Silent Footage of scenes
at Don Bluth Productions:

Ext.  Don Bluth Studios,
dissolve to:

Artists sketching and
painting backgrounds

Animator Linda Miller

Dorse Lanpher - Director
of Animation Special
Effects

Painting animation cels

The mouse which has been
 a live moclel for "Mrs.
Brisby" on the shoulder
 of an animator

Assembling elements for 
an animation scene

Don Bluth working at 
a moviola 

Color Stylist Carmine 
Oliver and her staff 
preparing paints
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Last Scene before Sound: 
CU Jar of Brown Paint
 

DON BLUTH describes 
the classic techniques
employed in the
production of "The 
Secret of NIMH"
 
 
 
 

SOUND ON FILM                                                                  :43
 

                                                                                                 :74

Narration:  THIS WEEK IN HOLLYWOOD, 

WE VISITED DON BLUTH PRODUCTIONS WHERE 

SOME 120 TALENTED ARTISTS ARE COMPLETING 

WORK ON A NEW FULL-LENGTH ANIMATED 

FEATURE, "THE SECRET OF NIMH," TO BE

RELEASED THIS SUMMER BY MGM/UNITED ARTISTS.
 

 IN PRODUCTION FOR TWO AND ONE-HALF YEARS,

THIS $6.5 MILLION FILM REQUIRED SOME

1.5  MILLION DRAWINGS AND ABOUT ONE 

THOUSAND INDIVIDUALLY PAINTED BACKGROUNDS. 

THERE ARE AS MANY AS 96 DRAWINGS IN A 

SINGLE SECOND OF FILM.
 

 WHY THIS COMMITMENT TO DETAIL?  WELL, 

IN LATE 1979, DON BLUTH, CONSIDERED THE 

LEADER OF THE SECOND GENERATION OF ANIMATION

TALENT AT WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS, LEFT 

THAT STUDIO IN A DISPUTE OVER ITS 

COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING THE SOPHISTICATED

TECHNIQUES OF CHARACTER ANIMATION, WHICH
 

WERE THE HALLMARK OF EARLY DISNEY 

FEATURES LIKE "BAMBI" AND "PINOCCHIO." 

HE WAS FOLLOWED INTO HIS NEW VENTURE 

BY 16 OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DISNEY 

ANIMATION STAFF, AND THE EXODUS MADE 

HEADLINES THROUGHOUT THE MOTION PICTURE 

INDUSTRY.
 

DON BLUTH EXPLAINS WHAT HE HOPES

AUDIENCES WILL DISCOVER IN "THE 

SECRET OF NIMH."
 
 

  SOUND ON FILM                                                              1:18
 
 

 :42  into  this  interview,  we  see  :11  of 
footage  from  "The  Secret  of  NIMH,"
in  which  "Brutus"  chases  "Mrs.  Brisby."

LENGTH OF NEWS FEATURE                                           3:15