Oscar-nominated director dispels Lion King "S-E-X" myth in chat on his storied career
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Aaron Blaise spent more than two decades working at Walt Disney Animation, eventually directing the 2003 picture, Brother Bear. His career started with Mickey Mouse and Roger Rabbit shorts, and he was soon working on Disney’s epic run of feature film success in the 1990s, including The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and Mulan.
Blaise was enamored with wildlife, even as an adolescent living in the Florida Everglades. It has been a defining element of his career, even as he struggled to process grief after his first wife lost her battle with cancer. “Drawing animals lets me explore themes like family, loss, and love in their most honest form. It’s almost spiritual,” he said. “When you study animals closely, you see humanity reflected in their eyes, their actions, and their struggles. I just can’t think of anything more powerful to animate than that.”
Blaise sat down with the Dam Yankee podcast, in partnership with NL Times, to put a rest to the infamous Lion King rumor and discuss keeping 2D animation alive with his most recent project.
Dam Yankee: Over the years there have been so many conspiracy theories about the word "SEX" being spelled out when leaves and dust are knocked into the air in the Lion King. Are any of those things true?
Aaron Blaise: No, and it would be a lot juicier if it was, but they are not. Animators like to do little Easter eggs and things like that. You know, the acronym for that department is SFX meaning special effects. They put "SFX" in the clouds, but it got misconstrued. They were just shining a light on their department and they caused this whole controversy. I think a few people got disciplined for that.
DY: Your latest project, Snow Bear, is a 2D animated short film. What was the inspiration behind it?
AB: It is very much a metaphor for the life that I've had. Snow Bear is about a polar bear wandering the Arctic. He's this guy looking for a friend. He's looking for companionship. But he can't find another polar bear and no one else wants to be friends with a polar bear. And so he creates a snow bear for a companion.
It's the story of him living this wonderful life with the bear he creates. Snow Bear doesn't come to life, but she does offer companionship. Like anything else, a snow bear is fragile. And so as you can imagine, things change, but I don’t want to spoil anything.
The environmental aspect of the film actually grew out of the story process. It wasn't something I set out to do, but once it emerged and I was showing it to people it was clear that this is what they were taking from it. We embraced it and and really ran with it.
DY: How are you sharing your lifelong passion for animation?
AB: My website creatureartteacher.com started out as an art education hub where I taught animation and animal drawing. I wanted to go back to the things I love, teach people how to do them, and try to make a living at it. Nowadays, you've got a kids going to four years of school spending $200,000 on loans before they ever make it out into the world. It's insane.
At Creature Art Teacher we pick a subject, whether it is an introduction to animation or storyboarding, and we bring in an industry professional to talk about it. We give demos and educate in the process of doing. We record the entire thing and students can come along and download it. Instead of spending thousands of dollars, they might be able to get it for $10.
Tune into the full episode of Dam Yankee to hear Blaise’s thoughts on moving past grief and directing Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix in Brother Bear.
Blaise is currently in the middle of the Snow Bear Roadshow. This event that toured through the Netherlands last month, includes a screening of the film, a live animation demonstration, and a meet and greet. Tickets for the upcoming Berlin show on May 24 can be purchased for 35 euros.
