Lilo 2002

Lilo and Stitch is in the news again, so I thought I might post film frames from a few of my scenes with Lilo. Just going through these scenes after so many years...a lot of emotions are coming back to the surface. It was a privilege animating this complex character. The studio knew me from my work on Roger Rabbit and Scar, but this was a very different challenge. All about subtleties, holding the character still for the most part to let the audience know about what Lilo was thinking. They really took a gamble on me here. 

What a beautiful film. Look at those mind-blowing watercolor backgrounds. Everything came together here. The unusual story, stunning art direction, emotional as well as very funny animation and an amazing score by Alan Silvestri. 

I only animated Lilo in these scenes, except when we hear Elvis singing out of Stitch's mouth. I did both characters in that section of the film.

 

  

 

More on Lilo's visual development and model sheet here:

https://andreasdeja.blogspot.com/2011/06/lilo.html 

A Kaa Moment

A few years ago  I was "freeze-framing" through a scene with Kaa and Shere Khan. The tiger has settled into his position by a tree, ready to interrogate the snake about Mowgli's whereabouts.

"It's me Shere Khan. I'd like a word with you if you don't mind." 

"Shere Khan, WHAT a surprise!" The vowel A on WHAT was drawn by Milt Kahl in such a beautiful way, I had to take closer look. Kaa's head is tilted back, mouth wide open. It is an astonishing drawing. The way Milt figured out this angle showing the inside mouth of this python and keeping it graphic is masterful. I wondered about Milt's observation of real snakes and his discovery for such an effective and interesting expression.

Recently I saw a photo of a snake with a similar head position. Honest to God...all the stuff Milt KNEW!

Kimball Roughs

I was about 11 years old when I first saw what Disney animation drawings looked like. My parents had bought me a little Super 8 film box set with a clip from Lady and the Tramp. It also included a little brochure on Disney Animation. And this photo of a young Ward Kimball caught my eye in a big way. These sketches of the rooster Panchito completely mesmerized me for a long time. At the time they were the most beautiful drawings I had ever seen. So lively, so appealing, I kept studying them.

I don't think these are Kimball's actual animation roughs though. It looks like he used a grease pencil here, and he drew them for the photographer. Still...to this day, absolutely masterful!! And the fact that Ward had the time of his life working on Saludos Amigos comes through in his spirited line work. Pure joy!

Here is a series of his animation drawings from the deleted Soup Eating sequence in Snow White, drawn a few years earlier. Ward took what Fred Moore had introduced in terms of character styling as well as squash and stretch, and he made it his own. These are his roughs, not the clean ups used in the pencil test sequence most of us have seen. Stupendous work at such a young age.

PS  There are key drawings missing from this scene. There is no way #6 follows #5 directly.