Disney Animation and Computers
Computers Usage in Disney Films
Info about the Disney Animators
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This page is dedicated to the various ways that Disney animation has
been changed over the years to improve the the animation process.
The Black Cauldron (1985)
The Black Cauldron was the first
ever film in which computers
were used to assist in the animation
process. In The Black Cauldron, Computers
made inroads in the manipulation of
solid inanimate objects on the screen.
The dimensions and volume of objects
were fed into a computer and their
movement was generated by programming.
Also, Disney's venerable multiplane
cameras were updated with computers to
expedite and control aperture settings
and time exposures.
The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
The Great Mouse Detective
had a short production span thanks
to the use of computers. (The
production only took one year to complete).
This production span was helped
by computer assisted layouts and graphics.
An innovative application of
computer technology can be seen in the climatic
scene where Basil faces Ratigan
in a final confrontation inside the turning
and thrashing of Big Ben. The 54
moving gears, winches, ratchets, beams,
and pullys were literally drawn
by the computer, and created a unique background
for the characters that had been
animated in the usual way.
Oliver and Company (1988)
Oliver and Company used
computers to create many of the inanimate
objects in the film. Such examples of
the inanimate objects drawn using
computers are the cars, cabs, busses,
Sykes's limousine, Fagin's trike
(part scooter and part shopping cart),
a cement mixer, a sewer pipe, a
spiral staircase, a piano, subway
tunnels and trains, cityscapes, and even
the Brooklyn bridge. Oliver and Company
was the first film in which it
had its own department set up expressly
for the purpose of generating computer
animation.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
CAPS, Disney's cel painting program, was
tested in this film. It was used in
the last scene during the wedding scene
when the mermen and mermaids are waving
to the ship sailing off. Also many
scenes of Eric's ship were CGI. Also
the scene of Ariel running down the
staircase, to see Ursula with Eric.
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
The Rescuers Down Under was
the first time that the CAPS computer
technology took the place of the
Xerox process of hand painting of the
cels (and it also enabled the
inclusion of several spectacular visuals).
Beauty and the Beast(1991)
Beauty and the Beast(1991) used
Computer generated imagery in several
parts of the film. Most notably
in the film is the "Be Our Guest" sequence
and in the creation of a striking
three-dimensional ballroom background,
allowing dramatic camera moves on
the animated characters as they danced.
Aladdin(1992)
Aladdin used Computer generated
imagery to enable the animators
to create the amazing magic carpet
ride through the Cave of Wonders, the
intricately patterned carpet itself,
and the stunning tiger head cave.
The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King used Computer
generated imagery to create the dramatic
wildebeest stampede, a visual highlight
in the film and a new level of
sophistication for the art form.
Computers were also used in the drawing
of Zazu flying in "I Want to be King"
Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story , which was produced by
Pixar Studios as a part of a partnership
between Disney and the Northern California
Pixar studios. This film was the first
animated feature generated completely on
computers.
Pocahontas(1995)
In Pocahontas , both Pocahontas'
canoe and Grandmother Willow's bark
were created by computers. Also, some
of the "Susan Constant" was computer
animated in a few scenes, particularly
at the end of the film.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1996)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame used
Computer generated imagery to create
the crowd scenes throughout the movie.
Computers assisted the animators
the allow all of the people in the
crowds to move at the same time doing
various things, such as in The Festival
of Fools segment. Disney layout
artists built virtual models, which
they then used
for reference. There were also several
scenes where the backgrounds were
computer-generated as well, but mostly
they were computer wire-frames
painted be traditional background painters.
Hercules
Hercules used Computers to
create the scenes with the multi-headed
dragon fight scene with Hercules.
The most notable part of it is how the
animators were able to keep adding
more and more heads to the dragon and
also when they had Hercules slid down
the neck of the dragon. Also many
more of the backgrounds were computer
generated; such as when the young
Herc is singing and the camera swings
around him.
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted
Christmas (1997)
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted
Christmas (1997) Computers system
CAPS used Computer generated imagery
to create the backgrounds for the
film. Most notable in the film was
Forte the evil plotting pipe organ was
entirely created by computers.
Mulan (1998)
Computers were used in Mulan to
paint the entire film. The crowd
scenes and scenes where there are alot
of people in one frame computers
were used to make all of the people
to do various things at different times.
Also the Hun Charge, all of the flags,
and some of the backgrounds
were CGI.
Tarzan (1999)
In Tarzan a new process, which
Disney is calling "Deep Canvasing"
combined traditional hand-painted
backgrounds with CGI to enable the
camera to move realistically through
the jungle.
Fantasia 2000 (2000)
Much of the scenes of Fantasia 2000
was helped by the use of computers.
Such as in Beethoven's
5th Symphony, the abstract shapes are
created by texture mapping pastel
colors onto traditional hand drawn
animation. In Pines of Rome, computers
brought to life the flying whales. In
Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2,
Computer-generated imagery was
blended with traditional hand-drawn
animation, which makes the toy solider
so believable looking. And in Firebird
Suite-1919 Version, computers were used
for various objects throughout it.
Dinousar (2000)
Dinousar was Disney's first ever 100% CGI film with the
noteable exception of the live-action backgrounds
which were superimposed photos of exotic tropical locations
such as Tahiti and Hawaii
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
In The Emperor's New Groove,
at the beginning of the movie and throughout
the movie the Rain was CGI done using a system
called Particle Systems. Also, Pacha's Cart and
the props on Pachas Cart, such as the pots, vases,
sacks etc., where done with CGI. Also the the Log
Sequence in which Pacha and Kuzco are strapped to a
broken tree trunk falling/careening down the rapids
was done with computers. And finally the one scene
where Pacha and Kuzco are bouncing off the cliff
wall into the water is completely done (both the
characters and log) using CGI.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
In Atlantis: The Lost Empire, much of the film
was enchanced by the use of computers, especially
in the vehichles and the special scences.
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