W3: Fleischer Studio

Question 1

Qualities of Fleischer cartoons

Answer 1

• urban (city) settings
• vulgar, ethnic humour
• risqué, raunchy humour
• surreal gags and animation
• almost no story, mostly gag-driven

Question 2

Max Fleischer worked for this studio before opening his own

Answer 2

Bray Studios
(John Randolph Bray)

Question 3

Who invented the rotoscope process?

Answer 3

Max Fleischer

Question 4

What is the rotoscope process?

Answer 4

Live action footage projected onto a light table, where an animator would trace it

Achieves very fluid, realistic animation

Question 5

First official Fleischer cartoon character and series

Answer 5

Koko the Clown

Out of the Inkwell

Question 6

Original designer and animator of Betty Boop

Answer 6

1930 Grim Natwick

Question 7

This cartoon introduces Betty Boop as a doggo-woman

Answer 7

Dizzy Dishes, 1930

Question 8

Talkartoons

Answer 8

Max Fleischer’s early sound cartoon series

Question 9

Describe traits of Betty Boop’s FIRST redesign

Answer 9

• became a fully-human young woman
• first character to actually resemble a female
• her personality was sexy, fliratious, sweet, pure and chaste

Question 10

Comic-strip character licensed by the Fleischers and became their 3rd biggest star

Answer 10

Popeye the Sailor

Question 11

Credited director of all Fleischer cartoons

Answer 11

Dave Fleischer

Question 12

Special process invented by the Fleischers that gave the illusion of spatial depth

Answer 12

Stereo-optical Process (Set backs)

• 3D miniature sets built on a big rotating platter
• A cel placed in a window (steel frame) with the camera in front (sometimes a piece of the background would be placed in front of the cel)
• The cel would be photographed & replaced, while a hand crank would move the background slightly

Question 13

Where did the Fleischer studio relocate to?

Answer 13

Miami, Florida

Question 14

Why did the Fleischer Studio relocate away from NYC?

Answer 14

1) to escape the labour strike by going to a place with less workers’ rights (rip)
2) more space to build a bigger studio and make feature films

Question 15

Fleischer’s first feature-length animated film

Name its influences and weaknesses

Answer 15

Gulliver’s Travels

Influenced by Disney’s Snow White, but had weak characters, shittier story, and unmemorable songs

Question 16

3 characteristics of Fleischer’s SUPERMAN series that made it unique

Answer 16

1) realistic looking characters
2) interesting editing (cross-cutting, montage, etc)
3) Heavy use of special effects: explosions, lasers, weather, lighting, dramatic, dynamic scene/action staging

Question 17

How did Fleischer Studio evolve into Famous Studios?

Answer 17

• Fleischers in debt to Paramount
• Max and Dave having personal issues
• got fired by Paramount, relocating the studio back to NYC and renaming it Famous Studios

Question 18

Max Fleischer’s first colour cartoon short

Answer 18

Poor Cinderella, 1934

produced in 2-strip technicolor, kicked his Color Classics theatrical series

(first Betty Boop after Code changes)

Question 19

Hollywood movie studio that distributed the Fleischer cartoons, starting in 1927, and had controlling interest in the Fleischer studio

Answer 19

Paramount

Question 20

What is significant about the creation of Popeye the Sailor meets Sindbad the Sailor?

Answer 20

1) 2-reel film aka twice the length of a typical cartoon short
2) first Popeye produced in 3-strip technicolor

Question 21

Fleischer’s second (and last) animated feature film

Answer 21

Mr. Bug Goes to Town

Question 22

How did the Production code impact Fleischer Studios?

Answer 22

Had to be more careful with their portrayal of violence, sexuality, drug use

Had to tone down Betty Boop, gave her less cleavage, took away her short dress and garter

Question 23

Who invented the stereo-optical process?

Answer 23

Fleischers

Question 24

First cartoon in which Betty appeared as 100% woman

Answer 24

Mask-a-raid

Question 25

Example of a Popeye cartoon made at Famous Studios

Answer 25

She Sics Sailors