It is beyond me how Disney effects animators controlled all that massive line work from drawing to drawing when it came to animating water. Imagine looking at two of these drawings from Pinocchio on your animation disc, and then trying to create an in-between.
Yet they did it with stunning results. Scenes like these might look realistic to you, but in reality there are no graphic lines in the ocean. These moving drawings are imaginatively designed and timed to give you the illusion of water.
Beautiful art deco ripples appear as the crane takes a drink. From Fantasia's removed sequence
Clair de Lune. This short appeared years later in Make Mine Music with different music.
Bambi has incredible effects animation throughout, including water.
When I started at Disney way back, a friend asked me: Will we ever see water again like in Fantasia?
These effects artists were experimenting feverishly.
The Disney xerox films shared similar design ideas for water. Simple, economical, but still beautiful.
I believe the water's transparency was achieved through double exposure, I don't think they used transparent paint at that time.
We had some great looking water for Lilo & Stitch. The roundness of the character design is reflected in the wave patterns. And that's how it should be, special effects need to be specific to the overall design of the film.
Did I mention that this film was a ton of fun to work on?
Drawings, Heritage Auctions.
What's your take on The Little Mermaid's water?
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty good.
DeleteGeorge Rowley was pretty great at this (I was lucky enough to know him during the last years of his life.)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite water effect scene is in the Sorcerers Appretince part of Fantasia where the brooms are dumping buckets of water. It looks so clear (see through) and so wet. I still don't understand how one draws "wet".
ReplyDeleteThe Little Mermaid was the best Disney movie ever before Beauty and the Beast Aladdin and the Lion King.
ReplyDeleteI don't like Gaston in the live action of Beauty and the Beast he looks macho for my taste so in the animation he's very funny, I think he shot Bambi mother for hunting wen Belle she at the Beast castle.
ReplyDeleteI really think everyone involved with Lilo nailed it!
ReplyDeleteFantasia 2000 had some really amazing effects animation, and I guess those animators must have really felt pressured to live up to the film's title!
Have you heard about The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild the new game it's kind of like a Disney style of Fantasy Fairytale.
DeleteI'm out of the loop with games, but I've seen some teasers for it, it looks real nice! I think they've found a nice mid-ground between the "toon" and "twilight princess" styles.
DeleteAlso I forgot to mention the amazing effects animation in the Secret on NIMH!The cobwebs, lamp light, mud... they really put a lot into it!
I don't know if Disney will might be intresting making a Zelda movie about romance adventure swashbuckling action .
DeleteI think the water in those first several films was so good that if you were close enough to the screen, you'd jump back and gasp for air.
ReplyDeleteAnd now people want to make excuses for Moana "having" to be computer animated because of the water, as if we really need to have such realistic looking CG water in animated movies all the time.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I visit this blog. Things you almost overlook, and take for granted, are shown with all the artistry, imagination and hard work necessary for their creation. It's a lesson in appreciation, and then some. Marvelous.
ReplyDeleteI really love the water animation in the pool of tears scene from Alice in Wonderland. The way the tears splash about the room upon the floor is amazing to watching. And then the water begins flooding the entire room, splashing all over the Doorknob.
ReplyDeleteAs Andreas must be well aware, the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco is going to have a gallery exhibit of your work! Are you going to make an appearance there? Perhaps opening day, Wednesday Mar 22? Perhaps another weekday or evening soon thereafter? Please let us know! It's not everyday an artist gets a museum exhibition, and it's not everyday your followers get a chance to meet you. If you make it you'll remember it with pride for the rest of your life. Please let us know.
ReplyDeleteThe water scenes in Lilo and Stitch were everything to me as a kid. I was obsessed with drawing and painting those water scenes in pastels and water colours after I'd seen the movie. Those scenes to me are unforgettable.
ReplyDeleteShoutout to Joe Gilland for designing the effects in Lilo & Stitch!
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