With the anticipated release of the new animated feature The Secret of NIMH, the producers, Don Bluth Productions, are touting the quality of this venture: proclaiming that, 1982 marking the 45th anniversary of the animated feature film, this full-length film ushers in the beginning of "The Second Age of Animation."
Don Bluth Productions was formed by a group of artists who resigned from Walt Disney Productions two years ago over the issue of creative quality. They are calling this move the final chance for the survival of classical animation.
Quoting from the press release:
"Snow White," which was released in 1937, was the first animated feature film 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 foundations 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."