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A five page fan letter from aspiring young animator Will Finn prompted
the following reply from Disney legend Ward Kimball back in 1973, and
it's a shame that such sage, enthusiastic advice isn't dished out in
response to all fan mail. Even 15-year-old Will's swipe at Hanna
Barbera was dealt with expertly as Kimball admirably chose to defend
the work of smaller studios by way of a brief economics lesson.
Thankfully the advice paid off and Will Finn has since enjoyed a
successful career in cinema, having both animated and directed for
Disney themselves.
Transcript
BULLSHIT
WARD KIMBALL
8910 ARDENDALE AVE.
SAN GABRIEL, CALIF. 91775
WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS
500 SO. BUENA VISTA ST. BURBANK, CALIFORNIA 91505
(213) 849-3411 CABLE ADDRESS: DISNEY
Nov. 13, '73
Dear Will Finn:
Dear Christ! when you write a letter, you really write a letter!
When I was in my second year high school I could hardly get through a
sentence. From the jist of your essay I take it that you are shot in
the ass to become an animator. Well, that's just fine. It helps to
know what you would like to do this early in the game. However, take
caution. Don't try to rush it or force it. First off, you gotta
finish high school. Then you have to take the first important step:
ART TRAINING! This means at least three years in a reputable art
school or art college. And to be ready for that jungle out there you
gotta be a jack-of-all-trades. By this I mean, you gotta know all the
insides and outs of film making. And with animation in mind this
means: BASIC DRAWING, LIFE DRAWING, DESIGN, LETTERING, ARCHITECTURE,
COLOR THEORY, MATERIALS AND THEIR USE, PAINTING, MODELING, ART
HISTORY, WORLD HISTORY, ANATOMY, HUMANITIES, FILM EDITING, SOUND
CUTTING, RECORDING, STORY SKETCH,---You name it, you gotta be with
it. What I am trying to say is that becoming an animator is a growth
process that involves basic curiosities for all things, because man,
animation is just not making things move, it is THINKING, THINKING,
THINKING! You can't know enough about everything. Curiosity is the
key word. See everything! Do everything! Find out what makes
everything tick. How does it work? What motivated this--- What
motivated that. Learn from others, BUT DON'T COPY THEM! Try to retain
your individualism while learning the basic rules. Don't become
dogmatic because you're going to change your mind about what you like
and what you dislike hundreds of times before you're thirty! This will
happen if you develope your imagination along with your curiosity. You
gotta be able to draw a grand piano from any angle as well as a pretty
girl looking over her shoulder. Learn a musical instrument. Any
godamned instrument. Play it to have FUN. This will help if you
become an animation freak. Remember this: You really can't animate a
person dancing a boogie, or chrleston, a frug, a twist, a ballet,
unless you can do 'em yourself, or at least analyse clearly the basis
for each step. You can read all the animation books in the world but
learning the art has to be done while doing. You notice that I have
ignored some of your topics of discussion, but this is done to stress
the point that you should be thinking of first things first and this
means finishing your education as required and then going on to
specialize in additional training, all the facets required of a
truly, well-rounded animator. Go see the "yellow Submarine"
if you have not already done so. Go see "Fritz the Cat" and
if it requires parental guidance, then bring your old man! See
everything, as I said above. Go to film festivals. Be a Laurel and
Hardy fan. Study Buster Keaton. Study their timing and how they stage
a gag or a comedy situation.
Of course, Hanna Barbera are pretty crude compared to Disney's.
But this is a problem of economics. H&B are filling a need and it
is a business just like selling washing machines. We all can't be part
of an organization such as Disney's with almost untold capital to
underwrite full animation. Lots of Cartoon Co.'s would like to
indulge in full animation, but the economic realities of the jungle
prevent it. It's o.k. to have an idol and a goal but a realistic
assessment of what's going on in the world of animation and the
reasons behind it all are very important. Blah! Blah! Blah! If you
find that you don't at first like this reply to your seeming
knowledgable letter, put it aside and read it again at a later date,
and you will see that hidden between the lines is a lot of good
advice, even though the writing is crude, to say the least!
(Signed)
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