HYPERION STUDIOS

The Disney Animation staff 1934

Animating Snow White

This post is my first public announcement concerning a documentary film I have been working on that tells the story and share the history of one of the most important yet almost forgotten studios in motion pictures, the Hyperion Sudios of Walt Disney by Mike Peraza. It is a subject I am passionate about and believe the public would enjoy if they only knew about it. For the video teaser or trailer included below, I created all the graphics, CGI models, restored and repaired old film footage and provided the rough narration. This is but a small example of the imagery I have located along with that I have digitally created from scratch. So far, everything has been out of my pocket so I am seeking financial help in order to proceed and give this documentary and the amazing people it represents the respect and acknowledgment they deserve. I want to hire personnel that can aid with additional research as well as provide material that will help gain insight to the sometime rocky road of that exciting period. I also need help transcribing interviews from Disney employees that worked at the old studio.

Lunchtime at the old Hyperion Studios

To keep the film balanced, it contains interviews with studio personnel that worked at Hyperion during that time and often used the moniker given to the project as “Walt’s Folly”. We will share the good times the crew enjoyed along with the tensions that were slowly building concerning financial inequality that would eventually erupt in a violent studio strike shortly after the move to Burbank. How women and people of color gained their rights albeit slowly to achieve equal respect as well as job positions.

In the end however it will celebrate the triumph of a talented team of young people working together overcoming many difficult obstacles to produce one of the greatest achievements in the history of animation. The Walt Disney Studios of the 1930s which released so many classic films no longer exists but was demolished many years ago to be replaced by a grocery chain (albeit a nice one) and parking lot. 

Without the successes of Hyperion, there would very likely be no Disney Cruise Line, no Disney Afternoon, no Disneyland, well you get the idea. The groundbreaking successes produced under that old tile roof made all things that came after it possible for the young visionary Walt Disney and his talented crew pf men and women. -Mike Peraza

"YABBA-DABBA-DOO!"

"Meet the Flintstones!"

I was asked recently if I have ever done work at studios besides the Walt Disney Studios and the answer is YES! Among the other companies I've been fortunate to have worked for are Hanna-Barbera, MGM, Warner Brothers, Don Bluth, and SONY. I was employed at Hanna-Babera as a summer job along with my CalArts classmate Tim Burton and future wife Patricia Paulick and was very lucky to get to know both Bill and Joe personally and work with them on a couple of projects I'll post about in the future.. 

Disney Legend Ken O'Connor used to advise me of the need to be a bit of a chameleon to survive in this business. That included being able to work in different mediums, styles, techniques and genre. I'm including a publicity piece I did for Hanna-Barbera of one of my favorite shows ..."The Flintstones!"

If you weren't around back in 1960 when "The Flinstones" first aired, you can't really grasp the excitement kids as well as their parents felt as they laughed together watching the animated antics of the "modern stone age family." It was loosely based on the popular "Honeymooners" with Jackie Gleason but was over flowing with witty and creative visual puns, great voices and entertaining stories that made it the unique series that it was remembered for. I sent this piece to a tribute show for William Hanna and Joe Barbera held in Sherman Oaks. 

This is definitely not a digital paint job and printed by a computer as is becoming more common place today but rather it's the "old school"  gouache on  15" x 19" board which was the preferred method and material just about everybody used in the 1950s and 60s and a few of us still use it today. I only employed a dab of black and white on the characters, none on the BG and kept line work to such a minimum it's almost non-existent and let the colored shapes alone express the image. I included my pencil sketch so you can see the subtle changes I made when going for color.

And... if you like the painting, it can be yours! It's available for purchase at the Van Eaton Galleries starting on Saturday April 6, along with many other beautiful creations by talented friends of mine such as Willie Ito, Harry Sabin, Dan Haskett and many others.

Little Mermaid Mural

Larry Nikolai's beautiful mural for the California version

I was fortunate to be able to see elements of the Little Mermaid attraction long before it opened to the public including rough sketches, color comps, early audioanimatronics and an amazing mural done by imagineer Larry Nikolai. I was asked for comments and suggestions during the walk through and enjoyed the experience at WDI tremendously.

