The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation

The most complete book ever written on Disney character animation from the 1920s through the 1970s--by two long-term animators and Disney Legends.

This delightful inside story describes the evolution of the animation art from and the ways Disney characters got their unique personalities.

Authors Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston worked with Walt Disney and other leading figures across five decades of Disney films. They animated leading Disney characters and worked with others who helped perfect an extremely difficult and time-consuming art form. This illustrated volume is a "how-to animate" book crafted for anyone to enjoy. Frank and Ollie irresistibly charm readers with original drawings used in creating some of the best-loved characters in American culture, including Mickey Mouse and Cinderella. The authors showcase early sketches used in developing memorable sequences from classic movies such as Fantasia and Pinocchio. With the full cooperation of the Disney company and access to the studio's priceless archives, they choose the precise drawings to illustrate their points from among thousands of pieces of preserved artwork.

Film buffs, students of popular culture, and fans who warmly respond to Disney animation will adore this collection.

Some films Frank and Ollie feature:
- Shorts starring Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937
- Pinocchio 1940
- Fantasia 1940
- Dumbo 1941
- Bambi 1942
- Cinderella 1950
- Alice in Wonderland 1951
- Peter Pan 1953
- Sleeping Beauty 1959
- One Hundred and One Dalmatians 1961
- Mary Poppins 1964
- The Jungle Book 1967

Frank and Ollie share Easter eggs, behind-the-scenes stories, and fun facts about:
- The history and core principles of animation
- People who directly worked on and influenced the films
- The uses of live-action footage in drawing humans and animals for the films
- The roles of artists, voice cast, and songwriters in preparation for the films
- Story and character development processes to final frames

Author: Frank Thomas,Ollie Johnston
Publisher: Disney Editions
Published: 10/19/1995
Pages: 576
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 6.37lbs
Size: 11.28h x 10.54w x 1.47d
ISBN: 9780786860708
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 01/01/1996 pg. 150

About the Author
Two of Walt Disney's famous "Nine Old Men," Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston met as students at Stanford University and joined the Disney studio within a year of each other in the mid-1930s. In 1978, they retired from Walt Disney Productions and began work on this book. In that same year, they received the "Pioneer in Film" award from the University of Southern California chapter of Delta Kappa Alpha National Honorary Cinema Fraternity and further honors from the American Film Institute at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. As Frank and Ollie wrote first-hand about their Disney animation volume The Illusion of Life, "We hope that some readers will be stimulated to carry on these traditions and elevate this art form to an ever-higher level."