"Greenfields" animation.

GREENFIELDS from Greenfield Team on Vimeo.
It is difficult for (most of) us to imagine what it must be like to live in a totalitarian state.

However, they still exist, and there is no sign of them ever leaving us. They are lurking in the shadows. What must it be like to be stuck in one?

This animation, "Greenfields," is described as a "graduation" animation, but it stands on its own outside of any labels. Just watch it and draw your own conclusions. There are some obvious politics going on, what is there is in the mind of the beholder.

"The grass is always greener on the other side" - or is it. Greenfields.

From the page:

"Graduation movie directed by Luis Betancourt, Benjamin Vedrenne, Joseph Coury, Michel Durin and Charly Nzekwu at Supinfocom, June 2013."

2020

"The Missing Scarf."

George Takei in "The Missing Scarf."

The Missing Scarf from Eoin Duffy on Vimeo.
George Takei narrates this fun little animation about a very wise squirrel. There's a dose of philosophy as well. This is just as good as "Coda," our previous Irish animation which you can watch on this site here. This animation has won more awards than you can shake a stick at, and that ain't beanbag.

If you watch one animation this week - make it this one.

"The Missing Scarf" features a wisdom-spouting squirrel who searches for his lost winter wear in The Missing Scarf (2013). It is, an award-winning short animation from Irish animator Eoin Duffy. As we've been saying a lot over the past couple of years, Irish animation is really taking off, and this is another illustration of that.

The 3D low-poly Albert the squirrel seeks his favorite scarf from among his fellow woodland critters. However, it turns out that fear is running rampant in the forest. Albert winds up helping with their fears and problems instead.

George Takei does his usual stellar job. He's a terrific guy, well-liked by everyone. To be a critic, I will point out that he has a high-sounding diction that sometimes gets in the way of the story he is trying to tell, but when he gets a little excited and, well, animated, that disappears completely - and creates the high point of this animation! It really is a very classy narration.


Duffy won top honors over the past year at respected venues like the Toronto Animation Arts Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, and the Provincetown International Film Festival.

After all those highbrows got to see it, now it is here for the likes of you and me. Duffy graciously put it on his page for all to see, and thus, here it is.

If you start watching, you need to continue watching until the end—the charming mix of animated origami and vector-based illustration is far from the film's only draw. Duffy has a distinctive vector art style, as shown in the still frames, and it is well worth your time to stick with it.


If you've made it this far, you also have to go see "Coda," it is stellar!

From the web page:

→ themissingscarf.com/
→ twitter.com/eoinduffy
→ fb.me/eoinduffyanimation

AWARDS –
Winner, Grand Prize, Toronto Animation Arts Festival Intl., 2014
Winner, Audience Award, Toronto Animation Arts Festival Intl., 2014
Winner, Best Animation, Provincetown Intl. Film Festival, 2014
Winner, Best Short Animation, San Francisco Intl. Film Festival, 2014
Winner, Best Short Animation, Dallas Intl. Film Festival, 2014
Winner, Best Short Animation, Reel 2 Real Intl. Film Festival, 2014
Winner, Best Film, Chicago Irish Film Festival, 2014
Winner, Best Animation, Ventura Film Festival, 2013
Winner, Audience Award, Motion Plus, 2013
Winner, Best Irish Animation, Foyle Film Festival, 2013
Winner, The Grand Prix Irish, Cork Film Festival, 2013
Winner, Best Animation, Indie Memphis Film Festival, 2013
Winner, Best Animation, Savannah Film Festival, 2013
Winner, Best European Short Film, Seminci, Valladolid Film Festival, 2013
Winner, Best Animation, New Hampshire Film Festival, 2013
Winner, Best Animation, Galway Film Fleadh, 2013
Shortlisted, Best Animated Short – 86th Academy Awards, 2014
Nominated, Best Short Film, European Film Awards, 2014
Nominated, Best Short Film, Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTAs), 2014
CREDITS –
Narrator: George Takei
Writer / Animator / Director: Eoin Duffy
Producer: Jamie Hogan
Script Editor: Richard Duffy
Music Company: Echolab
Composer: Tobias Norberg, Gavin Little (Echolab)
Sound Designers: Gavin Little, Joe McHugh (Echolab)
Post Production: Windmill Lane
Legal: Gordon Judge
Accounting: Stephen Proctor
Funders Representatives –
Emma Scott: Production Executive for the Irish Film Board
Pauline McNamara: Executive Producer – RTE
Fionnuala Sweeney: Film Specialist – Arts Council
Jill McGregor: Schemes & Applications Co-ordinator for the Irish Film Board

2020

An iPad love story.

Love Across the iPads.

Brunettes Shoot Blondes - Knock Knock (Official Video) from Brunettes Shoot Blondes on Vimeo.
Are you in the mood for a love story?

How about a love story amongst iPads?

If so - here's your chance!

"Brunettes Shoot Blondes - Knock Knock" is brought to you by frontman Andrew Kovaliov. He decided to animate the song "Knock Knock" by Brunettes Shoot Blondes, a Ukrainian band based in Kyiv. Apparently, they hired him or something like that, but how it all came about is known only to them.

Kovaliov spent a few months working up a screenplay, and then took the idea to his friend, animator Eugene Shkolnyi, whose animation studio SYT-X put the video together over about eight months. Shkolnyi was very helpful, and it took eight months to wrap this up:

"To be precise, it was about 3 and a half months. But we were forced to pause to fulfil commercial orders. Brunettes Shoot Blondes are our friends, the main purpose was to help them create the video. Time doesn't matter for us."

It took about a dozen takes, but they finally got it right.

2020

The Simpsons "Futuristic Couch Gag."


Sunday 28 September 2014 was the season premiere ("Clown in the Dumps") of the Simpsons - the 26th season, actually, but who's counting? This bit comes from Oscar-nominated filmmaker and animator Don Hertzfeldt.

The entire "Simpsons" oeuvre becomes available soon via an FX mobile app. Endless hours of fun!

A peek into the future - maybe. Sometimes it's hard to handle the truth!

I think this is hilarious and not too far-fetched the way things are going.

2020

Mad Love.

"Mad Love" Animation.


FOL'AMOR from GOBELINS pro on Vimeo.
This is a fun quickie from Gobelins (the top French school of animation) about two young lovers in the woods. They are frolicking about and suddenly encounter a lengthy sword sticking out of a rock. The young man is having a little difficulty pulling it out to earn his reward, so his lady friend knows just how to get him to finish. But then, when he finally after great energetic thrusting and heaving withdraws it and is satisfied with his performance, she finds another little project for him. Soon, he is up and moving again.

