A collection of the late Jules Engel’s films was released on DVD last year, and accompanying the shorts was a documentary about the man himself. The artist, who is know for his work on Fantasia and Bambi, discusses his first experiences at school, and his memories of Walt Disney. He also discusses his philosophy behind the CalArts Experimental Animation program, which he founded in 1969. Here is the full documentary, titled Jules Engel: An Artist For All Seasons, which was directed by Janeann Dill.

By Geoffrey Golden

If you are a loyal Lineboil reader, and therefore a dedicated fan of animation, I’ll sum up this review for you in 5 words:

Go see Waking Sleeping Beauty (opens in a limited theatrical run this Friday).

There are so many reasons to see this documentary by director Don Hahn (producer of several Disney features including Beauty and the Beast), who brings us a candid look inside the Magic Kingdom from the early 80s to the mid 90s. As Roger Rabbit would say, “let me count the ways…” One is that you’ll see handheld documentary footage of storyboard readings, staff meetings and voice recording sessions at Disney Animation. Two is that it challenges our pre-conceived notions of how executives and creatives work together. Three is that you’ll gain a level of understanding about Disney’s Second Renaissance you never had before.

Apparently the cameras were always on at Disney Animation. Though a good chunk of the documentary is told in still pictures — including hilarious caricatures drawn by the animators at the time, illustrating the creative tensions behind the scenes — a good half of the film is culled together with home movie footage. (One of the camera men? None other than John Lasseter.) This creates a very intimate effect. For an hour and a half, you really feel like you’re inside “Mousewitz,” experiencing the heartbreaking staff meetings and over-the-top office parties. Hahn’s insider knowledge of the subject matter and smart storytelling creates a more immersive experience than a lot of 3D animated movies.
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I’ve read a few books on the origins of Walt Disney Studios, but I know little about how Aardman Animations evolved. The first two installments from a series of videos titled A History of Aardman have been released, helping uncover how this Bristol-based animation giant emerged. In parts 1 and 2 below, Mark Cosgrove interviews Aardman co-founder Dave Sproxton, and we learn how Dave met Peter Lord, the eventual co-director of Chicken Run and co-founder of the studio. Sproxton also screens the first and second stop-motion films he and Lord created in 1965, and the first short they produced under the Aardman banner.

Part 1

Part 2 – some footage of the Gleebees, and a recounting of how Morph came to be

Having taken in a recent screening, the esteemed Geoffrey Golden is currently readying a review (hint: he loved it) of Waking Sleeping Beauty, Don Hahn’s new documentary about the animation renaissance in the 1980s and 90s that put Disney feature animation back in the map. Hahn should know – he was a major player in that comeback, having produced such classics as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. The film begins a limited release on March 26th in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. We’ll get Golden’s review up ASAP, and in the meantime, here’s the trailer. Keep your eyes peeled for animation great like Tim Burton and John Lasseter.

Herstory is a revealing project out of South Korea that utilizes CG recreations of horifying events. The Japanese military apparently dealt in sexual slavery, drafting “comfort women” to please the soldiers. The films were created with support from the Chungkang College of Cultural Industries and the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan.

The Joy of Animation is a new documentary featuring four animators discussing their love of animation. Produced by Terry Oberg, Ella Doughty, Tegan Robb and Lacey Barfett, the 6-minute doc features interviews with Australians Steve Baker (An Imaginary Life) and Jason Lynch, a stop-motion animator who has worked on projecs like Mary and Max and Wallace & Gromit.

Boy, do I feel like a lame son. The sons of legendary, Academy Award-winning songwriters The Sherman Brothers have directed a new feature-length documentary about their dads. the boys: the sherman brothers’ story peers into the prolific duo behind such classic Disney animation tunes like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I Wanna Be Like You, Chim Chim Cher-ee and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. As you can see in the trailer below, heaps of Hollywood folks comment on the Sherman Brothers’ influence. Julie Andrews, Roy E. Disney, John Landis, John Lasseter and Dick Van Dyke all add their two cents. Ben Stiller also appears on camera, and this Hollywood legacy was also an Executive Producer on the project. The trailer doesn’t hint at the darker side of the film which plays off the theme that “the next generation shouldn’t suffer for the sins of the father.” The film opens in a few theaters on May 22nd.