The Entire History of Animation With Modern Design Values - Assignment Example

BILL LITTLEJOHN It is proved that everyone have been curious to create an art that resembles the true objects. So when thinking of drawings, and animation there come a name of an artist of Hollywood's Golden Age, a nine-to-five studio employee who stayed his entire career at one dream factory. Bill Littlejohn who was born in 1914 Newark, New Jersey is a master of his craft he is completely in tune with Modern design values. Little John is one of the most widely experienced animators in the business, whose work has garnered every-thing from an Academy Award to Clio awards, and who helped organize Hollywood’s first cartoonist’s union, also serving as its first president. Littlejohn seemed 'an administrative dynamo driven by evangelical Scots fervor'. Whether standing in the 'quad', watchmaker's son's watch in hand to ensure punctuality by roaring at offenders, or 'shouting to God and at us' during morning assembly when he prayed for better performances and at games and asked for better Christian lives, he effectively dramatized his role. He lived for the school and expected his staff and pupils to be fulfilled within it. Little John’s first foray into animation was in 1931 as an animator at Van Beuren cartoon studios in New York City. Under the direction of Burt Gillet, he animated several popular and short-lived theatrical cartoon series, including Aesop’s, Fables and Andy, Cubby the bear, little king and the noon cat and mouse team of Tom and Jerry. He also worked briefly for Ted Eshbaugh, inking his unreleased cartoon short the pastry town wedding (1934). Moving west, Little John left Van Beuren and studied aeronautical engineering and with his engineering skill and god gifted talent he amazed the world with his animation and popular cartoon films. As an engineer at Lockheed in California, in 1937 he returned to animation, working for Harman and ising and Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) as an animator. He was responsible for one the studio’s earliest cartoon series. The Captain and the Kids (1938 – 39) and Milt Gross animated shorts, as well as cartoons starring its most popular characters, Tom and Jerryand Barney Bear. While at MGM, he also helped organize the screen cartoonist Guild, serving as its first president from 1939 to 1941. Bill started animation when he was so young. He first worked at studio in New York in 1934 and after that he started work for MGM in 1938. However, he loved his profession; he also performed his duty during World War II. Thus, in 1943 he left animation and went to study an aeronautical engineer and become aeronautical engineer and pilot. He came back to Hollywood in 1948. He then became the founder of the Screen Cartoon, he went to many people outside the industry and made union but Bill wanted to return to his profession, animation. So in 1952, he went back and works to make ASIFA chapter in Hollywood, Bill inspired with Ward Kimball and Les Goldman ision series. Later, Bill teamed up with Lee Mendelson, to create the special A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). Bill was on the Board of Governors of the academy with June Foray, representing Short Films and Animation, from 1988 to 2001. The animation of Littlejohn delivers the elements of design that can only be added by the animator. For example, he drew the front view of the man in the car. Animators of the 1950s often avoided the front view when animating large-nosed characters because it requires a certain amount of effort to make it work well. Case in point: there isn’t a single front view in any of the Italian commercial stills. Littlejohn, however, had no problem tackling the straight-ahead view. He managed to put in an elegant asymmetrical shape in the straight-ahead complete with opposing angles in the head shape. Beginning in the early 1960s, little john was longtime animator for John and Faith Hub-ley’s storyboard Inc. and Hubley studio in new York, animating fifteen productions for them, both animated and short specials, including three academy Award nominees and one Oscar-winner. During this same period, Littlejohn plied his talent on many first-rate independent productions, including Leo Salkin’s half-hour animated CBS special ” The 2000 year old man (1975)”. The International ASIFA executives voted littlejohn as an international board member for many years. Every one there knew that Bill always had time for his passion and he kept promoting animation besides working like extremist at his craft. In some of John and Faith Hubley's films, the major work was done by Littlejohn, and he still contributing to all of Faith Hubley's award winning films. Everyone knows about the animated Peanuts. Well, Bill is there with his name, because he's still working for Bill Melendez on the series, specials and commercials. Also his name is finding with Jay Ward's George of the Jungle. Bill worked on 2000 Year Old Man and he was the prime animator of the Doonesbury short which was nominated for an Oscar. Later, UCLA decided to honor him for his lifetime achievement. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences gave its membership hundreds of U.S. and world-wide artists. In 1988, they voted Bill on top of the Board of Governors to stand for them. It was Bill Littlejohn who initiated the idea of an Oscar for theatrical animated features. They are all still working on it, In addition, for years; he has been an untiring volunteer in judging foreign language, student and short films. Most important thing about Bill is that he always on time for the board meetings. For his vast achievements in animation, in 1990, Hollywood’s International animated Film society recognized him with its Winsor McCay award Lifetime Achievement Award. Bill Littlejohn is also the chief executive officer of the Sharp HealthCare Foundation and senior vice president of Sharp HealthCare. Littlejohn provides fundraising supervision to the Grossmont Hospital Foundation, Coronado Hospital Foundation and all of Sharp's entities. One really doesn’t know if Bill plays tennis now days, but his court which is own by him, is charitably available for charitable causes. At times, Bill missed an Academy screening because of ecological commitment or Malibu civic obligations, which are more important in his life than seeing “I Married an Apparition II”. Bill’s work on Of Stars and Men has completely entered of the vocabulary of great animation. The walk cycles for the many animals are just so magestic and regal.That film employed the Hubley technique in which the animation drawings were painted black (using oil paint so that the paper wouldn’t buckle) all about the exterior of the character and were then double-exposed over the backgrounds. A lot of hit and miss was part of the process as characters had to avoid each other or create a multiple exposure; It’s amazing how stunning this film is given the inherent problems in the technique. Bill started a “club”, a John Reed club for artists affiliated with Unempolyed Artists Association (UAA). The Littlejohn' daughter is an artist and sculptor. She is thirteen-year old and has just won a scholarship on entering high school. So imagine, how much talent can noticeable itself in one family? Bill really was always a helpful member of the family, with many creative interests and a joy for everyone. He was always happy organizing a neighborhood activity in his big backyard. Amazingly he is been animating for more than sixty years. In his 93 years, Bill Littlejohn packed in enough for three lifetimes. He is a legend of his own, known for his extraordinary work. Bill Littlejohn is the greatest animator who ever lived, not just for his own accomplishments, but for what he shared with the people he worked with. Animation was never just a job to him. It was his passion. He instilled that passion in his assistants, and those assistants went out into the world and became great themselves. He was the catalyst who made the entire history of animation possible. That's why he is the greatest animator who ever lived. Works Cited: Who's who in Animated Cartoons By Jeff Lenburg http://cartoonmodern.blogsome.com/category/bill-littlejohn/ http://laughing1wolf.blogspot.com/2007/08/bill-littlejohn.html http://laughing1wolf.blogspot.com/2007/08/bill-littlejohn.html http://books.google.com/books?id=FVShFCjVzvIC&pg=PA210&lpg=PA210&dq=how+bill+littlejohn+animation+effect+on+medium+people&source=web&ots=TZW6Okf_F_&sig=jV5w7KZ09iqZSKcSDNc5CdCzw_o&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result#PPA214,M1 http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/?p=1192 Read More