Animator
Posted:
Nov 22, 2010, 12:55 AM
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How Long Did It Take for H-B to Make a Cartoon?
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Exactly how long did it take for the boys at Hanna-Barbera back in the day (say, between 1957 and 1985) to make a good cartoon? Judging by the time period many other studios assume, I would say in the range of 6 to 15 months' time.
For example: because The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour had first been broadcast on September 11, 1976, then the time that it took for the series to be made would have dated back to March 1976 if it took only 6 months to do, otherwise if as much as 15 months, the whole production logs would stretch back to about June 1975.
~Ben
(This post was edited by ScoobyDoo1976 on Nov 22, 2010, 12:55 AM)
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Cartoon Aficionado / Moderator
Posted:
Nov 22, 2010, 5:10 AM
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Re: How Long Did It Take for H-B to Make a Cartoon?
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Sometimes the cartoons were completed rather quickly. A Fantastic Four episode from 1967 had only been printed in the comics earlier that same year. Also, an episode of The Trollkins, "Raiders Of The Lost Troll" premiered in 1981, mere months after the premiere of the movie it spoofed.
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"Never walk alone in a danger zone."
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Animator
Posted:
Nov 22, 2010, 12:13 PM
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Re: How Long Did It Take for H-B to Make a Cartoon?
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I remember there were some model sheets for The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour dated June of 1976 if that would be any indication... so maybe that series took just 3 months to complete? I also remember watching the behind-the-scenes of The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show and seeing model sheets for the characters dating from May 1980, indicating the series arrived 6 months later...
~Ben
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Member
Posted:
Mar 9, 2011, 11:42 AM
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Re: How Long Did It Take for H-B to Make a Cartoon?
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The time required to produce a cartoon at HB depended on a number of variables. The most important being whether or not the script and designs had to be approved by another party, such as a network. In general, though, for a network program, deals were made in the early spring, and shows began being delivered in the fall. They would then be delivered every week for thirteen weeks. Much of animation production has to be done sequentially so it is a function of the number of people working on each segment. Average production time would be 6-7 months. In the 70's and early 80's HB would be producing as many as nine network programs a season, that means they would have to deliver nine shows a week for 13 weeks to the network. That is half-hours of programming. If they were 12 minute segments, then that would double the amount of scripts and unique programs. In the early days of the studio, they survived on license fees. Time is money. At the end of the network delivery season they would literally have to lay off most of the studio and wait until next season's network commitments to begin hiring the artists back. But when the studio was working, it was furiously paced in every department. They were not paid license fees until delivery, and network shows had to have scripts, etc., approved by the network before going into production.
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Inbetweener
Posted:
Mar 10, 2011, 1:37 AM
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Re: How Long Did It Take for H-B to Make a Cartoon?
[In reply to]
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Exactly how long did it take for the boys at Hanna-Barbera back in the day (say, between 1957 and 1985) to make a good cartoon? Judging by the time period many other studios assume, I would say in the range of 6 to 15 months' time.
For example: because The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour had first been broadcast on September 11, 1976, then the time that it took for the series to be made would have dated back to March 1976 if it took only 6 months to do, otherwise if as much as 15 months, the whole production logs would stretch back to about June 1975.
Nothing would have taken 15 months. For one thing, the studio wouldn't know that early if a show had been renewed. For another, Jerry Eisenberg explained he worked on layouts, etc. six months of the year, then development in the other six.
Hanna-Barbera had a bonus system in the early days. Layout artists got a bonus if they finished a short within a week. Animators got a bonus for (I think) over 100 feet in a week. Jerry says he did layouts for an entire Pixie and Dixie in four days.
Dodsworth
http://yowpyowp.blogspot.com
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