Friday, July 18, 2014

Lessons from Frank & Ollie

…about observation and personality. These clips are part of a program that helped promote their book The Illusion of Life. It aired in the early 1980s on the Disney channel. After reminiscing about their long careers at the studio, Frank and Ollie talk in front of students from Cal Arts a well as Rowland High School. Some of these kids went on to become big players in the animation industry. One young student is John Ramirez, who turned out to be the fastest inbetweener in the West, and I was lucky to have John help me meet my crazy deadlines for Lion King and Hercules.
Joe Ranft is in the audience as well.
It’s fun to watch Frank and Ollie in top form, as they communicate with a new generation of animation artists.



14 comments:

  1. Aww, I'd love to watch this. Unfortunately the video isn't available in germany due to music copyright reasons. :/

    Anyway, thanks for this great blog and greetings from Hamburg! :)

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    1. I believe there some google chrome extensions to hide your country or appear as other country to avoid that same problem, there may be some website doing the same as well.

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  2. Two Masters!!! I love this Book, one of my favorites!!! =)

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  3. den firefox unblocker laden, dann gehts und direkt auf youtube schauen!

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  4. Amazing. Please post any more of this type of stuff. I love all the informative teachings. I can eat it up all day long :)

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  5. When I think of these great masters of animation feel a kind of sad joy. Joy to know the beautiful things that man can makes. Things that made those nine old men. Sadnes to feel they belong to an era that no longer exists, an era that belongs to my childhood.

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  6. I can't write it down how grateful I am for you!!! I have never seen this video before! Thank you sooooo much!!!

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  7. That book is truly amazing just like their documentary Frank and Ollie. I really wish these guys were still around. Even though I am going through college right now to get my degree in animation, I still want to learn the traditional way rather than the computer animation way. It would have been incredible to be taught by these Disney legends in person.

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  8. I believe that was Phil Young asking the questions at the beginning? He was my mentor from across the continent while I dreamed of being an animator living in North Carolina. What a great guy!

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  9. I would like to meet you in person Andreas...a Living Legend!!!!

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  10. Just wondering: could the guy setting up the screen and projector at around 18:45 into this video be a very young Roy E. Disney?

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  11. Andreas, you are truly a blessing! Thanks for sharing this with us. I would've loved to have met Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. You are keeping the creative spirit of these artistic legends alive & well. One of my favorite articles you've posted thus far.

    Any chance in the future you can do another article about the teamwork between Mitl Kahl and Frank Thomas?

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