Footage of Frank and Ollie's daily lives at their nearby homes in La Cañada Flintridge, California is also featured. These anecdotes are punctuated by archival footage from various Disney films, as well as interviews with contemporary Disney animators, animation historians, and interviews with Frank and Ollie's wives. They talk about the successes and difficulties of the Walt Disney studios throughout their careers, including the production of Disney's early works such as Pinocchio and Fantasia, decrease in business due to World War II, the unexpected death of Walt Disney in 1966, and the importance of The Jungle Book's success in 1967. The film primarily consists of Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston's anecdotes of their careers as animators during their long tenure at Walt Disney Studios, beginning with their hiring just before the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

A number of other important figures in the animation business are also interviewed about Frank and Ollie's influence of modern animation, and about their personal friendship. The film was directed, produced and written by Theodore Thomas, Frank Thomas' son. I think they’ve stuck around for a reason, even if that reason is sometimes to “learn the rules before you break them.Frank and Ollie is a 1995 documentary film about the life and careers of Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two chief animators that had worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios during its early years, up until their retirement in the late 1970s. While I don’t think they’re the only important things to learn about animation, I think the 12 Principles are a really good launching point, especially for students studying to be professional animators. We caught up with Animation faculty Alex Salsberg to get his take on the Principles and if they play a role in the classes he teaches and his own animation work. So what are the 12 Principles of Animation? While technology and industries have evolved with new and different ideas being integrated into animation, the principles can still be seen in movies and web design today. Many of these foundational ideas are still utilized in classrooms and studios around the world almost 40 years later. The list has served Disney animators since the 1930s and was outlined by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in the 1981 book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. The 12 Principles of Animation is a group of key teachings for the professional animator.

The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas