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Every other month, members of Animation Resources are given access to an exclusive Members Only Reference Pack. These downloadable files are high resolution e-books on a variety of educational subjects and rare cartoons from the collection of Animation Resources in DVD quality. Our current Reference Pack has just been released. If you are a member, click through the link to access the MEMBERS ONLY DOWNLOAD PAGE. If you aren’t a member yet, please JOIN ANIMATION RESOURCES. It’s well worth it.

HD VIDEO:

Adventures of Mowgli – Ep 2: Kidnapping

Roman Davydov / Soyuzmultfilm, Russia / 1967
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In this Reference Pack, we’re continuing Roman Davydov’s series of films based on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. The story was broken into five short films, which were produced by Soyuzmultfilm between 1967 and 1971. In 1973, the five films were trimmed and merged into a single feature film, and in 1998 it was released in America in a dubbed version narrated by Charleton Heston. Over the next several Reference Packs, we will continue to share the five shorts with their original soundtracks. Although the dialogue is in Russian, if you are familiar with the books or the Disney version, you’ll have no trouble following along.

Davydov’s first film was produced independently of Disney’s Jungle Book and was released the very same year. They make an interesting subject for comparison and contrast. Disney’s version relies heavily on the personalties of the voice actors, rather than the characters in the story itself. It’s funnier, tending towards being goofy at times, and takes a relatively light-hearted pass at the story. Davydov’s version couldn’t be more different. It follows the book more closely, seriously addressing the themes of death, duty and the meaning of being a human being.

This time we are presenting the second episode, titled "Kidnapping". Here is Wikipedia’s synopsis of the action:

Rakshura’s cubs, including Mowgli are being taught to hunt by Baloo. The bear scolds Mowgli for running like a man. They arrive at a watering hole full of crocodiles. Baloo teaches Mowgli the call of the jungle, “We are of one blood, you and I.” Bagheera arrives and teaches Mowgli to climb trees and jump from one to another. A group of monkeys in the trees see Mowgli free an elephant from a trap laid by the villagers. They decide that even without a tail, he could be useful to the pack of monkeys. While Mowgli sleeps, the monkeys kidnap him and sweep him off to the ruins of an abandoned city in the jungle.

Baloo and Bagheera run after them, but realize that they need more help to rescue Mowgli from the gang of monkeys. They enlist the help of the python, Kaa. An eagle flying above them tells them that he saw Mowgli being carried away by the monkeys. Mowgli had asked him for help invoking the call of the jungle. The eagle tells them about the abandoned city, and the three set off to find it. Baloo and Bagheera arrive first, but they are quickly overwhelmed by the monkeys. Kaa arrives and the monkeys form a circle around him. Kaa performs a hypnotizing dance, and the monkeys are tempted to come closer and closer. Bagheera and Baloo are nearly caught in the trap as well, but Mowgli takes the opportunity to drag them away and go back home.

We will have part three for you in the next Reference Pack.

REFPACK041: Mowgli Ep02

MP4 Video File / HD / 20:03 / 1.2 GB Download

SD VIDEO:

Well, Just You Wait Ep.02

Vyacheslav Kotyonochkin / Soyuzmultfilm, Russia / 1970

We continue the Russian Wolf and Rabbit cartoons with episode 02, "Fairground At Night".

The premise of Nu, Pogodi! (which translates into English as Well, Just You Wait!) was pitched by a writing team of satirical humorists to many directors at Soyuzmultfilm, but was rejected every time. Finally in 1969, Gennady Sokolsky agreed to direct a 2 1/2 minute pilot for the series in an omnibus film called "Happy Merry Go Round". The general consensus at the studio was that the cartoon was "low class" and beneath the dignity of Soyuzmultfilm, but director Vyacheslav Kotyonochkin strongly believed in the concept, so the studio decided to take a chance and allow him to direct a few episodes… and then a few more… and then more.

Kotyonochkin was proven correct. The cartoons were a huge success. Between 1969 and 2006, Soyuzmultfilm ended up making 22 episodes, and in a 2014 poll of audiences all over Russia, Well, Just You Wait! was voted the most popular cartoon series of all time by a landslide. Although the series resembles both Tom & Jerry and the Roadrunner and Coyote series, the director, Kotyonochkin claimed not to have ever seen any of these Hollywood cartoons until 1987 when his son got a video tape recorder and Western tapes began to be imported.

In these Russian cartoons, there’s almost no dialogue, and the action almost always occurs on screen. Static tableaux are rare, as are detailed backgrounds and "on model" drawings. These cartoons focus on expressive poses and movement, and save time and expense by avoiding the careful cleanup required for character model details and overlapping action. The theory here is, if it moves funny, it’s funny… and they are right about that.

Shamus Culhane once lamented that television animation consisted of mostly lip-sync animation. He would have preferred to do away with lip-sync entirely and just have simple drawings that really move. Well, Just You Wait proves that he was correct.

We will have more Wolf and Rabbit cartoons in upcoming Reference Packs.

REFPACK041: Well Just You Wait Ep. 02

MP4 Video File / SD / 09:32 / 139 MB Download

SD VIDEO:

Dog, Cat And… Ep 2

Zofia Oraczewska / Studio Miniatur Filmowych, Poland / 1972

In this Reference Pack, we are sharing another short cartoon from a series produced by Studio Miniatur Filmowych, Pies, Kot I… which translates to Dog, Cat And… This is a different sort of take on the Tom & Jerry model, with the opponents outsmarting each other instead of just chasing each other out of hate or hunger. There is more to the relationship between the characters than just rivalry. The relationship of the characters makes it easy to see how it relates to slapstick comedy teams like Laurel & Hardy and Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton. The dog and cat are not just generic animals, but individual personalities with a dynamic relationship that is much more engaging than most “cat and mouse” or “dog and cat” cartoons.

