Animating 'The Family Guy' and 'American Dad'

WSJ's John Jurgensen takes a tour of the Family Guy and American Dad office in Los Angeles. He gives a behind the scenes look at the production of the two shows, which was created by Seth MacFarlane. (Sept. 5)
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[@LagginPotato]

Once I found out a majority of animated cartoons are done in foreign countries, a part of me died inside. I want to animate shows like these as my career...

[@jesmesHD94]

+LagginPotato it takes AGES to animate an episode

[@shwenty1734]

It's not like they're forced to it take about nine months to make one episode of Family Guy so they outsource it to save time and money. There are still plenty of places to animate in house.

[@Remake5182]

You doing it now

[@kemando12]

Wow I never knew seth did the alien too... He is a man with many voices... He should do video game voice acting!

[@lukepaulez117]

Sounds close to peters voice

[@_skriblz_223]

Roger seems more like a mix of Glenn with Peter if you break it down.

[@stevedoingstuff3960]

anyone else wondering how the actual animation is created?

[@Tipperito]

they have premade templates drawn already so they just put the templates together to form an episode, it probably only takes them a week or so to make one episode

[@CyberKoto]

+eerniizz Actually, I heard it can take up to eight months just to make one episode. It isn't unlikely, seeing as how some Bob's Burger's episodes take a year to make. They just make them all at the same time, and the voice actors record the whole season in about two weeks.

[@AnimationWizard]

its a budgeted show, unlike anime they dont draw each and every frame, they simply create the limbs and shit as symbols and move the symbols a little bit, ive seen the streams, rick and morty all do the same style, moving the symbols a little bit, these may take awhile to make, for example its gonna take 2 months of aniamtion to complete a 10 minute scene in rick and morty and thats moving symbols around a little bit at a time, in anime it may take 10 months to make 10 minutes (depending on the quality)

[@MuskyDoge]

That sounds like southpark. I made a short animation that took me almost two years solo :o

[@Veegs.]

I'm assuming they use 'ToonBoom'

[@bengorillaz]

when seth does stan's voice he sounds like a superhero thats what makes him cool

[@Slant6ix]

"He does have his limits" - "I can't fake a burp, so you'll have to put that in" HAHAHA.

[@ripusername3757]

"the family guy"

[@emanmistro]

it actually was going to be called "the family guy" but then they dropped the "the"

[@localfox1000]

Seth Mcfarlane is fucking Superman. You have to wonder how one person can be so productive.

[@GryffDavid]

Really just gonna gloss over that whole "send 60% of the work Korea" thing, huh?

[@madmarty2892]

Gryffydd David Pyongyang

[@beatstar2]

Happens all the time. Check the production credits of your favorite animated show.

[@zemaculate]

@@beatstar2 Yes but if you even care a little you can easily tell what shows do this

[@theshadow9238]

I think it used to be animated here, but now that they do flash animation, animation is just busy work that will be useless to do when they can just start production on new episodes later.

[@RangoAnimations]

@@theshadow9238 the animation has been done in korea ever since it premeiered

[@nurlagrande]

I've been searching for Seth doing Rogers voice on camera for years and now I see this that was uploaded in 2008.....okay.

[@_rxv3r.stVx_]

OMG LOL

[@PoorDog69]

Q: How did Family guy looked advanced in animation back in the late 2000s? A: The backgrounds were digitally traced. And the characters were hand drawn on paper, with very thin ink to blend with the background, and cleaned up some streaks left behind. Then finally placed on a scanner, and was digitally colored on a computer of course.

[@Sturmovik469]

Can't tell if "it gets finished in Korea" is a joke or not...

[@ytsejam58]

I don't think it's a joke. It's a way to keep production moving. Since people over there are awake while we're asleep, that makes the animation process 24 hours aday. I'm pretty sure Dreamworks and Disney do the same thing.

[@salkhan1845]

Scott Karrasch Can't they do it on the computer?

[@toddthefoxify]

Sal Khan animation is regularly outsourced to Korea and India. Read the credits of many animated movie and shows and you will find a large clump of Indian and Korean names. It's way cheaper, since everything can be shared online, to pay a 20 Koreans that 20 Americans living in LA

[@reversalmushroom]

toddthefoxify But Seth MacFarlane is a liberal. That means that he thinks that corporations and the rich are screwing over this country by hoarding all their money for themselves, so isn't it hypocritical of him to hold that viewpoint while having his show animated in Korea instead of the US?

[@toddthefoxify]

I agree 100% I work in the animation field and more jobs are sent to Asia every year. It sucks. Seth MacFarlane isn't a guy out to change the world, he's a guy with a shitty TV cartoon trying to wrestle cash from young white American males age 18-35. It might make me cynical but the truth is that's the way everybody does it. Fox certainly won't pay for Americans to animate it.

