disney in space 2

the DISNEYLAND episode MAN AND THE MOON aired dec.1955, directed by WARD KIMBALL. it was inbetween the other two episodes MAN IN SPACE and MARS AND BEYOND. the captured images are from a kind of funny segment about man’s fascination with the moon. again the style is more oriented towards a simplified UPA look, more still images than limited animation, but somehow the look and treatment is not very ‘kimball’-like. it looks more like an assistant took over.

© disney enterprises, inc

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no parachute?

from WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT a sketch HARALD SIEPERMANN created, of eddie valiant falling and in discussion with some good friends, for the storyboard from the TOONTOWN sequence. june 1987.

© disney enterprise / amblin / universal

style 9.5

artists have always been inspired by other artists. otherwise impressionism or cubism had never developed and been explored by so many different artists. in animation disney first used children book illustrators like tenggren and nielsen as inspiration for the style of the first feature films. UPA was smaller and could afford to experiment with new looks, using modern art like dufy and modigliany, but as well upcoming cartoon and caricature stars like steinberg, searle and kurtzman for inspiration. later john hubley went even further with his shorts and a complete abstract look influenced by picasso, shahn and prestopino. I could continue this until today, where modern filmmakers get excited by art they accidentally find on the internet. it is so much easier today to look for reference or inspiration, everybody has a vast collection of art from museums, books, auctions or collectors at home available on the world wide web.
I was always interested to find out how looks were developed in the past. it was like a guideline for my own work, to find ways for developing new styles. now I am trying to teach those secrets to new generations. difficult, because you have to first learn about all the existing art in the world, figurative and landscape or environmental art, get enough knowledge about films of the past – and, experience by analysis how the look of the most interesting films was developed. the real challenge starts when you try to develop your own style for a project. one piece is already tough, but then the problem is to create a whole series of environments in the same style.

style 9.4

more t.s.sullivant

another rare SULLIVANT masterpiece in color

© sullivant

alex nino 12

another one of ALEX NINO’S masterful pre-visualizations of the hun attack in disney’s MULAN

© disney enterprises / alex nino

composition collection