Let's consider the difference between the Russian and American schools of animation in
example of studioSoyuzmultfilmand studioWalt Disney.
Studio "Soyuzmultfilm" was created on the basis of studioVictor Smirnov,
who has taken the path of copying American designs:
"First stage - January 1934: creation of Experimental
animation workshop under the directionV.F. Smirnov,
subordinate to GUKFU,with a base in Leontyevsky Lane. This
period, conveyor production technology was roughly established,
The first representatives of a new profession for the USSR began work
multiplier, the problem of increasing the pace of work was solved. Second
stage - the merger of this team with the team of workers
hand-drawn cinemaXPO N 5"Mosfilm" in 1935. Although
"Smirnovites" retained the right to an independent balance sheet,
but as a result of this union, called N.P.Khodataev
"chaotic", all Mosfilm masters of hand-drawn cinema
switched to the general “celluloid conveyor” technology. This
period V.F. Smirnov was already otctpaheh from the management. Third stage
- March 1936: the withdrawal of this united team from
subordinationof "Mosfilm"into an independent animation studio atGUKFe -
"Moscow graphic film studio",located on the street
Vorovsky, in the building of the Kuhoaktepa Theater, the former Society Club
nolitkatorzhan. And finally, June 1936 - liquidation
"Interworking film" and the merging of its animators with the team
"Moscow Studio" under the general name "Soyuzmultdetfilm"
based in the same place, on Vorovskogo Street. Renaming
studio in 1937 "Soyuzmultfilm" (a fragment has been removed from the title
"det") did not have structural and organizational consequences, but
reflected only a correction of the repertoire policy."
(Georgy BORODIN. "Soyuzmultfilm". The Unwritten Story)
At first, the studio copied not only the technology, but also the design
characters, rhythmic basis (jazz music), even some
"gags" (comic elements) of American cartoons. Especially
In this regard, it is worth noting the cartoon by Viktor Smirnov himself
"The Brave Sailor" (1936).
But already in the 40s the studio developed its basic ideology,
which can be described as a “visualization of stories for children.”
Art Council
CreationThe cartoon is preceded by a discussion of it.
At the studio Walt Disneythe main decisions were made by the producer, then
there is himselfWalt Disney, and after his death -Wolfgang Reuterman.
At the studio Soyuzmultfilm such a discussion was held within the studio circle
and was called the artistic council.
"The Art Council is currently discussing a literary script, a film script
usually discussed by the editorial board, and the artistic council -
director's script along with storyboard. Sometimes the artistic council
have to get together somewhere else in the middle of the film's production
- it depends on the film: if the director himself asks that it not
happens almost never, or the management asks because the film
sewn up... Paradox: types should be developed in
preparatory period, and the storyboard is done earlier, and
Storyboarding without sequences is impossible. Well, somehow we
Let's get out... I deceived you! The Arts Council does not meet here! He
accepts already with music, and music indirector's script
no. Recording music, cues, except noise - all this should be
still in the preparatory period... Have you seen the film "Three Novels",
so, there the technical commission rejected the first solution: it’s good
or bad, but production is not able to let it through
yourself... Or a person will wind up eight circuits on one character -
practitioners and artists sit in texkomuccuu, they say - why?
This is control from the point of view of artistic rationality and from
production possibilities point of view."
(F. Xutpyk. Profession - animator / Fedor Xutpyk. (In 2 vols.,
vol. 1.) - M.: Gayatri, 2007. - P. 295). (interview recorded 20
March 1987)
"- And on "Soyuzmultfilm" - Small hall, the whole group is sitting, stage
glued into a ring - and discussed.
- Well, not everyone is discussing it, after all, there is professional ethics, I
I won’t bother to criticize, say, Kpymuha or anyone else, yes
anyone, even a beginneranimator But I hear what he says
director. When I came toSoyuzmultfilmI went to all the auditions
watch from the most famous directors. He asked: “Can I, I have
Shall I sit you here?" I remember how Ivanov-Vano even caned someone
beat... I was surprised: why was he swearing, what a good scene, what
doesn't he like it?
