Whether it's a DVD Bonus Feature (sorry, children – Blu-Ray bonus feature), studio picture, promo material, or even that banned documentary about the making of a certain Llama-based film, if it’s about the animation process, it usually has my attention. Making its debut at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival is the latest behind-the-scenes look at the artform, and it comes from some of the key players who were there for the second golden age. Pencils Vs. Pixels takes a refreshingly honest look at the animation renaissance that also saw the rise of the computer, which stopped the artform cold.
From the opening 90 seconds, which shows some beautiful ASMR footage in slow-motion of pencils being shaved or scrawling on paper, I was hooked. Then, we are introduced to our narrator, Mulan’s Ming-Na Wen, who witnessed first hand the evolution of animation from, appropriately enough, pencil to pixel. From there, it’s a who’s who of animation talent and film historians. Viewers can expect to hear from Glen Keane, James Baxter, Pete Docter, Leonard Maltin, John Musker, Tony Bancroft, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Seth MacFarlane, Tina Price, Lorna Cook, Alex Hirsch, Sergio Pablos, the list goes on and that’s just scratching the surface. All artists who were there during the 80s/90s/00’s or were chasing careers in animation because they were influenced by the work of those featured.
The documentary celebrates traditionally hand-drawn animation, from its early beginnings and building into a strong focus on the animation renaissance of the late 80’s into the animation boom of the early 90s. This is a celebration of the medium, not just a single studio. Where other films like Waking Sleeping Beauty (a personal favorite) focuses on the Disney Studio during this period, Pencils V. Pixels showcases how others fared, including the success of Don Bluth, John Pomeroy and their team with The Secret of Nimh leading into meetings with Steven Spielberg for animated projects. Pencils V. Pixels even references Waking Sleeping Beauty almost in a way that suggests “If you want that story, go watch that film.” Most docs also focus strongly on the films of the era, but this one also points out the oft-overlooked animation boom of the era – Television. Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, The Simpsons, Family Guy, et al.
While everything hand-drawn culminates with The Lion King, the new doc switches focus to the Pixel portion of the title, sharing the (by comparison) recent history of computer animation and how traditional animators were awed but also terrified of what this could possibly mean for the medium. It’s in stark contrast and feels more honest when compared to more publicized studio films and other retrospectives where artists were so eager to grasp the new technology. We even get to hear tales of how Disney, early on, kept their use of computers in animation largely under wraps (from a publicity standpoint) until The Lion King.
As we get into the success of Pixar’s Toy Story and Dreamworks’ Shrek, (and how the studios interpreted that success) the tone shifts from a celebration into a somber note. One anecdote regarding Disney’s Treasure Planet is particularly heartbreaking when animators were encouraged to go all-in on the film so 2-D animation could “go out with a bang” while history tells us that didn’t pan out at all like they had hoped.
Directors Bay Dariz and Phil Earnest (and producer Animator Tom Bancroft) lead us into a dark corner and the most depressing chunk of the film as we hear some of the tales from the artists about job loss, exploring new options, and students who were left uninspired after dreaming of a career in animation. Truthfully, it made me want to seek each of them out and find the nearest pub to buy them a drink.
Don’t worry, they don’t leave us there as the dark note shifts and there is hope. Jumping from influences on Tangled, and the whole of Netflix’s Klaus, we see how traditional hand-drawn animation is still alive and well in places we might not think. Not to mention, thanks to digital technologies and new platforms, hand drawn animation is adapting and seeing a resurgence, especially in the world of television.
Altogether, Pencils Vs. Pixels is an incredibly in-depth look at a questionable time in the animation industry, with the more independent nature of the film allowing the story to feel refreshingly honest, real, and like a less corporatized look at the era. While it hits all the historical beats we’d expect, the film also gives even the most hardcore know-it-all fans new information to soak in, and even a different perspective or two. Pencils Vs. Pixels is also keenly aware of its predecessors (like the aforementioned Waking Sleeping Beauty), skirting topics that have already been covered when they don’t have to. It is sure to stand alongside those on my shelf when it is widely released later this year, with my personal rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.