It's all very... symbolic. Oh, wait, no, it's just about two people in the woods, never mind.

Yes, it's French.

No, that couldn't possibly resemble anything else.

From the page:

Court-métrage d'animation de fin d'études (promotion 2013).
Réalisateurs : Augustin Clermont, Gilles Cortella, Marthe Delaporte, Clement De Ruyter, Maïlys Garcia, Gaspard Sumeire, Pierre Rütz.
Acteurs : Vincent Demoury, Marie-Aline Roule.
Synopsis :
Une châtelaine et un jeune chevalier batifolent dans la forêt lorsqu'ils découvrent Excalibur. Ils se lancent alors dans un jeu de séduction délirant.
A high-born lady and a young knight are frolicking in the forest when they come across Excalibur, which leads them to a silly game of seduction.
Contact Production :
GOBELINS, l'école de l'image : Moïra Marguin, [email protected].
Contact Festival :
GOBELINS, l'école de l'image : Luce Grosjean, [email protected].
Distribution :
La distribution des films produits par GOBELINS, l'école de l'image est assurée par L'Agence du court métrage.
Contact : [email protected].

2020

Vertical Farming.

Vertical Farming animation.


It's always good to throw in some educational animations just to keep the mood balanced. Man cannot live on Disney princesses alone! Well, most men.

Anyway, vertical farming is an idea that you hear about from time to time, and this is a good animation that combines an exploration of the concept with arch-advocate Professor Dickson Despommier of Columbia University ranting in good-natured fashion about it.

What a concept: cities growing their own food! You just take some buildings, throw in some dirt, rig up some solar-powered lights, toss in some seeds, and - presto! Big, juicy tomatoes and lettuce and cabbage and turnips.

Ah, it is so easy to be a critic of wonderful concepts and shoot down anything new. But, here we go, let's have a go at the other side because that is what we do to keep our feet on the ground.


This is one of those "the devil is in the details" concepts that work in our minds if we want it to work, but it might not work so well in the real world. Real farmers might have a different take on this. There are realities of farming such as the fact that growing food simply does not match up well with the pay scale of people who live in the middle of big cities such as high-powered lawyers and movie stars and, well, Professors. And that is not even to mention the practical realities of bugs (you would need bees buzzing around) and electricity and maintenance and bringing in fertilizer and running pesticides down through the drains and managing all the water you would need and all sorts of other pesky matters that would take a lot of the fun out of the idea. Farming is land-intensive, while cities are people-intensive; it's just a difficult fit. Note the one word the Professor uses the most often in the video: 'people." As in, people would be all over this project, requiring a lot of labor that would somehow have to be compensated at a rate that enables them to live next to all those fancy lawyers and movie stars and Professors.

In terms of how messy it would be, it sounds an awful lot like heating homes with coal - something people gladly ran away from as fast as possible in the early 20th century. Yes, any practical limitation could be overcome with thought, and this would not require any new technology - but is it worth it economically? That is where this fine little video comes up short, with no mention of that.

And there also is the little matter of how much demand there would be in cities for basic crops such as turnips and cabbages. There might be a lot - I love having the Union Square Greenmarket a block away from my own pad. I go there several times a year, in fact. But you can only eat so many apples and carrots and peppers before you want some steak.

Don't get me wrong: I like the concept. Concepts are good. Trying to improve the world: good. The food is good. Self-sufficiency - good. Solar power - really good. But reality and concepts can be far, far apart. Pot growers could probably give a lot of hints as to the practicality of indoor farming.

My contribution to the cause - I am actually doing something, minuscule and trivial as it may be - by posting the video. Watch it, and see what you think. Maybe you will be the one that does this and changes the world.

Those are just my own random thoughts on the matter, and every one of them has a valid counter. Draw your own conclusions as always. Professor Despommier is certainly an enthusiastic advocate, and he has his own website on this.

Professor Despommier.

From the youtube page:

If there weren't any pesky practical limitations, what world-changing device would you invent? In the second installment of Babelgum and GOOD's new Big Ideas competition, Columbia professor Dickson Despommier imagines filling New Yorks skyscrapers with farms.

Oh, just in case the idea really intrigues you and you really are hardcore on the idea, here is Professor Despommier giving an entire lecture on the subject. He is very, very serious about this, so only watch this if you are, too. I watched it: it once again is long on airy concepts and wishful thinking and a bit removed from reality, but still interesting.


2020

Stephen King's "Battleground" - in Russian.


I'm posting this peculiar animation for the curiosity factor and the fact that it is so odd. Plus, I just plain like it, though I doubt it will get many views. It clocks in at just under 10 minutes, and it is worth your time if you like unexpectedly good animation.

This is s Soviet-era (1986) animation of a Stephen King short called "Battleground." Soviet animation gets overlooked these days, but it actually was quite good, with a distinctive style that echoes many of the classics of the genre (this one brings to mind, for example, the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" from "Yellow Submarine," though with a completely different message).

The animation is done primarily by rotoscope, a venerable animation process still in wide use today which gives a kind of impressionistic view of the world. It was used at the same time in the classic A-ha music video "Take on Me," which is still great fun to watch and which, if you never have seen it, you must go watch right now. There also is a good deal of plain-jane hand-drawn animation thrown in at times that also is quite entertaining. The soundtrack isn't bad at all, either, though it sounds more '70s than '80s - then, this was the Soviet Union.

In the animation, a Soviet spy goes about his spy business-killing a New York toy company executive! - but then something unexpected happens and he is in for the fight of his life. This is accompanied by a clipped, detached and emotionless female narration that is creepier than anything on the screen. There also is an awful lot of (poorly spoken) English for a Soviet production. It is almost hallucinogenic at times, with the spy suddenly realizing that his entire world has been turned topsy-turvy and he no longer is in control of his destiny.


It's a curious animation that, somewhat unexpectedly, does not portray the Soviet assassin as all-powerful, but rather a solitary man on the run - just like the Soviet Union of the time. It is one of Stephen King's better short stories. There is a live-action American version of this with William Hurt. This version is from talented Soviet animator Mikhail Titov — whose previous work includes How the Cossacks Played Football (1970). Here, he turned King’s short story “Battleground“ (1972) into an animated movie, titled simply Сражение or Battle.

The spy just so happens to be the spitting image of Vladimir Putin - especially his eyes - which is kind of eerie. But then, at that time - that's exactly what Vladimir Putin was doing. He never speaks - but he does laugh.


