This year (1982) marks the 45th anniversary of the animated feature film and with it comes the dawn of the Second Age of Animation.

Ushering in the new age will be "The Secret of NIMH," the eagerly awaited first film from Don Bluth Productions, formed by a group of artists who resigned from Walt Disney Productions two yeras ago over the issue of creative quality. Many have called this move the final chance for the survival of classical animation.

"Snow White," which was released in 1937, was the first animated feature ever. More than 1500 artists worked for three years to create it. When rising costs hit and the average number of years needed to produce an animated feature jumped to four, the number of artists and onscreen magic tricks declined. Now, with the Second Age of Animation, "The Secret of NIMH" will take two-and-a-half years to complete with only 90 artists doing the work. The Aurora Presentation will be released in the United States and Canada by MGM/United Artists Distribution and Marketing.

Not since the early days of the animated feature has such attention to detail been shown as in "The Secret of NIMH." All of the elements dropped or ignored by other studios are here once again, after a 25-year absence from the screen: an uncompromising story rich in emotion and action; immortal characters; smooth drawings; vivid colors orchestrated throughout the film for emotional impact; intricate special effects and the illusion that everything onscreen is absolutely real. Characters' shadows are back, lines around the characters are smooth and in color, not scratchy and black. Also back are multiplane camera shots, where several levels of paintings on clear plastic sheets called cels are photographed at varying distances to add depth to a scene.

And at the foundation of all of this is a staff of the most talented animation artists in the world bringing to life immortal characters worth remembering.

"The Secret of NIMH" is, indeed, ushering in the Second Age of Animation.

There will be approximately 1000 painted backgrounds in "The Secret of NIMH," according to producer/director Don Bluth. He also noted that the paint used is vinyl-based and has a better coverage rate than the usual paint used in previous animated feature films. There will be about 600 basic colors employed throughout the film. Some characters will have as many as 26 different colors applied to them. Bluth's color stylists are responsible for developing the 600-color palette of this vinyl paint. Previously there were only several dozen colors and shades to choose from.

"The Secret of NIMH" sound effecs editor Dave Horton sat in a tree one night for 45 minutes waiting to record an owl's hoot. "I have trouble in my work getting the surroundings quiet enough to record the sounds I need, so I wait until quite late if there's an outside sound I want. One night I waited until past midnight to record two owls who live in the tree outside my house. I perched with my Nagra (sound equipment) and waited., listening while the owls carried on their conversation and readying to record the hoots to come," he says.

As luck would have it, Horton's neighbors had a party that night and just as the hooting began, the party broke up. "I waited 45 minutes for the guests to pack up and leave, then got all ready again to turn on the machine. I pressed the button, hapy for the silence at last, and...both owls flew away."

One of the principal "characters" of the animated feature film is a mysterious old owl, who is heard via the voice of John Carradine.

Horton is a conscientious sound effects editor and even while he is talking to somebody, he often stops in mid-sentence to listen to an unusual sound he hears from somewhere. His previous film credits include "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Outland," "Taxi Driver," "Nashville" (the first film ever made with the Dolby stereo system), and "All the President's Men."

Memorable characters destined to vecome immortal in their popularity abound in "The Secret of NIMH."

Mrs. Brisby (featuring the vocal talent of ELIZABETH HARTMAN) is the timid heroine. The mother of four thrust out into the world after the mysterious death of her husband Jonathan, she learns the meaning of the word "courage."

Hartman received an Academy Award nomination for her role in "A Patch of Blue." Other film credits include "The Group," "You're A Big Boy Now," "The Fixer," "Intermission" and "Full Moon High."

Jeremy the crow (DOM DELUISE) is young, ready to build a nest and find Miss Right. He sees himself as dashing and full of charm but is a total klutz, usually entangled in some of the string he is gathering for his nest. He's prone to wheezes and is allergic to cats.

DeLuise, currently starring with Burt Reynolds in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," is one of the world's leading funnymen. He also starred in Mel Brook's "History of the World--Part I," "Fatso," "Smokey and the Bandit II," "The End" and "Wholly Moses," among others.

Nicodemus, leader of the Rats (DEREK JACOBI) is wise and venerable; he hopes to lead the pack to Thorn Valley to create a civilization without stealing from Man. But first he must help the widow of his late god friend, Jonathan Brisby.

Jacobi is best known for his portrayal of "I, Claudius" on PBS in America and is considered one of England's top classical actors.

