As Walt Disney Animation Studios marks 100 years, the latest in a series of animation milestones has been shared, this time focusing on the technology behind a climactic scene in the classic film, The Lion King.
What’s Happening:
- Walt Disney Animation Studios has been celebrating their 100 year history on social media by showcasing iconic moments, including those that push the technology and artistry of the animation medium.
- Today, they are showcasing the incredible moment that is burned into the brains of Disney fans around the globe – the wildebeest stampede from 1994’s The Lion King. While many remember this scene for the emotional moment that is the result of the stampede, this was also the first film at Walt Disney Animation Studios that introduced CG crowd characters, which has been a staple in the studio since that point, pushed further during the production of 1996’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame during the “Topsy Turvy” sequence.
- Could you imagine animating, by hand, herds and herds of stampeding wildebeest? It probably wouldn’t be as dramatic as the landmark scene in The Lion King. While the scene itself does end with an emotional gut punch, its visually appealing the whole time thanks to the advent of CG Crowds, capable of generating hundreds of wildebeest that appear in the scene. This also marked when Disney first started openly revealing during publicity and marketing campaigns that they were using computers, showcasing that they were using CAPS (Computer Animation Production System) to audiences everywhere, showing off the capabilities of the system on the wildebeest scene. CAPS would see its final days in use on production in 2004’s Home on the Range.
- Recently, at this year’s SIGGRAPH conference which took place in Los Angeles. California, I had the great pleasure of being able to sit in during a conversation hosted by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Marlon West, who marked 100 years of technological milestones made by the iconic animation studio in its 100 year history. You can read more about this conversation and all the milestones showcased, here.
- You can catch The Lion King now streaming on Disney+.
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