From the youtube page:

This is an animated short from USSR Ukraine studio Kievnauchfilm. Titled Srazhenie (The Battle) it is based on Stephen King's short story Battleground. Animation dates to 1986. The short story is from 1978.

There has also been an American made for tv version of this short story featuring William Hurt. It's called Battlefield from Nightmares and Dreamscapes.


2020

Cool Zoetrope Animation, "Galloping."

3D Zoetrope from Kelly Egan on Vimeo.
Kelly Egan created this galloping zoetrope for a recent event. Its not some big video game or anything, but it is cool nonetheless. The beauty lies in the simplicity of the process and the eternal nature of the subject.

A zoetrope is nothing new in animation. They were popular 100 years ago. It is created by showing a sequence of still images that, shown with proper timing, create the illusion of motion by an otherwise stationary group of objects. It is related to those little flipbooks you may have gotten from a Cracker Jack box once upon a time, where you flip the pages and see a little story take place (and that, too, is an art form that survives and that we've shown on here before). A zoetrope typically is done with a cylinder with slits cut into it and a moving set of objects inside. Another way, used here, is with (apparently) a strobe light and perfectly calibrated movement on a turntable by a set of horse models.

It's not easy to set up, but once it is, it creates a wonderful art form that is distinct from any other. The whole galloping horses thing was a big topic in the late 19th century - it took clever photographer Eadweard Muybridge on June 15, 1878, to solve a burning question of the day: do horses ever have all four hooves at the same time? While that may seem obvious now, it wasn't considered that way back then.

The Muybridge galloping horse.

Muybridge was tasked with solving this issue. In the process, he created something special - the first silent film, though it wasn't viewed that way at the time. Considering that this was before Thomas Edison and his cohorts came out with the first real motion pictures, that is some feat.

The Muybridge shots.

Muybridge ended that issue once and for all by taking perfectly timed shots to prove to a skeptical audience that all four hooves were off the ground at the same time. Considering that was a time when virtually all local land transportation was by horse, that told people something completely new about things they dealt with on a daily basis but still didn't completely understand. Just shows the value that this kind of thing can have. Oh, and he wasn't working for some rube who should have known better - Muybridge was commissioned to do this at some expense by none other than Leland Stanford, the founder of Stanford University.

2020

"Moosebox."

"Moosebox," a modern 8-bit adventure.

MooseBox from Nickelodeon International on Vimeo.
Do you remember the old 8-bit style games like "Donkey Kong" and "Mario Bros"? Well, these days you might not, that was a long time ago. But this is a fun homage to those times, but with an updated, bouncy style that better suits those prehistoric video games than the usual generic arcade background music that they invariably used.

All right, for all you geniuses out there, it isn't actually 8-bit. It's a lot better and more detailed than 8-bit ever was. Let's just call it pixelated and call it even. But it has the retro-style of those times, at least.

Here, we have a very enthusiastic moose and his inseparable sidekick, a yellow cat. Their mission? To rescue Princess Burger from the evil clutches of a Hipster Octopus.

Now, those Hipster Octopi are not to be fooled with, but our dynamic duo is up to the job.

The short film was created by Mike Scott for the Nickelodeon International Animated Shorts Program 2013.



From the page:

'MooseBox', created by Mike Scott and produced at Triggerfish Animation Studios for the Nickelodeon International Animated Shorts Program 2013.

2020

"Big Hero 6."

Big Hero 6 - Second Trailer.


Coming of the wonderful "Frozen," Disney faces huge expectations for its animated feature film follow-up. Well, it's now almost here, after watching the usual slow-building roll-out campaign that has been accelerating all year long for "Big Hero 6."

This is Disney's first animated movie based on a Marvel comic book with ‘Big Hero 6,’ and its new Disney/Marvel trailer greatly expands upon what little we knew about the film.

‘Big Hero 6′ is about young prodigy Hiro, who forms a bond with a marshmallow fluff-looking robot named Baymax after the loss of his brother.


Designed as a medical aide, Baymax is a lot more than just that. Hiro makes some upgrades to transform him into the ultimate fighting machine after the kid’s latest invention, micro-bots, falls into villainous clutches. “This may undermine my non-threatening, huggable design,” jokes Baymax. To get the micro-bots back and save the city of San Fransokyo from ruin, Hiro and Baymax team up along with his older brother and his friends to save the world - or at least the city.


This film doesn't look like quite the slam-dunk that 'Frozen" turned into, appealing to a radically different audience, but the animation is superior. The one advantage that 'Big Hero 6' has is that there are a lot of Marvel fans out there. Being based on a Marvel comic book taps into a whole new audience that seems to have been an afterthought in the marketing process, but could provide a surge in interest.

San Fransokyo.

This latest ‘Big Hero 6′ trailer touts more of the action, humor and expert animation style we expect from Disney. The cast includes Disney star Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit of ’30 Rock,’ funnyman T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Genesis Rodriguez and Maya Rudolph.

‘Big Hero 6′ will hit theaters on November 7.


2020

Sarah and Joe Penna

Where Babies Come From: The Animation



Digital talent manager Sarah Penna and her YouTuber husband Joe Penna created this cute animation about where their child came from.

No, it's probably not where you expect. This isn't "TED-ED."

Our hats are off to Joe for actually getting the little woman to go along with this project, which obviously included an awful lot of planning and... execution.


From the youtube page:

We spent 10 months shooting this video to welcome Jonah Lane Penna to the world!

2020

League of Legends: Warriors

‘Warriors’ is an animated music video by Imagine Dragons Celebrating the ‘League of Legends’ 2014 World Championship.


That's a pretty spectacular music video.

You may download for free the mp3 here if you like it for you iPod or whatever.

Samsung Blue team logo.

From the "Warriors" official page:

"As a child, you would wait and watch from far away, but you always knew that you’d be the one that worked while they all play.

The battle begins, and sixteen teams across the globe are fighting towards one goal – to win the League of Legends World Championship. To kick off the start of the action, we set out to craft a war cry to rally behind in a creative collaboration with Imagine Dragons. Whether you’re a solo queue warrior or fighting off the LCS jitters – every moment counts.

Here we are, don’t turn away now – we are the warriors that built this town."


As far as the tournament itself is concerned, as of this writing, they are in the second week. During the first week, two teams from each of groups A and B were eliminated from the competition. Those that remain continue on to the quarterfinals next week. A second group stage takes place this week.

Fnatic's team logo.

