"From the heart, I'm telling you, this is the best movie I've ever worked on," Marshall says.
Hi Folks!
First, I’ll just let you know who I am. I’m Marshall Toomey. Currently, I am a Key Clean-Up Artist on The Princess and the Frog. I’ve been at Walt Disney Animation Studios for about 16 years. Some of my big moments here have included being a Supervising Lead for “Rafiki” on The Lion King and Key Clean-Up Animator for “Quasimodo” on The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I was also the Artistic Supervisor on Tarzan, Atlantis and Home on the Range.
The Princess and the Frog is our first 2D, or hand-drawn, movie in about four years. For this film, we brought back a small unit of the cream of the crop of animation artists. From the heart, I’m telling you, this is the best movie I’ve ever worked on. The look, the storyline and the quality are beyond classic.
Today, I’m working on background characters. Their personalities and character development are strong enough to stand out on their own. There’s a lot of drawing to do and my hand hurts at the end of the day, but I love every minute of it.
Just a little technical talk about the process. There are 24 drawings to a second of film, and 16 frames to a foot of film. Our scenes range from 1 foot to 40 or 50 feet depending on the scene. Once my drawings are shot and approved by the Directors, it’s off to the Special Effects Department and then to the Color Department.
That’s a quick overview. Next time I talk to you, I’ll be a little more specific. Just know that I’ve been drawing since I was 2 years old. I’m a whole lot older now and I’m still drawing — and getting paid for it. I’m lovin’ life. Talk to you soon.
Peace,
Marshall