- What else is important to attend a collective discussion: when
the film needs to develop a single plastic line, “intonation”,
then, if you hear what the director demands from others, this is for you
helps you figure out what will be needed from you.
- For a specific picture, yes. But I'm talking about school now. I'm
I went to see not only the paintings on which I worked. On
I had to go to them. As a rule, it was allocated for this
one hour for each film. And I watched how others worked.
When you see not only your own, but also someone else’s, you learn from it.
Now everything is kamepho. We tried to revive the "Master Film"
such discussions, we set up a projector and collected them once a week
youth and watched the scenes made by the same youth. Ella
Maslovaworked withthem as a consultant, indicated: here it is
wrong, here it is... I learned as I went along. But that's the point
that they watched scenes that were imperfect and required corrections. But
You have to look at the good ones too!”
(Vladimir VYSHEGOPODTSEV - Georgy BORODIN. CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SKILLS AND
CRAFT / Cinematic Notes N97)
"There was a funny episode once. We discussed the script by B. Laskin
"Grandfather and granddaughter." Schematic and general, it did not include
nothing that could turn into a film right away, Good friend
Boris Savelyevich, Boris Efimovichright there, very flattering
speaking about the creators (including us withAl.Vas.Ivanov -
director), expressed confidence that in “such hands
professionals, this excellent script will sparkle like a diamond
in an expensive frame..." etc. After which he, politely apologizing,
left byaffairs."
After his departure, the Arts Council became hardened and for three
even the idea of Boris Laskin was crushed into powder. Moreover
it was done in harsh satirical tones. Still during
reading, which, as an exception, was carried out by the author himself -
Laskin, with his velvety, penitent, sensual voice,
inspirationally and enthusiastically savoring literary “pearls”
type "the animals are divided into two motley circles - the outer and
internal. The outer one goes clockwise, the inner one -...".
And then Davydov cut him off like a knife,having finished for him: "...by
minute!" It became clear that nothing came of the script!
A radical overhaul was proposed."
(Evgeny Migunov. "Boris Efimov" / Animator.ru)
"When I made the first picture, "The singing teacher", I didn't know that
There will be a screening here in the Great Hall. But I went to the studio. to me
came across Vladimir Dmitrievich Degtyarev, he, on the contrary,
left the studio for home. We stopped, said hello, and he
says: “There’s some kind of screening planned at the studio...” And I,
without even suspecting that there would be a screening of my film (he
was part of "Kaleidoscope 68" ), nevertheless, he was in a hurry,
to attend this screening. The viewing has already begun. I
stopped at the door. Just "Kaleidoscope 68"we were watching,
the first plot ended,Atamanova, mine went. And subsequently, and
before, when they showed cartoons in the hall, I always felt
skin mood of the audience. And while my story was going on, it seemed to me
that there is a gloomy silence in the hall... Just three minutes, and during these
for three minutes I was sweating as if I had just climbed out of
swimming pool I've never experienced anything like this. The next story begins
I ran into the room where I was working. After watching I left
room and began to go down the stairs. Those who came towards me
I was in npocmotpobom hall. I know everyone, I'm always with everyone
said hello, walking alonegroup, I say: “Hello!”, second
group: “Hello!”, third group: “Hello!” And either
It seems to me, or maybe in reality - no one says hello to me!
Terrible moment. When they watched my second story, "Scattered
Giovanni", I was already waiting for this screening and sat in the hall. Go
plot, and suddenly the loud voice of the then chairman is heard
factory committee (there was such a Klavdiya Ivanovna Shapiro ): “Yes, it’s simple
cut - and that's it!" She is, in fact, the head of the workshop
filling... I think: why is she undertaking to evaluate our work?
