TheSecretSauceinDisneyAnimatedFilmsByDaveBossert

(TheWaltDisneyAnimationStudios’RoyE.DisneyAnimationBuildinginBurbank,CA.)

“WeallownogeniusesaroundourStudio,”–WaltDisney

OneofthequestionsthatIgetaskedmostwhenIamoutspeakingataneventis:what’s

thesecrettothecontinuingsuccessofDisneyanimatedfilms?Theeasyansweristhat

Disneycreatesanimatedfilmsthathavegreatstoriespopulatedwithendearing

characterssetinuniqueorfantasticalworldsthataudienceswanttospendtimeinand

revisitoverandoveragain.Andthatisgenerallywhatmanywillpointtoasthemagic

recipeforDisneyanimatedclassics.But,havingworkedatDisneyformorethanthirty-

twoyearsonenduringclassicslikeTheLittleMermaid,BeautyandtheBeast,Aladdin,

TheLionKing,Pocahontas,WhoFramedRogerRabbit,Fantasia2000andmanyothers,

thereismoretoitthanjuststory,characters,andworlds.ThereisalsowhatIrefertoas

thesecretsaucethatDisneyhashadfromtheoutset,theartists.

Notjustanygroupofartists,buttheteamofartiststhatworkedandtrained

togetheroverlongperiodsoftime.Ateamthatinessencemovedfromonepictureto

thenext.Sure,thatteamchangedupsomewithafewartistsleavingandnewones

comingonboardbutthereisacollectivememorythatdevelopswithinacoregroupof

artistsoverasustainedtimeperiod.Ithasmadethedifferencethroughthedecades

differentiatingDisneyanimationfromalltheotherstudiosthathavepoppedupand

comeandgoneovertheyears.Manyofthoseotherstudioshavewashedartistsinand

outonaprojectbyprojectbasislikefactoryworkersmakingwidgets.Thosestudios

lackedstayingpower,doingoneortwofilmsbeforefoldingup,simplybecausethey

didn’thaveastrong,cohesiveteam.Theydidn’tinvestintheirartists.

“Idon’tposeasanauthorityonanythingatall,Ifollowtheopinionsofthe

ordinarypeopleImeet,andItakeprideintheclose-knitteamworkwithmy

organization,”saidWaltDisney.ThisphilosophyiswhathasseparatedDisneyfromits

competitors.WhatJayRasulo,formerChiefFinancialOfficerandChairmanofDisney

ParksandResorts,coinedas“theDisneyDifference.”Itisthebeliefinyourpeople.For

animation,it’sthebeliefintheartists,thetrustthattheyaretalented,intelligent

individualscollectivelycreatingafilmthatwillresonatefromgenerationtogeneration.

TheDisneyanimatedfilmsaremovingworksofartthatarecraftedtotouchthe

broadestpossibleaudienceinarespectful,meaningfulandentertainingway.

Whileotherstudiosoutsourcedanimationoverseas,Disneyfeatureanimated

picturescontinuedtobecraftedbytheartistsattheBurbankstudio,andforabrieftime

alsoatsatellitestudiosinOrlandoandParis.EventhethoughtofoutsourcingDisney

animationisrepugnantanddoesnotalignwiththequalitystandardsthataudiences

havecountedonfromDisneyfordecades.Ifthestudioeverlookedatoutsourcing

animationasawaytoreducecosts,itwouldbeamisguidedexerciseasalltheywould

needtodo,inthecontextofthecycle,toreininbudgetsistolookwithin—trimthefat.

Atoptobottomassessmentisallthatisneededtoseeexactlywherethemoneyis

beingspent.Andatthetopofthecycle,suchanassessmentalwayselicitssurprisesas

tohowmuchofthebudgetisactuallyshowinguponscreenornot.

TheWaltDisneyAnimationStudiogoesthroughcyclesthatcanbetrackedin

intervalsoverthecourseofthestudio’shistory.Fromthebottomtothetopofacycleis

roughlytenyearsorso—fromaleanoperationtoatopheavy,bloatedoperation,which

istrueformanyorganizations.Thesweetspotbeingaboutinthemiddleofthecycle

whenfilmslikeSnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,Cinderella,SleepingBeauty,Jungle

Book,BeautyandtheBeast,AladdinandTheLionKingwereproduced.Tobesure,the

cycleisshorterorlongeroverthetimelinewhenyoutakeintoaccountexternalfactors

suchastheeconomy,war,thedeathofthefounder,etc.But,youcaneasilytrackthese

cyclesandcorrelatethemtothehealthofthestudioandtheoverallcompany.Yetthe

oneconstantistheartiststhatactuallymakethemovieswhoshouldbelookedatfor

theirresourcefulnessingettingthefilmsmade,sometimesunderstressfulconditions,

throughtheupsanddownsofthecycle.

