Articles & Texticles

When I read about the birth of Welldone Films I was reminded of a notepad that I was issued with at Walt Disney Animation in London. Across the top of the pad was written “Walt Disney Animation, London” and below it in italics: “Part of the magic of Disney” or some such trite sentiment.

After about a year working there, I was to find out how powerful this magic really was, when a couple of guys in suits came in from Disney in L.A. and gathered the entire crew of 120 artists together.

After incanting some magic phrases like “business model”, “future needs” and “downsizing”, they made the entire studio disappear in front of our very eyes! Magic indeed!

Now the people at Welldone Films once worked at the Walt Disney Animation studio at Montreuil in Paris, and after 14 years working on features like Goofy Movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Tarzan, Atlantis, The Emperor’s New Groove and Treasure Planet, as well as shorts and television series, they suddenly had a little of the ol’ Disney magic worked on them, so they’ve now picked up their own wand and formed their own animation company. ( Download clip of Disney Years).

They seem to have quite a slate of films in various stages of production.

First off: Franklin The Movie

Franklin: Location Design.

Franklin: Location Design.

Franklin: Character Design.

Next project: an adaptation of Jack London’s White Fang

White Fang: Concept Designs.

Another called The Kingdom

The Kingdom: Concept Designs.

As well as a project called Looping

Looping: Concept Designs.

And then, the feature project they are getting very excited about: An adapatation of La Quete de l’Oiseau du Temps, (The Quest of The Bird of Time).

The Bird of Time is a graphic novel by Regis Loisel who has published many BD’s in France, enjoying particular success with his version of Peter Pan whose friend Tinkerbell is about as far away from a Disney style fairy as you can get.

Tinkerbell / Clochette, by Regis Loisel

A little while ago the name of Eric ‘Bibo’ Bergeron was attcahed to the Bird of Time project, and some test animation has been produced.

Bird of Time location design

Bird of Time Character design

Bird of Time Animation Test

Let us wish Dominique Monfery and the crew “Bonne Chance!” with Welldone films, and also advise them to beware of magicians in suits.