Animation &Animation Artifacts &Disney 05 Oct 2009 08:29 am
Frank Thomas’ Jungle Book 1
John Canemaker has loaned me a scene of drawings by Frank Thomas from the Jungle Book. Actually, they’re not the actual drawings but s/s xeroxed copies.
75 drawings in all, I’m going to post this scene between Mowgli and Kaa, the snake, however, I’ll have to break it up into a couple of posts. Here’s the first part, and I’ll follow up next Monday with more. Eventually we’ll post them all and have a QT movie of the full scene.
I’m not a fan of this film, however, I can’t deny the animation is mostly excellent and sometimes brilliant. Needless to say, Frank Thomas delivered some beautiful work. This scene is a typical example of his work even though it’s not one that calls attention to itself.
In studying the scene you might pay attention to what is on one’s (1-12) as opposed to what is on two’s (13-27) and figure out why.
(Click any image to enlarge to full animation paper size.)
2527
More to follow next Monday.
Here’s the QT of all the drawings from this scene.
Mowgli & Kaa
Click left side of the black bar to play.
Right side to watch single frame.
on 05 Oct 2009 at 10:54 am 1.Elliot Cowan said …
I think you’ve mislabled Mowgli there…
on 05 Oct 2009 at 12:48 pm 2.Oswald Iten said …
Thanks! Although I can point out in a thousand ways why it is not a good film this is still my favorite Disney film, the one that got me interested in animation (and jazz music).
on 05 Oct 2009 at 12:55 pm 3.aaron said …
Franks stuff moves so well, everything is right where it should be. I imagine he animated the beginning on ones because of the quick steps backward and getting the more complex twisting anticipation to work right (there could have been a camera move as well, I’d have to look). The end is basically one pose with a breakdown cushion and the feet are planted so twos make sense there.
on 05 Oct 2009 at 2:24 pm 4.Andy said …
Thanks very much for sharing these, looking forward to more!
on 09 Oct 2009 at 1:28 pm 5.Stephen Perry said …
Normally one doesn’t see the first 6 frms but you sure see the left foot coming down before the right foot lifts off. A shame the Ilusion of Life didn’t go into that kind of thing more.
I think he goes on two’s to get the feeling of weight in Kaa’s tail!