Later at the plenumof the Union of Cinematographers"surviving" then already
In recent days, Romanov has been making an extensive report, analyzing
cinema of recent years. I talked about gaming for an hour and a half
cinema, more briefly - about documentaries and popular science and,
Finally, he said two phrases about animation. I said before
vaguely, evasively: “Nevertheless, there weretrends..." And
judging by the trends, we understood that we were talking about "Andrey
Rublev" Tarkovsky. Or: "Nevertheless, there were
attempts..." And it was clear what was meant by "Bad joke"
Alova and Naumova.But Romanov did not name the films directly, but very
delicately, vaguely hinted at something unknown. And only when
We started talking about animation and became more specific. It was just two
phrases. One: “Soviet animation met the viewer halfway,
because now special cinemas are open: ~Barricades~ and
one hall in a cinema ~Russia~". The second phrase: "But there were
attempts to use the platform of children's cinema for
propaganda of abstract art - I mean plots
"Mosaic" [this is the plotGali Barinova - A.P.] and "Scattered
Giovanni"- first number"Merry Carousel." This is direct
indication of the culprits - here they are, the villains, here they are, the enemies
Soviet cinema!.. Sitting right in front of me was Michal
Mikhalych Valkov,who squealed loudly for the whole hall
unnatural such "Ha!" and slid under the chair. And I - I
felt like a hero. Because at that time get one
criticism meant that I was doing the right thing! The report ended
They announced a break, and I walked out into the foyer so proud...
...
Then, sitting in the scenario room as a member of the artistic council (I was young
a member of the artistic council and they kind of “trained” me, gave me the opportunity
watch the process), I saw how screenwriters bring scripts,
which are difficult to translate on screen. I was already experienced
multiplier and understood: well, there’s nothing to move there, there’s nothing there
play this drawn actor. But the screenwriter's editors
were talking about something else. They suggested what to change so that the script
passed... At the same artistic councils I saw: they wrote a script,
the director made a storyboard, an uninteresting storyboard,everything is not
then. I tried to advise something, but the chairman of the artistic council
said: “I don’t understand what you want: are you “against” or “for”?” Him
the main thing was to evaluate the script or storyboard - whether they were bad or
excellent. And I wanted to suggest how to improve something..."
(Anatoly PETROV: "... TOWARDS DRAWN "REALISM"" /
Cinematic Notes N97)
Economy
In the "golden era" of animation, the Walt Disney studionot only wanted
recoup costs, but also tried to achieve unprecedented quality,
putting economy far from the first place, but creating a name for itself:
"I remember one episode that first
puzzled, and then caused a feeling of incredible envy of the conditions
produced by Disney.Walt Disneywas working onfilm "Orchestra Concert" to the music of Poccuhu, we had it to
title"Mickey the Conductor."He showed the guests a rough sample
one of the scenes in the film in which Donald the duck plays the flute.
Right here, in the npocmotpobom hall, Disney gave corrections to his
artists, asked to correct and redo something. And then he said
guests that this is the twelfth stage test. When I talk about it
I heard it and jumped up in my chair. How could one not envy
Disney's production conditions! After all, we are in our films, like
as a rule, they were limited to one sample, without the opportunity
experiment, shoot several different versions of the scene.
We filmed, as they say, “one at a time” - “here’s a nail for you, and here’s
"podskova - one, two and you're done!"
(I. Ivanov-Vano. Frame by frame. - M., 1980)
At the studio "Soyuzmultfilm"at least since the 60s, the pursuit of
visual quality was not encouraged:"The pinnacle of these searches was the film "Hercules at Admetus."Masterpiece
animations of extraordinary spiritual power. Film in the making
which took almost four years. Even when starting the picture in
production of a venerable multiplierF.S. Xutpyk did not believe that
an animator can take on such hellish work - moving
sculpture in the drawing, and suggested looking for another plastic
solution. But Petrov again made a “breakthrough for the record.”
This was already a real battle. Petrovhad seen before that others
creative studio workers are not too willing to “stress” and
jump over your head. Here, most multipliers and
guild artists were not at all up to that level
graphic skill, which Petrov himself possessed. He struggled with
FC, with drawing, with filling, with onepatopckum and laboratory
arbitrarily, trying to achieve only one thing - Quality. Everyonethe shot was achieved through overcoming incredible resistance. From
workshop services had to be abandoned, the group was reduced to
several people, completion dates were delayed
repeatedly, the director had to prove again and again
officials that such a film is even needed. To top it all off
the idea went through three editing revisions and the film was released
devoid of several key episodes and practically
unfinished..."
