Over the years I have talked about Eric Larson quite a bit. Eric was heading up Disney's animation training program during the 1970s and for part of the 1980s. He was also the person who hired me to join Walt Disney Productions (which sounds soo much better than the Walt Disney Company.)
I still feel so lucky that I knocked on Disney's door at the perfect time. A group of young newly trained animators had just left the studio, and there was a need for replacements. What lucky timing!
Eric Larson trained and helped kickstart careers of so many animators from my generation. Quite a few went on to become leaders in the industry.
When I recently finished my film MUSHKA I thought I better dedicate the film to someone, who played a major role in my animated career. Eric was the first one who came to mind. Without his trust in me I would not have had the dream career at Disney.
The photo above shows Eric drawing Fantasia characters as part of a backdrop for the 1941 film The Reluctant Dragon.
The following photo shows him next to Don Lusk, a young animator who helped Eric with characters like Figaro and Cleo for Pinocchio.
The training program during the late 1970s. There is Phil Nibbelink on the left, Eric, and Michael Cedeno. In the back are effects animator Mauro Maressa, Bruce Morris and Darrel van Citters.
Not sure who is directly behind Eric.
It is just in retrospect that myself and all the other trainees from way back realize just how important Eric was to all of us. He of course taught us the proper mechanics of animation, but even more importantly the Disney philosophy for entertainment and how to communicate with an audience. How to search for that extra sparkle that makes a character come off as unique and interesting.
Eric is the godfather of Sybil Byrnes, Milt Kahl's daughter.
Wow, Eric was Sybil's Godfather? I knew he was a religious man and I would've thought Milt himself was not interested in religion, nor was he enthusiastic about Eric's draftsmanship.
ReplyDeleteCool...where's the pics of you with Eric? 😉
ReplyDelete"Not sure who is directly behind Eric."
ReplyDeleteHi, Andreas,
That is effects animator Diann Landau who worked as an effects assistant on The Fox and the Hound (uncredited) and was part of the group who left Disney with Don Bluth . Diann worked as an effects animator on most of the Don Bluth films from The Secret of Nimh to The Pebble and the Penguin. She also worked as an effects animator on The Prince of Egypt at Dreamworks.
Thanks, David, for giving us this info!!
DeleteHey Andreas, since Eric Larson was the main animator on the Owl in "Bambi", was he also the animator on the owl character in "So Dear to My Heart"? I get the feeling that the owl in that film is like if you took the owl from "Bambi" but give him the personality of Jiminy Cricket. I feel like owls are some of Larson's special animal characters, if I may say so.
ReplyDeleteThe Owl in So Dear to My Heart was mostly animated by Milt Kahl. Larson DID animate the Owl in the last animated section of the movie, (which leads up to Jeremiah finally going to the county fair). Andreas has a picture of Bobby Driscoll, the child actor leaning over Larson's (who happens to be wearing glasses) shoulder. Wow, and there is a scene of Friend Owl jumping down from the tree ready to explain what Twitterpated means, but he looks both ways first (I'd think that's Larson). But then Bambi himself, Thumper and Flower all appear at the last second. It's okay if that's not Eric.
DeleteReally?! How did you know Milt animated most of the owl? "So Dear to My Heart" is one of my favorite Disney movies ever.
DeleteIch mag jede Art von positive Schüler Lehrer Erzählung und danke Ihnen daher für diesen Post! 👍😊
ReplyDeleteIch bearbeite in meiner Freizeit so gerne Fotos, dass mich das Gruppenfoto sehr gereizt hat. Aber da die Person hinter Nibbelink nicht klar zu identifizieren ist, wäre eine Restauration nicht möglich, ohne dabei die hintere Person zu löschen...