3:07 I never noticed as a kid, how complex it was. Solid drawing, perspectives, 360° camera on 2D characters, clothes, everything in at once in smooth animation. Respect.
3:23 I remember when Beauty and the Beast came out, everybody's attention was on this scene, on how amazing the 3D was. Now everybody's attention is on how amazing the 2D is.
Perfectly said. That's the beauty of 2D animation, if this high quality, it ages wonderfully while even the highest quality 3D will look aged as the technology advances. I wish the same amount of research and money was put into the advancement of 2D animation.
I never realized how many shots he has done where the "camera" swings around the characters. It's truly brilliant how adept he is at making 2D animation look 3D
What I think is the most impressive part about his animations is that he’s so good at drawing the exact style as the show/movie he’s drawing for, like, its super admirable
Thats a given. Get a template of the proportions and characteristics and anyone can adapt their drawings to it. Its his ability to rotate the characters fluidly in a moving space
@@sabersquid2523 He also draw the animation from the last episode of Steven Universe but not the Steven Universe Future also hes animation is very smooth
That's because cgi already existed by the time, Baxter was described as having this chip in his head were he understood what to do, with his pencil and paper.
@@yourannoyinglittlebrother8595 dont hope, youll eventually be like him one day Be more confident, but not narcisisstic ! Itll take a lot of time and patience, but itll pay off eventually !! I believe in you man !
He probably spends so much time just... _looking_ at things and taking in their beauty because he's so damn good at capturing the small but essential movements that make things feel organic... absolutely precious to the world of animation
TheBasicStickman Seeing Scenes from “Spirit”, “Treasure Planet” and that one cute bit of Mable cuddling Waddles the pig shook me as well I didn’t know they were made by him.
Same, I always subconsciously knew that those bits in the Gravity Falls intro were beautifully animated, and they were animated by James Baxter himself. Incredible.
HE DID THAT INCREDIBLY SMOOTH PART IN THE GRAVITY FALLS INTRO??? I always wondered why that part in particular was so smooth compared to the rest of the sequence!
bruh I freak out when I see James Baxter in the credits for anything, Ive found him in movies/series I had no idea he worked for. Such a pleasant surprise
it must be really nice to have a daughter thats such a fan. i can't imagine growing up on this kind of stuff and then your dad just casually drops "i made that" and has all the pencil tests to prove it. it must be amazing in retrospect to have worked on Roger Rabbit. a genuine hollywood funded love letter to a craft everyone knew would never be utilized quite the same once computers became the norm. im so glad you are able to still find younger people influenced by you that want you to work for them and you actually do it. what a life to live man. just amazing all around
bella is epic a cartoon TV show about a young boy raised by humanoid gemstone harnessing aliens living on Earth, which serve as gaurdian figures to him, and how they battle against 'homeworld', while simultaneously immersing the audience in the customs and vastly different world of these strange beings, and the monsters and beings alike that come from there.
So I guess this guy did the scene for the Steven Universe finale with Steven and Pink Steven. The animation in specifically that part really caught me off guard and I loved it. Anyone else seen it?
@@MayMay-qn2dd sorry the comment made it sound as if he was the one that anmited the whole movie which would be understandable most people dont really know how much is put into making animated movies sorry for the assumption.
@@JuanLopez-kk9wi I think he's like the main animator of Spirit though. There is a crew responsible for rendering and such, but I tink he does most of the animation movements(the outlines in particular)
The 3D rotating shots are MIND boggling, they are so well done where nothing looks bad, nothing shifts off its point, the proportions stay COMPLETELY consistent i couldn't imagine animating something like that so consistently well, an absolute machine of animation
Your ability to visualize three-dimensions of depth on a 2D surface is the most magnificent thing I've ever seen in animation. It feels like you were in the story capturing every angle, despite it being physically flat.
He didn’t do all this animation alone. At the time Disney / Dreamworks had hundreds of traditional animators working on their films. Saying he animated these scenes single-handedly just isn’t true. He wasn’t clear about which part he was worked on, but I’d assume he was a lead animator and directed other artists how to draw in the frames. This might be obvious but it’s good to be upfront about the process.
"How do you wanna be represented for all the amazing animation work you've done for the film industry?" James: "Make me a talking horse-" "Ok" James: "On a beach ball" "Ok..." James: "Saying my name."
That scene was the most beautiful and impactful scene in the entire show. Him fusing with himself, and the fluid, beautiful laugh, as it pans to White, and they fuse.
Team him up with the artist from Studio trigger who worked on the other episode that everybody loved, add Jones, and it's three of the best animators in history.