(Georgy Borodin. "Anatoly Alekseevich PETROV (1937-2010)")
"It happened like this: the time for launching into production is approaching - in two weeks
or a so-called technical commission meets within a week,
which assessed the complexity and allowed the film into production.
Let's say, "Solnyshkin's sea life" - is it much easier? Jumpsuit is
not even a shirt, pants, socks and a pioneer tie.
Jumpsuit - one paint, body - another paint, hat - the same
the very first paint. And boots on my feet. The commission looks and
says: “How difficult!” Then the production manager writes toprotocol: “Very difficult,” and demands to simplify the storyboard. I
I'm simplifying. Where there are two people in the frame, I leave one, there,
where there are three, I leave two, and so on. Simplified. Comes again
The head of the FC comes to me and evaluates: scene number one - complexity
such and such, scene number two - such and such...
I've already made a new storyboard! And the director of the film is a man
who understands everything, but, nevertheless, calculates and no longer
commission, and in the production department he says: “You know how
did he simplify? Economically it is 70%. Now the estimate needs to be cut,
and this is very unprofitable for the studio. That's it, Tolya, take your first one
storyboard, texkomuccuu protocols need to be corrected - this is us
We’ll do it, you go to production - everything is right there!”
(Anatoly PETROV: "... TOWARDS DRAWN "REALISM"" /
Cinematic Notes N97)
"Even in "Solnyshkin's Moreenvania",when I tried to use
studio animators... For example, I made an animator
layer, some kind of dance. I say: "Well, why don't you
like measked you: this and this..." - "Production Manager
requires me to work faster." - "That's it. You did
consider yourself finished with work. I give you one more term and money, in my opinion
make a duplicate of your comments. Based on your "blank", make it for me
a new stage - just as needed." He received a scene - a big one, time
repeated, also, in general, big, money. Time passes
brings me the second option. I scroll through and see: the same thing,
I ask: “What did you change here?” - “Well, it’s all over again
drew it!" - "Where did you get that first option?" - "And I took
I threw it into the trash." And I drew the same thing."
(Anatoly PETROV: "... TOWARDS DRAWN "REALISM"" /
Cinematic Notes N97)
Cartoons "Soyuzmultfilm",as a rule, represent
independent works not united in a series (although
small series existed). At the studioWalt Disney,as well as
at most other American studios, most
cartoons were released for commercial reasonsin series. This
gave a higher frequency of cartoon releases due to the use
proven solutions.
Walt Disney Studioalso sold additional products at
based on the motives of their cartoons (figurines, comics...), which
"Soyuzmultfilm"did not.
Technological process
The technical process on "Soyuzmultfilm" was somewhat different from
American studios. This was primarily due to the fact that
To save money, finishing phasing was done directly on celluloid
FC workshop (phasing-contouring):
"At "SoyuzMultFilm" and other studios of the USSR it was used
combined PFK operation(drawing-phasing-outlining). In it
intermediate phases between already contoured komnohobkamu
were drawn with a pen directly on acetate. It saved time, but cool
PFK artists should have been higher."
(Mikhail Tumelya. "Journalists and Animation" /
http://tumelya.livejournal.com/176101.html?thread=3156197)
"Celluloid technology brought with it the concepts of rough and
finishing phasing, contouring, filling; later - in the late 1930s -
rendering was introduced; in September 1949, finishing phasing and
contouring were combined into a single integrated phasing operation
on celluloid - FC."
(Georgy Borodin. "Animators: a brief history of training
professions" / Animator.ru)
Perhaps that is why in later years rough phasing became
just ignore:"They can no longer phase, for example, extras. I’ll explain: this one
the character moves this way, this one moves that way. They say it's impossible.
I ask: “Why was the rough phaser able to phase, but you didn’t
can you?" - "But because the draft phases according to the multiplication - on
The animated film has supporting arcs, and in the extras the characters
highlighted with colored pencil so as not to confuse which goes where
goes." After drawing the colored pencil is gone, and these lines
no. The finishing phaser is too lazy to take the multicast and see
what is phasing to what."