The Great Owl (JOHN CARRADINE) is fearsome and omnipotent. Mrs. Brisby visits him to ask for advice.

John Carradine, one of the screen's most prominent actors, made his screen debut in 1936 and has been in numerious films including "Stagecoach," "The Grapes of Wrath," "Captain's Courageous," "The Ten Commandments" and many horror films.

Justin, Captain of the Guard (PETER STRAUSS), is the goodnatured loyal follower and heir apparent of Nicodemus. He actually spearheads the move to Thorn Valley.

Strauss' acting credits include "Masada," an eight-hour movie for television, and "Rich Man, Poor Man," for which he was nominated for Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. He was also in "Young Joe, The Forgotten Kennedy" and "The Jericho Mile," for which he won an Emmy.

Mr. Ages (ARTHUR MALET) is a crotchety old chemist who lives in the threshing machine in the field near Mrs. Brisby's home. He gives her some powders to help her sick son, and she finds him later in the Rat's underground atrium, somehow connected with NIMH.

Malet's screen credits include "Heaven Can Wait," "Savage Harvest," "Halloween," "In The Heat Of The Night," "Mary Poppins" and "Robinson Crusoe."

Jenner (PAUL SHENAR), dastardly opponent of Nicodemus, Justin and The Plan, is the would-be usurper of authority among the Rats.

Shenar is well known to television audiences for his roles in The Night That Panicked America," "Beulah Land," "Suddenly Love" and "Ziegfeld, the Man and His Women."

Dragon, the Fitzgibbons' ferocious fat cat, doesn't speak but is an everpresent menacing marauder, threatening life and survival among the animals in the field.

Auntie Shrew (HERMIONE BADDELEY) is the crusty, self-appointed Keeper of the Field, with a sharp tongue and a heart of gold.

Baddeley won an Academy Award nomination for her role in "Room at the Top" and appeared in "Mary Poppins" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." She is best known as the outrageous housekeeper Mrs. Naugatuck on the "Maude" television series.

The Children are Teresa (SHANNEN DOHERTY), the oldest and most responsible; Martin (WIL WHEATON), irascible and Shrew's nemesis; Cynthia (JODI HICKS), the tagalong, and Timmy (IAN FRIED), the ailing youngster.

Others in the cast include ALDO RAY, top character actor; TOM HATTEN, Los Angeles host of the "Popeye Show;" LUCILLE BLISS, voice of both stepsisters in Disney's "Cinderella" and of Crusader Rabbit; EDIE McCLURG, popular comedy actress, and child-actor JOSH LAWRENCE.

Don Bluth Productions was formed in 1979 when Bluth, Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy, along with a group of young animators, left Walt Disney Studio with a total commitment to prove that classical animation is still a valiant and valid art form.

Before leaving Disney, Bluth and his partners started a project at nights and on weekends in his garage. Their first production, "Banjo, the Woodpile Cat," a 30-minute film which will be broadcast on ABC-TV, took five-and-a-half years to complete. This film served as an educational tool by which the the young animators learned to perform the magic tricks of the masters.

Soon after the company's move from the garage to an office in Studio City, California, they began work on a two-minute animated sequence of "Don't Walk Away," a love song performed in the film "Xanadu" by the Electric Light Orchestra.

Bluth began animating at Disney in 1955 as an assistant on "Sleeping Beauty," and left after two years. In 1967 he joined Filmation Studios as a layout man, working on Saturday morning kidvid shows where the pay was good and way outdistanced creativity.

In 1971, he rejoined Disney and was an animator on "Robin Hood" and a featurette called "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too." He was directing animator on "The Rescuers" and director of animation on "Pete's Dragon," a musical fantasy combining live action and animation. He produced and directed a featurette called "The Small One" and was animating on "The Fox and the Hound" until he resigned.

Gary Goldman joined Disney in 1972 as an assistant animator on "Robin Hood." He was an animator on "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too" and "The Rescuers," and he served as directing animator on "Pete's Dragon" and "The Small One." He was animating on "The Fox and the Hound" when he resigned.

John Pomeroy joined Disney in 1973 and was made a full animator within six months. He animated on "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too" and on "The Rescuers," and was directing animator on "Pete's Dragon" and "The Small One." He also worked on "The Fox and the Hound" until he left.

Bluth, Goldman and Pomeroy are producers of "The Secret of NIMH." Bluth is director of the Aurora Presentation of a Don Bluth Production, which will be released in the United States and Canada by MGM/United Artists Distribution and Marketing.