Why does Disney still have drawing classes?

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(I read this really cool article a while back! Thought I'd summarize it here because it touched upon some important things students and new animators should keep in mind! Enjoy the post!)

The Disney Studios

"Disney makes movies with only computers now, nobody draws, CG is destroying the business, Remember when animation used to be good??"

      This is shit I read on the daily.. But it couldn't be further from the truth! Over here at Disney we draw, and are always learning. For about 82 years this studio has been developing and teaching artist behind the scenes through figure drawing classes and with lectures on classical drawing.

Why??
       As artist we are dealing with characters. Characters have bodies and we have to know how to move them believably! Other wise you get animation that looks like it came straight out of 'QWOP'

      In these drawing classes here at Disney, they don't just lock us in a room with "it's a small world" blaring from speakers as projectors flash the words: "MAGIC MAGIC MAGIC" over and over, lol. We actually have some pretty cool drawing masters lead the class and walk around as we draw the model. Sometimes as they will politely interrupt you and say, "Nice!" While other days they might sit down and give you a personal demo on how to nail that foreshortened knee.

      You can create an animated film with out knowing how to draw. But it's more about what drawing knowledge can add to your art. "You can't achieve dynamics with out bones and structure, and in order to have structure you need to study it. From there one can extend out in any direction towards any style." -Karl Gnass

      Check out this drawing by Glen Keane. Drawings like these influence how the characters are created and sculpted in computer animated films.

   On a more personal note, these drawing classes aren't to just have us in tip-top shape 24/7. They also serve as an escape. I know I go to these 2 1/2 hour classes during lunch to get away once in a while. Some people play Foosball, others sit and video chat with love ones. All day you are working on the directors vision and bringing it to life which is awesome! Though, getting some 'me' time to remind myself, 'hey I have ideas too' is also great. I get to do what ever I want in that class and have some fun creating something for no one other than me. That opportunity to do that in your work place is priceless!

      Who do we have to thank? Art Drawing classes started at Disney around 1932 thanks to Art Babbitt. It was uninstructed at first, but then Disney hired Don Graham, who taught at an art school in Los Angeles.

Figure Drawing back in the day

    Now to something relevant: You will see computer artist who are attending drawing classes with the sole intent to gain some secrets of how things move by studying anatomy and structure. They don't understand that its more than that. You have to not only understand why something is right but also how to create it from the inside out with feeling. (WOA DANNY, that was way tooo artsy. slow down there) All I'm saying is that you don't draw to become an animator or to work in animated films. You draw to help yourself become an artist. And that said, Artists can make the best animators.

Thanks for reading!
The original article is here so make sure to give it a look for it is much better written :) Original text

Interviewing a Disney Animator

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Hi everyone!

    I was going through some things and I found this interview I did a year or two ago. Thought it would be nice to post it for all to read. :)

     Right now I'm working on Zootopia, comes out spring 2015. We are in the middle of production, hours are long and the work is intense.. and I love it! I can't wait for all of you to check out the film when it comes out. in the mean while I'm trying to stay sane with some sort of work life balance (along with a few drinks here and there!) For all of you going through a tough crunch or about to start school, don't forget to have fun! hope you enjoy the post! 

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Author: Canadian Diva

Daniel L. Gonzales is the epitome of where hard work, strong values  coupled with creativity can lead to one being successful at such a young age. He was the youngest intern at PIXAR Animation Studios which  receives over 2000 postgraduate applications a year and picks only a few for the job. After working 3 years at PIXAR, Mr. Gonzales then moved to Los Angeles, California to work at the Walt Disney Animation Studios where he continues his creative magic for all of us to see on the big screen.

This incredible, artistic prodigy was born in  San Diego, California in 1988. His interest and natural talent in  drawing, as well as painting, was noticed when he was a child. When he entered into college, he moved to Oakland and studied at the California College of the Arts, where his gift for animation was further encouraged into becoming his major.

Daniel Gonzales’  work has been seen on animated features such as, “Toy Story 3″, “Wreck-it-Ralph“, “FROZEN” and the upcoming Fall 2014 Theatrical Debut,  “Big Hero 6″.

Mr. Gonzales is also a teacher for up and coming animators. He has a Blog with great tips for animators as well as other fascinating articles on being creative which also includes life-related articles pertaining to his experiences that you could read about here.

We are so excited to be interviewing Daniel Gonzales for Tips from the Disney Diva.

Hello Daniel, it is such a pleasure to do this interview with you. What a dream job you have! Could you give our readers a glimpse into the day in the life of a Walt Disney Studio’s Animator?