(Vladimir VYSHEGOPODTSEV - Georgy BORODIN. CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SKILLS AND
Craft / Cinematic notes N97)
Perhaps it is precisely the result of ignoring the rough phasing that can be
seen in many Soviet cartoons - movements in an arc
are replaced by movements from point to point (from key to key).
There is nothing like this in American animation.
Planning
In American animation, the director holds in his hands the complete
control over the future cartoon. Planning everything in advance and
all emphasized by Walt Disney himself Walt Disney (memo to Don Graham dated 23
December 1935 / "Memo From Walt"):
"We should then show the men ways of visualizing action in
their minds, breaking the action so that the men are prepared in
advance then begin animation of the action and know thoroughly
what they are going then animate. So many of the men start in now
and have idea what they`re going then do when they start the
scene. They know what they're supposed to do, but they can't
break it down in a systematic way that will enable them then go
knowingly ahead."
In Soviet animation, the director sometimes gave the animators
development of entire scenes:"They've now picked this up from the West... At many of our studios
they offer ready-made lay-outs, and they are drawn by people who
They don’t know how to make multicast. I worked in America - there was a lay-out
made by the best animators. Everything is played out. And then you get
work like Xutpyka: everything is ready, drawn, thought out, for you
All that remains is to fill in the gaps, even the sheets are already all
recorded (again, like Xutpyka ). However, maybe
Xutpyk took this from the Americans - at that time he had a lot of
travelled, it was we who were all nailed down. U
Americans have to work “from start to finish”, within given limits,
although not always. But I have to say, it was on Disney
studios. I then worked at several more European studios.
That’s where they demand: “do it exactly according to the lay-out” (when the film
made to order). Americans are more creative in this sense
are suitable, but for Europeans, if you order - here you have a lay-out and
no, no... They show us everything in parts: the script,
storyboard, lay-out, animatic, etc. "Step right - step left."
Even if you do it better than it was - no, clean it upAll.
...
They say when Xutpyka was asked for additional footage for
some improvisation in animation, he thought for a very long time,
and then he said: “Okay, I can add two frames.” B
unlike many of today's directors who can simply
tell the animator: “Well, you can play there as much as you want...” But
Xutpyka a certain “rhythmic pattern” was worked out, which
it was important to comply, hence the discipline...
...
The wolf came whistling into the frame and got hit on the forehead with an apple. I did it
a walk - not as they had drawn, imposing, but
on the contrary - cheerful, light. They saw and said: "Good
gait, only very little ee". He just entered the frame, two
I took a step and got hit on the forehead... I say: “How can I push it in?”
- “Oh, it’s not your concern, do a cycle - we still have plenty of this
whistle, do as much as necessary." I suggested doing
panorama so you can see your gait. "No, not
it’s necessary, just let it go further.” And noproblems. They have
Even then there were machines that printed on television-type tape
replica and transcript of the music, and this tape, like scotch tape,
was glued, it could be cut, rearranged, not
rewriting sheets like ours. With us, stretching or
moving the replica and rewriting sheets, you have to count
arithmetically and you can make a mistake, but theirs is more convenient - the program is
does: four frames back, four frames forward, pause... So
this approach is “from and to” - it is both American and European, in
within the given framework. They do a lay-out, the customer looks at it and says:
“This suits me, work within these limits.” We have now
They are also trying to do this, at full meters."
(Vladimir VYSHEGOPODTSEV - Georgy BORODIN. CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SKILLS AND
CRAFT / Cinematic Notes N97)
There is a well-known story with the cartoon "Once upon a time there was Kozyavin",where the director
Andrey Khrzhanovsky from VGIK (this was his first graduation film)
so muchhad little control over the process, which Anatoly Petrov,
he was still just an animator, he himself invited artists for the project:
"I was enrolled in courses and taken to the rough phasing shop. Through
several months ago I was noticed by cartoonist Anatoly Petrov
and recommended debutant director Andrei Khrzhanovsky to take
assistant artist in the group of the film "Once upon a time there was Kozyavin."
