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Where Did Future Filmmakers Learn Disney Animation?
David Rosenthal says Disney animation was floundering while future filmmakers learned the craft of Disney animation in a small basement room at the California Institute of the Arts, the school Walt Disney created, set up, and endowed in his will.
The room was a half hour's drive north of the Disney Burbank lot. John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Tim Burton, and John Musker were taught there in that stretch. John Musker would make The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and many years later Moana. Andrew Stanton, Brenda Chapman, and Pete Docter came later. Andrew Stanton wrote and directed Finding Nemo, WALL-E, and Toy Story 5. Brenda Chapman was head of story for The Lion King. Pete Docter is chief creative officer at Pixar.
The room was basement classroom A113, home of the Character Animation Program at the California Institute of the Arts. The later three followed the earlier group into the same classroom rather than training beside them in one stretch.
