Disney Animation Boot Camp

Not long before March 25, 2002, when Disney announced they were cutting their 2D animation department, they had a 2D Animation Boot Camp for new talent. This is not to be taken lightly. Disney put the recruits up in a dorm in Monterey, CA. They were taught by some of the Disney greats, including Walt Stanchfield. A co-worker of mine was selected to be one of these new talents back in 1997 when he was in college. He shared with me his stories and his official boot camp binder.

Pretty damn cool.

This is a huge binder, loaded with great advice and techniques for beginning animation artists. I can't imagine how cool this might have been to be a part of. This is the same year Disney put out Hercules. This is also 5 years before they gave 2D the axe and 10 years before they resurrected it from the dead again. I don't have the time to scan the whole thing (though I wish I could), but I wanted to at least scan a small sample to share with any of the animation fans out there.



I have no idea if they still do this sort of thing for their new3D animators, but I doubt it.