Did you love “Paperman,” the aminated short film that received tons of praise at the Oscars? We found out that one of its animators, Dan Lund, has strong ties to NYC. Having been a longtime Disney veteran since 1989, he often visits and credits the city as inspiration for his work, which includes legendary movies such as “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,” and the upcoming “Frozen.”
As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also shifted his talents over to the mobile platform by creating two volumes of an animated knock-knock joke app for kids, aptly titled Knock Knock and the Who’s There Doors. We sat down with Lund to chat about Disney animation, his app, and what he loves about New York.
How did you get started in animation?
I went to Los Angeles after graduating from college, and I happened to accidentally get a job as a production assistant at Disney. This was back in 1989, when you could be mentored by one of the old classic guys. There was one guy who thought I had the right kind of energy and just trained me on the job. My first production job was “Beauty and The Beast,” which was a pretty good first gig considering I didn’t know how to animate, and it won an Oscar a year later. I feel like I’m living the Cinderella story. I was in the right place, at right time, and had the right attitude.
I’m currently still an animator at Disney, but now they’re doing more computer-generated (CG) films and I’m not a CG guy at all—I’m techno-phobic. I also do a lot of independent projects. For the film “Frozen,” I started pitching effects in a narrative way, so these effects are more attached to the emotions of the movie, which has never really been done before. It’s a very balls-to-the-wall musical, so there was lot of opportunity for me to design crazy, fun things that you don’t see every day.
Can you describe your experience at Disney and how it has changed over the years?
Right before I started, “The Little Mermaid” hadn’t been released yet, and animation was seen as something that was just for kids. So when Disney released “The Little Mermaid,” they started selling out and having date-night movies, and animation then became very vogue. I was at Disney during this time of “animation renaissance.” [Then] “Beauty and the Beast,” “Lion King,” and “Aladdin” were making more than mainstream films, and this became known as the “rockstar years.” Then 2D went out of vogue, 3D came in, and a lot of the old-timers didn’t really seguee over.
So the Disney experience has changed for a lot of people. However, they embraced whatever I had going on, let me ride the wave, and remain working on the creative storytelling aspects. So my experience has been great. I remember what it’s like working minimum-wage jobs. I remember that every day while walking through the halls at Disney, and I think about how lucky I am. My worst day is at Disney, and that’s pretty good.
I was equally as excited to work as a production assistant as I was to work as an animator at Disney. I’ve been there for 25 years and I still feel like I have to earn my place every day. The glitter fades quickly and I have to remind them why I’m still here.
What’s been the coolest project you’ve worked on?
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Pocahontas” are a couple of the films that changed my career. I got scenes that made me stand out, or I worked extra hard, so I feel like my thumbprint is on every frame. I enjoyed “Frozen” because I created this new job for myself—I felt more creatively charged than I ever have. But if I had to sit down and watch a movie tonight, it would be “Mulan.” I think this is one of the most consistently designed films we’ve done, even though it’s not on everyone’s list.
What do you know as an animator that the audience doesn’t know when watching a movie?
We always say that if you don’t notice our effects, then we did our job. We want it all to be seamless. In animation you get no freebies: If I draw a fire, I have to draw the flickering and the shadows on people’s faces—everything that comes with that fire. Disney movies have a little more care that goes into the emotion and psychology of the scene to make sure the animation keeps telling the story. There’s a reason why “The Little Mermaid” and “The Lion King” still work today. There isn’t a scene in those movies that doesn’t help propel the narrative.
Could you explain your knock-knock joke apps and the inspiration behind them?
The app was inspired, in an almost annoying way, by my niece and nephew. When I went home for Christmas one year, I was with the kids 24/7. Once they say, “Knock, knock,” you’re trapped. By the time you ask, “Who’s there?” they don’t have a punchline. I loved it, but they didn’t even understand the concept of the joke. They would tell me and laugh their butts off. I kept thinking that it was not about the jokes, either they enjoyed trapping you or it was about this engagement with the call and response. It might have been the first time they got this kind of engagement.
In April 2012, I came to New York City and got together with a friend who suggested I make this idea into an app. So four months later, we had the app. I like to think the app was born in New York. One of the biggest surprises was watching kids do the call backs in the same accent and inflection as the door. I love it. The kids don’t seem to care what the joke is. They just want the call and response.
What makes the apps special?
We added some extra Disney-fied things on the app, like the doors’ eye-blinking, so it stays alive if you set it down. People might not know this is something that we choose to do. It costs me time and money, and it doesn’t make the game any better, but it elevates it one step up from something that is disposable.
What do you see in the future of animation?
I’m not sure about the future of animated apps; hopefully the animation will get better and be less disposable. For animation in general, I think that the world doesn’t need another slick, shiny CG film. I think that CG has proven that you can do anything and take it anywhere, but you don’t have that wow factor because anything is possible. But with hand-drawn stuff, it’s more amazing because someone drew it. I think that vibe right now is with stop-motion, because it has a chunky, handcrafted quality that people like because it’s artsy.
How did winning an Oscar for Paperman feel?
I was so proud. The production felt as much like an independent film as I have ever worked on. I do think it is a game changer—telling a story that applies to adults and kids [and] feels artistic, not manufactured, and pushes what we think an audience will respond to is exciting.
How often do you come to NYC and what are your favorite things to do here?
I love New York. I come to New York to fill my creative cup. When I finish a movie, I come here, see as many Broadway plays as I can, and seek out young new talent. I’ll read an article about some kids who are putting on a play, so I’ll see their show and take them out to dinner. They always get really excited about the Disney thing, but that’s not why I contacted them. I’m looking for something to get out of it, but they get something out of it too. I do this two or three times a year. Sometimes when I’m having a bad time and a project doesn’t get green-lit, I’ll just jump on a plane and come here for four days. I’ve never left New York not having started a project or pitching somebody something and having their enthusiasm for it.
For some people it doesn’t have to be New York. I think there is something incredibly brave about pushing any idea forward. There are so many people who don’t show that spark and that light. Luckily, I can see it every day where I work. But when I go home to the Midwest, I see people who kind of–not that you have to have some big sexy job–but that just seem sort of stuck, or complacent, or just seem okay with not having anything change, especially if they want it to change–there’s something really brave about changing it. So for me, I come to New York and kick my ass into another project, and I’ll use whatever I see here. I don’t get as much out of the splashy Broadway shows as I do out of the little theaters where they need an audience as much as I need to find a new project. So I leave feeling like I discovered the next big thing. It’s been fun and it’s something that I need.
