Category: Announcements/Events

A Tribute to Richard Williams

A familiar page from Richard Williams’ pioneering book The Animator’s Survival Kit. There’s not an animator out there today who has not referred to (and benefitted from) the pages of this bible of animation.

There are and have been many excellent artists in the field of animation. And then there are geniuses. What sets a genius apart from other great artists? Incomparable devotion to the craft, absolute mastery of skill and technique, and most importantly, the courage and innovation required to break new ground. The late Richard Williams had all of that and more. The world’s recent loss of one of the last living legends of this art form is a stark reminder to us again that art is a way of life and not just mere occupation because this is where we make our mark. Williams’ commitment to his craft and his community went beyond delivering brilliant moments on screen; he had a huge impact thru his teachings and generosity. His famous book, The Animator’s Survival Kit, is a wealth of invaluable knowledge that could have only been produced by him and him alone. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for inspiring us and showing us what art is and what art could be.

“Good drawing is not copying the surface. It has to do with understanding and expression. We don’t want to learn to draw just to end up being imprisoned in showing off our knowledge of joints and muscles. We want to get the kind of reality that a camera can’t get. We want to accentuate and suppress aspects of the model’s character to make it more vivid.” ― Richard Williams, Animator

Here are a few brief samples of my favorite works of his — The Pink Panther, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Thief And The Cobbler — work that was ahead of its time and stands the test of time. In my opinion, they represent the kind of artistry and innovation yet to be duplicated in terms of originality or sheer brilliance in execution. Williams, who had the best of teachers, namely Milt Kahl from Disney and Ken Harris from Warner Bros, most surely lived up to his mentors’ trust and belief in him.

These opening (and closing) titles of The Return of The Pink Panther is a small but great example of what you can do when you’re creative. It’s just a short guy and a ridiculously-colored anthropomorphic panther — there’s no fancy effects, complicated backgrounds or preachy plot lines — but it charms and excites our imagination. For Richard Williams, animating to this iconic Henry Mancini score and doing it alongside his mentor and master animator Ken Harris must’ve been a blast.
In this interview with Richard Williams and director Robert Zemeckis, we get a sense of the absolute brilliance of vision they had in mind when they were making Who Framed Roger Rabbit. This was made over 30 years ago and it’s still stunning. Williams made the impossible possible way ahead of everyone else. The carefully calculated vision and complex concerted effort, as well as daily commitment required must’ve been unfathomable at the time. Aside from Space Jam (1996), it wasn’t until the advent of powerful computers and a long advancement in 3D animation software before we saw anywhere near as successful an implementation of animation with live action.
Considered by many as Richard Williams’ finest work, his ambitious almost 20 year long project The Thief and The Cobbler — which clearly inspired many of the ideas in Disney’s later animated success Aladdin — did things in animation that’s rarely attempted even now. The level of imagination in movement and (abstract) design and sheer magnitude of technical acrobatics (all done with a pencil!) continue to bewilder the mind. The animation is so inventive, playful and beautiful that the graphics alone almost carry the film. (Note: The project was ultimately taken out of Williams’ hands and terribly compromised by the producers/distributors for the re-editing and adding of unplanned voiceovers to the final product).
In this clip, also from The Thief And The Cobbler, we witness the marvel of the character Zig Zag. He’s another a example of Williams’ brilliance of what can be done in terms of pure character work and my hope is that animated filmmaker’s today take serious note of our current lack of innovation, imagination and courage to let the craft develop in ways that’s about more than just fancy polish, pretty lighting and photorealism.

Richard Williams’ work will live on, in our hearts and minds, as well as in our own work whether we know it or not. He has educated all of us and was the foremost example of passion and discipline. In closing, I’d like to extend my deepest condolences to my good friend Alex and the rest of the Williams family for their great loss, a loss felt by all in the global art and film community.

10 Rules for Creative Living

At the Water’s Edge by Winslow Homer. This stunning watercolor shows, without drawing attention away from the work itself, the power he must’ve had over his tools AND mind.

“You can’t get along without a knowledge of the principles and rules governing the influence of one color upon another. A mechanic might as well try to get along without tools.” — Winslow Homer, Artist

First off, thank you for continuing to follow this blog despite my rather long and unusual absence. I promise to reward you with more regular and even more meaningful discussions in the future ahead — again, without the invasiveness of any advertising and completely free of charge/obligations of any sort.

