ABSTRACT

Hans Bacher (born in Ulm), is one of the world's leading production designers for animation. During his many years of collaboration at Walt Disney Feature Animation he has contributed significantly to the look of such films as "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin", "The Lion King" and above all, "Mulan". He has won numerous prestigious awards, including the "Golden Camera" for the animated series "Alfred J. Kwak" (with Harald Siepermann) and the "Annie Award" for the production design in "Mulan". His book "Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation" is now considered the standard reference on the topic and has become a worldwide bestseller. Hans is Associate Professor at the School of Art, Design and Media at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. This chapter presents an interview with Hans Bacher. First he focuses on composition. One thing is important in the way he approaches a design: He basically treats every design like a stage in a theater.