I had been given the pleasure of working with John Hench years ago while at Disney Feature animation and was excited about the varied work being created at WED ever since. I had recently done murals for the parks including a series of eight- 10 foot wide panels depicting Dumbo's life story to be installed on his new attraction, so when I was contacted by WDI to do the Mermaid mural I was suprised they weren't using Larry's beautiful painting. They explained that the installation in Walt Disney World was larger all around and they wanted to use a more realistic and painterly approach. "Would I be interested?" Duh, of course!  

I met with an incredible collection of imagineers and senior show designers and we went over ideas. Because the mural was so large, I was to execute it in digital form and they would transfer the image to canvas and have their very talented scenic artists go over the entire image down at Walt Disney World. There were changes in concept arrangement, architectural details and all the things you would expect in a project this large but I have to say the people I dealt with at WDI were a joy to work with. The first thing I did was pin up the copy I had of Larry's mural over my desk for inspiration before diving into the deep blue sea.

The format I used was PSB which is the extra large file format available in the newer additions of PhotoShop. I worked in a high resolution of 600 dpi which really put a strain on my computers. Luckily a good friend of mine is an IT guru for the studios and he boosted everything on my computer to handle the extra data.

The programs I used were PhotoShop and Painter. PhotoShop gave me the tools necessary to quickly build a composition and send it in to WDI to begin discussions. Painter is a very intuitive program where I can mix hues real time on a digital palette and the brushes afford me the feel of a more natural approach to the illustration. I still prefer traditional methods but when I am forced to go digital, these are two of the programs I count on. I also use a WACOM Intuos tablet as you really shouldn't attempt this with a mouse (unless he has graduated art school).

Original on left, My Disneyized version on right

There is more detail than you can probably see in the stages shown above. For example I based the Ariel pose of the mural on the famous statue of Hans Christen Anderson's creation found in Copenhagen harbor. The senior show designer liked the sketches but wanted her a bit more up right so I lifted her head slightly and took some of the hunched look from her back. 

Rough for ship's angle

By the way she is looking towards Eric's ship to screen right which is docked just outside his castle. Luckily I still have the model I built of his ship in my studio so I could stage it to look at various angles and lighting which came in handy with the time crunch. I decided on a rear view to indicate Eric might be ready to ship off on another sea faring adventure at any moment. There is also a faint warm glow inside the captain's quarters to give us a feeling that maybe... just maybe Eric is sitting there thinking about the girl he has yet to meet. This was a quick little painting which captured the ship well as far as the producer was concerned so I cut out the ship and tossed the rest of the painting.

Dark subdued stonework

My original pastel/watercolor concept from the film 

For the architectural elements I used the same approach when I designed Eric's Castle for the film "Little Mermaid". It has a decidedly mediterranean flavor so I also incorporated terra cotta roof tiles and lots, and lots of palms but kept that section purposely dark to attempt to blend in more seamlessly with the actual stone wall which is also dark.  There will also be plants and props placed at specific edges to help bridge the transition from my flat illustration to the "real" world of the guests. We researched the placement of the horizon line and arrived at a compromise of placing it  4 1/2 feet above the walkway surface. You have to keep in mind that some guest view it standing while others will be seated in "clam-cars" for the ride. I also wanted to err on keeping it lower to accommodate the children's view. We also kept tabs on the progress of the version being installed in "California Adventure" to better help us in doing a thorough job. 

I can't say enough about the help I received from the folks at WDI during this very enjoyable project. They were always ready to give a helpful suggestion or provide any additional reference. Can't wait to see the "Journey of the Little Mermaid" and all the other exciting additions when the New Fantasyland opens.

Here is a video posted by the Disney Parks Blog you may also enjoy:

A Rememberance of 2012

We can't end this year without noting some of the wonderful people that have unfortunately left us. I know Ronald Searle passed away last year, but since it was on December 30,  I felt he should be a part of this group. 

