It never occurred to me at the moment. I guess I was too
busy being enthralled by all the amazing artwork on the walls. Yet, there was
something different about the animation unit, and it took me a while before I
realized what it was. It turns out the entire unit was unique. It was comprised
of animation veterans and green young kids beginning their move up the
animation ladder. Why is this important, you ask? Read on, and you'll find out
why.
The entire second floor space of D-wing was occupied by Ward
Kimball's unit, and they seemed to exist in a world all their own. I do not
exaggerate when I say they were probably Disney's most creative and innovative
animation department. They did things other animation units would never dare,
and they got away with most of it even though their boss, Walt Disney was known
to be a micro manager. How did this happen, you might wonder? There were two
things, really. Disney knew his Directing animator, now turned producer could
deliver the goods. Second, the Old Maestro was preoccupied with his theme park
and other matters that left him distracted. This meant Ward Kimball could run
things his way because a lot of it was being done "under the radar."
However, I digress. I began speaking of the incredible mix
of talented individuals Ward Kimball assembled for his "Super Science Unit."
And, I think the make-up of that unique mix is significant. Veteran writers
worked alongside novice storytellers, and young animators worked with masters.
Ken O'Connor had worked on Fantasia, yet most of his layout team was new to
Disney. Conceptual artists such as Con Pederson would go on to work with
Stanley Kubrick on "2001: A Space Odyssey." Such was the make-up of Kimball's artistic team.
Ward's space unit was probably the most team at Disney
in
the 1950s
It took a guy as insightful as Ward Kimball to see the need
for this dynamic in his creative unit. He could have built a team of Disney
veterans, but they would be lacking in new approaches and fresh new ideas.
Ideas that would be invaluable in this bold new adventure that would take
Disney and animation to the threshold of space and beyond. However, a team of
talented youngsters would not have been a wise choice either because they would
have been lacking the depth and experience of the Disney masters. No, Ward
Kimball wisely assembled a team of kids and codgers. A unit that would draw on
the best assets of each group of artists. It would be breaking with the
restrictions of the past while retaining the solid foundation constructed by
the Disney masters.
With his team of young and old, Kimball began by breaking
away from the strictures of Disney past, and used his creative team to rethink
animation and film making in bold new ways. He gave his writers leeway to pioneer
fresh approaches to storytelling using scripting, storyboards and whatever else
would serve the storytelling process. Animators were not restricted to their
drawing boards but were invited to share in the writing of the film, character
design and even painted their own backgrounds. Disney's tightly structured
production process was deconstructed by Kimball as he pushed his creative team
to explore fresh new approaches to film making.
Of course, the glue that held these unconventional ideas
together was the combination of young and old. Should the veterans lean too
heavily on past solutions, the kids would press them to explore new ways of
accomplishing a task. And, should the kids find themselves in a pinch, they
could rely on the wealth of experience provided by the old professionals.
Clearly, it was the best of both worlds.
Even though the quirky Kimball often irritated Walt, the Old
Maestro often gave
him his way. Something few people enjoyed at Walt Disney
Studio
Naturally, the finished film would eventually be screened
for the Old Maestro, and the boss was clearly impressed by what he saw on the
screen. However, nothing got past Walt Disney, and Kimball caught some serious
heat after the screening for pushing things just a little bit too far. Lest you
think this is hearsay or something I read on a geeky blog, let me remind you
that I was there.
Ward Kimball's creative unit created some impressive work throughout
the 1950s and it's difficult to believe these innovative films were done so
long ago. The optical effects and compositing techniques were first rate, and
required a brilliant team that could think outside the box. Of course, the
clever animation demonstrated that Disney could do a good deal more than the
conventional "house style."
Bringing it all together required a team of clever,
irreverent young kids and sage, grey-haired old codgers. A pretty odd
combination one might think. Yet, this approach generated a creative,
innovative powerhouse that enriched the Walt Disney Studio. Just a small
thought one might consider in today's youth obsessed filmmaking culture.
Two dumb kids, Rick Gonzales and I sneak a peek at Ward
Kimball's office back in
the 1950s. Ward was asleep on his couch in the next
room
Did you enjoy today's JHM column? If so, don't forget that
Floyd Norman has several books currently on the market that also talk about the
many amazing & amusing adventures that this Disney Legend has had while
working in the animation industry.
Floyd's most recent effort – "'Disk Drive: Animated Humor in the Digital Age" – is available for purchase through blurb.com. While Mr. Norman's original
collection of cartoons and stories — "Faster! Cheaper! The Flip Side of
the Art of Animation" – is still for sale over at John Cawley's Cataroo.
And if you still haven't had your fill of Floyd … Well, then
feel free to move on over to Mr. Fun's Blog. Which is where Mr. Norman posts
his musings when he's not writing for JHM.