Animated Life: A Lifetime of Tips, Tricks, Techniques and Stories from a Disney Legend

Floyd E. Norman (born c. 1936) is an American animator who worked on the Walt Disney animated features Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book along with various animated short projects at Disney in the late '50s and early '60s. After Walt Disney's death in 1966 Floyd Norman left Disney Studios to co-found the AfroKids animation studio with business partner animator/director Leo Sullivan. Norman and Sullivan worked together on various projects such as the original Hey! Hey! Hey! It's Fat Albert television special which aired in 1969 on NBC. (not to be confused with the later Fat Albert series made by Filmation Associates.) Floyd Norman returned to Disney at one point in the early 1970s to work on the Disney animated feature Robin Hood. More recently he has worked on motion pictures for the Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, having contributed creatively as a story artist on films such as Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. for Pixar and Mulan, Dinosaur and The Hunchback of Notre Dame for Walt Disney Animation among others. He continues to work for the Walt Disney Co. as a freelance consultant on various projects. Norman had his start as an assistant to comic book artist Bill Woggon who lived in the Santa Barbara area that Norman grew up in. In the 1980s he worked as a writer in the comic strip department at Disney and was the last scripter for the Mickey Mouse comic strip before it was discontinued.[1] Floyd Norman has also published several books of cartoons inspired by his lifetime of experiences in the animation industry : Faster! Cheaper!, Son of Faster, Cheaper!, and How The Grinch Stole Disney . He is currently a columnist for the websites JimHillMedia.com and AfroKids.com. He was named a Disney Legend in 2007. In 2008, he appeared as Guest of Honor at Anthrocon 2008 [2] and at Comic-Con International where he was awarded an Inkpot Award.

• Introduction to Disney: Wonderland: This first chapter could be an opportunity to explain the Disney culture, or at least how I perceived it.
• Fundamentals of Animation: The development of the 12 Principles of Animation (The Disney Bullpen: This was our animaton "boot camp." Learning the basics of animation.)
• Applying the 12 Principles of Animation, Mentoring with Disney and the Nine Old Men: Disney's Night School: This could be an opportunity to pass on a few tips from the Disney Masters.
• Intersections of Animation and Live Action, Traditional techniques expanded to live action: Something About Mary Poppins: The things you learn working on a motion picture that combines animation and liveaction. Explaining things such as Rotoscoping and Disney's Sodium Matte Process.
• Storytelling for Cartoons and Animated Films: The Other Floyd: The difference between working in print as opposed to film. Because the process is less cumbersome, you create more content. And, when learning to tell stories, the more you write, the faster you learn.
• Working in the Disney Studio: The Workers Paradise: Another look at studio culture and how it enables creativity.
• Developing your own style and taking a risk: 12 Animation Principles expanded Taking My Best Shot: Basic animation tips I've learned.
• Integrating Different Animation Styles into your own work: Working with Walt Disney on The Jungle Book: Passing on the "Old Maestros" story telling style from one who observed it first hand.
• Pitching an Idea: ...And now your host, Walt Disney: Animation Pitches, Walt's leadership ability, and how you can utilize it.
• Developing new ideas, techniques, the shift from Traditional Animation to Digital: The Monster in the Bell Tower: New ideas, techniques and management. Returning to animation without Walt.
• What not do on an Animated Film: No Fun on a Dinosaur Movie: Why this motion picture failed as a Disney movie.
• Developing Creative and Dynamic Characters: Playing With Toys: I was convinced "Toy Story" was a hit before it was even released. I explain why the film story worked and the movie resonated with audiences.
• Contemporary Storytelling, Applying traditional storytelling devices to digital workflows: Monsters Brawl: I shared an office with Joe Ranft while on "Monsters, Inc." What I learned from this young, gifted story teller.
• Adapting a Bad Idea: The Elephant in the Room: While I encourage experimentation and bold new ideas they can sometimes go terribly wrong. I explain the mistakes in this never completed Disney movie.
• Applying Disney techniques and insight into your own Projects: Life After Disney: Learning never stops, and that's why I continue to work. Disney techniques outside of a Disney studio.