I apologize for not including every single person but there simply just wasn't room in one video. For personal reasons I concentrated on those I knew personally either at from meeting them or having worked together on a project or two. To paraphrase a quote from George Elliot, "Our friends and family never leave us, until we have forgotten them." May they all rest in peace and always remain in our hearts.

From All of Us to All of You, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Card opening by Xtencio

"From All of Us to All of You" is a very popular Christmas special that was shown for the first time on December 19, 1958 as a holiday treat on the "Wonderful World of Color". As usual Walt Disney was the host introducing the show although a chirpy Jiminy Cricket took over those chores quickly as the segment moved into animation.

Mickey Mouse, brought to life with wonderfully expressive character animation provided by Les Clark started the musical ball rolling with Tinkerbell applying just the right amount of pixiedust to open the curtain. We were led through memorable sequences from many of the Disney classics from "Snow White" to "Lady and the Tramp" presented as Christmas cards with new animation bridging with the vintage clips.

More of X's wonderful artwork

Over the years as this special repeated, it would include new footage of films and projects that were upcoming from the Disney Studio. It was directed by a good friend of mine, former animation teacher and First Dean of the Character Animation Program at CalArts, Jack Hannah who directed most of those classic shows that featured Walt introducing the episodes from his "office". That "office" by the way was a near perfect re-creation, yes re-creation of Walt's office which was about a 10 minute walk from the soundstage and up 3 floors in the corner overlooking the backlot. It was easier to do that than disrupt the operation and privacy of Walt's real office which was also brimming with confidential memos, notes from meetings and project ideas not the least of which were future attraction suggestions for Disneyland which had recently opened a bit over 2 years earlier.

Hazel "Gil" George Walt's nurse and songwriter

By the way, I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts holes that  you don't know who wrote the lyrics for the title song, "From All of Us to All of You"?. The credit listed from the original airing is "Gil" George but a few of us will recognize that as an alias of sorts for Hazel. Hazel Gilman, later married as Hazel George wrote quite a few very memorable songs during this period from feature films like "Old Yeller" to bouncy songs like "Talent Roundup" for the Mickey Mouse Club. She pretty much gave up her song writing career in the early sixties although Hazel continued on as Walt's personal nurse, a position she had held since first treating his neck pain due to a polo injury from 1938. I wanted to mention her song writing career primarily because it seems to be largely unknown and ignored by Disney historians to this very day which is unfortunate when you consider her valuable contribution to the musical history of Disney Studios. It is also rather a significant responsibility in particular to this creation of this Christmas special.

Over time, the special "gained weight"  (don't we all? sigh) as they expanded it from the original 60 minutes in 1983 to 90 minutes and retitled it to "A Disney Channel Christmas". Unfortunately we don't see this special in this country for some reason as often as they do in the Nordic Countries of Sweden, Finland and Norway. In fact almost half the entire population of Sweden enjoys this holiday treat which is broadcast every Christmas Eve as their most popular and most watched show of the year.

Over yonder in that land known for meatballs, IKEA, and Ingrid Bergman, they call it "Kalle Anka och hans vanner God Jul" which is Swedish for "Donald Duck and his Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas!" Kinda roles off the tongue like lingonberry jelly doesn't it? And imagine, Donald getting top billing over Mickey! This delightful delicacy is still not available on DVD but here's wishing the Disney Studio will release it, the original 1958 version please, someday as part of a Holiday Collection so that new generations can enjoy what we have these many years.

So from All of Us to All of You, a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Happy Birthday Uncle Walt!

Wonderful World of Color
1963 Christmas Show

Today we celebrate the birthday of a man who grew through his creativity, hard work and leadership to become a legend and inspiration to "children of all ages". His life overflowed with many "firsts". The first animated film with complete sound, starring Mickey Mouse of course. The first animated film to be produced in full color, the first full length animated feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", first major Motion Picture Studio to embrace television as a alternate production outlet and so on. And the name that comes first to so many minds when you think of good solid entertainment for the entire family... Walt Disney!

