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Animation

Betty Kimball, R.I.P.

Amid on Cartoon Brew has a wonderful tribute to Betty Lawyer Kimball who died on Thursday at the age of 97. Betty joined the Walt Disney Studios in the Ink & Paint Department. Later she met and married Ward Kimball. Betty was married to Ward,… Read More »Betty Kimball, R.I.P.

Hayao Miyazaki Profiled

Trevor Hogg of the UK Film critic site Flickering Myth has just finished his 5 part series on Japan’s Animation Master Hayao Miyazaki, also known as the Japanese Walt Disney. Disney has partnered with Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli to bring his works to America in the… Read More »Hayao Miyazaki Profiled

Toy Story unboxes the competition

Bringing in an estimated $42 million in box office receipts on Friday, “Toy Story 3” is on its way to the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated movie. It’s already broken one record with the largest every opening day for an animated feature. Could… Read More »Toy Story unboxes the competition

Walt Disney’s Secret Sauce – How to Train an Animator

In December of 1935 Walt Disney sent an 8-page memo to Don Graham, a Chouinard Art Institute animation instructor, with suggestions on how to train animators to be prepared for the intensive Walt Disney Studios animation process. This missive helped elevate Disney’s product to the… Read More »Walt Disney’s Secret Sauce – How to Train an Animator

Was World of Color remix a Pogo tribute?

Those who watched the live streamed coverage of World of Color premier were treated to a 2 minute video that remixed favorite moments related to color from Disney animation and live action films. Some wondered if it was a remix by internet artist Pogo, whose… Read More »Was World of Color remix a Pogo tribute?

Tinker Bell Movie Roundtable

Like the Harry Potter book series, the DVD based Tinker Bell stories set in the world of Pixie Hollow start simple, easy to get into, and then progress into more and more complex stories and issues. DVD number 3, “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue,” follows that tradition presenting a rich story with many more characters and emotions involved.

As the name implies this film features a rescue which implies some action and the directors aim to deliver. It also delivers some important moments in the mythos of the Peter Pan world. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but in the clips I saw, I spent a lot of time going “oh, that’s cool.”

The third film really shows a progression in quality film making that has occurred since the Pixar brain trust arrived after merging with Disney. The art direction and character animation continue to improve. They’ve moved the characters away from the cartoony feel. The set design is fully realized with lots of rich detail.

Earlier today, I was priviledged to participate in a roundtable Q&A session with Helen Kalafatic and Bradley Raymond, Producer and Director respectively, follow below the jump for the transcript.

Read More »Tinker Bell Movie Roundtable

First look at Tangled Animation

It’s only 15 seconds, but it’s 15 seconds of fun. The first real look at animation in “Tangled”. I like what I see, very colorful and nice backgrounds. Character design seems a bit ‘Dreamworks’ circa “The Road to El Dorado” though. My favorite line, “Best.… Read More »First look at Tangled Animation