Watching this and seeing some of the most potent, moving and important scenes from my childhood movies...and he did that? HE MADE ME FEEL THOSE THINGS that's incredible.
i’m so grateful of getting to live in the context where i’m able to watch james baxter’s work. it’s just stunning and it’s amazing how even when i was younger and didn’t know anything about animations those bits were still the one sticking out to me for their smoothness and visuals. it’s crazy what this man has done to the animation field
Somehow my brain often forgets that these sequences were actually animated by human hand. They're so perfect it just feels like they must have magically sprung into existence. Absolutely amazing.
I want to know what he was like as a child. Did he observe people moving on the playground? Study his mom’s hands as she cooked? Each one of his characters move as fluidly as real life
@@logitchy i think it’s more than observing: it takes _years_ of practise to replicate real life movement into animation so fluidly. He probably tested every angle out and stuff. I wouldn’t know since I personally is just a writer, but as a writer that’s what I do. I observe, try and replicate, fail, and try again. Maybe it’s different from animation idk
@@BigFanOfCocks humans do not move that fluidly, they are actually very very choppy. yet, animators try their best to do very smooth movement cause real human movement is not too appealing (thats why mocap sucks)
You need a seemingly impossible rotating shot around a 2D animated character WHILE they're acting or moving? Baxter's your guy I'm thoroughly convinced he's a wizard
God, he's a genius. I want to be an animator when I grow up, and he is like my goal of becoming. It puts a lot of effort, and makes perfect scenes, too fluid, almost even seem like 3d animation. I hope you get to do more animations of this kind.
Hi, I'm currently pursuing my career in animation, too. Idk where you're at in terms of schooling but know this, don't ever doubt yourself and your abilities. You'll find it easy to get stuck in a dark hole where it all seems impossible to live your dream, but your not alone. Many artists feel that way, even myself. If you have a passion for animation, dive into it and don't look back, run with it. Of course, make sure you give yourself breaks, go for a walk, go on vacation, sit down and take a breather. View nature, people, places, animals, take inspiration from anything and everything you you see and do. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you can do what you set your heart on and you have many of us artists backing you up.
@@LivTheWiz I am going to a school for animation.. I am progressing so much in a short amount of time and I am so proud of myself. Just a year into modeling 3d objects and I went from just making a cube and painting it.. to making my whole room by myself... it looks exactly like my room.. down to everything.. and I was so proud of myself at that moment when it was finally done.. :)
Never realized James Baxter worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit! And the "sanctuary" scene from Hunchback of Notre Dame always makes me tear up. It's such a beautiful shot with so much passion behind it! Gorgeous work! Spirit is one of my top 10 favorite movies 💟
He didn’t do all this animation alone. At the time Disney / Dreamworks had hundreds of traditional animators working on their films. Saying he animated these scenes single-handedly just isn’t true. He wasn’t clear about which part he was worked on, but I’d assume he was a lead animator and directed other artists how to draw in the frames. This might be obvious but it’s good to be upfront about the process.
What this demo reel shows is that James Baxter is responsible for so many iconic and incredible scenes in animation. I never knew, but he animated so many scenes that I always replayed because of now smooth and satisfying they were to watch.
i come back to wtach this every now and then and it never fails to make me cry. One person having such an impact in some of the greatest works of media ever. Beautiful legacy, an everlasting one.
IKR??? Not only are his animations smooth, but whenever he works on a scene, he gives it a nice, natural, touch, he gives the characters a more realistic feel by how he animates their little details and features, reacting naturally by what the character is doing, even the smallest eyelash moving with the edge of an eyelid as it opens really shows his profession and attention to detail. Respect this man.
I never realised that much of my childhood was all animated by the same man (at least alongside other animators, but seriously all of these were/are my favorite movies- plus Adventure Time) ... This simply is amazing. You sir are one of the reasons I have a deep love for 2D animation. EDIT because I forgot a crucial thing: Thank you to your daughter for making this compilation!!!
The Adventure Time horse is amazing once you realize they literally wrote a script that boils down to "Legendary animator cuts loose here" and the entire episode is them going "This guy is so great", named the character after him and said his name over and over, and then even showed the raw lineart in the end credits. just to really make the point.
It blows me away that this man somehow found a way to make the majority of my favorite memories as a child, truly incredible stuff. Thanks for the memories Mr. Baxter :]
Met James earlier today. It was an absolute pleasure. It was inspiring seeing him work, and the way he answered everyones questions with a smile really shows that he loves what he does.
A couple months ago looking to cheer up a bit I searched up James Baxter hoping for the horse from Adventure Time(that show never fails for me) but instead found this. This is truly beautiful. I now feel like rewatching all these movies. It's been a long time since I saw many of them as everyone wanted to do 3D animation as I was growing up(born 2003). Thanks Mr James Baxter if you ever read this.
What im impressed is not the smoothness, but the CONSISTENCY. like when the animation changes angles, it retains the exact proportions of the character and everything, no imperfections, no sudden jolting, no inconsistent sizes. Just wow
Oh my GOD! You did the "SANCTUARY!" scene from Hunchback?!! *And* the rotating view of the ballroom dance from Beauty and the Beast?! No wonder the camera rotation with perfect, on model, frame-smooth dancing Stevens in the new Steven Universe episode was so... PERFECT and DISNEY-tier! God!!! I love you!
Animation & Filmmaking truly are Magic. Thank you so much for your work; it's artists like you that help inspire the world. You've definitely inspired me.
2:43 I KNEW IT I KNEW I RECOGNIZED THAT BUTTERY ANIMATION FROM SOMEWHERE (turns out i recognized it from just about everywhere lol, youre quite prolific)
I knew about him since I saw Spirit as a kid. In the bonus features I’d watch him teach how to draw Spirit over and over and over. And seeing that episode of SU, wondering if it was him, and many people confirming it was, he is still an inspiration to me.
I'll never forget the moment I was watching Adventure Time and the episode about the horse, James Baxter, came on. I have always loved art and comics and storyboarding, mostly, but the lesson of that episode sat with me despite not being an aspiring animator. I could tell the James Baxter horse was different and special but in a way that didn't make it "better" than the rest of the series. It was special because of what James Baxter, the horse, was bringing as his talent. Finn and Jake had to learn what their special talent was too, and that being James Baxter shouldn't be the priority, but instead an inspiration to be oneself and reflect that in their own talents and works. That day, I learned who James Baxter was, but I also learned who I wanted to be when I grew up. Myself.
Well, there's lots of different things you can do, animate, paint backgrounds, color styling, storyboarding, character design. First, try a little of everything to see what you like and what you're best at. There's a bunch of good books. For animators, I usually recommend The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, and The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams.Then start getting a portfolio or a reel together of your best work. it helps to get to know a couple of people at some animation studios. they can help guide you and if they are aware of you it's much easier to get a job. You can usually find information online about recruitment at the larger studios. They can help you too. Main thing is to learn your craft.@@JackieM.
I honestly cried watching this. I randomly remembered the horse clip from adventure time and searched for it and found this; and I realized you were responsible for many of my favourite movie scenes as a kid. Belle with the dandelion puff. Quasi with Esmerelda on the balcony. Moses and the burning bush. That weird waiter bug in rescue rangers. And just now I found a clip you did in Steven Universe. I am amazed at how many things you have made, and helped create, that I have loved and had no idea. Thank you.
"Here's my animation reel, I made all the most memorable parts of everything I was involved in." -James Baxter PS also now I finally know what that horse was about
I really enjoy how balanced your animation is. In terms of proportions, uses of squash and stretch. The only other animators I can think of that make their characters move like this are Milt Kahl and Frank Thomas. Excellent work : D
He really animated these scenes and posted this video like "my daughter edited this together for me thanks sweetie" as if all these movies didn't affect thousands of lives. I wore the vhs tapes of these movies so thin when I was a kid. Spirit and the Hunchback of Notre Dame especially. But literally all of these movies
@@jamesbaxter1236 if you were a boss from Mega Man you would be Pencil Man, wielding a giant pencil that draws attacks and hazards, maybe use the eraser to block attacks, and have a harder stage than all of the Wily bosses combined.
How dare she play these clips to this song and make me cry about the beauty and joy and meaning of storytelling and creation of art and animation Your work is so incredible. Okay and can we all just take a moment to appreciate his daughter's syncing in this clip: 2:58
who knew a horse who rides a beach ball has done so much for the animation industry.
True
Yep
No kidding on everybody claiming James Baxter’s a genuine artist haha
I thought the same thing!!!!
Thats the best sentence I've ever heard.
James Baxter: The man, the myth, the legend, the talking horse.
MegaChickenfish Jaaaaaaaames Baxter!
The Rose and Steven moment
I got that reference
-Games Bookstore-
@@lightbear_762 -*games bookstore-
3:07 I never noticed as a kid, how complex it was.
Solid drawing, perspectives, 360° camera on 2D characters, clothes, everything in at once in smooth animation.
Respect.
They literally look 3d
3:23 I remember when Beauty and the Beast came out, everybody's attention was on this scene, on how amazing the 3D was. Now everybody's attention is on how amazing the 2D is.
Perfectly said. That's the beauty of 2D animation, if this high quality, it ages wonderfully while even the highest quality 3D will look aged as the technology advances. I wish the same amount of research and money was put into the advancement of 2D animation.
imagine James Baxter going to an interview for an animation company, handing the interviewer his resume _AND THEY SEE THIS_
laurora You’re implying he’d have to show his resume when they already know he’s James Baxter
Really everyone who wants him will be begging HIM to get the job
They probably would've already known who he is. He's p famous.
They wouldn’t even need his resume, he would just walk into the interview room and they hire him immediately without question
Umm... They would most likely already know who he was lol
you're a treasure to this world
He is more than a treasure..... he is our savior.
BLUE DIAMOND STOP
BLUE STOP USING YOUR POWERS ON ME
tbh that is so true
Gabriel Barsch did he animate all the shows or movies in this video? Or only parts of it
I never realized how many shots he has done where the "camera" swings around the characters. It's truly brilliant how adept he is at making 2D animation look 3D
What I think is the most impressive part about his animations is that he’s so good at drawing the exact style as the show/movie he’s drawing for, like, its super admirable
Thats a given. Get a template of the proportions and characteristics and anyone can adapt their drawings to it. Its his ability to rotate the characters fluidly in a moving space
@@potatopotato9131yeah like he’s good but it’s something that’s expected as a professional
@@Jushtintheboiqueen he is probably the guy all big movies call for those complex shots and this guy above thinks everyone can do it.
And here I thought James Baxter was a new kid on the block when he’s mastered animation and created joy since the 1980s!
Exactly, me too.
I blame myself for not knowing this, how well it could be popular culture.
I was surprised to see he worked for Richard Williams
Garl Vinland he’s animated in so much, from the lion king to gravity falls. Like wat
Who woulda known that the horse has such a rich history in animation!
And most of this stuff is from my childhood too like WHAT?!?!
@@sabersquid2523 He also draw the animation from the last episode of Steven Universe but not the Steven Universe Future also hes animation is very smooth
if you say "james baxter" 3 times into a studio's bathroom mirror, he will appear and animate a beautiful scene for you
I wish this was true so bad.
with the small price of your s-
@@chingu6891 small price of what?
gamer 2.0
Your soul
a whole scene? What is he God?
He really just said "you know what? Fuck you" and made the most beautiful, fluid and alive animation you will ever see in your entire life
That's exactly what he said.
I don't think he said that
@@moldman5694 👆🏻🤓
2:58
I LOVE HOW HE IS JUST THROWING IT BACK TO THE BEAT I CANT RN-
He’s been making scenes look like cgi before cgi movies were a thing
*better than cgi
@@nonchalantree6604 agreed
@@nonchalantree6604 not really
That's because cgi already existed by the time, Baxter was described as having this chip in his head were he understood what to do, with his pencil and paper.
@@nonchalantree6604 agreed
the only thing I can think of is "jAaAamEs bAxTeRr" from Adventure Time
You mean games bookstore
@@brokedoge6844 oh yes
Oh my gosh me too 🤣
I used to quote that all the time
Omg the fucking HORSE
That shot of Quasimodo sliding down the water on the tower was absolutely breathtaking.
Your work has touched so many lives. Now with all the useless and vapid live action remakes, it makes me appreciate many of the originals.
I hope to be like him one day.
Like animate like home..
@@yourannoyinglittlebrother8595 dont hope, youll eventually be like him one day
Be more confident, but not narcisisstic !
Itll take a lot of time and patience, but itll pay off eventually !! I believe in you man !
@@Twiddle_things omg shut up lol🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
@@yourannoyinglittlebrother8595Same! He’s such a huge inspiration to me, and I’m sure many other aspiring animators out there!
He protecc
He atacc
But the most important, he brings my childhood bacc
熊Beary
He animate
He create
But most importantly, he me childhood
Yeah, I've watched all these when I was a child ;(
@@chaoticexistences you ruined it
I👏miss👏Adventure time
He made your childhood
He technicaly animated the smoothest scenes in every awesome cartoon movie/serie
I’m one of your likes.
AÀÆ
@@tiedie3763 I'm one of your likes
@@emmamaria8979 I'm your 1st like
@@ManuelMartinez-rv6tz I am my second like and the first like on your second comment 😎
He probably spends so much time just... _looking_ at things and taking in their beauty because he's so damn good at capturing the small but essential movements that make things feel organic... absolutely precious to the world of animation
"Alright, so what's your name and what's your history?"
"I'm James Baxter and I-"
"You're hired."
The "How to Train your Dragon" part caught me off guard. I knew the guy was a 2d animation god but 3d as well. Absolute legend.
TheBasicStickman Seeing Scenes from “Spirit”, “Treasure Planet” and that one cute bit of Mable cuddling Waddles the pig shook me as well I didn’t know they were made by him.
Same, I always subconsciously knew that those bits in the Gravity Falls intro were beautifully animated, and they were animated by James Baxter himself. Incredible.
The music used for the entire reel is HTTYD music as well! I'm a nerd for HTTYD, sorry :)
@@pleasechill9916 No need to apologise, they're fantastic movies.
@@beachballssideaccount Quite. My favorite movie franchise by a long shot!
HE DID THAT INCREDIBLY SMOOTH PART IN THE GRAVITY FALLS INTRO???
I always wondered why that part in particular was so smooth compared to the rest of the sequence!
Same!
ME TOO SNRJWJSDNWNWN
This explains so much
IKR it was different and now i finally know why!
bruh I freak out when I see James Baxter in the credits for anything, Ive found him in movies/series I had no idea he worked for. Such a pleasant surprise
Casually posts the most impactful sequences from my favorite childhood films as his animation reel. I love this guy fr
>fr
Doubt.
it must be really nice to have a daughter thats such a fan. i can't imagine growing up on this kind of stuff and then your dad just casually drops "i made that" and has all the pencil tests to prove it. it must be amazing in retrospect to have worked on Roger Rabbit. a genuine hollywood funded love letter to a craft everyone knew would never be utilized quite the same once computers became the norm. im so glad you are able to still find younger people influenced by you that want you to work for them and you actually do it. what a life to live man. just amazing all around
Everyone here is talking about Steven Universe, but I knew you from back when you were a horse.
same. and even back then i was just a kid so i didn't know he was so much more than a horse on a beach ball.
Ja-aaa-aames Baxter is a legend
Yup
bella is epic a cartoon TV show about a young boy raised by humanoid gemstone harnessing aliens living on Earth, which serve as gaurdian figures to him, and how they battle against 'homeworld', while simultaneously immersing the audience in the customs and vastly different world of these strange beings, and the monsters and beings alike that come from there.
j-a-A-a-A-mes B-a-A-a-A-x-teEeErr
So I guess this guy did the scene for the Steven Universe finale with Steven and Pink Steven. The animation in specifically that part really caught me off guard and I loved it. Anyone else seen it?
Everyone commenting about it here just confirmed my guess. I LOVE that scene.
Dj bolanis I cried it was so beautiful
That scene made me cry, y’all this guy is talented af
Hell yeah. It had so much life to it, it really caught me off guard.
It was incredible!
Director: “This is gonna be an iconic scene, I need it to be perfect.”
James: “Hold my beach ball.”
2:59 this part is absolutely gorgeous 😂
Jaaaaamessss baxter
WAIT... he made spirit? Thank you James you have blessed my eyes
Well no he helped animate some of the most well anmited parts of the movie he is really well known for making smooth and incredible animation.
Yeah yeah, I meant the scene specifically.
@@MayMay-qn2dd sorry the comment made it sound as if he was the one that anmited the whole movie which would be understandable most people dont really know how much is put into making animated movies sorry for the assumption.
Juan Lopez haha don’t worry.
@@JuanLopez-kk9wi I think he's like the main animator of Spirit though. There is a crew responsible for rendering and such, but I tink he does most of the animation movements(the outlines in particular)
I KNEW IT WAS A DISNEY GOD WHO DID THAT SCENE IN STEVEN UNIVERSE.
•sazeru• yES IT WAS AND IT WAS ISJDKWNS BOOTIFUL
YES
IKR IT WAS A LITTLE TO SMOOTH
YESSS
😂😂 YESS i had a feeling too yet i wasn't so sure about it
The 3D rotating shots are MIND boggling, they are so well done where nothing looks bad, nothing shifts off its point, the proportions stay COMPLETELY consistent i couldn't imagine animating something like that so consistently well, an absolute machine of animation
Your ability to visualize three-dimensions of depth on a 2D surface is the most magnificent thing I've ever seen in animation. It feels like you were in the story capturing every angle, despite it being physically flat.
He didn’t do all this animation alone. At the time Disney / Dreamworks had hundreds of traditional animators working on their films. Saying he animated these scenes single-handedly just isn’t true.
He wasn’t clear about which part he was worked on, but I’d assume he was a lead animator and directed other artists how to draw in the frames.
This might be obvious but it’s good to be upfront about the process.
@@cubonefan3 Shut up
Holy wow, his scenes including rotations are incredible
It's his signature style. May as well call it the Baxter shot.
There's one rotation shot that wasn't shown. It's when Steven fused with Pink Steven.
everyone on my tumblr feed is talking about how much we love james baxter for the new SU animation
Donteatacowman
Tumblrites are obnoxious and insufferable and you should feel bad for using Tumblr.
@@x3n068 The fact that you took the effort to write this reply says a lot about ya
Spirit was and still is my favorite movie he worked on.
X3n0 Who hurt you?
@@x3n068 gee am I reading shakespear?
“Who framed Roger Rabbit?” as well???? Jesus, this dude is a legend to the core.
"How do you wanna be represented for all the amazing animation work you've done for the film industry?"
James: "Make me a talking horse-"
"Ok"
James: "On a beach ball"
"Ok..."
James: "Saying my name."
This man has animated the most incredible scene in Steven Universe. Thanks James, for helping with Change Your Mind.
That scene was the most beautiful and impactful scene in the entire show. Him fusing with himself, and the fluid, beautiful laugh, as it pans to White, and they fuse.
Team him up with the artist from Studio trigger who worked on the other episode that everybody loved, add Jones, and it's three of the best animators in history.
@@IcyAtlas Wait, which episode is the other "most liked"?
@@merangoo8372 Mindful Education, guest animated by Takafumi Hori, an animator at StudioTRIGGER.
That was 100% the best part of the special.
I really don’t think James needs a animation reel dude could just show up and he’d already have the job
The company won't call him. He will call the company.
Who needs an animation reel when you're the god of animation? 😎😎
He wouldn't even need to show up. The company would have to show up.
You’re FACTING
Watching this and seeing some of the most potent, moving and important scenes from my childhood movies...and he did that? HE MADE ME FEEL THOSE THINGS
that's incredible.
i’m so grateful of getting to live in the context where i’m able to watch james baxter’s work. it’s just stunning and it’s amazing how even when i was younger and didn’t know anything about animations those bits were still the one sticking out to me for their smoothness and visuals. it’s crazy what this man has done to the animation field
Somehow my brain often forgets that these sequences were actually animated by human hand. They're so perfect it just feels like they must have magically sprung into existence. Absolutely amazing.
Carnifex20 that is the power of Dedication and patience and feeling Determination :D
It’s rly rly difficult and amazing to see it all
Same
Who's the best animator of all time? That's right, it's Baxter.
right up there with chuck jones =)
J A A A M E S S S S
B A A A X T E E E EE E ER R
Top 1 Animators:
1: James Baxter
And Richard Williams and Don Bluth
I honestly thought Aaron Blaise was up there too...
His work looks like absolute sorcery! The fact that he did all of this for the animation industry is so crazy. Beautiful.
i cried when i saw Sinbad and his round kick. one of the three most important movies of my childhood and it bears your magic touch
I want to know what he was like as a child. Did he observe people moving on the playground? Study his mom’s hands as she cooked? Each one of his characters move as fluidly as real life
Somehow, even more fluidly than real life
I wish James himself would answer this question.
ive been observing movements forever yet i cant animate jack, so thats a no
@@logitchy i think it’s more than observing: it takes _years_ of practise to replicate real life movement into animation so fluidly. He probably tested every angle out and stuff. I wouldn’t know since I personally is just a writer, but as a writer that’s what I do. I observe, try and replicate, fail, and try again. Maybe it’s different from animation idk
@@BigFanOfCocks humans do not move that fluidly, they are actually very very choppy. yet, animators try their best to do very smooth movement cause real human movement is not too appealing (thats why mocap sucks)
You need a seemingly impossible rotating shot around a 2D animated character WHILE they're acting or moving? Baxter's your guy
I'm thoroughly convinced he's a wizard
“You’re a wizard, Baxter”
Well he is a horse.
He is and You cant tell me otherwise
he's opened his back third eye chakra and now has all the power of 3d visualization
@@starcoreart bro can probably animate in 4D
So he’s basically behind 99% of my childhood. This is just incredible
All this time I've been a fan and now I have a name to thank.
Thanks Mr Baxter
God, he's a genius. I want to be an animator when I grow up, and he is like my goal of becoming. It puts a lot of effort, and makes perfect scenes, too fluid, almost even seem like 3d animation. I hope you get to do more animations of this kind.
Banana Man you can do it!
Hi, I'm currently pursuing my career in animation, too. Idk where you're at in terms of schooling but know this, don't ever doubt yourself and your abilities. You'll find it easy to get stuck in a dark hole where it all seems impossible to live your dream, but your not alone. Many artists feel that way, even myself. If you have a passion for animation, dive into it and don't look back, run with it. Of course, make sure you give yourself breaks, go for a walk, go on vacation, sit down and take a breather. View nature, people, places, animals, take inspiration from anything and everything you you see and do.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, you can do what you set your heart on and you have many of us artists backing you up.
I think an animator is someone worth becoming. Even if it is time-consuming, it's time well spent, and James Baxter's ability is my ultimate goal.
I know exactly how you feel! being an animator is no easy task, and i really hope we end up seeing your name in the end credits of movies some day.
@@LivTheWiz I am going to a school for animation.. I am progressing so much in a short amount of time and I am so proud of myself. Just a year into modeling 3d objects and I went from just making a cube and painting it.. to making my whole room by myself... it looks exactly like my room.. down to everything.. and I was so proud of myself at that moment when it was finally done.. :)
Wow we really all just collectively owe our childhood lives to James Baxter
Yeah..
yep.
Never realized James Baxter worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit! And the "sanctuary" scene from Hunchback of Notre Dame always makes me tear up. It's such a beautiful shot with so much passion behind it! Gorgeous work! Spirit is one of my top 10 favorite movies 💟
I always return to this video when I need that boost of inspiration to keep trying. I hope this art never dies.
HE DID ALL OF THIS!?
Those rotating shots are phenomenal
He did all this and SO MUCH MORE
He didn’t do all this animation alone. At the time Disney / Dreamworks had hundreds of traditional animators working on their films. Saying he animated these scenes single-handedly just isn’t true.
He wasn’t clear about which part he was worked on, but I’d assume he was a lead animator and directed other artists how to draw in the frames.
This might be obvious but it’s good to be upfront about the process.
I can just feel this man getting more popular right now after last night
*god
Not man, god.
I know, and its i agree
He is no man
He is a *god*
He is not a man.
*You* are a man (I think)
This...
This is a GOD.
@@hanaeve__ I'm a lady but I get where you're coming from
@@hanaeve__ noice reference
What this demo reel shows is that James Baxter is responsible for so many iconic and incredible scenes in animation. I never knew, but he animated so many scenes that I always replayed because of now smooth and satisfying they were to watch.
i come back to wtach this every now and then and it never fails to make me cry. One person having such an impact in some of the greatest works of media ever. Beautiful legacy, an everlasting one.
Dude you've animated most of my childhood and I can't believe I only heard about you just now after the work you did in Steven universe
IKR??? Not only are his animations smooth, but whenever he works on a scene, he gives it a nice, natural, touch, he gives the characters a more realistic feel by how he animates their little details and features, reacting naturally by what the character is doing, even the smallest eyelash moving with the edge of an eyelid as it opens really shows his profession and attention to detail.
Respect this man.
EXACTLY
Same???
SAmEe
I never realised that much of my childhood was all animated by the same man (at least alongside other animators, but seriously all of these were/are my favorite movies- plus Adventure Time) ... This simply is amazing.
You sir are one of the reasons I have a deep love for 2D animation.
EDIT because I forgot a crucial thing:
Thank you to your daughter for making this compilation!!!
SAme!!
Thank you!! And your welcome :) I have a lot of fun working on it!
The Adventure Time horse is amazing once you realize they literally wrote a script that boils down to "Legendary animator cuts loose here" and the entire episode is them going "This guy is so great", named the character after him and said his name over and over, and then even showed the raw lineart in the end credits. just to really make the point.
It blows me away that this man somehow found a way to make the majority of my favorite memories as a child, truly incredible stuff. Thanks for the memories Mr. Baxter :]
this dude has been a huge part of my whole childhood all the way to 18 without me knowing. thanks man.
I just realised James Baxter animated most of my favourite scenes in animation. You're a legend, James.
Met James earlier today. It was an absolute pleasure. It was inspiring seeing him work, and the way he answered everyones questions with a smile really shows that he loves what he does.
A couple months ago looking to cheer up a bit I searched up James Baxter hoping for the horse from Adventure Time(that show never fails for me) but instead found this. This is truly beautiful. I now feel like rewatching all these movies. It's been a long time since I saw many of them as everyone wanted to do 3D animation as I was growing up(born 2003). Thanks Mr James Baxter if you ever read this.
i just came here to thank u for the steven universe bit, but i had no idea u were the one who created every single good scene from other movies
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I hope you realize this isn't James.
sorry lol
Sure it is@@Vixikitsi
@@jamesbaxter1236 roast bread
@@jamesbaxter1236 oh big oof I didn't really look at the channel name but when these things happen it's never the real person. Sorry lol
*Sees scene from Spirit* No wonder he's good at animating horse
I cry knowing I’ll never be this good and I cry knowing that I’m glad there is someone this good that taught me how cinema animated movies are
He is one of those people who deserve a constellation in the sky
You sir, are an absolute legend
Your profile pic...
wait wait wait...even httyd 2?! ok that's it I will make a gold statue for this legend
What im impressed is not the smoothness, but the CONSISTENCY. like when the animation changes angles, it retains the exact proportions of the character and everything, no imperfections, no sudden jolting, no inconsistent sizes. Just wow
One true strength that any animator should have is being able to take a fictional character (human or not) and make it feel as real as possible.
James Baxter is a childhood hero
Oh my GOD! You did the "SANCTUARY!" scene from Hunchback?!! *And* the rotating view of the ballroom dance from Beauty and the Beast?! No wonder the camera rotation with perfect, on model, frame-smooth dancing Stevens in the new Steven Universe episode was so... PERFECT and DISNEY-tier! God!!! I love you!
Animation & Filmmaking truly are Magic.
Thank you so much for your work; it's artists like you that help inspire the world. You've definitely inspired me.
2:43 I KNEW IT I KNEW I RECOGNIZED THAT BUTTERY ANIMATION FROM SOMEWHERE
(turns out i recognized it from just about everywhere lol, youre quite prolific)
honestly i didn't know james baxter until the su scene but now that i see these scenes which impacted my childhood...i feel so blessed
Same
I knew about him since I saw Spirit as a kid. In the bonus features I’d watch him teach how to draw Spirit over and over and over. And seeing that episode of SU, wondering if it was him, and many people confirming it was, he is still an inspiration to me.
