General
Disney-style inking & painting lives on, thanks to Courvoisier’s studio replicas
As a longtime fan of hand-drawn animation, it did my heart
good this past weekend to see Disney’s “The Lion King” once again wind up on
top of the box office heap. To have the 3D version of this 1994 Academy
Award-winner gross $30.1 million (which is more than twice what the No. 2 film,
“Contagion” managed to pull in) was just so satisfying in a strange sort of
way.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved
I mean, there’s no getting around the fact that hand-drawn
has had a tough couple of years. The last time that a hand-drawn animated
feature actually wound up in the Top Ten highest-grossing-films-for-that-year
was back in 1999. Which was when Disney released “Tarzan” to theaters. Which is
why – these days — there are fewer & fewer practitioners of hand-drawn
animation.
That’s why I always enjoy looking in on Courvoisier
Galleries. Here, hand-drawn animation is alive and well. And — no — I’m not
talking about the way the Walt Disney Animation Studios did it back in the
1990s with its CAPS system, which made use of digital ink and paint. I’m
talking about truly old school. Where a genuine human being using a skilled
hand & an Esterbrook pen nib painstakingly traced an animation drawing onto a
piece of acetate. Which was then sent down Disney’s production line for
painting.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc.
All rights reserved
Of course, what Courvoisier Galleries creates these days
aren’t actually production pieces. But – rather – studio replicas. Handmade
high-quality art replicating iconic moments from classic Disney animated films.
Take – for example – that Evil Queen piece that Courvoisier
Galleries is just now getting ready to release. As Ron Stark, director of S/R
Laboratories explained, hours & hours of research went into the creation of
this particular studio replica.
“We started by going frame-by-frame through ‘Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs,’ looking for just the right pose to use with the Evil Queen,”
Stark said. “We wanted to find something that was authentic, not contrived. A
pose that was truly indicative of the way this character actually thinks and
behaves in the film. More importantly, we wanted to do something new. We
weren’t out to repeat anything already on the market that featured this
character. But – rather – create a brand-new piece of artwork that then
celebrated Snow White’s Evil Queen.”
Once Stark and his staff settled on an image, they then
confer with Dave Pacheco – Creative Director for Disney Consumer Products – for
approval. Once Pacheco signed off on this particular pose of the Evil Queen, he
then headed over to Disney’s Animation Research Library and had them pull
specific pieces of art from “Snow White.” Which the Courvoisier Galleries team
then used for reference as they built their color model for this studio
replica.
This is a sample page from Snow White’s
pre-production color book, designating
what colors to paint the Dwarfs in this
sequence in the film
“Of course, what really helped with this particular project
is – here at S/R Laboratories – we have the actual Snow White pre-production
color book. The one Disney’s artists consulted while they were making the epic
animated feature back in the 1930s,” Ron stated. “Which is why we’re dead
certain our choices were right when it came to matching this film’s original
ink and paint colors.”
S/R Laboratories, being the only animation art conservation
center in the world, makes Disney paints they way the Studio did in 1937 and
throughout its long history. So it’s a no brainer for them to get the colors for these studio replicas right.
Courvoisier Galleries has been part of S/R since 1997.
Even so, once a color model for the Evil Queen piece was
completed, this production prototype of Courvoisier’s newest studio replica
still had to be run by the folks at Disney for their final approval. And once
S/ R Laboratories received that, it was then time for inking supervisor Beth
Ann McCoy-Gee to begin work.
“Depending on the number of colors we’re using, it can take
Beth Ann 1 ½ – 2 hours to ink each individual piece. And then another
conservator always checks her work to make sure that the inking looks proper
and the lines match up,” Stark said.
Once that’s done, it’s time to move on to the painting of
this studio replica. Which is done in the time honored tradition with the
painting being done on the reverse side of the cel and the darkest color being
applied first.
“What we do here is we ‘paint to camera’. That is, the
appearance of the cel must be as good or better than what you would see on the
screen as the camera would see it. We use the exact same techniques that
Disney’s own inkers and painters used back in the day. And since the camera
could always spot if there was any irregularity in the image … Well, it’s that
kind of accuracy we try to achieve here too,” Ron continued.
S/R Labs manager Amelia Dodge checks the
line
& paint work on a studio replica
And given these studio replicas are being created in the Courvoisier
tradition … Well, this then means a custom background is in order.
“We start with real wood veneer. That piece of wood is
sanded, cleaned and sealed so it can then be painted. And then – using an
original background layout from ‘Snow White’ as the model for our studio
replica’s background – we airbrush an image on this piece of wood,” Stark said.
“After this image is tinted and allowed to dry, this piece of wood veneer is
waxed then buffed, then waxed and buffed again. So the cel never actually comes
in contact with wood surface itself.”
And then it’s time to matte & frame the Evil Queen. And
since each studio replica is an individual piece of art, each matte is hand
lettered and hand stamped.
“More to the point, our mattes are made by Nielsen-Bainbridge.
This is the exact matting materials that the United States Library of Congress
uses to protect our national documents. So right from the very start, we’re
doing everything that we can to promote the longevity of Courvoisier Galleries
artwork,” Ron said.