Needless to say, but I will say it anyway, these are good players. This is a global deal, with teams from all the major global gaming powers, such as Cloud 9 from the USA and Fnatic from Europe, Taiwan’s Teipei Assassins (TPA), China’s Edward Gaming (EDG) and others.

OMG (China) team logo.

Below is an example of what this is all about, it's a long video with lots of chatter but they do get around to showing some actual gaming.

LMQ (North of America) team logo.

The finals are in Korea, that should be a real spectacle.


The “Warriors” music video was created via the collaboration of the alternative rock band Imagine Dragons and video game developer Riot Games.

KaBuM! E-Sports (Brazil) team logo.

It promotes the 2014 World Championship tournament in the multiplayer online battle arena video game "League of Legends."


Here's a Nightcore version of the song "Warriors" that I thought gave it a good alternative sound.


[HQ/HD] Nightcore - Warriors (League Of Legends) [Imagine Dragons]

NaJin White Shield (South Korea) team logo.

From the youtube page:

Published on Sep 18, 2014
Nightcore - Warriors (League Of Legends) [Imagine Dragons]
The FIXED version!

Original Video And Music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmI_Nd...

----------------------------------------­----------------------------------------­---------
Nightcore Version By BlightyNightcore

SoundCloud:
http://soundcloud.com/blightynightcore

Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAIwk...
Follow, Subscribe, Like, Share For MORE!

----------------------------------------­----------------------------------------­---------
League Of Legends Nightcore version of the song: Warriors by Imagine Dragons.

Released Date: 17 sep. 2014
Nightcore Release: 17 sep. 2014

----------------------------------------­----------------------------------------­---------
TAGS: (*Ignore this*)
League of legends, league, imagine dragons, imagine, sword, Legends, Warriors, League Of Legends Warriors, Build this town Warrior, League Warrior, Wariors, warior, warriors, warrior, Legends of warriors, legend of warrior, tag, League Of Legends, World Championship, World, Championship, league Of Legends World Championship, League World Championship, league world Championship, League Championship, League Championship 2014, League 2014, League World Championship 2014, Championship, Championship2014, Championship20, LOL, LoL Championship, LoL World Championship, LOL Championship, LOL World Championship, Lol Championship, Lol World Championship


2020

"Everyone is Lonely."

"Everyone is Lonely" from Fox Animation Domination.


"Everyone is Lonely" is a Fox Animation Domination High-Def with a very cute moral: be nice, because we're all in the same boat. It is written by Heather Anne Campbell, a comedy writer, with singer Liz Beebe of the band The Dustbowl Revival chipping in the singing chores. The animation is standard, simplistic television-style slow-mo scenes with large-headed characters set against pastels as a background. It works, and simplicity helps to get across the message.

It's a pleasant enough confection. In the old days, they used to just assume that people would learn to be polite as they grew up. Nowadays, it has to be specifically taught via backhanded efforts like this. That there is a need for animations giving specific advice on how to behave at a core level is a sad reflection on modern society. It's kind of like if you had to create animations that said: "Please use a hankie when you blow your nose" or "don't hit people" - the fact that it is considered enough of an issue to create an animation about it is a sign of much deeper issues. Though, I'm sure we'll see animations someday about "don't knock people out of the way to get to that sale" and "killing people for sport is wrong," with the lilting musical accompaniment and cute visuals that make is so charming. The packaging is all.

I suppose the only reason to be nice to people is that you pity them... but, whatever it takes is good enough.


From the youtube page:

Animation Domination High-Def is a block of cartoons that air every Saturday on FOX at 11PM/10c and all over the Internet all the time.

VOICE TALENT:
Liz Beebe
(https://twitter.com/BeebeJesus)

Writer: Heather Anne Campbell
(https://twitter.com/heathercampbell)
Storyboard Director: Whitney Tang, Jay Hasrajani
Animation: Luz Batista, Whitney Tang, Wen Ling Qiu, Jay Hasrajani, Spencer Wan,  Kelly Kanemaru
Design: Nick Sazani, Wen Ling Qiu, Spencer Wan, Whitney Tang, Luz Batista, Polly Guo, Rachael Hunt, Jay Hasrajani, Sarah Sloyer
Editor: Nathaniel Atcheson

LYRICS:
We’re all the same
No matter how we’ve grown
Colors of our skin
Defections in our bones

There's one we share
Everyone everywhere
We're all alone
We're all alone.

Everyone is fundamentally lonely
Whether you trust science or a church
Because we’re scared
Some of us make pairs
And some of us are still on the search

But everyone is fundamentally lonely
So here’s daily advice
You’re in pain
And everyone feels the same
So just be ..... nice.

What do you lose
When life’s already the worst
Leave a bigger tip
Let that guy in line first

We’re all lonely
Pay for their coffee
Pick up that trash
I know it’s not your trash.

Everyone is fundamentally lonely
Sometimes it comes out as rage
Screaming in a store
Cause they’re lonely at the core
So be calm when you engage

Everyone is fundamentally lonely
And I’m not saying to sacrifice
Lend some support
At the airport
It won’t kill you to be nice.

Everything is stupid
Success is a projection
We’re all quietly helpless
Being nice is a connection

Blaring your car horn
Won’t make you feel tremendous
But picking up something someone dropped
Will make this whole thing less horrendous

Everyone is fundamentally lonely
Even the ones who pretend they’re not
Be nice today
It’ll make things just slightly ok
On this lonely, little blue dot.

EVERYONE IS LONELY | ANIMATION DOMINATION HIGH-DEF
http://www.youtube.com/user/foxadhd

2020

Nick Whitmire/Blur Studio Animation Reel.

Animation Reel 2014- Nick Whitmire from nick whitmire on Vimeo.
Every so often, I like to post a reel from one of the top animators out there. This one is from Nick Whitmire, who describes himself as an animator from Blur Studio and who has been in the business for some time. I don't have any other information on him aside from his work, above - which, in any event, is all that matters. You can find him at his website if you like.

Blur is based in Culver City, California and does animation for all sorts of projects. However, it is probably best known for its video game trailers (not the video games themselves). The studio dabbles in feature film work, and while that is not its main game, it is at the top of the crowd in terms of quality. Blur has contributed to James Cameron's "Avatar" and some "Star Wars" projects, among many other things. They don't hire just anybody. I have previously posted their own (the studio's) reel of video game trailers here, which is pretty stunning work.


I don't recognize the products in this reel - I'm more into film animation than video game stuff, and I'm sure all of this is fairly recent - but it's important for all animation fans to recognize the rising quality of video game work. In my opinion, video game animation (in terms of quality and detail) eventually will merge with that of animated feature films, but they're not there yet. I like the vivid colors and the expressiveness on the characters' faces - something you would not have seen in this kind of animation even five years ago.

I will say this, and it is not a criticism of this reel or even really related to it, but I long for the days when they can do animation that is this vivid and sharp that is not set in the ubiquitous dark forests and shadows, but instead has believable (not cartoony) characters in the full light of day. You may disagree with that, and that's AOK, Hondo, but I can tell you from experience that it gets wearing on you when you watch a ton of stellar animation and always see the darkness and shadows that are coving up the seams and transitions. Changing that isn't going to happen any time soon, but eventually it will, and that will likely be the next great leap forward in animation.

If you like this reel, you might want to compare it to the animation reel I posted earlier this year from Dane Stogner, an animator at DreamWorks, which I still think is one of the best reels I've ever seen. Looking at the two in sequence will really allow you to compare how closely feature film animation and video game animation has become - and how much room still separates them.


From the web page:

Animation Reel 2014- Nick Whitmire
from nick whitmire PLUS 2 days ago NOT YET RATED
A compilation of my work from Blur Studio.
Music: Ryan Amon


Anyway, I enjoyed this reel even though I'm not a video game fanatic (at least anymore), so maybe you will, too. Really nice work.

2020

MAVEN approaching Mars.

The MAVEN Spacecraft Now Orbiting Mars. There's another probe around the Red Planet, and nobody seems to care very much. Gone are the days when getting something into space is a big deal. Back in the 1970s, the world would watch breathlessly as each rocket launch sent something out of earth's atmosphere. Now, even putting something into close orbit around Mars, a planet we still know almost nothing about, is greeted with a yawn.

NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft successfully entered Mars’ orbit at 10:24 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 21, where it now will prepare to study the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere as never done before. MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars. NASA put out this simple animation to help publicize the event.

MAVEN orbiting Mars.

Now, that isn't much of a headline grabber - that MAVEN will be studying the upper atmosphere of Mars. However, it is very important for what we intend to do down the road.

“As the first orbiter dedicated to studying Mars’ upper atmosphere, MAVEN will greatly improve our understanding of the history of the Martian atmosphere, how the climate has changed over time, and how that has influenced the evolution of the surface and the potential habitability of the planet,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “It also will better inform a future mission to send humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s.”

Personally, I have my doubts about that last point. With the slow pace of the U.S. space program and the sheer lack of urgency regarding anything related to space flight, the goal of putting someone on the Red Planet in the 2030s seems wildly optimistic. NASA is having a hard enough time with its wacky plan to bag an asteroid and bring it back to orbit the Moon.

This animation depicts MAVEN orbiting Mars at a range of 77 miles. After a 10-month journey, confirmation of successful orbit insertion was received from MAVEN data observed at the Lockheed Martin operations center in Littleton, Colorado, as well as from tracking data monitored at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) navigation facility in Pasadena, California. The telemetry and tracking data were received by NASA’s Deep Space Network antenna station in Canberra, Australia.

Now that it is in orbit, MAVEN will commence a six-week commissioning phase that includes maneuvering into its final science orbit and testing the instruments and science-mapping commands. MAVEN then will begin its one Earth-year primary mission, taking measurements of the composition, structure, and escape of gases in Mars’ upper atmosphere and its interaction with the sun and solar wind.

"It's taken 11 years from the original concept for MAVEN to now having a spacecraft in orbit at Mars,” said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN principal investigator with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder (CU/LASP). “I'm delighted to be here safely and successfully, and looking forward to starting our science mission."

Here is some deep background from NASA:

MAVEN launched Nov. 18, 2013, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, carrying three instrument packages. The Particles and Fields Package, built by the University of California at Berkeley with support from CU/LASP and Goddard contains six instruments that will characterize the solar wind and the ionosphere of the planet. The Remote Sensing Package, built by CU/LASP, will identify characteristics present throughout the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. The Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer, provided by Goddard, will measure the composition and isotopes of atomic particles.

MAVEN's principal investigator is based at CU/LASP. The university provided two science instruments and leads science operations, as well as education and public outreach, for the mission. The University of California at Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory also provided four science instruments for the mission. Goddard manages the MAVEN project. Lockheed Martin built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. JPL provides navigation and Deep Space Network support, as well as Electra telecommunications relay hardware and operations.

2020

"The Tale of Princess Kaguya" Preview


Studio Ghibli long has been known as the "Asian Walt Disney."

There were reports that it is shutting down. However, they still have some tricks up their sleeve.

"The Tale of Princess Kaguya," which will be released in October 2014,  is Studio Ghibli at its best. Isao Takahata returns as a director after a fifteen-year absence from the studio, having done the 1999 comedy "My Neighbors the Yamadas." Takahata also did war drama "Grave of the Fireflies."

"The Tale of Princess Kaguya" is more serious than most Studio Ghibli animations. It is an adaptation of Japanese folktale "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," in which Kaguya recounts the story of a child found in a bamboo frond. When a bamboo cutter stumbles across her, he takes her in and raises her as his own daughter.

The animation is, as always at Studio Ghibli, hand-drawn, which gives it a personal feel missing from many blockbuster Hollywood CGI spectacles of noise and somewhat-lifelike figures.

Kaguya is drawn with an intensity that really leaps out of the screen at you. She is portrayed as the regal princess her adoptive father wants her to be. The lack of precision in the figures works to the film's advantage, just as a painting by Van Gogh is more evocative than a simple photograph of a bridge or a wheat field.

Kaguya is just over two hours long and is a straightforward tale for both children and adults. It is not dramatic, it does not have aliens arriving with blasters, it doesn't contain many surprises. However, it is a beautiful work of art, something that wasn't possible years ago by anyone, a dazzling display of color and light.

Kaguya's life as the daughter of the bamboo cutter is simple, but she is free to explore the surrounding wilderness and play with the other local children. Her father thinks she deserves to be raised as a proper princess, not a pretend one, but a real one. He finds gold and fine cloth in the woods, and he then decides to use this to build a grand home in the city. The idea is to create a very real kingdom of a sort for his precious Kaguya.

Kaguya loves her awesome new home at first. However, her tutor Sagami is there to teach Kaguya how to behave like a lady, with none of that common running, playing, swimming, or anything else fit only for children. Kaguya prefers to spend her time with her mom, doing simple things like weaving, cooking, and gardening that they always have enjoyed together. This creates tension with Kaguya's father, who finds it unseemly that they are doing the work of servants.

