In this video, legendary animator Aaron Blaise walks through the inspiration and process behind the creation of his new short film, Snow Bear. Inspired by the austere beauty of the arctic, and the graceful movement of bears in general and polar bears specifically, the soon-to-be-released animated short film centers around themes of isolation, found family, and the power of creativity.
Along with his team, he animated the entire short film on his own using his Wacom Cintiq Pro 32. From inspiration, to research, to storyboards, to rough animation, to finished drawings, to backgrounds, to color and lighting, he showcases his entire process. Watch the video below.
About the artist
Aaron Blaise spent 21 years at Walt Disney Feature Animation, helping to create some of the greatest animated films ever made. During that time he worked as an animator or supervising animator on “The Rescuers Down Under,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Pocahontas,” and “Mulan.” In 2003 he was co-director of “Brother Bear,” for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.
After “Brother Bear,” he helped to develop several projects but ultimately left Disney to pursue an opportunity back home in Florida. Aaron is currently involved in a number of film projects for various studios. He also recently developed a short animated film called “Snow Bear.”
He publishes tons of video content and livestreams on his YouTube channel, and you can follow him on social media on X (Twitter), Instagram, or Facebook. He also has countless art tutorials and lessons on his website, Creature Art Teacher.