“Wedon'tmakethesepicturestomakemoney.Wemakemoneysothatwecan

makemorepictures,”saidWalt.Thatmeanstomethatifyoufocusonlettingthe

filmmakersandartistsmakeagreatmoviethebottom-linewilltakecareofitself.That

wasdifficultsometimesattheapexofthecyclewhenthereweretoomanymanagers

tryingto“manage”theartistsandthecreativeprocessratherthanlettingthemmake

themovie.Ifyouovermanagethecreativeprocess,yousuffocateit.Itrequiresa

balance,whichdoesgetoutofwhackattheheightofthecyclewhentheanimation

departmentbecomesavictimofitsownsuccess.We’veseenthistimeandagain.

(RoyE.DisneyatWaltDisneyWorldwithabronzeofhisfather,RoyO.,andMinnieMouse.)

“OneofthethingsthatWaltunderstoodwasthatartisgreat,butitistheartists

thatmakeit,youhavetobelievein;youhavetoputyourtrustinandfaithin…Youdon’t

dostuffbyyourselfinthisbusiness,yougottosay“we”allthetimeinthisbusiness,”

saidRoyE.Disney.Itisneveraboutoneindividual,butalwaysaboutthecollectiveteam

ofartiststhathavecollaboratedoveralongperiodoftime.Theabilityforthoseartists

tobuildacamaraderie,arapportthatallowedforanintuitivenesstodevelopofhow

eachworkedandachemistrythatenabledandcontributedtothecreationofallthe

Disneyanimatedfilms,classicsandnew.Itwasacapacitytohavehallwaymeetingsto

solveacreativeproblemorthefreedomtopullafewartiststogetherandspitballan

idea.Itwastheunabatedaccesstothedirectorsandeachotherwithouthavingto

schedulemeetingsdaysorweeksinadvancetodiscusssomethingthatcouldbe

resolvedinfiveminutesonthefly.Leanandagile,thatistherealmagicofDisney

animation—theDisneyDifference—whilemakingthoseanimatedmasterpieces.

SomeofthemostsuccessfulDisneyanimatedmoviesweremadeefficientlywith

aleanmanagementstaffandarobustartisticandtechnicalcrewonatightbudget.

Oftentimesthelackofresourcesbreedsinventivenessandinnovation.Justlookatwhat

wasaccomplishedontheearlyDisneyfeatureswhenthefilmmakerswerelimitedto

fourcellevelsandananalogcamera.Theywereabletomakesomeofthemost

memorablescenesinanimationhistory,whichstillentertainandastoundaudiences

today.

TheoneconstantwithDisneyanimationisthecollectivegroupofartistsand

techniciansthatmakethefilms.Thecycleswillalsocontinue,asithasdoneformore

thanninetyyears,andintheprocesstheywillkeepmakingtimelessclassics,whether

withgenerousorleanbudgets,thatwillbeenjoyedgloballyforgenerationstocome.

AbouttheAuthorDavidA.Bossertisanartist,filmmaker,andauthor.Heisa32-yearveteranofTheWaltDisneyCompanyandisanindependentproducer,creativedirector,andwriter.BossertisahistorianandisconsideredanauthorityandexpertonDisneyanimationhistory.HeisamemberoftheCalArtsBoardofTrusteesandisavisitingscholaratCarnegieMellonUniversity’sEntertainmentTechnologyCenter(ETC)inPittsburgh.Bossertco-authoredDisneyAnimated,whichwasnamediPadAppof2013byAppleandwonaprestigiousBritishAcademyofFilmandTelevisionArts(BAFTA)award.Heisalsotheauthoroftheseveralbooksincludinghislatest;OswaldtheLuckyRabbit:TheSearchfortheLostDisneyCartoons,andTheArtofTennesseeLoveless:TheMickeyMouseTENxTENxTENContemporaryPopArtSeriespublishedbyDisneyEditions.Learnmoreatwww.davidbossert.com