Richard Williams To Lecture on Animation & Screen Footage of His New Film in LA

Legendary animator Richard Williams will make a rare public appearance this October as part of the Marc Davis Celebration of Animation to talk about his and our favorite topic: animation.

The event–“This Amazing Medium with Richard Williams”–is put on by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and will take place Friday, October 4, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in Beverly Hills, CA.

Williams won’t only be showcasing his own work, but also will be lecturing about the medium of animation itself. According to the official release:

…Williams will discuss the work that has inspired him and the people who have influenced him. Some of Williams’s favorite clips will be shown to illustrate the artistic and emotional range of this amazing medium, from the charm of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and the imagination of “Fantasia” to the stylized sophistication of “Rooty Toot Toot” and the subtlety of expression in “Toy Story.”

Williams will also enlighten audiences about his own work through clips from “The Little Island,” “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” “A Christmas Carol,” “The Return of the Pink Panther,” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” “Circus Drawings” and the first theatrical trailer for “The Thief and the Cobbler,” as well as a preview of his work-in-progress, “Prologue.”

Over the past month, we’ve given a lot of attention to Richard Williams, who is most known for his decades-long attempt to make the film The Thief and the Cobbler. However, since the unsuccessful completion of that film, Williams has removed himself from the industry (for the most part). He hasn’t directed any new films or commercials in the past 20 years, apart from a short called “Circus Drawings.” For more information about Williams, check out episodes 43 and 45 of the Animation Addicts Podcast, where we review his film The Thief and the Cobbler and interview the director of a documentary about the making of The Thief and the Cobbler, respectively.

This is going to be an incredible even for anyone who is a practitioner or fan of animation. Williams is truly a master of the craft and was voted “The Animator’s Animator” by his peers. He also will be talking about The Thief and the Cobbler, which is unprecedented since he has refused to talk about that film since he lost control of it in the early 1990s. On top of that, Williams will be previewing his new film Prologue, a project we’ve heard whispers that he’s long been working on, yet haven’t seen any official scenes. Can you say once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

For anyone living in southern California, there really isn’t any reason not to go to this considering general admission tickets are only $5. There’s more information about the event below.