Dream On, Silly Dreamer

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that when most people decided
they want to be animators, to draw silly characters for a living, that
many aspire to work for the mouse house, Disney’s ‘in’ name for the
offices that store the talented artisans that have brought some of the
most memorable animated characters in the world to big and small screen
alike. Having even walked the halls of the colorful Burbank studios
could earn a sliver of celebrity to those who could describe the
artwork that decorates the hallways and the chaotic clutter that
defines many of the artist’s desks.

What might come as a surprise is that not all is is pixie dust and
fairie tales in the house that Walt built. Dream On, Silly Dreamer
tells the sordid tale of many real life animators, technical directors,
painters, inkers and more that were trampled on and discarded by
Goofy’s enormous feet. Does Eisner look goofy to you?

The 40
minute film combines several interviews with ex-Disney feature
animation employees with original animation to show the graceful rise
and harsh fall for traditional cell drawn animation working at Disney’s
Burbank studios. From humble, but very happy trailer park beginnings,
to the multimillion dollar digs with the Sorcerer’s Pointed Hat, and
finally scouring the want ads for work, the film is full of emotional
moments for the audience and the on-screen interviewees. Fortunately,
this wasn’t an hour long session to trash 3D animation, which it could
very well have turned into. Disney’s recent decision to scrap
traiditional 2D for the advanced computer rendered look hit hundreds
hard as they closed multiple studios across the globe, putting many out
of work and out of luck.

One ex-employee interviewed for the
film had been there long enough to see each of the phases. Pre-Lion
King, animators were churning out 12 hour days, happily whistling while
they worked, proud of the accomplishments they were making, visible by
the quality and heart that shone through in their work. In those days
they were working in temporary buildings a few blocks from the Anaheim
theme park and they loved it. They felt appreciated and though not paid
well, they were treated with respect and dignity.

Then came
Lion King. A true blockbuster movie that raked in the cash, hand over
fist. Suddenly, the employees were receiving ungodly bonuses and more
shwag than they could handle, attending parties and living as
celebrities. They were moved to a bigger building, a pretty building
that demanded attention, but the pride dwindled and the appreciation
disappeared. They were worked harder to maintain the quality that Lion
King and Beauty and the Beast performed. Executives were brought in to
write stories that would sell toys. Department managers no longer
managed and vice presidents popped up like weeds for every department.
Animators were tasked with creating the straight to video sequels to
their best movies. One Ex-mouse elated, “Imagine having the London
Symphony Orchestra at your disposal and turning them into a boy band”.

Eventually, despite the press release quotes and media promises, Disney
has all but dumped their 2D department altogether, opting to focus on
competing with Pixar in a market Pixar created. Where does that leave
the old hats from Disney? Lucky for the original 9 old men, they
weren’t around to see the heartbreaking decisions. Some have gone on to
other animation studios. Others are still looking.

As the
tagline suggests, “not all fairie tales have happy endings”. Dream On,
Silly Dreamer doesn’t have a happy ending, but it’s a poignant story
told with plenty of humor, especially among the animated sequence of a
fictional animator’s experience as he goes through the motions. It
harkens back to the Goofy featurette’s depicting him as an everyman,
just trying to get by in a system always keeping him down.

I
can’t recommend this film enough. It’s playing in very limited release
in major cities, and typically for less than 8 bucks. If you’ve ever
wanted to work in animation, ever loved and hated Disney at the same
time or have any appreciation for the animation industry, please
support these people. Check out their official homepage for showtimes
and where it’s playing. http://dreamonsillydreamer.com/