The Black Cauldron

Ink and Paint, Scene Planning, Animation and Final Check, Camera and Administration

Click here to see the other departments crew photo.

The Black Cauldron used the traditional ink and paint process where the drawings were xeroxed onto cell and hand painted one by one. I remember that they experimented with a “new” xerox technique (I can’t remember the name) that prooved a failure as the line faded off the cell over time so they returned to the traditional xerox process. But production fell behind and everyone painted cells in the end.

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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.

This picture of the crew of Prince and the Pauper was taken at a park in Glendale, California at the end of production.

If you’re in here let us know your memories about this great time by clicking on the “comments” link below.

This crew picture of the crew of Oliver and Company was taken at the end of production in the parking lot behind the Walt Disney Feature Animation building at 1420 Flower Street, Glendale California. George Scribner, the director, is lying down in front of the banner holding a small kitten that represents Oliver. I think the entire animation department including human resources, technical support and all the animation departments from pre-production, production and post up to 175 people at that time. This was our second movie done in what was referred to as “the warehouse environment”.

This picture of the crew of The Black Cauldron was taken at the end of production on the steps at the south end of the Animation building on the Walt Disney lot at 500 S Buena Vista St. Burbank California. This was the last feature animated film ever to be completed in this building. Approximately 1 year later we were “temporarily” relocated to a warehouse in Glendale.

The memo states that the relocation is temporary not to exceed 2-3 years. It would be 9 years before the animation department came back to the Walt Disney Studio lot, but not back to the animation building where they came from, but rather a new construction built specifically for them directly across the street.Because the animation department had been so successful in the so called temporary “warehouse environment” producing such classics as “Lion King” there was now alot of concern about the design of the “new animation building” to ensure continued success. That being said the decision was made to design the new building’s interior to mimick that of a warehouse since it was thought at the time that it was an important ingredient in the creation of a successful animated film. (wink)

This picture of the crew of The Little Mermaid was taken at the end of production at park in Glendale California.

(Photo care of Maddy O’Neil)

The crew of Rescuers Down Under at a park in Glendale. Rescuers Down Under was the first Walt Disney Feature animated film to use CAPS (Computer Animation Production System). This proprietary system designed by PIXAR software engineers utilized state of the art scanners, digital paint and composite systems along with optical printers and produced every animated picture until Chicken Little in 2004.

The Crew of the Great Mouse Detective
Also known as Basil of Baker Street
(Photo care of Phil Phillipson)

The first Walt Disney Pictures animated film produced in the wharehouse environment at 1420 Flowers St. Glendale California. This movie began production on the Disney lot as Basil of Baker Street and was moved mid production and renamed to The Great Mouse Detective. Some thought the new name was generic and to follow suit renamed every Disney animated film that had been done to date in the similar generic style.Care of veteran animation checker Janette Hulett below is the phoney memo with the new and improved titles created by story artist Ed Gombert.

This memo mysteriously appeared in the Calendar section of the Los Angeles Times one Sunday and also as a question on Jeopardy when a contestant chose a category and this list of “renamed” animated film titles displayed on the screen for which the contestant had to come up with the “original” animated film titles. (Thankyou Janette Hulett for this memo and your memories)