Floridays15 - Out with the Old

Soon to be demolished archway

Yesterday while at Disney's Hollywood Studios we overheard a conversation between a member of the animation team and a guest about the closure of the Animation Academy and other animation departments to make way for a whole new area with roller coaster and restaurant.  This saddened me as I always enjoyed watching the animators draw and tell us about their job in the Disney studios. I would have a slight pang of regret that I didn't follow my planned pathway after leaving school of going to art college.

Animator at work 

I would even go in and take the animation class, a 30 minute session on how to draw Goofy or Stitch. No exactly art college but I would come out clutching my carefully rolled up sketch just the same as the five and ten year olds.

Animation classroom

Sad because to me the whole Disney 'thing' is about the drawing and design of the films and attractions. I look at how a particular ride or show has been designed and built, the attention to detail, the little things that could so easily have been left out, but weren't. It's the same in Universal Studios. If I were leaving school now and had visited these places I would want to be a set designer for Disney or Universal.

Dragon Alley'set' at Universal Studios

Apparently in 5 years time, the artists will be back in a new form, Pixar are taking over the animation area and with it I expect a more modern take on film making. Reminds me of my old job while in the Navy, I worked for a couple of years in Training Resources. Hand drawing and producing training and visual aids. Using scalpels, technical drawing pens and Letraset on a large tilted drawing board. I loved it. Not long after I left they began to use computer design, eventually closing the branch as trainers could easily produce their own resources on their desktop PC and printer.

I love technology, but there's nothing as satisfying or as personal as seeing your artwork develop from idea to completion with pen or brush on paper or canvas.