .
Check out this clip of Walt Disney explaining the multiplane camera. Disney needs to do more of this. http://ow.ly/hjK8 #fb
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