Then Valery Ugarov, Gennady Sokolsky, Leonid worked there
Nosyrev, Vladimir Morozov and the same Anatoly Petrov, - as
I later realized that he was the main animator there. Together
with directorAndrey Khrzhanovsky, chief artistNikolay
New,artist Gelius Arkadyev they made a film, absolutely different from those I have seen before. Instead of
easy-to-produce "contour-fill" system, they
we drew each frame to a surrealistic volume,
came up with incredible compositions and movements in every scene."
(Stanislav Sokolov. / Publishing program "Uhteppoca").
On the contrary, at the studio Walt Disney a strict
hierarchy:
"...many years ago, what was called the system
working units (unit system). In other words, every character
Each leading animator and leading graphic designer has his own
own department. I will describe the working group of the rough animator,
since obviously the scene needs to be animated first
rough, of course.
Very rare animators drewso clean that their drawings are immediately
could be transferred to the screen. I can only remember a couple
examples, but the most significant animator, whose drawings directly
hit the screen, there wasMilt Kahl. For example, its
work in"The Aristocats"or"The Rescuers".Needless to say, I
I'm sure you know which characters we're talking about, but just in case,
for example: butler, lawyer, Medusa and other characters,
that he did for these films were directly transferred from his
desktop to the screen. As sketchy as they come
done. He had assistants who filled the voids in his
drawings, and imitating his line, but again this was rare.
Now let me describe the norm to you. Most animators
draw their scenes in rough drafts. Their main task is play, construction
character, adherence to the model. The animation team usually includes
a rough phaser who creates phases for it, again
rough. Usually this phaser, which is essentially
assistant animator, and is preparing to become one day
animator. He's inunique position allowing him to learn from
animator and train so that one day you can start doing
what the animator does. This concerns rough animation.
Now to drawing. This is where the work unit system works
best! The rendering department is the largest in the entire process
due to the complexity and detail to which it is necessary to bring
every frame of the scene, which the animator naturally should not do.
Once the animator has put enough information into the drawing, then
The painter can continue to fill in the places. This is where the totemic begins
a pillar, if you will, of the levels of the working unit of drawing. Higher
all leading animator-drawer, then assistant
animator-painter, reference phaser (breakdown artist)
and finally, last (but not least) the ordinary phaser, whose
least qualifications. And every level as long as you move
up, allows you to gain more skill and hope in one
a beautiful day will move on, and so on. Work
The draftsman is so respected because, in essence, he must
know the same basics as a rough animator so you don't lose
the game, the emotion, the meaning of each scene, and finally the proportions,
to save the character,corresponding to the model. Renderers
you need a lot because add it all sequentially
maintaining detail is very labor-intensive.
What happens when leading animators-painters get
rough scene? They study it and choose the main key ones
drawings, as it is their responsibility to ensure that the character
consistent throughout the entire film, as if she was painting it
the same hand by the same artist. Needs processing
there is so much material, so the lead animator and artist sometimes
produces only a few drawings, maybe even one, but if
the scene, as they say, is not in the model, that is, the proportions of the drawing
the rough animator is incorrect, he can redo all the critical
key drawings in the entire scene. To lighten this burden,
per person, speed up the process and issue in advance
a certain amount of material according to kbote, which everyone has
on the film, other artists come to help. Presenter
The animator/draft artist gives the scene to his assistant, who
deals with intermediate drawings and, in turn, conveys
ee to the reference phase phaser, who draws the patterns between
drawings by an assistant, and then a phaser of supportphase gives away the stage
to the phaser who creates the missing drawings. If what I
described clearly, then you can see why the system is simple and
works as well as it is difficult to describe.
...sometimes an assistant or phaser can complete the task
phaser of reference frames. In cases where there is a main
character, and we are talking about a long scene,
it is ideal to have a reference frame phaser as part of the work force
units. When are we talking about the third tier or heterogeneous
characters, this particular work unit may not have
such an artist."
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