His "Three Little Pigs" gave Americans a jaunty little tune to help get them through the Great Depression and "Donald Duck's antics in "Der Fuehre's Face" offered much needed laughs during the second World War. Rather than attempting to place my own words into Walt's mouth as a few film historians will occasionally do, I'm simply including a few quotes below from Walt himself to offer a bit of insight into his mind and heart.

"We are not trying to entertain the critics. I'll take my chances with the public."

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality."

"You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway."

"To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."

"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."


As much as I would like to, I am going to stop right here. I won't go into a biography of Walt's life here for this birthday posting, as previous authors have accomplished that already at book length and most were well written and informative. I merely wanted to remind everyone of a very special man who never grew up thankfully and went on to touch many lives around the world.

As Eric Sevaried reported on the evening news while summing up Walt Disney:

"He was an original. Not just an American original, but an original. Period.  He was a happy accident, one of the happiest this century has experienced. And judging by the way it’s behaving, in spite of all Disney tried to tell it about laughter, love, children, puppies, and sunrises, the century hardly deserved him. He probably did more to heal - or at least soothe - troubled human spirits than all the psychiatrists in the world. There can’t be many adults in the allegedly civilized parts of the globe who did not inhabit Disney’s mind and imagination for at least for a few hours and feel better for the visitation.

"It may be true, as somebody said, that while there is no highbrow in a lowbrow, there is some lowbrow in every highbrow. But what Disney seemed to know was that while there is very little grown-up in every child, there is a lot of child in every grown-up. To a child, this weary world is brand-new, gift wrapped. Disney tried to keep it that way for adults." 

"People are saying we will never see his like again."

Walt Disney, born this day, December 5, 1901.

TOYS for TOTS!

Walt kicking off the annual "Toys for Tots" drive

Every year as the Christmas Season approaches, we can find a "Toys for Tots" sign or banner  heralding holiday solicitations to provide gifts for the disadvantaged children of America. When you placed that doll or game in the box, did you know that the Walt Disney Studio had a part in helping bring this worthy cause to fruition? Well it all began back in 1947 when a Major Bill Hendricks along with group of fellow Marines Reservists took it upon themselves to collect and ultimately distribute over 5,000 toys to children in need. Bill's wife Diane actually came up with the original idea when she asked her husband to hand out raggedy ann dolls she had hand crafted. She wanted to give them as gifts to needy children facing a bleak Christmas so soon after the war when many were still attempting to put their lives and financial future back together.

Familiar sign at the parks

Bill couldn't find an agency to help with the cause so he did what he had to do... create one!  So in 1947 "Toys for Tots" was born and became so successful that it spread its magnificent mission across our nation. One of the "perks" Bill had in his favor was that besides being a Marine Reservist, he also held an important post in civilian life as Director of Public Relations for Warner Brothers Studios. In that role he was able to garner support from many of Hollywood's celebrities to help with the campaign.

The celebrities of those days just seem a little different to me than some of the ones we see today on the five o'clock news. Maybe because they had suffered through the great depression and a second "war to end all wars" so they knew what real suffering was all about and were ready to lend a hand to help their fellow Americans.  Bob Hope, John Wayne and Doris Day and many others volunteered their services and vocals were supplied by legends including  Nat King Cole and Peggy Lee. No wonder they are referred to as "the Greatest Generation."

Early Disney Studio design

The second year of the program they all realized something was missing and that what was really needed now was a recognizable logo. Something bright and cheery that would immediately grab the attention of the public and at the same time encourage people to donate without coming off too pushy. That is precisely where Walt Disney stepped in. In 1948 Walt instructed his publicity artists at the Disney Studio to create the memorable design we all know today.

The jolly red choo-choo was inspired by Walt's love of trains and in fact the early drop off points for "Toys for Tots" were set up as large bins attached to one another to resemble the unique Disney railway design. This arrangement kept everything "on track" regarding the creation of a recognizable look the public would respond to and remember. Since its beginning back in 1947, "Toys for Tots" has distributed 450 million toys to 200 million needy children. So please give generously when you see a "Toy's for Tots" sign. That simple gesture on your part will brighten the Christmas season for a child in need of a little hope and little cheer in the shape of a toy from you.  -MP