Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida

Last updated
Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida
Company type
  • Division (1989–1992, 1999–2004)
  • Subsidiary (1992–1999)
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedMay 1989;35 years ago (1989-05)
Founder Max Howard
DefunctJanuary 12, 2004;20 years ago (2004-01-12)
FateClosed
Successor Circle Seven Animation [1]
Headquarters The Magic of Disney Animation, Animation Courtyard, Disney-MGM Studios, Walt Disney World,
Bay Lake, Florida
,
United States
Key people
  • Max Howard
  • (Director of Operations)
  • Andrew Millstein (SVP and GM) [1]
Production output
Animation
Number of employees
~400 (peak, mid-1990s) [2]
258 (final) [3]
Parent Walt Disney Feature Animation
(Walt Disney Studios)

Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida was a division of Walt Disney Feature Animation that operated from 1989 to 2004. Its offices were backlot of the Disney MGM Studios theme park and visitors were allowed to tour the studio in The Magic of Disney Animation attraction to observe animators at work from behind glass-paneled overhead breezeways. The division had primarily animated Mulan , Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear . [2]

Contents

History

Walt Disney Animation placed Max Howard in charge of starting up its Florida animation studio in 1988. [4] Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida began operations in May 1989 with 40 employees. The division was originally planned to work on featurettes and shorts that they could do on its own. 70 animators including Disney veteran supervising animator Mark Henn were hired by 1990. After doing its first work, the Roger Rabbit short, Roller Coaster Rabbit, the division was enlisted to help finish The Rescuers Down Under and work on its companion featurette, The Prince and the Pauper. [5] In the years to come, the Florida unit would continue to make contributions to several of Disney's animated features. [6] On October 7, 1992, the Florida unit was incorporated. [7] On April 22, 1998, Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida moved to a new $70 million facility at the Disney MGM Studios. [2] [8] In June 1998, the Florida division's first feature film, Mulan, was released. [9] The unit continued as a division with its corporate form was merged out on September 30, 1999. [10] Andrew Millstein took charge of the division as senior vice president and general manager of production in 2001 transferring in from The Secret Lab. [11]

In January 2003, Disney initiated a reorganization of its theatrical and animation units to improve resource usage and continued focus on new characters and franchise development. Additionally, Feature Animation was transferred under the Walt Disney Studios in January 2003. [12] In June 2003, 50 animators were laid off after Brother Bear finished up production. The division was developing A Few Good Ghosts (also known as My Peoples) until it was canceled on November 15, 2003. On January 12, 2004, Disney Feature Animation President David Stainton announced the shut down of Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida. [3]

Some laid-off animators were offered transfers to the main studio while most chose to stay in Orlando or were recruited to work for rival animation studios. Other animators created their own startup studios. Legacy Animation Studios was formed by Eddie Pittman along with 15 artists previously laid off from the company. [13] Laid off animators Travis Blaise, Todd Gilbert and Matt Gunther formed their own company, Magnetic Entertainment. [3]

Project Firefly was set up by five former employees on Universal Studios Florida's backlot and worked on Curious George for Universal, alongside two direct to videos for DisneyToon Studios, Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie and Brother Bear 2 and Farm Force, a short/pilot as an internal project. [14] Millstein was tapped to head up Florida's replacement and Pixar sequel division, Circle Seven Animation. [1]

Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida was the subject of a documentary on YouTube in 2024. Beyond The Glass: The WDW Animation Building dives into the history of the studio and gives personal recollections from animators who worked there.

