#richardwilliams

[jessicarabbitworld]

Roger and Jessica Rabbit by animator Richard Williams. #jessicarabbit #rogerrabbit #whoframedrogerrabbit #richardwilliams #classicanimation #disneyanimation #disneyart https://www.instagram.com/p/CoiSfhqOZdC/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Thief and the Cobbler - The Recobbled Cut (2013)

The history of The Thief and the Cobbler is long and heartbreaking. In short, it was an impossibly ambitious animated film whose troubled production went on for so long it was never finished. Eventually picked up, pieced together as best as possible, and then released by two separate studios, the versions we've seen are heavily compromised. Nonetheless, Richard Williams' original vision captured the minds of many. In 2013, a painstakingly reconstructed fan edit dubbed "The Recobbled Cut" - the closest we’ll ever get to the director’s intention - emerged. Though still incomplete, this glimpse at what could've been is breathtaking.

Golden City is kept safe thanks to three magical golden balls atop King Nod’s tallest minaret. When a thief steals the balls, all seems lost. Hope rests in the hands of Princess Yum-Yum (Sara Crowe) and the cobbler Tack (a silent role) while the scheming Grand Vizier Zig Zag (Vincent Price) sees the disaster as an opportunity.

A simple summary of this film’s plot does not do it justice. This is an unusual film you cannot forget. The visuals are a cross between Persian miniature paintings and the works of M.C. Escher. As characters run through corridors, you’ll be blown away at the amazing use of perspective, the crispness of the lines, and painstaking amount of detail. It’s so beautiful it’s overwhelming. The sheer amount of long, unbroken shots, the way every scene had to be painstakingly choreographed and developed, the brilliant way perspective is skewed to show off the lush background and the brilliantly designed characters… The Thief and the Cobbler is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It uses the medium of animation like no one else ever had - and it was all done by hand.

This picture's unconventional choices make it a fascinating watch. When was the last time you saw a film whose two leads had no dialogue - outside of the silent era? Sounds weird for the sake of being weird? Maybe, but it allows the story to focus on body language, facial expressions, and color to convey to you what is happening. You haven’t seen slapstick done this well since the Looney Tunes' golden years.

Based on this glimpse of what might've been, did we miss out on “the greatest animated film of all time”? Not quite. The visuals are spectacular. The story? just ok. Some scenes last too long and the way the villains are introduced means the stakes don't feel as high as they could. It’s easy to get mad at Allied Filmmakers and Miramax for releasing butchered versions of this artistic vision, but you also can’t blame them. This film is so strange, so unusual, and was taking so long to produce anyone would worry. A 30+ year obsession like this one almost certainly saw scenes that were previously “finished” scrapped entirely because the character designs were tweaked or a new stylistic choice was made down the line. Looking at it from today's standpoint, I don’t think this project would have ever gotten finished no matter how much money Richard Williams would've managed to raise.

If you love animation or movies with interesting backstories (so basically, ones where everything goes wrong), it's worth digging up this version of The Thief and the Cobbler. Usually, I’d criticize a film for demanding the audience “do homework” to enjoy themselves. This case is so wild you gobble up every testimony, date, and name like a hungry wolf inside a chicken coop. This “Recobbled Cut” might just be the most important fan edit ever made. (Recobbled Cut, June 10, 2016)

[tombancroft1]

#restinpeace to legendary English #2danimator #RichardWilliams He touched the industry in so many ways, not the least of which is heading up the look, design, and animation for #whoframedrogerrabbit , his amazing animation book #animatorssurvivalkit and loving animation enough to sacrifice all for a film he developed for over twenty years: #thetheifandthecobler ! I was honored to indirectly work with him (his characters) animating on two of the #rogerrabbit shorts (Rollercoaster Rabbit and Trail Mix Up) early in my @disney career. Lastly, we have a piece of his legacy at @lipscombanim (@lipscombuniversity ) - an original prop used in the set to make Rogers position for the original Who Framed Roger Rabbit film (too right). Much love goes out to his son, Alex, also an animator, today. God bless you and your family. (at Franklin, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1RWZ_7Fe4c/?igshid=2mspvdpioki2

[lastregattaluna]

Fanmade custom della principessa Yum Yum #illadroeilciabattino #thethiefandthecobbler #princessyumyum #yumyum #princess #richardwilliams #thegreatestmovieever #cartoon #cartoni #principessayumyum #jasmine #aladdin #arabianknight #rogerrabbit #whoframedrogerrabbit #animation #custom #ooak #doll #dolls #dollcommunity #dollcollector @151eg . https://www.instagram.com/p/CFNDadTlKEG/?igshid=lp5t4g4yxn9y

[betopetiches]

Goodbye Richard!

RIP Richard Williams (1933—2019)

[dreamwithintheheart]

On August 16, A master, a legend, my inspiration, passed away. Richard Williams influenced my life in the smallest and biggest of ways. From the sketches, he did to the fluid, seamless motion of his animation. He inspired how I want my animation to look, but also influenced how some of my character designs look like. And only now I was able to see how much he influenced my life. When I was little, I would watch the Thief and the Cobbler on a regular basis. To the point, a certain shot that was only on screen for a few seconds stuck with me for the rest of my life as a symbol of my passion. The blue rose with little stars. As I grew older and continued with my ambition on being an animator, I found that the movie I have loved, WAS NOT the version Williams wanted to create. I then came across a version, known to many fans as the recobbled cut, and I was speechless. The parts that were cut, and unfinished. WHY WAS THIS NOT THE MOVIE?! I then learned the making of, and the time it took. over 20 plus years, and still the movie could not be completed! I grew even fonder of the film, and grew to appreciate, not only what it is, but what it could have become! I dreamed to one day see him during one of his animation seminars, and perhaps talked to him... but that will never be. He brought so much joy and inspiration to this world, and his teachings shall live on forever through the book he wrote, which at this point is the bible of animation. I will continue with my love of animation, as he did with his. To Richard Williams... one of the greatest animators of our time.

[salsa-artes-blog]

It's sad to say goodbye but he will not be forgotten, thanks for everything you did Richard Williams for inspiring me and many others out there with your amazing work.

[hichigot]

Dessin en hommage a Richard Williams une grande légende de l'animation 😭😢 repose en paix 🙏 #dessin #dessinhommage #richardwilliams #restinpeace #rogerrabbit #jessicarabbits #andy #tack #thethiefandthecobler #christmascarrols https://www.instagram.com/p/B2_l4vHnOUZ/?igshid=129uvuaximfti