Producers vs Animators 1980
The Challenge!!

(Original Challenge Memo)

Words and Images care of Darrel Van Citters:

A number of animators would play volleyball almost every day at lunch and often at the 3 PM break on the court just north of the old Animation building. It’s now a parking lot at the side entrance to the studio. I forget what prompted it but I decided to challenge Ron Miller to a volleyball match, probably since he was sports minded and competitive. I sent the challenge via inter-office mail and amazingly, he took us up on it and got together his team from the third floor, all producers. Ron had the studio provide his team with uniforms from the costume department, we all wore our delightful seventies clothes. Tom Wilhite was even enlisted and was provided a uniform but he declined. (more…)

Director Mike Gabriel 2003

(Photo care of Ed Ghertner)

Words care of Mike Gabriel:

This picture of me holding a cardboard over my head is me pretending the rain from my second proposed short for Don Hahn called Parasol, was also falling. I alternated between Parasol and Lorenzo during those 2003 days of ticking clocks as I wound down my Disney contract. (more…)

“I’ve Never Eaten Dog Food”

Words and Images by Dan Jeup
This post care of Steve Moore at Flip Magazine

My first animation assignment at CalArts back in 1981 was to learn how to “in-between”. A large table stacked with xeroxed scenes from the Disney classic features was there for the class to pick from. I chose a scene from Peter and the Wolf featuring the star character sitting down in a huff, kicking the snow. I loved the appeal of his design, the rhythm in his poses, the elasticity of his action and the way his face squashed and stretched.

As I carefully in-betweened the scene, a waft of tobacco smoke blew over my shoulder,……Read More

Producers vs Animators 1980

(Video care of Randy Cartwright)

It’s Like Creating an Animated Film!!
THE BOOKLOOK MAGIC!!

Just like creating an animated film that starts with a blank piece of paper, an idea and some really creative people, the Animation BookLook started with an empty street at the corner of Ventura Cyn and Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, CA, an idea and some really creative people. It was an amazing grass roots team effort that culminated on May 17th, 2008 with over 50 independent self published and published animation writers and authors, 23 volunteers, 8 gallery staff members, 2 sponsors, 2 presenters and 575 guests all coming together to make some MAGIC!!!
(more…)

Ollie Johnston’s life and career have been well documented. FLIP presents some anecdotes from the next generation of animators whom he so greatly inspired.

Article Care of Steve Moore at Flip Magazine

Randy Cartwright
I was in-betweening for Ollie on The Rescuers. One day he showed me a pencil test loop of Penny. She was holding up her lantern, causing sparkles to appear on the wet wall. It was a slow, not particularly impressive scene.

Ollie pointed and said, “See that? What do you think?”

I replied, hesitantly, “Well, that’s….that’s nice.” (more…..)

Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston
Together Again

After the announcement of Ollie’s passing on April 14th, 2008.
Words By Nancy Beiman:

It’s been a sad week for animators. First we lose animator/producer Andy Knight on April 11 (he died of a stroke at the age of 46). Now news has come that Ollie Johnston (the last of the famous “Nine Old Men”) died on April 14 after a long illness. Ollie was 95 years old.

I first met him when I was in my freshman year at Cal Arts. I’d gotten the idea of animating an albatross–a gooney bird. I was pretty sure that this amusing creature, which crashes on landing, had never been animated before.

“I hate to disillusion you,” Brad Bird said one day as I was happily working away on a walk on the ‘other’ bird, “but they’re animating an albatross in THE RESCUERS, the new Disney feature. Ollie Johnston is animating it, and he is one of the artists coming to our show this spring to see our pencil tests.” (more…)

This picture of me “painting” the blue character is from my short film based on Joe Grant’s concept, LORENZO which came out in 2004 attached to a live action Disney film called Raising Helen. This must have been 2003 or maybe early ‘04. I made it while in room 3136 up on the third floor of the Mickey Hat bldg. I actually painted all the backgrounds and character set ups for the cg artists to match my style so although I am “faking” painting that Lorenzo image I actually did do all the analogue painting that was used in the film’s bgs, character pose set ups etc..—so in that way, it is not fake. That is a genuine authentic Disneyland Frontierland poster behind me that I have had for a long time. My blue paint splattered it’s frame but Lorenzo was a messy project—in certain ways. (more…)

1980 Crew
Hanna-Barbera

Photo Care of Phil Phillipson

A lot of animation artists in late 1970′s and early 1980′s cut their teeth in the business at television animation studios like Hanna-Barbera and Filmation Studios. These union studios had on the job training programs where you could learn the trade and get your start in an entry level union position as an inbetweener with the opportunity to work your way up to assistant animator and animator. The above photo is of the crew of artists that were working on Hanna-Barbera’s second feature film Heidi’s Song.

I see many people that I know went on to work at Walt Disney Feature Animation. Let me know who you recognize in the text box below.

1975 The Crew of Planet of the Apes
Saturday Morning Television Cartoon

Photo and Memories Care of Phil Phillipson

Back row left to right: In the light shirt is Tony Segroi, the bearded fellow and the next guy I don’t know, next with the beard and VW hat is George Freeman. George was a young guy who was working for us while going to college and was going to go to a new VFX house up north after graduation. While working with us he was freelancing using this brand new computer simulation for that same company up north on their first feature film. It was some sci-fi picture where he got some of the other guys to freelance with him as well doing glow efx for these light saber fx shots and we all thought that it was a really stupid idea. Light sabers and space ships would never go together. That company was ILM and the sci-fi picture was of course Star Wars. Were we wrong, or what? The next guy is Leo Swenson, and the next is Ziggy, we couldn’t pronounce his real name. Then on the far right is Moe Gollub the ex-Motion Picture Screen and Cartoonists union president.

Second row left to right: The first I guy don’t remember, next guy is Hac Fiq, Jim Muller and I don’t know the next guy with glasses.

Front row left to right: Phil Phillipson, I don’t know the second person, then John Dorman, then Nolly something?

If anyone can help fill in the blanks or has any more stories about this time just click on “comments” and leave a reply in the text box below.
~Memories Care of Phil Phillipson