Legacy Animation Studios, a refugee production company founded by several former WDFA-Florida animators (AN article here), has issued a press release announcing their very first project: a traditionally-animated short by the name of Lucky! According to the release, “Lucky is the story of a four-leaf clover who is down on his luck. As Lucky passes through a small town he brings a little good fortune to the people he encounters, but for every bit of good luck, he experiences a bit of misfortune. How ‘lucky’ can a four-leaf clover really be?” Eddie Pittman, Managing Director of Legacy Animation, states that, with this short, “We hope to capture the appeal of the classic Disney shorts of the thirties and forties.”
The studio will also give the world a front row look at the production in progress with an online production journal. Animation aficionados can view pre-production artwork, storyboards, and animation samples, as well as comments from the artists themselves, as Legacy Animation Studios launches enthusiastically into their first in-house project. Follow the link to read the entire press release here:
Legacy Animation Studios Announces
Production of Short Film
Winter Garden, Florida (February 9, 2004) – Legacy Animation Studios announced today that it has begun pre-production on an animated short film entitled Lucky. The film will be animated with traditional hand-drawn animation and will be the first project for this group of animators and artists formerly employed by Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida.
Lucky is the story of a four-leaf clover who is down on his luck. As Lucky passes through a small town he brings a little good fortune to the people he encounters, but for every bit of good luck, he experiences a bit of misfortune. How “lucky” can a four-leaf clover really be?
“It’s the story of luck from a clover’s perspective,” says Legacy Animation Studios Managing Director Eddie Pittman. “Lucky is a unique story that’s both funny and heartwarming. We hope to capture the appeal of the classic Disney shorts of the thirties and forties.”
Short films are widely considered the best calling card for aspiring moviemakers looking to move into features. This holds true for animated films as well as live action. Even the undisputed leader in feature animation, Pixar, continues to hone their artists’ skills by producing short films.
“Lucky is an opportunity to tell a story through pantomime. It’s pure visual storytelling,” says Legacy’s Creative Director David Nethery. “The importance of making our own film at this point is to remind ourselves that despite being perceived as ‘down on our luck’ we really have been handed a unique opportunity to continue to practice the art and craft of traditional animation on our own terms, while never forgetting the wonderful legacy that we have been bequeathed by the animation giants upon whose shoulders we stand.”
The studio will also give the world a front row look at the production in progress with an online production journal. Animation aficionados can view pre-production artwork, storyboards, and animation samples, as well as comments from the artists themselves, as Legacy Animation Studios launches enthusiastically into their first in-house project.