It is all a tale of getting what you wished for - and later on, perhaps wishing that you didn't.

"The Tale of Princess Kaguya" will be released on October 17th, 2014.

Director: Isao Takahata. Produced by Studio Ghibli.


From the youtube page:

The Tale of Princess Kaguya Official US Release Teaser Trailer #1 (2014) - Studio Ghibli Film HD 

An old man makes a living by selling bamboo. One day, he finds a princess in a bamboo. The princess is only the size of a finger. Her name is Kaguya. When Kaguya grows up, 5 men from prestigious families propose to her. Kaguya asks the men to find memorable marriage gifts for her, but the 5 men are unable to find what Kaguya wants. Then, the Emperor of Japan proposes to her.

2020

Look Back at Origins of World War I.

Cause and Effect: the unexpected origins of terrible things from Delve on Vimeo.
This is a nice blend of live-action, historical footage, and animation which delves into the origins of World War I.

The First World War was the defining event of the century in political terms. It spawned the Second World War, which nowadays gets all the press, but the First World War was much more significant in a larger sense. It broke down the prevailing system of government and sowed the seeds of chaos around the world - including, as is often forgotten, the Middle East. You can draw a direct line from the treaties that arose out of World War I and today's events in Israel and surrounding areas.

The underlying theme of this video is "it's all personal" - and it's difficult to argue with that. It uses the unusual device of going backward in time to derive the small causes of terrible things.

The conclusion is original and makes a lot of sense.

From the web page:

A brand new video essay from delve!
100 summers ago the countries of Europe collapsed quickly into war: it was sudden but also strangely inevitable. Countless books have been written since about the causes of The Great War, but in this video essay, we offer an alternative history. By tracing the story backward in time we stumble upon a very unexpected cause and discover that sometimes the most harmless of things can have terrible consequences.
Story Design & Direction: Adam Westbrook adamwestbrook.co.uk
Additional Photography: Brett Walsh brettwalshphotography.com
Animation: Adam Westbrook
Archive footage from the US National Archives released in the public domain
Stock footage via Videohive and Pond5
All photographs in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Satie's Gymnopedie No. 2 performed by Kevin McLeod incompetech.com
Additional music and sound effects via AudioJungle
Story assistance from Caroline Vanier, Cody Delistraty and Chris Schaefer.
Indonesian translation: Farras Octara farrasoctara.com/
Here are the books I used in researching this essay.
The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman
The War that Ended Peace by Margaret Macmillan
Catastrophe: Europe Goes to War 1914 by Max Hastings
Dreadnought: Britain, Germany and the coming of the Great War by Robert K Massie 6
The Last Kaiser by Giles MacDonogh
The Influence of Sea Power on History 1660-1783 by Alfred T Mahan
===
Translate this video into your own language!
You can download the English script, plus instructions, here: delve.tv/wp-content/uploads/DelveCauseAndEffectScript.html
===
Watch more fascinating video essays on delve.tv
The Man Who Turned Paper Into Pixels: delve.tv/the-man-who-turned-paper-into-pixels-information-theory/
A Little History of the World on Instagram: delve.tv/Instagram
The Long Game Part Two: delve.tv/the-long-game-part-2/
The Long Game Part One: delve.tv/the-long-game-part-one/
Find out more about the delve.tv project: delve.tv/about/
Sign up to our mailing list to see the next essay first! delve.tv/

2020

Robin Williams as the Genie in "Aladdin" - Whoopi Goldberg also did this character, but Robin Williams is the gold standard. He re-ignited the trend of getting A-List figures in Hollywood to voice animated characters during Disney's Renaissance of the 1990s.

There are so many top voice talents that have voiced memorable animation characters - many of them long forgotten except by fans - that it is almost an injustice to try to list the top ones. However, it is nice to know who voiced some of the more popular characters in animated feature film history.

Off the top of our head, did you know that Bing Crosby ("The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad"), Jerry Seinfield ("Bee Movie"), Vincent Price ("The Great Mouse Detective"), Bob Newhart ("The Rescuers" and "The Rescuers Down Under"), James Woods ("Hercules") and Walt Disney himself (he did Mickey Mouse for many years and even appeared as himself in "Saludos Amigos") voiced popular animated characters? And many, many more famous names, way too many to list.

Because there is no point in honoring only the top celebrities - they get enough homage as it is anyway - we will include some of the lesser-known characters and the actors who brought them to life.

So, without slighting anybody, and all omissions being without malice, let's go through a few.

Snow White - Adriana Caselotti

For a decade Walt Disney insisted that the identities of the actors and singers providing the voices for his characters were kept secret. He believed that if audiences knew who was providing the voice the magic would be ruined. As a result, the entire cast of Disney's first feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs went uncredited – along with the several other movies that followed. The title role was played by Adriana Caselotti, an 18-year-old Italian who was trained by her father to be an opera singer. Disney personally chose her for the role and she was placed under a contract which forbade her from appearing in film and other media. However, she continued to take part in publicity for Snow White until well into her later years.

Adriana Caselotti was up in her bedroom and heard her father, one of Walt Disney's cronies, talking about finding just the right girl to voice Snow White in Disney's upcoming ground-breaking animated feature film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." She came down and wowed Walt, who loved her voice and style and quickly cast her. Adriana suffered from the system at the time - that essentially was her only role of any note - but she goes down in history as the first true voice star of animation.

Aurora - Mary Costa

Mary Costa was already a successful opera singer when she auditioned for the role of Aurora for Sleeping Beauty in 1952. Hours later Walt called her personally to offer her the role. To this day she continues to do promotional appearances for Disney.

Mary Costa is one of the unsung heroes of animation. "Sleeping Beauty" was a financial disaster upon release - it just seemed a little too like every other Walt Disney animated feature film - but in hindsight, it has become hugely popular, spawned a live-action remake/retelling focusing on villainess Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie, and generally been acknowledged by virtually everyone as a high point in the entire history of animation.

Maleficent and Lady Tremaine - Eleanor Audley

Eleanor Audley was a well-known face on classic American television and would regularly appear on shows such as Green Acres, I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show. She provided the voices for two of Disney's nastiest female characters, Lady Tremaine in Cinderella and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, and served as a physical model for both characters.

Since we are on the subject of "Sleeping Beauty," there is no point in slighting the wonderful Eleanor Audley in the key role of villainess Maleficent. She was the first to don the horns, and while she did not portray the character on screen herself, she had no problem dressing up as the character to help the animators track her character's movements for the film. If there ever is a Hall of Fame of voice actors, Eleanor Audley needs to be in there.

