Book Reviews
Animator Mag Website
Email
Category Archives: Disney
Disneywar: The Battle for the Magic Kingdom by James B. Stuart
This book tells a story of personal greed and the struggle to maintain power at the top of the Disney organisation towards the end of Michael Eisner’s term as CEO. Once I got into the book I found it a real page-turner as it documented Roy Disney’s attempt to remove Mr Eisner from his post, after 20 years at the top.
The author James B. Stuart is a former page-one editor of The Wall Street Journal. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for his reporting of the stock market crash. The book is based primarily on first hand reporting consisting of hundreds of interviews and a review of many thousands of pages of documents.
Part of the book documents the conflict between Michael Eisner and Disney chairman, Jeffery Katzenberg. After Katzenberg was forced to resign from Disney he mounted a court battle for the compensation he believed he was due under his contract. At one point Katzenberg indicated that he would settle for $60 million. Eisner and the Disney board would not concede this but the eventual court case led to a settlement of $280 million. This is an eye watering amount in anyone’s reckoning, especially when the Disney animators were, at the time, being paid the lowest wages the studio could get away with. Jeffery Katzenberg moved on to DreamWorks where he oversaw the production of many hit animation movies including Shrek. Ironically this started a wages war between Disney and DreamWorks as they tried to entice the top animators to their studio… Continue reading
Walt Disney Animation Studios – The Archive Series: Design
Whether it consists of quick sketches on a paper napkin, elaborate paintings in oil or watercolous or dazzling computer renderings, the unparalleled creative process of Disney artists is here collected and showcased. Among the incredible talents featured are Albert Hurter, Disney legend Joe Grant, Gustaf Tenggren and many more. Third in The Walt Disney Animation Studios – The Archive Series, this volume focused on design gives readers a rare opportunity to glimpse some of the most spectacular treasured from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library… Continue reading
Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures – Volume 1
Discover the lessons that helped bring about a new golden age of Disney animation!
Published for the first time ever, Drawn to Life is a two volume collection, each volume sold separately, of the legendary lectures from long-time Disney animator Walt Stanchfield. For over twenty years, Walt helped breathe life into the new golden age of animation with these teachings at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and influenced such talented artists as Tim Burton, Brad Bird, Glen Keane, and John Lasseter. These writings represent the quintessential refresher for fine artists and film professionals, and it is a vital tutorial for students who are now poised to be part of another new generation in the art form.
Written by Walt Stanchfield (1919-2000), who began work for the Walt Disney Studios in the 1950s. His work can be seen in films like Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, 101 Dalmatians, and Peter Pan.
Edited by Academy Award nominated producer Don Hahn, who has prduced such classic Disney films as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King… Continue reading
Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures – Volume 2
Discover the lessons that helped bring about a new golden age of Disney animation!
Published for the first time ever, Drawn to Life is a two volume collection, each volume sold separately, of the legendary lectures from long-time Disney animator Walt Stanchfield. For over twenty years, Walt helped breathe life into the new golden age of animation with these teachings at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and influenced such talented artists as Tim Burton, Brad Bird, Glen Keane, and John Lasseter. These writings represent the quintessential refresher for fine artists and film professionals, and it is a vital tutorial for students who are now poised to be part of another new generation in the art form.
Written by Walt Stanchfield (1919-2000), who began work for the Walt Disney Studios in the 1950s. His work can be seen in films like Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, 101 Dalmatians, and Peter Pan.
Edited by Academy Award nominated producer Don Hahn, who has prduced such classic Disney films as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King… Continue reading
Animation (Walt Disney Animation Archives)
With an introduction by John Lasseter—and very little else in the way of words—this second book in The Artist Series lavishly showcases the most brilliant animation created by such luminaries as Ub Iwerks, Norm Ferguson, Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske, Dick Huemer, Grim Natwick, Art Babbitt, Fred Moore, Bill Tytla, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Marc Davis, John Lounsbery, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Les Clark, Wolfgang Reitherman, John Sibley, Bill Justice, Clyde Geronimi, Ted Berman, Glen Keane, Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg, Mark Henn and Tony Bancroft. The artwork—much of which has never before been published—offers the opportunity to marvel at the those magical lines of pencil that brought life to so many unforgettable Disney characters. Animation represents a rare opportunity to enjoy a glimpse into the truly spectacular trove of treasures from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library… Continue reading
The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation
This book traces the development of Disney animation, explains what made Disney’s style unique, and features original sketches and drawings revealing the origins of Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters.
For anyone who wants to understand how classical animation works this is simply the best book available. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnstone were masters in their field – their work has in many ways never been surpassed. The only difficulty with using their book is its sheer size, and the fact that the book is many different things – part history of the Disney studio, part amusing anecdote, and of course part instruction manual… Continue reading