Walt Stanchfield
Encyclopedia
Walt Stanchfield was an American animator, writer and teacher. Stanchfield is known for work on a series of classic animated feature films at Walt Disney Studios
and his mentoring of Disney animators.
Walter Stanchfield was born in 1919 in Los Angeles
, California
. After graduating from high school in 1937, Stanchfield worked as an animator at the Charles Mintz Studio. During World War II
, he served in the U.S. Navy. Returning to California, he briefly worked at the Walter Lantz
Studio before joining Walt Disney Studios to work on the 1949 full-length animated feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
. His career included work on every subsequent Disney animated feature including his work as a character animator on The Jungle Book
and The AristoCats
. His final film for Disney was The Great Mouse Detective
in 1986. In 1987, Stanchfield served as the animation consultant on Who Framed Roger Rabbit
.
In the 1970s, Stanchfield and Eric Larson
created a training program for new animators at Disney studios. The program included weekly drawing classes and lectures. Stanchfied's students included numerous prominent animators, such as Brad Bird
, John Lasseter
, Don Bluth
, Joe Ranft
, John Musker
, Ron Clements
, Glen Keane
, Andreas Deja
, and Mark Henn
.
In 2009, Stanchfield's lecture notes were compiled into the two-volume set Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes.
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
and his mentoring of Disney animators.
Walter Stanchfield was born in 1919 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. After graduating from high school in 1937, Stanchfield worked as an animator at the Charles Mintz Studio. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in the U.S. Navy. Returning to California, he briefly worked at the Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
Studio before joining Walt Disney Studios to work on the 1949 full-length animated feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a 1949 animated feature produced by Walt Disney. The film was released to theaters on October 5, 1949 by RKO Radio Pictures and is the eleventh animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
. His career included work on every subsequent Disney animated feature including his work as a character animator on The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six...
and The AristoCats
The Aristocats
The Aristocats is a 1970 American animated feature produced and released by Walt Disney Productions in 1970 and stars Eva Gabor and Phil Harris, with Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar the butler, the villain of the story...
. His final film for Disney was The Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures...
in 1986. In 1987, Stanchfield served as the animation consultant on Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
.
In the 1970s, Stanchfield and Eric Larson
Eric Larson
Eric Larson was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios starting in 1933 and was one of the "Disney's Nine Old Men."...
created a training program for new animators at Disney studios. The program included weekly drawing classes and lectures. Stanchfied's students included numerous prominent animators, such as Brad Bird
Brad Bird
Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...
, John Lasseter
John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter is an American animator, director and the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also currently the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering....
, Don Bluth
Don Bluth
Donald Virgil "Don" Bluth is an American animator and independent studio owner. He is best known for his departure from The Walt Disney Company in 1979 and his subsequent directing of animated films such as The Secret of NIMH , An American Tail ,The Land Before Time , and All Dogs Go to Heaven ,...
, Joe Ranft
Joe Ranft
Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft was an American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor who worked for Pixar and Disney. His brother, Jerome Ranft, is a sculptor who also worked on several Pixar movies....
, John Musker
John Musker
John Musker is an American animation director. Along with Ron Clements, he makes up the duo of one of the Disney animation studio's leading director teams.-Life and career:...
, Ron Clements
Ron Clements
Ronald Francis "Ron" Clements is an American animation director and producer. He is one half of America's leading contemporary animation team with John Musker.-Life and career:...
, Glen Keane
Glen Keane
Glen Keane is an American animator, author, illustrator and director. Keane is best known for his character animation at Walt Disney Studios for feature films including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, and Tangled...
, Andreas Deja
Andreas Deja
Andreas Deja is as an animator most noted for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Deja's creations include the Disney villains Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Jafar from Aladdin and Scar from The Lion King. He is a recipient of the 2006 Winsor McCay Award.-Early life:Andreas Deja was born...
, and Mark Henn
Mark Henn
Mark Henn is a Disney animator, whose contributions to animation have included several Disney leading or title characters, most notably heroines. He studied in the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts in the seventies. His work includes Princess Jasmine in Aladdin,...
.
In 2009, Stanchfield's lecture notes were compiled into the two-volume set Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes.