Prolonged production (1972–1978) The Thief and the Cobbler

the film went through many name-changes before becoming thief , cobbler – other names included thief never gave , once.... 1 can see within once... logo old character designs characters later removed film.

williams commissioned new script howard blake, wrote treatment called tin tack in 1973. blake s treatment incorporated clumsy cobbler named tack , retained williams thief character nasrudin. while story s focus , tone shifted , simplified, williams characters nasrudin, including sleepy king , evil vizier named anwar, moved on tin tack. many scenes did not include nasrudin himself retained. throughout 1970s, williams further re-write script margaret french, wife @ time. while williams continue simplify dialogue, script not change structurally.

williams later began promising new film 100 minute panavision animated epic feature film hand-drawn cast of thousands. characters renamed @ point. zigzag speaks in rhyme throughout entire film, while other characters -with exception of thief , tack mute- speak normally. richard williams stated did not intend follow disney route film. went on state film first animated film real plot locks detective story @ end, , that, 2 mute main characters, thief silent movie lot of sound. silent comedies, films charlie chaplin , harry langdon, inspiration on nasrudin , carried on new film. tack modeled after said silent film stars.

british illustrator errol le cain created inspirational paintings , backgrounds, setting style film. during decades film being made, characters redesigned several times, , scenes reanimated. test animation of princess yum-yum, featured in released versions, traced live-action film muqaddar ka sikander – design changed later production. in williams drafts, climax included final battle zigzag after collapse of war machine, conjures larger-than-life oriental dragon tack reveal nothing more inflatable balloon. although there production designs of scene oriental dragon, never made, found difficult animate.

in 1974, recession forced studio focus on various tv commercial, tv special, , feature film title assignments, leaving williams movie worked on side project. because williams had no money have full team working on film, , due film being giant epic , production dragged decades. ken harris still chief animator on film, had been since nasrudin, , williams assign him sequences while supervising production on commercials. save money, scenes kept in pencil stage without putting colour, advised richard purdum: work on paper! don’t put in colour. don’t spend on special effects. don’t camera-work, tracing or painting... rough drawings! williams planning later finish these sequences when financing come in.

williams learning art of animation himself during production of film, before thief animation during 1960s typically featured stylized designs in vein of upa animated shorts. williams hired veteran animators golden age of animation, such art babbitt, emery hawkins , grim natwick work in studio in london , teach him , staff: williams learned milt kahl, frank thomas, ollie johnston , ken anderson @ disney, whom made yearly visits. williams later pass knowledge new generation of animators. williams allowed animators natwick , babbitt work on studio assignments, such 1977 feature raggedy ann & andy: musical adventure. mad holy old witch designed caricature of animator grim natwick, whom animated. after natwick died, williams animate witch himself.

as years passed, project became more ambitious. williams said idea make best animated film has ever been made – there no reason why not. williams envisioned film feature detailed , complex animation, likes thought no other studio attempt achieve. additionally, of film s animation photographed on ones , meaning animation runs @ full 24 frames per second, opposed more common animation on twos in twelve frames per second.