The world of animation has progressed drastically in the many decades that have seen time flow. Studios such as Disney and Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli have always been on top of their game with such media and continue to grow as well. In a time when live-action adaptations find themselves dominating industries, animation is finding its own unique ways to hold onto the foundations that captivate not only younger audiences but also older ones.
For the longest time, both studios have been competing and also working hand in hand to spread the beauty that is created through the work of animation. Both studios have worked towards bringing out some of the most astonishing masterpieces when it comes to animated media but Miyazaki may give Ghibli Studios the upper hand.
Disney’s Most Difficult Sequence to Animated
Disney has created a fair share of animated movies but none act as bigger underrated hidden gems than Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The studios’ attempt at making a non-musical movie for a demographic that yearned to sing those catchy songs came as a failure and the movie got buried in time, much like the lost land it wished to hunt.
It is only now that the film has started to get the recognition it truly deserves. Out of all the animated projects the studios have released, the movie’s ending sequence is regarded as “the most difficult in Disney animation history.” (via Wikipedia)
The scene starts with a close-up of Milo and Kida and the camera pans away from the sequence, showing the stretches of the land before them and the beauty it holds with vehicles and people constantly moving to bring life to the scene.
Moreover, the first panel consisted of a 16-inch sequence, that is, a 40.5cm sheet was used to draw out the sequence. However, the further the perspective went, the bigger the paper also became.
So much so that the final frame requires sheets combined together to form an image that spreads about 18,000 inches or 45,720 cm. These were all hand-drawn with extensive detailing put into every part to make sure the scene was worth every effort put into it.
Hayao Miyazaki’s Expertise is Unmatched
Studio Ghibli has never been a stranger to making some of the most mesmerizing and beautiful shots no matter what the movie may be. Each and every one of the films holds a sense of serenity that comes with the animation style. Hayao Miyazaki has been making films for about 4 decades now and each story has more to tell. Each frame and scene too holds an entire background worth of such beauty.
Hayao Miyazaki could have shaken that scene out of his trouser leg in 1984.
@dokerrod on Instagram
This style of American animation was taking off for a second and it’s a damn shame that digital techniques killed this style just as it was taking off and really giving American animation a unique identity. It’s no coincidence (if you ask me) that often narrative quality is commensurate to the animation quality. Often, not always.
@finalfather on Instagram
One of the biggest credits to they Disney propaganda machine is that most people think art like this died because it was passed over for the digital age, instead of because Disney just decided they didn’t want to employ talented artists anymore.
@williamcraig21 on Instagram
I hope this style of animation in the western world will one day be rediscovered and reused. No more soulless and unnecessary 3D remakes like Lion King. I crave something original like Atlantis. Back then with Atlantis and Spirit, the West had something unique, something that stood out like Anime in Japan. But we threw it away.
@sabbelkopp0 on Instagram
Not that it’s a competition but Ghibli blows everything Disney ever drew out of the water. Better perspective techniques, better anatomically correct flora and fauna. Better detail.
@samuelroo on Instagram
Fans argue that for a film like Atlantis: The Lost Empire, which came out in 2001, Miyazaki was already working on such spectacular scenes all the way back in 1984 and 1985. The animator is known for his attention to detail when it comes to each film and how the stories he tells are personal in the way he draws them all with utmost care. His expertise is undeniable and for it to be compared to Disney’s project that required so much is only a testament to just how talented he really is.
While the final sequence for Atlantis: The Lost Empire may be a spectacle to watch, it would not be a big deal for someone like Miyazaki to pull it off when the animation industry wasn’t as advanced as it was in the 2000s or even now.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire is available to watch on Disney+.