Eleanor Audley as Maleficent.

Oh, and if you're a true fan of animation legends, you had to know that I wouldn't skip the fact that Eleanor Audley voiced Lady Tremaine in "Cinderella," too! Talk about being in two of the top classic animated feature films of all time!

Alice in Wonderland and Wendy Darling - Kathryn Beaumont

Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953) Wendy/Alice — Kathryn Beaumont At just 10 years old Kathryn Beaumont was both the voice and model for Alice in Disney’s original 1951 animated "Alice in Wonderland." She went on to be the voice for Wendy in "Peter Pan," and today continues voice work reprising her famous roles. The 75-year-old Beaumont also worked as a school teacher where she was known to delight her students by performing her Wendy and Alice voices.

Anyone who does not include Kathryn Beaumont, who voiced Alice in "Alice in Wonderland," in their "Legends of Voice-overs" list needs to be sent down the rabbit hole! Kathryn Beaumont has one of the most incredible stories in Hollywood history. She had a slight British accent because she was a native of Great Britain, and Walt Disney loved that fact - along with her girlish ten-year-old personality and bright, blue eyes She was the Honey Boo Boo of her day! Kathryn was still kind of hanging around the studio afterward completing "Alice," so Walt decided to use her again - in the little role of Wendy Darling in "Peter Pan."

That doesn't happen too often in Hollywood.

The best part about Kathryn's story, though, is that she successfully evaded the curse of child actors that struck down so many of her peers. Never one to get airs, she voiced two of the most famous characters in the film - not just animation - history, and then just casually went back to school after her intern job at Disney completed when summer vacation was over one year. That is precisely how it went down, no more acting and no more voice work. She studied hard and became a schoolteacher, never looking back at former fame or riches. This girl was raised right. Many, many years later Kathryn came back to Disney and voiced her old characters again, long after everyone had forgotten who she was, recapturing the magic and no doubt making her former pupils honored to know they had had a brush with true Disney greatness.

That is an awesome, magical story all in itself.

Baloo the Bear, O'Malley and Little John - Phil Harris

Phil Harris had an illustrious entertainment career, appearing as an actor and comedian on radio and as a singer, musician, and bandleader. In 1967 and 1973 he voiced two very similar-looking bears for Disney. The first was as cuddly Baloo in The Jungle Book, the second as cuddly Little John in Robin Hood.

Phil Harris was quite successful in the 1950s onward as a recording star and lounge singer, and some still remember him as the perennial host of a golf tournament throughout the 1970s. However, Harris also voiced, not one, not two, but three of the enduring characters in animated feature film history.

He began his string with Baloo the Bear in "The Jungle Book," one of the most memorable Disney films of all time (and one that is being re-made as a live-action film at the time of this writing, too). It was the last animated feature film that Walt Disney himself oversaw, and he bestowed his blessing on Harris as Baloo, a role that helped turn "The Jungle Book" into the most successful Disney animated feature film since "Peter Pan."

Harris then voiced O'Malley in "Aristocats" a couple of years later. In the advertising for this second film, Disney even slipped in images of Harris' character Baloo from "The Jungle Book" - despite the fact that Baloo was not in "Aristocats"! If that isn't the ultimate accolade for an unknown voice actor making an impression on audiences, well, there can't be too many better ones.

The third character was as "Little John" in "Robin Hood" a few years later. By that time, Disney was falling on hard times in its animation department, and Harris had done his thing. He was a game trooper, though, and came back to try and voice Baloo again some twenty years later for a television series, but by that time his voice was gone and it just wasn't right.

Harris remains virtually alone at the top of the heap by voicing key voices in three separate and unrelated Disney animated feature film classics.

King of the Apes - Louis Prima

Probably the bigger voice star of The Jungle Book was Louis Prima, the lively musician who had reinvented his style through the decades – beginning with a jazz band in the Twenties, then moving on to swing in the Thirties, big band in the Forties, becoming a Vegas lounge act in the Fifties and forming a pop-rock band in the Sixties. His performance as orang-utan King Louie and the song I Wanna Be Like You will always be remembered as one of Disney’s finest.

"The King of the Apes" was not supposed to be a major character in "The Jungle Book," but Louis Prima was so captivating in his performance that Disney expanded the role to suit him. It was a brilliant decision, as most fans of the film will acknowledge that Louis Prima, aside perhaps from Harris as Baloo, was the best thing about "The Jungle Book."

King Richard and Prince John - Terry-Thomas

Two big stars – and big personalities – came together for 1973’s Robin Hood. British acting heavyweight Peter Ustinov voiced the role of evil Prince John – the man, well, lion, occupying the throne while his brother King Richard (also voiced by Ustinov) was on a crusade. Known for playing cads and toffs, comic actor Terry-Thomas played Sir Hiss.

Terry-Thomas was one of the funniest men in the world, with his gap-toothed trademark grin, and he carried his talent over into the animation world with his portrayal of "Sir Hiss" in "Robin Hood." No, Sir Hiss was not in the original legend, and yes, it was a completely unnecessary addition that contributed to the feeling that Disney animation was descending to the level of television Saturday morning cartoons that were all the rage then. However, it is undeniable that Terry-Thomas lightened things up in what otherwise might have become a ponderous re-recitation of a story that everybody knows by heart.

And let's not forget Peter Ustinov, esteemed Academy Award winner who pitched in to voice two characters in Robin Hood!

Jessica Rabbit - Kathleen Turner

Kathleen Turner helped confuse sexually frustrated teenage boys the world over when she provided her sultry tones to Jessica Rabbit (talking only, Amy Irving provided the singing), possibly Disney’s most overtly sexy character. Turner was uncredited for the role in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was an early Touchstone Films example of mixing live-action and animation, something that Hollywood - which rarely invents anything new - is going back to with a vengeance these days in films like "The Smurfs." Kathleen Turner had a sultry voice that fit the voluptuous character of the Hollywood starlet. The character has become a staple of women's Halloween costumes ever since.

Ariel the Little Mermaid - Jodi Benson

Jodi Benson has voiced many Disney characters – including Thumbelina and Barbie in Toy Story – but her biggest role is as Ariel in the hugely successful 1989 film The Little Mermaid. Away from the big screen, she’s also a Tony Award-winning stage actress.

Jodi Benson has been in so many Disney animated projects that it is difficult to keep track. However, her most famous role was as Ariel in "The Little Mermaid," a role she reprised to great effect in the sequels.