A day of a Disney Animator… Well I can’t speak for my co-workers but besides waking up and the morning commute, my day is pretty much filled up with problem solving! As an artist, you are solving problems all the time. You have a piece of art to create and a mission to find a solution that gives you the right composition, timing, poses, lines, rhythm, arcs and more. They all need to work together in a harmonious way that’s appealing to look at. We animators might make it look easy once it’s on the big screen, but it’s a lot of hard work! To be honest, at the end of the day it doesn’t feel like work when you are doing something you love.


You and I have had similar upbringings, in which we both were raised by single mothers. How did growing up in a single parent environment fuel your career choices and motivate your drive to succeed?

Growing up was hard, but as a kid I didn’t know it was hard. When I was younger it was what it was and I loved it because  it was the only life I knew. When you have a single mom as a parent, you are raised pretty much by your whole family. Everyone has to help out and take care of you while your mom goes to work. So I got a lot of different perspectives growing up and I do think that helped me as an artist. I have all these different view points and angles of life to pull from and I am able to insert this into my work. Seeing my mom work hard for us made me want to work hard in something, and it just so happen to be art. 


There is often a stigma or stereotype of people in their 20’s. That they feel entitled and not willing to work from the bottom up. Could you comment on this, how you seem to break this stereotype at such a young age. And what steps do you feel young adults of your generation need to do to get ahead?

I think what we call stigma and the stereotype of 20 year olds is a mis-understanding and I’ll tell you why: It’s not that 20 yr olds feel entitled, it’s that they were raised in a time where hierarchy is no longer valued and treating everyone equal and the same makes more sense. This leads to one thinking they are equal to their boss and that everyone’s opinion is dumb and good at the same time and you can speak your mind freely. This, to people who were not raised as such,  might see this as cocky, brazen, or an entitlement complex that needs to be included in every conversation in the work space. The ‘not willing to work’ part is just that people underestimate how much work it takes to get things done, this is learnt overtime and with experience.

When I first started to work in my late teens, I was very green. Keeping your head down and taking licks was a concept I had never heard of growing up. In my neighborhood, respect was never given for free and if you thought something then you spoke your mind. But now looking back, I am so grateful for the friends I had working in the many places I have been at. They really helped me adjust and learn. I learned It is very important to be respectful to everyone, humility is a virtue and not a weakness. It is even more important to keep in mind that everyone knows at least one thing you don’t. You are always learning and there is so much one doesn’t know. When I see teenagers and 20 year olds with the mind set that they are going to change the world, that their way is the right way and everyone else is wrong and there is a new big fish in the pond, I smile. Not because I use to kind of be like that, but because I hope they are right. I hope they are the ones that change the world and teach us older people a thing or two. I hope that they challenge the status quo and butt heads against the current establishment and shake things up. I think the world needs this kind of push and pull between some of us who like the way things are and those who want to change it. I believe somewhere in the middle of those two camps is the answer.

I wouldn’t change anything about how this generation is doing things, let them find their own way and hopefully that way turns out better.

You worked on “Frozen” which has literally taken the world by (ice) storm! Did you and the team of over 600 artists, working on “Frozen”, ever imagine the blizzard proportions this would cause? Would you be able to tell us which component of the movie you were part of?

Some foresaw the success and others did not, but boy did it still surprise us all when it took off! I personally did not ever imagine the effect it was going to have on the world. I was a part of a team of about 70 animators. We all worked on all the characters together and animated them to life. I was a small piece in something much greater than me and I love that feeling. Everybody is a small piece, but together we create an awesome, unique team that wouldn’t exist otherwise without us.

“Big Hero 6″ is the next Walt Disney Animated Feature coming to the big screen on November 7, 2014. There is so much anticipation and excitement about this film, could you tell us a bit about it?

I can tell you that I am proud of it and I can’t wait for everyone else to experience all the hard work my colleagues and I have put into it.

Disney Animators have literally become a household name with the “Disney Princess Animator’s Collection”. Who are the Disney Animators you admire and enjoy working with?

Like I mentioned above, I believe everyone knows something I don’t, so I am always ready to learn from anyone. This makes every single co-worker someone I respect and makes me eager to work with them. I learnt a lot from the animators who have come before me that are also very very talented. Animators such as Milt Kahl, Glen Keane, and Eric Goldberg are household names in the work place at any animation studio.

You are now a teacher and role model for future Animators, how does it feel like to be in this role and how do you approach being an important key to the future generations in your line of work? 

I don’t feel like a teacher, I just feel like another person fulfilling their role on a game of hot potato. I have all this insight and knowledge that is very hot and I can not wait to pass it on to someone who wants and needs it. I approach this role with the mindset of: just be myself, it’s the information that matters, not who is delivering it. The moment I take myself out of the equation I start to relax.

Most people do animation and painting as a hobby yet since you are able to do this as your main work, what are your hobbies and interest outside of your career?

I paint and draw all the time. I hang out with friends a lot as well. I think I do it so much it might as well be a hobby!

Now for some FUN Disney Questions…

Favorite Disney Theme Park?

My favorite spot to check out is Disneyland in Anaheim. Specifically Adventureland!

Favorite Disney Attraction and Why?

I like riding Splash Mountain, on repeat, right before the park closes at midnight because the line is literally nonexistent. When you’re with the right crowd and have a lot of energy it is the best way to end the night.  I’ve had so many good times with my brother, cousins and friends posing for the camera when they take your picture on the last fall.

We Have a Lot of Foodies on Our Writing Team As Well As Our Readers Who Love Food… What is Your Favorite Disney Snack or Meal?

There are so many choices to choose from because Disney does food so well. What would I choose?? The ice cream spot on Main Street USA in Disneyland, The Dole-whip Pineapple Float right outside the Tiki-room, Or the tasty drinks at Trader Sam’s Bar inside the Disneyland Hotel and Resort. But HANDS DOWN, if I had to choose one thing it would be the SPICY CORN DOG in California Adventure. Only one spot has it and it’s near Goofy’s Flight School. Sometimes I just go for the corn dog and not the rides, it’s that satisfying.

Any Favorite Disney Themed Restaurants?

Trader Sam’s has an awesome atmosphere and I love grabbing an appetizer because the vibe is so good.

Favorite Disney Movie Growing Up?

The “Lion King” was a favorite of my younger brother, so I would watch it everyday with him after school. I know that movie by heart,  but personally I liked “Bambi”. In my opinion, it’s a very artsy film and I like what they did with colors and the music throughout the film!

Favorite Disney Character You Enjoyed Working On?

I enjoyed working on Olaf. He was so appealing and there was never a boring moment animating him!

How Did You Show Your #DisneySide

I post a lot of Disney jokes on twitter..

Disney Villains Are All the Rage Now…Who is Your Favorite? 

HANS from “FROZEN”  is by far my favorite. I don’t know why exactly, maybe it’s because he seems like a sociopath and he pretended to be a good guy for most of the film. The fact that he doesn’t have any magical powers and had to rely on his smarts is very cool for me.

With the excitement building of “Big Hero 6″ out in November 2014 – being a Marvel/Disney collaboration, who is your ultimate, favourite Marvel Character?

I enjoy “Spider-man”. His comics are always well done and I love how artists have been drawing him. One thing that makes “Spider-man” special for me, is that before he became Spider-man, he let a robber get away for selfish reasons. That same robber ended up killing his guardian Uncle Ben. This story line really made it clear to me that,  your choices have consequences which could come back to hurt you. I know other Super Hero’s also have those kind of moments but “Spider-man’s” story illustrated it distinctly for me.

Which Disney character are you most like?  And which Disney character inspires you?

I never thought of what character I was most like before. People have told me when my hair is messy I look like Aladdin in a good way or Prince Eric.But a memory of mine did pop up right now that I would of never remembered if it wasn’t for this question! It’s of me when I was younger watching ‘A GOOFY MOVIE’ and relating to the main character. I think his name was Max. Max was in school and had a crush he wanted to impress so bad that he was willing to compromise his family vacation! Now, I never ruined a family vacation but I’m  sure almost everyone can relate to doing stupid things to try to impress or get someone’s attention when they were younger.
I don’t know what character I am most like, maybe that’s a question for my girlfriend, she knows me better than I do sometimes!

In regards what inspires me: I am inspired by how Roger in ‘101 Dalmatians’is animated.

If you were to meet Mr. Walter Elias Disney (Walt Disney) in another life, or in a future heaven, what would you like to say to him?

I would ask him what was his hardest moment, physically and/or emotionally (like hitting rock bottom). What was going through his mind at that time and how he got through it. You can learn a lot about a person when you see them at their worst, but you can learn even more when you see them persevere.

Self Education

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More on Self education in my WORKSHOPS tab ^^        

I've always been about making education if not affordable, well at least free. "But Danny now you are teaching for a hefty price... what gives?"