This conservation attitude extends even to the glass-like
acrylic that S/R Laboratories uses in all of its framing materials. Which –
thanks to its glazing – filters out 99.9% of all destructive ultraviolet
energy.
“Given how labor intensive our Courvoisier production
process is, what with all of the checks and balances that we’ve put in place to
maintain the high quality of our artwork … Well, that’s why we do such small
production runs. Courvoisier’s never ever going to produce any more than 50 studio
replicas of any one image,” Stark stated. “Take – for example – the Evil Queen.
We’re actually limiting the production run of this studio replica to 37 pieces
in honor of the year that ‘Snow White’ was originally released to theaters.
Which was 1937.”
And then when you factor in how few galleries around the
country will actually be selling these pieces (As of right now, what with the
gift shop at the Walt Disney Family Museum having recently come on board as an
official Courvoisier dealer, that number has increased to just 8 galleries),
these studio replicas may just be the most exclusive pieces of Disney-related
artwork on the market today.
Mind you, I’d still like to see Walt Disney Animation
Studios back in the hand-drawn animation business full-time (Which might
actually happen. When I was at the “Winnie the Pooh” press junket back in June,
lead animator Bruce Smith – who supervised Kanga, Roo and Piglet on that
feature-length project – mentioned that Disney was doing some experimentation
with hand-drawn animation. Seeing if there was a way that they could then make
this old-school style of cinematic storytelling seem new & exciting for
today’s audiences). But until that day comes … Well, it’s just nice to see
Disney-style inking & painting being kept alive through Courvoisier’s
studio replicas line. And you can find
out about the latest doings at Courvoisier Galleries by dropping by
www.courvoisiergalleries.com.
Your thoughts?
General
Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District
Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.
Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.
Photo by Jim Hill
Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.
Photo by Jim Hill
Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…
Photo by Jim Hill
… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).
Photo by Jim Hill
But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.
Photo by Jim Hill
And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.
Photo by Jim Hill
Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …
Photo by Jim Hill
… the postman delivering the mail …
Photo by Jim Hill
… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …
Photo by Jim Hill
Photo by Jim Hill
… the street musician playing for tourists …
Photo by Jim Hill
Not to mention the tourists themselves.
Photo by Jim Hill
But right alongside the bronze businessmen …
Photo by Jim Hill
… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …
Photo by Jim Hill
… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …
Photo by Jim Hill
… or — for that matter — out-of-time.
Photo by Jim Hill
These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.
Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill
Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"
Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …
Photo by Jim Hill
… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …
Photo by Jim Hill
… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."
Photo by Jim Hill
But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.
Photo by Jim Hill
By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).
Photo by Jim Hill
By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.
General
Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues
Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.
Photo by Jim Hill
I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.
Photo by Jim Hill
Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.
Photo by Jim Hill
Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.
Photo by Jim Hill
And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.
Photo by Jim Hill
Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.
Photo by Jim Hill
That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.
Photo by Jim Hill
And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.
Photo by Jim Hill
Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.
Photo by Jim Hill
I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.
Photo by Jim Hill
I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.
Photo by Jim Hill
Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.
Photo by Jim Hill
Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."
Photo by Jim Hill
Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.
Photo by Jim Hill
And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.
Photo by Jim Hill
"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.
Photo by Jim Hill
I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.
Photo by Jim Hill
And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.
Photo by Jim Hill
And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."
Photo by Jim Hill
And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."
Photo by Jim Hill
One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.
Photo by Jim Hill
Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.
Your thoughts?
General
It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse
You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?
Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved
Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights
reserved
Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.
Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc.
All rights reserved
Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.
"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"
Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.
Copyright Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."
But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."
And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.
Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.
Copyright Disney Enterprises,
Inc. All rights reserved
"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."
So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?
Copyright Lucasfilm / Disney
Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."
This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015
How Disney’s “Bambi” led to the creation of Smokey Bear
Introducing “I Want That Too” – The Ultimate Disney Merchandise Podcast
New Updates and Exclusive Content from Jim Hill Media: Disney, Universal, and More
Attractions that make it easy to slip some education into your next Orlando-area vacation
Totting Up the Eisner Scorecard
Babes in Waltland : Part I
Star Wars Spoof: Space Robots in Outer Space Ep X: Battle for the Halcyon: The Last Starcruiser
Jim Hill Turns Lady & the Tramp Inside Out for D23 Fanniversary
Jim Hill & Nancy’s most excellent adventure in Diagon Alley
-
News & Press Releases11 months agoDisney Will Bring D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event to Anaheim, California in August 2024
-
History6 months agoFrom Birthday Wishes to Toontown Dreams: How Toontown Came to Be
-
History6 months agoUnpacking the History of the Pixar Place Hotel
-
History6 months agoThe Evolution and History of Mickey’s ToonTown
-
News & Press Releases5 months agoNew Updates and Exclusive Content from Jim Hill Media: Disney, Universal, and More
-
Film & Movies3 months agoHow Disney’s “Bambi” led to the creation of Smokey Bear
-
Merchandise4 months agoIntroducing “I Want That Too” – The Ultimate Disney Merchandise Podcast