Lumiere - Jerry Orbach

Jerry Orbach, famous for his roles as Lennie Briscoe in Law & Order and Baby’s father in Dirty Dancing, provided the voice of the enchanted candelabra, Lumiere, in Beauty and the Beast.

There is a special place in animation history for actors who take a small, insignificant role and make it their own. Jerry Orbach, star of "Dirty Dancing" and many television cop shows, did that with the role of Lumiere in "Beauty and the Beast."

Mrs. Potts - Angela Lansbury

Angela Lansbury, so well known for appearing as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, was the voice of charming teapot Mrs Potts in Beauty and the Beast.

Angela Lansbury was one of show business' legends when she took on the role of Mrs. Potts in "Beauty and the Beast," but she stepped up to the plate one more time and created a legendary character in one of Disney's most successful films of the Disney Renaissance.

The Mad Hatter and Uncle Albert - Ed Wynn

Ed Wynn is a familiar face best known for playing laughing Uncle Albert in 1964’s Mary Poppins and he also provided the voice for the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland (1951). He was a successful vaudeville and comedy performer in the 30s before turning his hand to serious roles later in life – and earned an Oscar nomination for his part in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959). He was also originally offered the role of the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz but turned it down claiming it “too small”. He died in 1966, aged 79, and his epitaph reads "Dear God, Thanks... Ed Wynn".

Ed Wynn was a popular character actor who performed his best role as Uncle Albert in "Mary Poppins," a fantastic fantasy role for which he was ideally suited. He also was The Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland." That is perhaps the best combination of roles for a character actor in all of animation history.

Kaa - Sterling Holloway

Sterling Holloway was an actor that Disney turned to time and time again. Those born in the first half of the 20th century may remember him as Uncle Oscar in the TV series The Adventures of Superman, however, it is his voice that is best-loved as that of Winnie the Pooh, Kaa in The Jungle Book, Mr. Stork in Dumbo and the Cheshire Cat in Alice and Wonderland.

Sterling Holloway played a number of characters where you instantly recognize the voice, but not the name. Heck, you may not even remember the name of the snake in "The Jungle Book," but if you've seen the film, you remember both the character and the voice. Well, the name is Sterling Holloway, and he was one of the great talents in the voice business.

Simba - Matthew Broderick

By the Nineties, the Disney juggernaut was at full strength and casting serious Hollywood actors became commonplace. In 1994’s The Lion King, Matthew Broderick (best known for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and being married to Sarah Jessica Parker) was brought in to be the talking voice of adult Simba. (Jonathan Taylor-Thomas of the sitcom Home Improvement was the voice of young Simba.) Broderick’s stardom, however, was nothing compared to who they cast as Scar…

Matthew Broderick was famous as his signature character Ferris Bueller, but he created another legend by voicing Simba in "The Lion King," perhaps the most popular animated feature film before "Frozen" - and possibly after "Frozen," too.

Uncle Scar - Jeremy Irons

Gravelly voiced Jeremy Irons made a genuinely scary Uncle Scar in The Lion King. Among the other famous voices in the film was Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi, Cheech Marin as Banzai, Nathan Lane as Timon and James Earl Jones as Mufasa.

Jeremy Irons isn't usually thought of as a voice actor, but he made a deep impression as Uncle Scar in "The Lion King." Along with the other legendary characters in the film, Irons was a key part of an ensemble that still resonates with viewers today.

Cinderella - Illene Woods

Illene Woods began her starry career early, with her own radio show on the ABC network aged just 14. She also performed as part of the United States Air Force Orchestra during the Second World War and sang for two US Presidents – Franklin D Roosevelt and Harry S Truman. After performing "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", and "So This is Love" for her songwriter friends Mack David and Jerry Livingston, she was invited by Walt Disney to voice the leading role in Cinderella in 1950. By this time Disney had actually begun crediting its voice stars rather than keeping their identities a secret.

Illene Woods only voiced the one role of Cinderella - but what a role it was! If you're only going to voice one role in a Disney animated film, that's the one to choose!

The Fairy Godmother - Verna Felton

Comedian Verna Felton was one of the true stars of Disney. She was already a regular film, television and radio actress when she was cast in her first Disney film as Mrs. Jumbo in Dumbo (top right). She went on to play the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland (bottom right), Flora in Sleeping Beauty (top left), Winifred the Elephant in The Jungle Book and mean Siamese cat-owning Aunt Sarah in Lady and the Tramp (bottom left). Late on December 14, 1966, she died of a stroke, aged 76. Just hours later Walt Disney himself passed away.

You may not know who voiced her - but I can pretty much guarantee that if you have seen the original "Cinderella" that you remember the role of the Fairy Godmother. Well, Verna Felton voiced that and many other wonderful characters for Walt Disney.

The Evil Queen - Lucille La Verne

Lucille La Verne had had an extensive stage career before she was cast as the voice of the evil queen in Snow White. She was also a model for the artists creating the old crone – who the queen turns into to trick Snow White into biting into the apple. She retired immediately afterward and opened a successful nightclub before dying of cancer in 1945.

The Evil Queen in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" may have been evil, but she remains one of the enduring figures in animated film history. She was voiced by Lucille La Verne, who was cool with not getting any official credit and used her fifteen minutes of fame to leave the business entirely and open a nightclub. It may have been the smartest career choice of anyone on this list.

Too Many Role to List - Mel Blanc

Mel Blanc, active until his untimely passing in 1989

Mel Blanc is not only the voice of Bugs Bunny but also of Barney Rubble (and other characters in "The Flintstones" such as Dino), Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, Foghorn Leghorn, and Yosemite Sam. Late in his life, he was the little robot Twiki in "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century." He did the car sounds and other roles in the Jack Benny radio and TV show and was highly insulted when the producers suggested that they simply tape the effects since it was the same sound every single week for years. "Don't you think I can do it?" he asked. He could - and he did. Not only that, he made the sound different every single time.

There's nothing I can add to that. It speaks for itself. Nothing I could possibly write would do this bonafide legend justice.

Mickey Mouse - Walt Disney

The character that is still, to this day, synonymous with Disney. Mickey Mouse’s high falsetto voice was provided by Walt Disney himself for almost 20 years, including classic "Fantasia." However by 1946, he had become too busy to continue – and rumor has it his smoker’s voice was no longer up to hitting the high notes – so the role passed to Jimmy MacDonald.

Awww, you did not really think we were going to give the master himself, Walt Disney, such short shrift, did you?

2020