These cartoons are almost devoid of dialogue with the focus on loose, funny animation. In fact, the drawings are often hilarious on their own, even removed from their context within the gag sequence. The facial expressions are well observed, and the poses employ clear silhouettes that form funny graphic shapes.

Well, Just You Wait!, and Dog, Cat And… both are very efficient at what they do. They could easily serve as a model for internet animation. The internet encourages repeat viewing more than television does. When you watch a dialogue driven cartoon on TV, once you’ve heard the jokes, you don’t need to watch it again. However, a short cartoon that looks and moves funny is entertaining no matter how many times you watch it. And for the animator who is making the cartoon, it’s a lot more fun to animate simple funny characters than it is to animated a lot of tedious lip-sync.

Dog, Cat And… looks like it was a lot of fun to make. The film makers at Studio Miniatur Filmowych didn’t feel constrained by the ordinary lives of animals. Their characters can drive cars, build their own houses and go to exotic places. That freedom allowed the animators to keep their series fresh, and gave them the opportunity to experiment within a 10 minute format. Simple drawings, funny movement and no rules… these are the kinds of series that would work well as episodic internet cartoons.

We will have more episodes from this series in upcoming Reference Packs.

REFPACK041: Dog Cat And… Ep02

MP4 Video File / SD / 09:12 / 124 MB Download

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Tuesday, July 27th, 2021

REFPACK040: Animation From Around The World and MORE!

LAST CHANCE! The next Reference Pack will be posted this weekend and RefPack040 will be deleted from the server. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, do it now!

Every other month, Animation Resources shares a new Reference Pack with its members. They consist of an e-book packed with high resolution scans and video downloads set up for still frame study. Make sure you download the Reference Packs before they’re updated. When it’s gone, it’s gone!

Animation Resources is growing. Since we are a non-profit organization, all of the money we take in from dues gets spent on our projects. So as we get more members, we share more wonderful material with them. Here’s an overview of what you will find in RefPack040…

In past Reference Packs, we have shared the first animated feature made in Japan, Momotaro’s Sea Eagles (1943) as well as the first color Japanese animated feature, Toei’s Panda & The Magic Serpent (1958). Today we are sharing the next feature in the chronology of Japanese anime, Magic Boy (1959). We are presenting the original Japanese version, titled Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke. We hope you find this useful in your studies.

In our International Animation section, we are presenting five amazing films… The first chapter in a Russian adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book directed by Roman Davydov. We will be sharing the entire story in five parts with our members over the next several Reference Packs, so don’t let your membership expire. Also included is a gorgeous Russian puppet film "Two Greedy Bear Cubs", and the first episode of the most popular cartoon series in Russia titled "Well, Just You Wait…" Rounding out the International section are two fantastic films from Poland, Koziolek Matolek in "Singing Competition" and the first episode of "Dog, Cat and…" These Polish films are great models for simplified internet animation.

Next in line are a pair of rare Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons from the Walter Lantz studios. One of them is made by the legendary animator Bill Nolan, and rivals Ub Iwerks’ animation of Ozzie for originality and fun. The other is a lavish fairy tale story with detailed backgrounds. Two completely different approaches to the same character! You won’t want to miss this.

In the Slapstick section, we feature the second episode of a landmark three part documentary on one of the greatest slapstick performer/directors who ever lived… Buster Keaton. If you have never seen a Buster Keaton film before, this documentary will give you a taste of what you’ve been missing. If like me, you have studied all of his films over and over many times, you will learn new things about Keaton and his creative process that you didn’t know before. It’s a rare opportunity to sit at the feet of a master, and even though these films were made a century ago, Buster Keaton: A Hard Act To Follow allows you to do just that.

Followers of our podcast series, Animated Discussions will be happy to find a new entry on the Members Only page as well. This one is an interview with animator Joe Murray, talking about his creative process. We’ve had programs covering advice for finding your place in animation, Chuck Jones’ bar sheets, how to break down slapstick films, examples of great background layout and more… They’re all there when you log in, so you can spend hours learning and getting inspired!

We also have a fresh batch of breakdowns- short clips of great animation, slowed down so you can see the nuts and bolts of how it works. Build your own library of breakdowns. Organize them into folders by subject, like “walk cycles” or “takes” and refer to them when you need inspiration in your own animation.

We aren’t done yet! With every Reference Pack, we’ll be including a bonus video or e-book from one of our past Reference Packs. This time we are sharing illustrations from the landmark German magazine, Jugend. Titled after the German word for “youth”, Jugend was at the forefront of the arts and crafts movement. In fact, in Germany, art nouveau came to be known as “jugend-stil” (Jugend style). Utilizing state of the art color printing techniques to reproduce hand drawn lettering and beautiful sketches and paintings, Jugend set a standard in graphic design that continues to be felt to this day.

At Animation Resources, our Advisory Board includes great artists and animators like Ralph Bakshi, Will Finn, J.J. Sedelmaier and Sherm Cohen. They’ve let us know the things that they use in their own self study so we can share them with you. That’s experience you just can’t find anywhere else. The most important information isn’t what you already know… It’s the information you should know about, but don’t know yet. We bring that to you every other month.