(Originally published by the Daily News on Dec. 11, 1960. This story was written by Ben Gross.)
You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying much used by lawyers: “Time is of the essence.” Well, a surprising amount of time goes into the making of the half-hour animated cartoon situation comedy series, “The Flintstones” (ABC-TV, Fridays, 8:30 P.M.). In fact, it requires seven months to produce one of its weekly installments.
On the other hand, a live-action, 30-minute filmed TV program can be shot, edited and dubbed in the relatively brief period of three weeks.
I learned this while interviewing Joe Barbera, a former New Yorker who with his partner, Bill Hanna, heads the world’s biggest cartoon producing company in Hollywood. Three years ago, they were without jobs after years of employment as cartoonists as MGM.
Now their company has an income of $3,500,000 from TV alone, plus $20,000,000 through merchandising sales. In addition to “The Flintstones,” among their current creations is the Emmy WPIX cartoon series, “Huckleberry Hound.”
Why Seven Months?
“I can’t understand why it should be necessary to spend seven months on a mere half-hour show,” I said. “After all, you have your own method of producing cartoons, called ‘planned animation,’ I thought it was supposed to be tremendous time-saver.
“It certainty is,” said Barbera. “But even with this improved method, producing a filmed cartoon series is such a complex, detailed job that one who isn’t in the business simply can have no conception of it. Would you like for me to describe the process step by step?”
“I certainly would,” I said.
“All right. There are 14 separate stages to putting on a ‘Flintstones’ show,” he explained. “First, of course, comes the writing of the story.
Story Is Important
“This is highly important, especially in such a series as this one, which us, as you know, a satire of modern life although its characters and its settings are those of the stone age.
“Our company, Hanna-Barbera Productions, has 150 employes, among them writers. My partner, Hanna, and I work with the latter on the characterization and the plot. After these are approved, a script is written and then converted into storyboard form. That is, the scenes are laid out on a board. This process requires two weeks.
“After this is done, we call in the actors who provide the voices for the cartoons. Sometimes we try out as many as 80 before we choose one to portray a character.
‘Exposure Sheet’
“For examples, in ‘The Flinstones’ we have such fine players as Alan Reed, who acts as Fred, Jean Vander Pyl (Wilma), Bea Benaderet (Betty) and Mel Blanc (Barney). After rehearsals, these actors record the dialogue. The time consumed by this step is one week.
“The next and third step is for us to read this recording track and copy and list every word of the dialogue on what is known as an ‘exposure sheet.’ (Time: Two weeks.)
“Fourth, the dialogue on this ‘exposure sheet’ is timed to the split second and then Bill Hanna and I edit it. Also, we make notes for the animators and the layout department. (Two more weeks are devoted to this step.)
“But we’ve scarcely started as yet. The fifth procedure is to ‘blow up’ each drawing of frame on the storyboard. This means that the entire story is laid out in still pictures. (It takes three to four weeks.)
Animation Next
“Now comes the sixth step. The pictures are animated. This means that the animator becomes, in effect, the actor by actually drawing all of the movements of the figures you see on the TV screen. In doing this, he gives character and personality to the drawings. (Three more weeks are consumed here.)
“But the animator may have made mistakes. So now comes the seventh stage, the checking. This means that every drawing is minutely examined, to see that each one is complete and that the animation works properly.
“What a job this is, you may judge for yourself, when you realize that each half-hour segment of ‘Flintstones’ is made up of more than 12,000 individual drawings called ‘cells.’ These require the labors of 150 skilled artists, layout men, editors, inkers and painters. (Add three more weeks.)
Painting of Backgrounds
“The eighth steps follows. This is the drawing or painting of the backgrounds: the furnishings of houses, etc. in addition to the scenery and landscaping. (Three weeks.)
“This done, we now come to the ninth process. In this each of the 12,000 or more drawings is traced in ink on sheets of celluloid. (Two weeks.)
“Next, each drawing is individually painted. (Two weeks.)
“In the 11th step, the drawings are placed before the camera and photographed in sequence. This makes the motion picture. (Three weeks)
“For the 12th step, the film is sent to the laboratory and processed. (One week.)
“After the film is returned by the laboratory, it is edited during the 13th stage of procedure. Technically this is know as ‘cutting.’ (Three weeks.)
“Now at last we are at the final and 14th stage – the dubbing. The dialogue, the sound effects and the music are dubbed or synchronized with the drawings. (One week.) Altogether, more than seven months have passed since we started.
“And now, at last, we have one completed half-hour episode of “The Flintstones.”
Good Taste
“Whew!” I exclaimed. “All of that work for just 30 minutes of TV entertainment? Who would imagine such a thing?”
“As I have said,” Barbera remarked, “no one except a person in the business.”
“Now that we have that out of the way,” I asked, “can you tell me what a good TV or movie cartoon should have?”
“Above all, it should have good taste. And there should be some point to it,” Barbera told me. “I don’t believe in having characters merely chasing one another or taking slapstick falls. The public is fed up with that sort of thing. Also a cartoon should not be realistic; it must be a caricature.”
Funny Cartoons
“I hear that the students of Yale University have voted ‘Huckleberry Hound’ one of their favorite entertainments.”
“Yes, that’s true,” said Joe Barbera. “And do you know why? Because the cartoons we make not only have a point but we try to make them funny. That’s what so many of the comic strips lack today – fun, real comedy. Yes, sir, we’ve got to bring back laughs to the comics.”
