process
For much of our animation, we animate using a method called “limited animation.” Developed for streamlining the production process, limited animation works well within television and streaming budgets. We do, however, still employ, from time to time, what’s called “full animation” (frame-by-frame drawing), as there is nothing quite like the magic and wonder that it creates.
We’ll walk you through every step of the production process:
1) Meetup >> 2) script >> 3) visual development >> 4) storyboards & animatic >> 5) style frames >> 6) animation >> 7) sound design & audio mix >> 8) final delivery.
making imagination
In “Making Imagination,” join Wes on a guided tour with industry professionals from various studios and walks of life about the processes involved in bringing animation to life!
In the beginning, they worked just to keep the lights on. Now (five Academy Award nominations later), they're inspiring animators across the globe by reimagining the limits of what hand-drawn animation can achieve. In this episode of Making Imagination, Cartoon Saloon co-founder and Oscar nominee, Nora Twomey, discusses independent filmmaking from her studio in Ireland. (38:00)
Animation in the United States begins with acting—voice acting! In this episode, go behind the scenes with industry veteran Paul Rugg (Animaniacs, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Teen Titans Go!) to discover what he learned working with names like Spielberg, Warner Bros. Disney and DreamWorks! (50:00)
PRE-PRODUCTION | Emmy Award-winner Mark Simon, the Godfather of Storyboarding (The Walking Dead, The Waterboy, Woody Woodpecker), shares experiences and insights related to storyboarding for TV and animation. (40:00)
PRODUCTION | Three-time Oscar nominee, Tomm Moore, breaks down the craft of directing animated films. The Irish co-founder of Cartoon Saloon shares insights and lessons learned from 20+ years in animation. (57:00)
POST-PRODUCTION | Emmy award-winning sound designer, Dane Dickmann, shares processes and insights related to audio mixing for animation. Possibly one of the most underrated aspects of production, sound design and audio mixing elevates animated projects to new heights. And, as with animation itself, sound design in animation entails creating a believable audio world completely from scratch. (30:00)
PRE-PRODUCTION | Academy Award-winner Brenda Chapman discusses story in animation as it relates to her Disney days and her feature films, “The Prince of Egypt” and “Brave.” (1:03:00)
"The Lion King," "The Rescuers Down Under," "The Emperor's New Groove"—Disney director Tony Bancroft (Mulan, 1998) has lent his skills to a number of feature films in the more than thirty years in which he's worked. Now an industry veteran, he gives back generously, sharing insights and stories into what it takes to make a feature film! (60:00)
Adapting animation well takes care, craft, and strategy. In this episode of Making Imagination, director Tod Polson talks about working on "The Secret of Kells," "The Prodigal," and "The 21"! (43:00)
POST-PRODUCTION | Italian Composer Alfredo Sirica explains scoring animated films. He shares projects and inspirations for various scores, and discusses how working internationally affects his scores. (30:00)
PRE-PRODUCTION | Background designer Mickey Nuspl shares some of her insights for designing backgrounds for animation. (15:00)
PRE-PRODUCTION | Sisters Elena and Oliva Ceballos (EliOliArt), who started working in animation at the age of 19, share about their unique sensibilities as they relate to the craft of visual development in animation. (52:00)
PRODUCTION | Stop-motion animation is probably the oldest form of animation. I had questions about timing, craft, cinematic milestones, and more and had them all answered here! Learn the tricks and history of the craft with animator and author Ken Priebe! (58:00)
PREPRODUCTION | Aleksandra Kleczkowska lays out the artistic and technical challenges involved in animation layout—the planning of the scenes. (21:00)
PRODUCTION | Disney & Warner Bros. animator, Robb Pratt, shares insights and stories from hand-drawn animation (from learning the craft to growing in animation). From Disney's Pocahontas and Hercules to Bugs Bunny, Superman, and Flash Gordon, Robb's done a lot and he's happy to share the lessons he's learned! (1:23:00)
PRODUCTION | Limited animation has proven cost-effective for studios and projects since its development for TV in the 1950s. Now, with the advancement of software like ToonBoom Harmony, studios are able to produce animated series and films using processes like "puppet" or rig-based animation. Learn best practices and approaches from Sun & Moon Studio's 2D lead and director, Dan Keeble! (40:00)
PRE-PRODUCTION | DreamWorks TV and Nickelodeon writer, Todd Garfield (Voltron Force, Home: For the Holidays, Turbo Fast), shares stories and insights from the animation industry. Learn more about the craft in this episode of Making Imagination! (45:00)
Producing animation can mean a lot of things. Learn more about the craft with Academy Award-winning producer Carl Reed! (47:00)
PRE-PRODUCTION | Netflix, Disney, DreamWorks—character designer Randy Bishop has designed characters for them all. But what does that process look like and what does a character designer need to know? Explore this interview to learn here! (47:00)