"Floyd says to us all: we could do better. That's part of what makes him a legend." This looks like a gem. FilmBuff will be releasing this award-winning documentary on a legendary animator in theaters + on VOD next month. Floyd Norman: An Animated Life tells an "intimate journey through the life and career" of 80-year-old animator Floyd Norman, the first African-American animator ever at Disney Studios (back in 1956). After working for almost all of his life, he was told by Disney to retire, but has refused to do so and keeps on working with the mantra that he'll "die at the drawing board." Floyd has worked on Disney films like Sleeping Beauty and The Jungle Book and even worked at Pixar on Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc. This trailer promises such an uplifting, inspiring story about a person who totally loves the art of animation and can't give it up, no matter how old he gets. I really want to see this, and learn even more about him. Enjoy.
Official trailer for Michael Fiore & Erik Sharkey's doc Floyd Norman: An Animated Life, on YouTube:
Hired as the first African-American at Disney in 1956, Floyd worked on such classics as Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians before being handpicked by Walt Disney to join the story team on The Jungle Book. After Walt Disney’s death in 1966, Norman left Disney to found Vignette Films, where he developed the original Fat Albert TV special and produced segments for Sesame Street. He would later work at Hanna-Barbera on many classic cartoons, including Scooby Doo. After Hanna-Barbera, Floyd's talents took him to Pixar to work on Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc. On Mr. Norman's 65th birthday in 2000, Disney HR forced Floyd to retire. Refusing to leave his "home," Floyd has "hijacked" a cubicle at Disney Publishing, unpaid, for the past 16 years, picking up freelance work when he can. At 81 he continues to have an impact as both an artist and a mentor. Mr. Norman plans to "die at the drawing board." Floyd Norman: An Animated Life is co-directed by filmmakers Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey (Drew: The Man Behind the Poster). The doc arrives in theaters + on VOD starting August 26th. For more info, visit their website.
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