         -Yes, I thought about that and that's why I'm writing this post. There's a lot of people out there who can't afford colleges, animations schools or workshops. They lose hope and don't know Self teaching is an option. It's hard but IT IS POSSIBLE. I came across many students trying to teach themselves how to animate as I did research on this topic. Some had the self taught route under control and knew what they were doing. I'm passing along what I found so that it may be a guide to those who want to become animators but are lost because they can not afford higher education.  

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       Personally I can relate to the self-taught route because growing up all I did was study on my own and teach myself to draw. Even though teaching yourself how to animate and teaching yourself how to draw are very different, they share a lot of the same hurdles and issues. Self Education is not easier than going to college, in fact it is harder because you are doing this on your own with no teachers or mentors. Many people try to go the self taught route and fail (True Story)

IT TAKES TIME

       - Yourself is not a walk in the park, teach at your own pace, smooth merry go round full of fun. It's as much work as a full time job. The amount of effort you put into your self education is equal to the results you should expect to receive from it. If you spend 5 hours a week self teaching while there are students in colleges spending 6 hour days, 5 days a week taking classes, what do you think your chances are when it's time to hire you or them? 

IS YOUR DRIVE BOTTOMLESS

       -You have to want your goal really bad, but your WANT can not be more than what you are physically willing to do. Example: You want to be an animator but you didn't realize it was so tedious to create animation. You must have patience and foresight to keep the light at the end of the tunnel with in reach. 

REALIZE YOU ARE NOT A PRODIGY

        -Surround yourself with people who do better than you, work harder than you and want their dreams just as bad, they just might rub off on you in a good way

We aren't all just destined for greatness - it takes hard work to get there!

Here are some Idea's I compiled from online sources of things to do for experience:

1. Make your own animated film, even if you have no budget. It doesn't matter if it's very bad,  stop motion with Lego figures, or an experiment with Post it notes. Making a film will show you exactly how much work goes into everything and help develop perspective and respect for the business. (though making a film should not count as practicing working on your skills - PRACTICE ROUTINE)
2. Watch a lot of movies, take notes, and listen to the director commentary tracks. The commentary can be a gold mine of information on why directors made the choices they made, the challenges they faced, etc. Sometimes they'll call out things you never even noticed.
3. Learn a lot about story structure, and what makes something engaging, entertaining, satisfying. Here are book I found people mention
   • Invisible Ink and The Golden Theme by Brian McDonald
   • Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
   • Francis Glebas' blog (especially his "Ride the Dragon" story structure)
   • The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
4. Once you've figured out story, then learn about Visual storytelling. It's is an awesome tool for your 'mental toolbox'. In any film, but especially animation, you want to say as much as possible with the visuals, and use as few shots as possible to get it across. Watch really good movies, do sketches of the key moment in each shot or a whole scene and take note of all the different shots there are, and put them together in a reverse-engineered storyboard, so you can see how they were constructed and why the director and story artists made those decisions. There are a few books that have been recommended to me on this subject, but that I have yet to read:
   • The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV and Digital Media by Bruce Block
   • Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative by Will Eisner
   • Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animated Features and Shorts by Nancy Beiman
   • DREAM WORLDS - Hans Bacher
   There are also plenty of video tutorials on Vimeo and YouTube, if you search for them. One great video lecture I read that was recommended Sherm Cohen on Vimeo, about the 7 Hidden Patterns of Successful Storyboards.
5. Take a look and see if there are any workshops, classes, or other resources you can tap into to help inform and build your knowledge to create your own curriculum. Skillshare is popular, and it's very affordable as well. there are courses from Sarah Zucker that teach a bit about story structure with the added benefit of valuable feedback from peers. The course was Screenwriting: Writing the 10-minute Short. Daniel Gonzales, an animator at Disney, is also teaching a course called Constructing a Story: Advanced Visual Storytelling, and his lectures have been invaluable from the visual storytelling perspective. Another resource that you may be very interested in is a new book by Tony Bancroft, who directed Mulan. The book is Directing for Animation: Everything You Didn't Learn in Art School.
6. Learn how to make decisions. There is an interview once with Brad Bird, where he compared being a director to being one of the grasshoppers who get pummeled with seeds in that scene from A Bug's Life, when Hopper makes a point to his gang. The seeds are questions, and as a director, you are buried in them every day - you have more than you can possibly ever answer. But as director, you can never say "I don't know..." you always have to know, because you are the #1 decision maker, and there is no one else for you to go to. So figure out how to look like you know what you're doing, so your crew can trust that they can come to you and get an answer.
7. Aim to make your work compete with the quality of the work of someone who has a job you want! Aim high and never settle
8. LEARN FROM ALL ARTS: straight from Lips of Brad Bird (Director of the 'Incredibles')

        So those are some things to do. I know the reality right now is that you'd love to go to a school and have a mentor, work with peers, and get all the benefits that a study course would offer... but you can't. I hope this post is a little beacon that gives you a little more guidance than you'd have other wise if you are thinking about taking this scary journey on your own. 

