John Canemaker

Before computer graphics, special effects wizardry, and out-of-this world technology, the magic of animation flowed from the pencils of two of the greatest animators The Walt Disney Company ever produced -- Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Frank and Ollie, the talent behind BAMBI, PINOCCHIO, LADY AND THE TRAMP, THE JUNGLE BOOK, and others, set the standard for such modern-day hits as THE LION KING. It was their creative genius that helped make Disney synonymous with brilliant animation, magnificent music, and emotional storytelling. Take a journey with these extraordinary artists as they share secrets, insights, and the inspiration behind some of the greatest animated movies the world has ever known!

Documentary about the influence of legendary animator Tex Avery and the groundbreaking digital special effects of “The Mask.” Produced for “The Mask” DVD.

The year was 1941, and the world was on the brink of war. In an effort to improve relations between the Americas, the Roosevelt administration called upon one of Hollywood’s most influential filmmakers to embark on a special goodwill tour. Written and directed by Theodore Thomas (“Frank and Ollie”) and produced by Kuniko Okubo, the documentary WALT & EL GRUPO chronicles the amazing ten-week trip that Walt Disney and his hand-picked group of artists and filmmaking talent (later known as “El Grupo”) took to South America at the behest of the U.S. Government as part of the Good Neighbor Policy.

A documentary on the making of Walt Disney's Lady and the Tramp created for the 2006 Platinum DVD.

A documentary about the early days of animation.

The story of the unlikely alliance between two of the most renowned innovators of the twentieth century: brilliantly eccentric Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dalí and American entertainment innovator Walt Disney.

Bonus feature on the Dumbo DVD.

After learning about pollution a group of creatures called Zwibble Dibbles, decide to throw a party for the Earth to raise awareness.

Documentary on the making of Walt Disney’s Fantasia.

The making of Dumbo (1941).

The making of Cinderella (1950).

The unlikely story of 106-year old Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong, and how he overcame poverty and racism in America to become a celebrated modernist painter, Hollywood sketch artist, and “Disney Legend” for his groundbreaking work on the classic animated film, Bambi.

A documentary about the early days of animation.

Documentary short on cartoonist Otto Messmer, co-creator of Felix the Cat

Released as a Bonus Feature for Disney's Platinum DVD Edition of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" this short documentary shows how this classic film came to life.

Documentary short from Felix the Cat Collector’s Edition DVD

Short Documentary on the art of Mary Blair: An extraordinary talented artist.

Cartoon Carnival tells the story of the pioneering early days of the animated art-form and chronicles one film preservationist's quest to rescue pre-sound cartoons from obscurity and screen them to new, appreciative audiences.

Focuses on how the legend of animation, Tex Avery, revolutionized cartoons.

This educational science program features the story of Dr. Alfred Clothear and his discovery of how bears know when to sleep for the winter.

The essence of the 1940s, to the lively beat of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." A rapidly paced collage of the fads, fashions, and personalities of wartime, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, a time capsule of a special decade.

An animated documentary that explores the terrain of father/son relationships, as seen through Canemaker's own turbulent relationship with his father.

An urban fable about a young street musician who finds competition for space to play his much a bit too tough, until he joins in the live-and-let-live attitude of the other street "freaks." An animated view of New York street life, with its spirited cacophony of sights and sounds.

In 1986, seventeen years after Yoko Ono and John Lennon’s animated conversation about love and six years after the beloved Beatle’s assassination, Ono commissioned independent animator John Canemaker to create a short animated film based on Lennon’s drawings, music, and interviews. Given her penchant for the intersection of art and philosophy, Lennon’s own quirky illustrations, and the odd fact that the couple’s love began in visual poetry long before they met, it was the perfect medium for commemoration.

A lyrical and personal study of Canemaker's Long Island garden through the seasons, based on paintings, to an original jazz score by Fred Hersch.

The extemporaneous musings of an actress about her career provide the springboard for an imaginative fantasy on the fragility of fame.

The extemporaneous musings of an actress about her career provide the springboard for an imaginative fantasy on the fragility of fame.

The extemporaneous musings of an actress about her career provide the springboard for an imaginative fantasy on the fragility of fame.

The film follows Wing Biddlebaum, a lonely former schoolteacher whose “hands” led to a scandal that drove him from his previous town and life’s calling.

Documentary short on cartoonist Otto Messmer, co-creator of Felix the Cat

Documentary short on cartoonist Otto Messmer, co-creator of Felix the Cat

Documentary short on cartoonist Otto Messmer, co-creator of Felix the Cat

The short takes as its inspiration Bottom's contemplation on the "dream" he has experienced in the middle acts of Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream", in which his head is transformed into that of an ass and the Fairy Queen Titania is made to fall in love with him. Shakespeare's "Dream" has long been the most visually attractive play to adapt, and the transfer to animation opens up possibilities set designers could only dream of. Canemaker's mastery of the art and his immense creativity make this short quite a ride, exploring a few of the darker undertones in Shakespeare's text that are often excised or simply ignored.

The life and career of the great cartoonist Winsor McCay is warmly recalled by his former film assistant, John Fitzsimmons, with clips of classic McCay animated films.

The life and career of the great cartoonist Winsor McCay is warmly recalled by his former film assistant, John Fitzsimmons, with clips of classic McCay animated films.