This past Saturday afternoon at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event we attended a panel starring Pixar Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter alongside Disney historian Don Peri as they talked about their new book Directing at Disney: The Original Directors of Walt’s Animated Films. Below you can find my recap of this presentation.
Don Peri and Pete Docter began their discussion by talking about the misconception that Walt Disney directed many of the studio’s early animated shorts and features, and they commented that most big Disney fans have not memorized the actual names of these directors, even though many of them know Walt’s “Nine Old Men” of animation. Docter and Peri also talked about their histories with the Disney company and their lifelong interests in animation, and Don plugged the previous history books he has written about The Walt Disney Company.
The first interview conducted for the new book was with John Musker (director of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules), and research was conducted at the Walt Disney Animation Research Library. During the presentation Peri and Docter announced that an exhibit based on the book Directing at Disney will be opening at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco this fall. They also shared how the sections of the book break down.
The foreword of the book has been provided by Star Wars creator George Lucas, and we also saw a breakdown of the way Walt Disney revolutionized the way animation studios worked, along with some great photos from Walt’s early Hyperion studio.
Burt Gillett was the first “official” director at the studio for many Mickey Mouse shorts.
Dave Hand was the supervising director for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and he was known for his organizational skills. He and Walt Disney were friends outside of work and would go horse riding together, but Hand complained that Walt always talked about work anyway. Ben Sharpsteen was the supervising director for Dumbo and Pinocchio.
Next Docter and Peri got into the organizational structure for feature animation directing at Disney. Ham Luske served as director for Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, and the animated segments created for Mary Poppins.
Wilfred “Jaxon” Jackson was also credited as director on Cinderella and Peter Pan, plus the animated segments in Song of the South.
Gerry Geronimi, supervising director of Sleeping Beauty, was considered “one of the more controversial directors” at Disney Studios (you’ll have to read the book to find out why).
People said Geronimi looked like actor Edward G. Robinson, and the director was able to snag a photo with the celebrity. We learned about Using live-action reference for animation, and more directors who were known for the Disney cartoon shorts.
Peri and Docter also talked about the transition from the use of storyboards into the animatic process of pre-visualization, and the final chapter of the book focuses on a new structure at the studio in the 60s and the difficulty for everyone working for the company to adjust after Walt Disney’s death in 1966.
The authors showed off some of the other directors, photos, and documents covered in the book.
And they closed out the Directing at Disney panel with the “Animator’s Prayer” and a quote from Walt Disney himself. The book made its debut for purchase at D23.
Directing at Disney: The Original Directors of Walt’s Animated Films will be released on Tuesday, September 17th, but is available for pre-order right now. For much more coverage from D23 2024, be sure to check right back here at Laughing Place.