This guy is a legend.
Just watched the Steven Universe season finale - your animation was just breathtaking.
@@sprout4469
theres a difference between season finale and finale
I'll never forget the moment I was watching Adventure Time and the episode about the horse, James Baxter, came on. I have always loved art and comics and storyboarding, mostly, but the lesson of that episode sat with me despite not being an aspiring animator. I could tell the James Baxter horse was different and special but in a way that didn't make it "better" than the rest of the series. It was special because of what James Baxter, the horse, was bringing as his talent. Finn and Jake had to learn what their special talent was too, and that being James Baxter shouldn't be the priority, but instead an inspiration to be oneself and reflect that in their own talents and works. That day, I learned who James Baxter was, but I also learned who I wanted to be when I grew up. Myself.
Actually one of the best animators ever. Unbelievable talent and skill, it's insane
James Baxter: Hi I’m james Baxter and I’m lo-
Employer: You’re hired
How does somebody draw solidity and perspective that well without doing preliminary sketches? HOW I ASK YOU? HOW?
Oh there are are more than a few preliminary sketches believe me.
@@jamesbaxter1236 WE ALL LOVE YOU BY THE WAY
@@jamesbaxter1236
Would you have any tips for someone who wants to pursue a career in animation?
Well, there's lots of different things you can do, animate, paint backgrounds, color styling, storyboarding, character design. First, try a little of everything to see what you like and what you're best at. There's a bunch of good books. For animators, I usually recommend The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, and The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams.Then start getting a portfolio or a reel together of your best work. it helps to get to know a couple of people at some animation studios. they can help guide you and if they are aware of you it's much easier to get a job. You can usually find information online about recruitment at the larger studios. They can help you too. Main thing is to learn your craft.@@JackieM.
@@jamesbaxter1236 James, if you want to work for your own show in this century, what will it be??
The way you make 2d images radiate depth is incredible.
I honestly cried watching this. I randomly remembered the horse clip from adventure time and searched for it and found this; and I realized you were responsible for many of my favourite movie scenes as a kid. Belle with the dandelion puff. Quasi with Esmerelda on the balcony. Moses and the burning bush. That weird waiter bug in rescue rangers. And just now I found a clip you did in Steven Universe. I am amazed at how many things you have made, and helped create, that I have loved and had no idea. Thank you.
"Here's my animation reel, I made all the most memorable parts of everything I was involved in." -James Baxter
PS also now I finally know what that horse was about
I really enjoy how balanced your animation is. In terms of proportions, uses of squash and stretch. The only other animators I can think of that make their characters move like this are Milt Kahl and Frank Thomas. Excellent work : D
I'm convinced the greatest animations of all time came from your hands.
He really animated these scenes and posted this video like "my daughter edited this together for me thanks sweetie" as if all these movies didn't affect thousands of lives. I wore the vhs tapes of these movies so thin when I was a kid. Spirit and the Hunchback of Notre Dame especially. But literally all of these movies
that scene from Prince of Egypt became part of who I was as a person, I had such a spiritual connection to that moment.Thank you, James Baxter
- One of the greatest living animators in our era
- Still has an animation reel
Take note folks.
James Baxter found a way to be involved in nearly every western animated feature I admire that he was alive to work on.
Dude. You just showcased my *entire* childhood. Like I’ve watched *ALL* of these SO many times I- 💀 lots of love to you my man. Thank you
Do I get his powers if I defeat him in hand to hand combat?
What I did was I inhaled him and was gifted a hat that gave me his neutral special move
No, only if you beat him in an art-off. And that will require a lot of practice.
Actually, yes.
Bring it on, horse
@@jamesbaxter1236 if you were a boss from Mega Man you would be Pencil Man, wielding a giant pencil that draws attacks and hazards, maybe use the eraser to block attacks, and have a harder stage than all of the Wily bosses combined.
There is so much emotion in the movements and expressions of the characters. You can see real feeling in every character's actions. It's beautiful.
BRO-
HE WAS ONE OF THE ANIMATORS FOR MOST OF MY FAV CHILDHOOD MOVIES AND SHOWS?! DUDE THIS GUY IS AWESOMEEE
I watch this clip at least once a month, and it just brings so much joy. thank you
your art inspires me so much LIKE WOW
we need more animators that put in the amount of time you do!
Whoever hasn't read the description, please do. (It's adorable)
Shoomoop The Weirdo omg I nearly missed that
Aw
Oh my god thank you that was so wholesome 😭✨
When this is your reel, you know you're been something special.
How dare she play these clips to this song and make me cry about the beauty and joy and meaning of storytelling and creation of art and animation
Your work is so incredible.
Okay and can we all just take a moment to appreciate his daughter's syncing in this clip: 2:58