(and full transcript!)
A letter from Walt to Don Graham (Chounaird Art Institute) Dec.23 1935 asking him to work out a systematic training course for animators.Dated December 23, 1935 these ideas are no less relevant today.
"Naturally the first most important thing for any animator to know is how to draw. Therefore it will be necessary that we have a good life drawing class."
"I have found that men respond much more readily to classes dealing with practical problems than to more theoretic treatment."
"It wouldn’t be bad if you made up a list of the qualifications of an animator in order of importance. The list should start with the animators ability to draw; then, ability to visualize action, breaking it down into drawings and analyze the movement the mechanics of the action. From this point, we would come to his ability to caricature action – to take a natural human action and see the exaggerated funny side of it – to anticipate the effect or illusion created in the mind of the person viewing that action. It is important also for the animator to be able to study sensation and to feel the force behind sensation, in order to project that sensation. Along with this, the animator should know what creates laughter – why do things appeal to people as being funny.
In other words, a good animator combines all these qualities:
Good draughtsmanship
Knowledge of caricature, of action as well as features.
Knowledge and appreciation of acting
Ability to think up gags and put over gags
Knowledge of story construction and audience values
Knowledge and understanding of all the mechanical and detailed routine involved in his work, in order that he may be able to apply his other abilities without becoming tied up in a knot by lack of technique along these lines."
"I have often wondered why, in your life drawing class, you don’t have your men look at the model and draw a caricature of the model, rather than an actual sketch. But instruct them to draw the caricature in good form, basing it on the actual model."
