W3: Fleischer Studio Flashcards
Qualities of Fleischer cartoons
- urban (city) settings
- vulgar, ethnic humour
- risqué, raunchy humour
- surreal gags and animation
- almost no story, mostly gag-driven
Max Fleischer worked for this studio before opening his own
Bray Studios (John Randolph Bray)
Who invented the rotoscope process?
Max Fleischer
What is the rotoscope process?
Live action footage projected onto a light table, where an animator would trace it
Achieves very fluid, realistic animation
First official Fleischer cartoon character and series
Koko the Clown
Out of the Inkwell
Original designer and animator of Betty Boop
1930 Grim Natwick
This cartoon introduces Betty Boop as a doggo-woman
Dizzy Dishes, 1930
Talkartoons
Max Fleischer’s early sound cartoon series
Describe traits of Betty Boop’s FIRST redesign
- became a fully-human young woman
- first character to actually resemble a female
- her personality was sexy, fliratious, sweet, pure and chaste
Comic-strip character licensed by the Fleischers and became their 3rd biggest star
Popeye the Sailor
Credited director of all Fleischer cartoons
Dave Fleischer
Special process invented by the Fleischers that gave the illusion of spatial depth
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
Where did the Fleischer studio relocate to?
Miami, Florida
Why did the Fleischer Studio relocate away from NYC?
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
Fleischer’s first feature-length animated film
Name its influences and weaknesses
Gulliver’s Travels
Influenced by Disney’s Snow White, but had weak characters, shittier story, and unmemorable songs
3 characteristics of Fleischer’s SUPERMAN series that made it unique
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
How did Fleischer Studio evolve into Famous Studios?
- 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
Max Fleischer’s first colour cartoon short
Poor Cinderella, 1934
produced in 2-strip technicolor, kicked his Color Classics theatrical series
(first Betty Boop after Code changes)
Hollywood movie studio that distributed the Fleischer cartoons, starting in 1927, and had controlling interest in the Fleischer studio
Paramount
What is significant about the creation of Popeye the Sailor meets Sindbad the Sailor?
1) 2-reel film aka twice the length of a typical cartoon short
2) first Popeye produced in 3-strip technicolor
Fleischer’s second (and last) animated feature film
Mr. Bug Goes to Town
How did the Production code impact Fleischer Studios?
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
Who invented the stereo-optical process?
Fleischers
First cartoon in which Betty appeared as 100% woman
Mask-a-raid
Example of a Popeye cartoon made at Famous Studios
She Sics Sailors
