ANIMATION FUNDAMENTALS (With Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Steamboat Willie”)
Easily one of THE MOST iconic animations of ALL-TIME, “Steamboat Willie” wasn’t JUST the debut “episode” of one world-renown mouse, but a hallmark in animation history. PERIOD.
This is ESPECIALLY impressive, given the context, where animations IN GENERAL were becoming less and less culturally relevant and the industry as a whole almost DIED.
And it’s in this short and snappy seven-and-a-half minute (7:22) video that we see a decidedly more MISCHIEVOUS Mickey Mouse than his modern-day interpretations- presumably made to be more family-friendly and representative of Disney’s CURRENT branding strategy of broader appeal.
Almost immediately, within SECONDS of hitting that “play” button, we’re bombarded with some CLASSIC animation techniques. And unlike most significant things of the past, you don’t even need to keep in mind how new and revolutionary these concepts were at the time to appreciate the sheer QUALITY on display, here! Squash and Stretch, Staging, Easing, Anticipation, Follow-Though, Overlapping and Secondary Actions, Arcs, Exaggeration and Timing- “Steamboat Willie” HAS IT ALL and has it IN SPADES!
In this SINGLE scene, starting at 1:25, there are NUMEROUS techniques being used… but those most PROMINENT on display here are Squash and Stretch, Anticipation, Secondary Action and Staging (mind you, ALL wrapped up into a few QUICK and WELL-TELEGRAPHED series of movements). Mickey sees the bird laughing at him after he lands in the bucket of water, clenches his fists, glances at the bucket and VISIBLY has an idea, GRABS the bucket and readies himself to toss it at the “mocking” bird. And while there IS movement going on outside of the what we’re “supposed” to be focusing on (Mickey Mouse), it’s significantly more subtle and subdued (often-times looping, meaning our brains can focus on the primary action without getting distracted, while ALSO recognizing other things are going on in the scene simultaneously).
Often times, I feel it’s easy to romanticize things we liked in the past. To remember how much we enjoyed whatever it was and, because of the distance, maybe even exaggerate a little bit.
In this instance, however, I believe “Steamboat Willie” JUST MIGHT BE one of the FEW exceptions- and that feels GOOD.