Filmography

As Sole Producer

Release dateTitleNotes
June 15, 1990 Roller Coaster Rabbit Released with Dick Tracy
July 17, 1992 Off His Rockers Released with Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
March 12, 1993 Trail Mix-Up Released with A Far Off Place
June 19, 1998 Mulan
October 30, 2000 John Henry [15]
June 21, 2002 Lilo & Stitch
November 1, 2003 Brother Bear

As Animation Service:

Release dateTitleNotes
November 17, 1989 The Little Mermaid Ink and paint
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation
November 16, 1990 The Prince and the Pauper 10 minutes
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation
The Rescuers Down Under 10 minutes
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation
November 22, 1991 Beauty and the Beast 10 minutes including partial animation of Belle and the "Be Our Guest" sequence [16]
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation
November 25, 1992 Aladdin 10 minutes and the partial animation of Princess Jasmine [16] [17]
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation
June 24, 1994 The Lion King 22 minutes including the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" sequence [18]
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation
June 23, 1995 Pocahontas 18 minutes [19]
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation
June 21, 1996 The Hunchback of Notre Dame 4 minutes
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation France [19]
June 27, 1997 Hercules 10 minutes
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation France
June 18, 1999 Tarzan Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation France [20]
January 1, 2000 Fantasia 2000 " Firebird Suite - 1919 Version " Segment
Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation France
December 15, 2000 The Emperor's New Groove Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation France [21]
June 15, 2001 Atlantis: The Lost Empire Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation France [22]
November 27, 2002 Treasure Planet Co-produced with Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Feature Animation France

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Eller, Claudia; Richard Verrier (March 16, 2005). "Disney Plans Life After Pixar With Sequel Unit". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Drees, Rich. "Disney Closes Florida Animation Studio". Film Buff Online. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Moore, Roger (June 20, 2004). "After the Magic". Orlando Sentinel . pp. F1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  4. ↑ StoryboarD / The Art of Laughter, August 1991, Volume 2, Number 4. Page 7. via Chronology of the Walt Disney Company Archived September 29, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on October 8, 2015.
  5. ↑ Hinman, Catherine (November 19, 1990). "Disney Dips into Local Inkwell Florida Animation Team Lends Hand To 'Rescuers'". Orlando Sentinel . Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ Disney/MGM's 'The Magic of Animation' Building | Cartoon Research
  7. ↑ "Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, Inc". Corporation Search. Florida Department of State. Retrieved February 24, 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. ↑ Polsson, Ken. "1998". Chronology of the Walt Disney Company. Ken Polsson. Archived from the original on December 25, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2012. source: Eyes & Ears, April 30, 1998, Volume 28, Number 18. Page 3.
  9. ↑ Abbott, Jim (June 17, 1998). "The Making Of 'Mulan'". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Article of Merger For Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, Inc. into Walt Disney World Company". SunBiz.org. Florida Department of State Division of Corporations. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ Graser, Marc (September 10, 2008). "Millstein to head Disney Animation". Variety. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  12. ↑ Godfrey, Leigh (January 3, 2003). "David Stainton Named President, Disney Feature Animation". AWN News. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  13. ↑ Pack, Todd (January 17, 2004). "Disney's Exit Is No Tragedy". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  14. ↑ Moore, Roger (January 31, 2006). "Drawn to the light". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  15. ↑ Mark Henn (January 29, 2010). "The Princess and the Frog's Supervising Animator Mark Henn – Part 4: Americana" (Interview). Interviewed by Jérémie Noyer. Animated Views. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Hinman, Catherine (March 12, 1992). "Studio Draws Attention". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  17. ↑ King, Jonathon (December 26, 1993). "New Home, Same Magic". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  18. ↑ Hinman, Catherine (June 19, 1994). "Disney-mgm Animation 'Lion King' Of The Jungle". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  19. 1 2 Hinman, Catherine (June 21, 1996). "A Small Role For Florida Animators". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  20. ↑ Abbott, Jim (June 8, 1999). "A Fresh Tarzan". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  21. ↑ The Emperor's New Groove: The Ultimate Edition (Two-Disc Collectors Edition) (Audio commentary). Mark Dindal, Randy Fullmer, Colin Stampton, Joseph C. Moshier, Stephen J. Anderson, Nik Ranieri, Bruce W. Smith. Burbank, California: Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 2001. B00003CXQY.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ↑ Moore, Roger (June 15, 2001). "The Art of Atlantis Doesn't Just Imitate Life, It Goes It One Better". Orlando Sentinel . Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
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