International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1947)

THE PRODUCTION OF CARTOON FILMS By DAVID HAND G-B Animation, Ltd. This article, which was read at a meeting of the British Kinematograph Society, deals with the development of a cartoon sequence from the original story idea, through production routine, to its inclusion in a finished film. The production steps in a Walt Disney cartoon were outlined in a previous issue of I. P.* and a comparison of the methods employed by American and British animators should prove highly interesting. NO SCRIPT is prepared for a cartoon film. The script is always in graphic form — many drawings which describe the action are arranged in sequence and continually revised until the complete idea is finally approved for production. As an average, an individual drawing corresponds to about eight feet of film, although sometimes it may be necessary to draw half-a-dozen pictures for ten feet of film, while on the other hand, a single picture may sometimes cover 20 or 30 ft. Each story board consists of about 60 drawings, and a complete cartoon might comprise three or four boards. The usual method of developing a story is to assign a basic idea to two artists, who stimulate each other in developing their "gags," until a single sequence is eventually completed. When the whole story is finally approved, it is handed to the director. He is the co-ordinator of all the departments, and is responsible from the inception of the story until the picture is finally screened. Musical Sequence Before the story goes to the director it may be pre-scored. Dialogue must always be pre-scored, and in this case a chart is prepared for the director, which shows frame by frame timing of vowels, consonants, inflections, and modulations of the voice. Music need not be pre-scored, and it is possible to complete a picture without any music having been composed, thanks to the mechanical * "Production Steps in a Walt Disney Cartoon," by William Hosie, IP for July 1946, Sec. II. 10 means used for timing and synchronizing the music. A musical production, which must synchronize with the cartoon action, that is, dancing, should be pre-scored. The director must at that time decide the tempo of the picture. The setting of the tempo is done by an understanding of music and treatment. The music beat must fit the picture tempo, whether it be, say, two beats to the second (known as "two twelves," since there are 24 frames to the second), three to a second, with a beat every eight frames, or otherwise. Generally, a picture will start in slow tempo and increase speed towards the end. Having decided the tempo, the director times every foot of action throughout the film. He has for this purpose a worksheet: a chart into which is written a description of the action for each foot of film. The chart is divided into squares, which in the case of 2/12 timing, will each represent twelve frames. Each The Animation Camera square is numbered, and these numbers are given to the composer of the music, who numbers each bar of music to correspond. Next, the director makes out an exposure sheet, which is the "bible" for the animator and everybody else concerned with the picture. On this are lines which allow for the indicating of the individual drawings; each line represents l/24th second, or one frame of film. Columns show the "cell level" — the position of a particular celluloid in photographing. On this chart, each drawing is numbered, and in exposure the camera operator places the drawings where the animator has numbered them. Drawings are registered on all drawingboards and on the camera by means of holes fitting on standard pegs. Layout Technique The layout man starts with thumb-nail sketches, which he subsequently draws to full size. Consecutive layout action sketches will show the positions of the characters in various portions of the scene. The normal "field" of the camera is 10" x l1/^" ; while shooting, the camera may be moved closer to the drawing, so restricting the area of the "field." The director delivers the layout and exposure sheet to the animator, who will create the movements of the characters. The length of time which it would take a single animator to produce a complete film would be too long, and so a group of animators must be employed. One director can supply one or two layout men and about five animators, and this, therefore, is the basis for the total number of artists in a production unit. These five animators would tend to produce five different types of characters. To prevent this, model sheets are prepared, showing a character in various positions, and showing also the exact relation of the head and body, the placement of the eyes, and other features. The great art of the animator is not simply to be able to draw the character correctly, nor even to be able to make him move, but to make him live. The animator makes the extreme drawings of the action, and his assistant and