Why is it great to be an animator. Here is Steven Spielberg saying why

Improving Your Animation 101

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lol

       If you are an aspiring animator (or artist) and you find yourself spending more time reading than actually DOING anything then I'm writing this for you. No  baseball player ever read a lot about baseball and then was an amazing baseball player. If you think that since animation isn't a sport you do not have to practice?? Wrong. Articles and tips can get you motivated and inspired to work but thy wont make you great.

      The nine old men of animation (9 men who invented the guidelines of HOW TO ANIMATE) they didn't have anyone give them tips or tricks. They had to do Good ol' hands-on-training. I've searched the internet and asked around and I have put together a list of exercises for an aspiring animator to do! Even if you consider yourself advanced I would suggest you still start from level one. never hurts to make sure you have your abc's/basics locked down :)

      Always remember the 12 principles of animation (google it if you do not know them bc it will change your world!) you should try to incorporate all of them in all your animation test if possible! I put in parenthesis the skills the exercise challenges but always remember that all the 12 principles should addressed.

Basics
Bouncing ball (loop) (squash and stretch/spacing)
Bouncing ball across the screen (2 bounces) (squash and stretch/spacing)
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Cinder Block sliding off a shelf, hitting the floor. (spacing, form)
Flour Sac Jump (mass)
A blink (spacing/squash and stretch)
A head turn (transitions/ arcs)

breaking a sweat
walk cycle (technical)
run cycle (technical)
character jumping (physical/ spacing)
Suicide backwards fall off a ledge (subtle delays and overlap)
A character getting up from a chair (physical, anticipation)
A smile (face muscles, appeal)
A sneeze (exaggeration and timing)
Do an action that requires a 'smear' (technical)
Laughing (reference studying)

Marathon training
Animate a hand doing something-close up (anatomy)
character lifting a heavy object (weight)
animate a dog shaking after a bath (overlap follow through)
hammering a nail (timing spacing)
character blowing up a balloon (physicality)
piano falling on a character (timing weight)
character brushing their teeth (personality)
character eating a sandwich (personality)
getting up out of bed (physical personality)
waiting for the bus stop (entertainment/ appeal)

Quitters quit, winners win
character throwing a bucket of water on another (physical acting)
tug of war b/w two characters (tension)
character drinking wine (research)
character making an egg- full process from fridge to mouth (rhythm and timing)
A feather falling and being blown by the wind (reference)
character reacting to "your parents are dead" (acting)
putting on a pair of pants (physical)
sleeping character being startled, then going back to sleep (rhythm and texture)


KEEP IN MIND - These will make you better not get you a job. Studios want to see dialogue and acting. what these exercises above do is help you become a better animator!

You are not animating lines, you are animating a personality, an emotion, the feelings. you are animating something deeper than just what you see.

keep it simple.

You don't have to show anyone, these tests are for you!!!

working out isn't fun, animation should be. that is the ONLY difference between sit ups and animation :)

internship deadline 2 weeks away?  ...SMH

DISNEY ANIMATORS..

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Guess what we've been doing...

Just guess..

       Making a Brand Spanking New DISNEY PRINCESS! About 67 of the worlds greatest animators have been in the trenches for the whole summer. They've been working their butts off to bring to you a whole new movie that FEEEEELS like a Disney Classic. It feels like Little Mermaid and Lion King.. and it feels like Disney is back. Stay patient, bc once this movie comes out in November, it won't disappoint.

        But bringing new Disney princesses to life is hard work! Here is how your favorite Disney Animators unwind at Griffith Park, short drive from the Walt Disney Animation Studios. These are the faces that help bring past time favorites such as Emperor's New Groove and Wreck it Ralph! These are people are like you and me, these are my friends, these people are artists. I think it's very important to see the smiles behind the movies people grow up with :) enjoy the video!





        I hope everybody is enjoying their summer! And do not forget, if you are an aspiring animation student and are looking to further your education to the next level, these Pie throwing Disney animators also TEACH. (schools name is called AnimSquad) I specifically want to point out that if you don't have the time/money to take a semester in this Downtown Los Angeles school, These Disney animators are doing a Master Class that is only a weekend long. If you want more info here's the link!

http://www.animsquad.com/weekend-masterclass/