In this post, we’ll begin to talk about principles, which will be followed up by a series of posts that will expand upon a set of rules that I, myself, attempt to live by.

There are three constants in life… change, choice and principles.” — Stephen Covey, Author Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Over the years, and especially the last several years since I began this blog, I have been formulating a set of rules that would provide the kind of framework from which to build and live a creative and meaningful life.  They have been formulated (and reformulated) from years of success and failure, experiencing both enlightenment and suffering, and after much analysis and deep reflection. I’m no guru or world famous psychologist/philosopher (although I’ve read many of them) just an artist and teacher. But I do believe what I’m about to share can serve some usefulness for a creative individual, or anyone for that matter, hoping to find greater levels of fulfillment.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of The United States.

A dignified and heroic portrait of Abraham Lincoln by artist George Healy. Lincoln was one of the greatest leaders in history. He lived by his principles despite constant obstacles and failure, going against the establishment insisting on freedom for all and ultimately abolishing slavery in America.

We all need some guidelines to live by. Whether it be the governing of countries or individual creative living, without a written constitution or a set of moral principles, things slide into chaos and simply do not survive. Systems and individuals need order to function properly. And when it comes to our personal lives, it’s best that these rules be formulated by oneself rather than by others. Study and learn from others (the sources can come from anywhere: a religious leader, a professor, a favorite artist/writer or a combination there of) but make your guide to living uniquely your own. It’s a huge undertaking, but I tell you, it’s worth it. And know that this will take time, especially if you’re still young.

“Sometimes we have to question the obvious to get to the truth.” — Vicki Robin, Writer

One of the most creative minds in animation, the ageless Richard Williams has been a groundbreaking pioneer and continues to be in his complete devotion to the excellence and innovation of his craft.

From a pragmatic standpoint, rules are necessary because we humans too easily stray from doing what’s good for us and for the world at large. Entropy — the scientific phenomenon of things eventually moving from higher order to lower order — proves that we have to engage and work at things just to keep them from weakening or dying (just as muscles and bone density naturally diminish with age). The universe is constantly expanding and energy dissipates. So, too, does our ability to sustain focus and live with discipline — i.e. the direction and will to proceed with one’s original intentions. When we live without order, we risk engaging in thoughts and activities that damage our minds and bodies, and those of others, like when we abandon moral structure and ignore our conscience. In our current self-absorbed, consumption-driven society — where both companies and artists have no shame in appropriating, stealing and even exploiting the works of others (or their persons) AND get handsomely rewarded for it — there can be no greater need nor more timely call for conscientious structure.

“Consciousness illuminates itself by paying attention to it.” — Albert Camus, Writer

In discussing the upcoming rules, we must remember that, as artists, our creativity hinges on our ability to really observe and imagine and, thereafter, act. As has been preached time and time again here, this “magic” is not born out of chaos but structure. It is through regular positive engagement and healthy rituals that free the mind from its grip on fear. Only then can forces greater than ourselves emerge to assist and allow us to create. Having principles forces us to abide by a call for consistency of action and attitude. There is incredible beneficial power in repetition and monotony (as long as it’s the “good stuff” that’s repeated). Often times, when I’ve found myself having a marvelous experience or making something beautiful, I will look at it and say “I don’t even remember how it happened or how I did it.” But I always know that none of it happens without the proper thinking and doing that comes before its fruition. Living by a set of rules enables us to be more in tune with such creative capacity and meaning. Contrary to popular thinking, structure enables creativity, just as freedom only emerges from discipline.

“Art is such an action. It is a kindred form of action to idealism.” — Mark Rothko, Artist

Yellow Over Purple by Mark Rothko. One of the most prominent artists of Abstract Expressionism, Rothko “painted the impossible” — he painted emotion.

One by one, I’ll be revealing my own personal rules (I call them rules rather than laws because laws are universal and these have been humbly selected by me for me). They might serve you also or they might not. Like I said, you will need to find your own. What I have found is that whenever I have strayed from these rules, the outcomes — creative or otherwise — suffer greatly, as do my own levels of happiness and meaning.

Up next:

Rules for Creative Living: Rule #1 — HONOR