INTRODUCTION PETE: Some years ago, I was watching Peter Pan with my kids. As Peter, Wendy, Michael, and John leapt off Big Ben and flew over the clouds of London, I thought, Wow, what a great shot! I wonder who came up with that. Was it the director? Come to think of it, who was the director? As a huge fan of Disney films and history, I was embarrassed to admit I didn''t know. At the time, I was directing Up at Pixar Animation Studios. As with all my directorial efforts, I had come up with the core idea and worked with a small group to craft the story and characters. I worked with writers, guided designers, directed actors, and steered and approved every shot in the film through camera, editorial, animation, effects, lighting, and final sound. Was this true of directors who had worked with Walt Disney? My embarrassingly large shelf of Disney books revealed precious few facts--and even scant mention--of directors or their job. Why was this key position so unsung? I knew one person who might know more: my friend and Disney historian Don Peri.
DON: I have always been a "who" person, meaning that my interest in Disney has always centered on Walt Disney and the people who worked with and for him. Sure, I have loved the movies, the theme parks, some of the television shows, but I am not an artistic person, so the "how" of making films has been less a focus for me than who made them and their working relationships. My odyssey through Disney history really took flight fifty years ago when the cover art for a college magazine led to a meeting with Ben Sharpsteen, a retired Disney animator, director, and producer. Ben and I both lived in Northern California, so we easily developed a working relationship: I helped him record his memoirs and he helped me expand my knowledge of Disney history in general and particularly his history and the history of those in his orbit. We worked together for three years, and then I ventured out to conduct many more interviews and to teach courses on Disney history, all the while honing my skills and knowledge. One of my interviews, with director Wilfred Jackson, led to a meeting with director Pete Docter. We shared a love of Disney history, and Pete not only knew the "how" of animation, but also yearned to know more about the "who." This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
PETE: As Don and I researched and interviewed, we found Disney directors to be a bundle of contradictions. All artists they worked with saw directors as a central and powerful figure in the making of Disney films. But many directors were hated. Several were seen as having "failed up" into their position. Even the job description was confusing. Some spoke of the role as glorified assistant to Walt, the real director; others spoke of directors being completely in charge, coming up with the concepts and dictating creative choices. We eventually found both to be true; the role changed over time and from project to project. Ultimately we discovered the directors to be a fascinating insight into Walt himself.
As he expanded from personally drawing a handful of short films and advertisements in the early twenties to overseeing shorts, features, television shows, and theme parks in the fifties, Walt developed people and processes that still allowed him to achieve his vision. In many ways, the evolution of the role of the director reflected Disney''s own growth as a creative leader. DON: Walt Disney has always fascinated us, inspiring childhood wonder at the stories and worlds he introduced and then the more mature appreciation of the challenges he faced and the innovations in storytelling, animation, filmmaking, and technology he created with his dedicated team. It all came full circle when we watched Disney films or enjoyed his theme parks with our young families and relived his world through their lives. The dilemma we faced with this book is that while we have the greatest respect and admiration for Walt, he was a taskmaster, and he would be the first to admit it. So in telling the stories of his band of animation directors, we see how his drive and ambition both inspired them and stressed them. PETE: One quote that stuck with me was from a February 10, 1941, speech that Walt gave to his animation staff: "Those men who have worked closely with me in trying to organize and keep the studio rolling, and keep its chin above the water, should not be envied. Frankly, those fellows catch plenty of hell, and a lot of you can feel lucky that you don''t have too much contact with me.
" DON: But I think they would all say--were they still alive--that they would gladly do it again, because they believed strongly in his vision, were in awe of him personally, and readily attached themselves to his star for as long as they could hang on. His hold on their hearts and minds stayed long after his passing. I can remember interviewing many of them at the studio years later, and as we talked, they gradually shifted from the past tense to the present tense when speaking of him, and Walt was still alive for them. Swept up in their memories, I almost expected to hear his cough and see him come around the corner to join us. Walt was a different person to each of his directors, depending on his needs at the time and their skills at delivering what he needed. Over the years, as his world expanded beyond animated films, his attention divided, and he expected his directors to take up the slack. He often had an uneasy relationship with the role of director, which he virtually created within animation, and the men who filled that role. He was constantly changing the organization and studio process to fit his vision, and woe to the director who could not go with the flow.
For this book, we have simplified the evolution of the director into six periods or stages. These designations were certainly not anything discussed during their time, but they seemed the best way to explain the changes in this complex and sometimes technical role. Each section begins with a simple explanation of the job at that time and place. But most of this book is devoted to the careers of the often unknown, unsung directors. Rising from the animation ranks, these men were a wide and varied group of characters. Capable of incredibly demanding precision, some delegated willingly, while others demanded meticulous control. They were boisterous, quiet, exacting, and creative. Some smoked and drank heavily.
Some were hated, others revered. They all worked long hours. It was a highly stressful position, likely contributing to declining health for some in their later years. As generals of the small armies it took to make these animated films, directors had an unequalled view of the art, craft, and organization it took to make them. And as Walt''s closest creative partners, they saw a side of Walt seen by very few. We''re excited to introduce you to the talented but unknown people who directed some of the world''s favorite films. --Don Peri and Pete Docter February 2023 P.S.
Within these pages, you will not see a lot of diversity. While today this is slowly changing, the films and the processes discussed in this book are products of their time. With hope of a more diverse group of directors in the future, we feel these stories have plenty of lessons to offer all filmmakers and historians today. --D.P. & P.D. PART 1 "THERE WERE NO DIRECTORS AT FIRST" 1920-1931 Throughout time, the job of the director changed.
In an attempt to show this, we have created a series of simplified flowcharts, based largely on graphs prepared in the late 1970s by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston for use in their book The Illusion of Life . Ultimately unused, they still provided a firsthand account of the evolving system. Please note these charts are simplified, especially as time goes on, and are focused on the director''s duties and jurisdiction rather than on details of the production process. 1920s NEW YORK STUDIOS: No directors; animators do everything in making the film. * STUDIO OWNER: The boss owns the studio, makes distribution deals with theater owners, and runs the business, largely leaving the making of cartoons up to the animator. * ANIMATOR: Each short is divided among two to four animators. Each thinks up gags for their own section, stages them, makes the animation drawings, inks them, and inks a background on a cel to lay over the paper drawings of the character. With luck, the cameraman can draw, in case something doesn''t work or has been left out.
- GAGS - LAYOUT - ANIMATION - INKING - BACKGROUNDS * CAMERA * FINAL FILM Output: one short a week 1920-1928 THE EARLY DAYS AT DISNEY''S : No directors; Walt determines what will end up on the screen, as well as the timing. * WALT: Walt oversees everything: the subject matter, the jokes, and the pacing of animation. * GAGS & STORY * LAYOUT: Illustrators are hired to draw layouts, design the compositions, and paint backgrounds. * ANIMATION: Animators are now free to focus 100 percent on entertainment and character performances. * ANIMATION ASSISTANTS: Animat.