[@MilmorInc]

Seth MacFarlane “I can’t fake a burp, so you’ll have to put that in” Justin Roiland “amateur ”

[@BonBon-lr9bp]

true

[@paperchasindude6578]

Fax

[@tonykari2809]

awesome shows....keep up the good work Seth

[@CBRB123]

I love Seth's animation and voice

[@claykid]

is nobody going to bring up how this was the first time the cleveland show was ever actually shown to the public? this came out in sep. 2008, the cleveland show wouldn't air until over a year later

[@coders22]

It wasn't actually the first time. The first time was in early 2008 when it appeared under no official name on FOX's development slate. It was given the official name of _The Cleveland Show_ in May 2008 on the premiere slate for the 2008-09 television season.

[@DegitoC]

Thank you Wall Street Journal! I love you!

[@patttproducs]

seth is like one of my idols

[@teenwitchlovergirl]

Coooolllll.....^_^ I have always wanted to see what it looks like inside the studio.

[@KathyBentley]

Thank you for the information! :-)

[@KathyBentley]

I will look it up! Thanks for the suggestion! I thought it would be fun to try to do some animation myself, but didn't know whether this was available to the general public or whether you could only get it if you were a professional! Thanks again! :-)

[@bennytrinh7228]

"Animating"

[@ChrisssirhC]

Benny Trinh Back when they actually animated it.

[@eaglegp2541]

great job on the story John

[@msdweldingfabrication7051]

Sent to Korea for the final animation????!

[@michaellewis1782]

Boy I can't wait to be an animator for my cartoon.

[@yousifmohamad6161]

Did you make it?

[@1985vman]

It takes patience he can do it

[@Osman16552]

How'd it go?

[@Vegas-A]

Same!

[@magnumopiss244]

@@Osman16552 it went successful I am now an award winning animator over at your mom’s studio

[@deanurquhart1071]

i love it how if someone dies in an episode, they are never shown again on family guy

[@allxtarmusic]

roger s voice makes me laugh all the time

[@reinholdmaier-sl6dr]

14 years ago 😮 would love to see a actuell make of

[@AlyD23]

i love seth macfarlane ;) x

[@bigglou]

@strictpolicy its true the animatics are sent to south korea where its colored and animated. It's like that for most animated shows.

[@regularyoutubename]

1:52 if you ask me, you should’ve stuck to paper

[@indethbed2546]

seth so talented

[@johkonut]

It's standard in the industry. From King of the Hill to Regular Show, they all do it.

[@dormantgolem9435]

1:10 Brian's added to that wall :,(

[@AndyBar97]

And then he was taken down again! :D

[@liamalexander1423]

Diane Simmons is on the wall too.

[@viviguk]

The Story Soard program is Toon Boom Strory Board Pro, also they animate with Toon boom harmony

[@jasminesbeans]

That didn’t exactly answer my question about animating.

[@jumpstart55million]

Thats so cool, i want that animation program they use.

[@book_cake4]

Yeah would've never imagined o:!

[@lucasfernandes5731]

I thought that the animation was made in goanimate

[@thedarkdweller3476]

GIMMIE SOME OF THAT FRANNY FANNY!!

[@japorms318]

seth is amazing...amazing guy

[@poojan06]

hey just wanted to know Are you alive?

[@japorms318]

@@poojan06 yes

[@Tonetare]

American Dad = best show on national television!

[@parthongamer3874]

Lol look at steve 0:46

[@DEMACVEV0]

I am currently watching this episode O_o

[@KingPurcival]

Give me some of that Franny Fanny. LMAO

[@tyquanvarner7780]

Right Stan Righ 😅😅😅😅

[@pennywiseRJ]

i wanna that pinball!

[@MrPillowStudios]

Seth does so many voices.

[@justju0rd]

I’d love to visit the FamGuy studio

[@mystiicrose8432]

I would love to work at Family Guy and American Dad..!

[@JOKBO1]

the first guy was surely talking about The Cleveland Show

[@ForeverPassionate2]

So they're from Korea. Oh well. They do a damn good job.

[@jackfreeman1776]

Nowadays, the animation for Family Guy is so simple that an AI can do it in under 6 hours. No more sending most of the work to Korea. Who knew Family Guy is so innovative.

[@OakTreeIsaac]

They still send it to Korea

[@kemando12]

1:55 is that the REALLY expensive wacom art touch screen tablet... thing? :D

[@KathyBentley]

I wondered if the animation software that they are using from 1:48 to 2:08 is for sale to the public or only to pros, and I also wondered literally what the name of the program "is"? I think it would be fun to make videos too, so I would like to know! Thanks for the info, if anyone knows! :-)

[@amaurythewarrior]

I can't tell you, but you can do the same with many programs, including photoshop obviously, but corel painter and others as well ...

[@ficofili2297]

Seths normal voice is pretty much like Brians voice

[@xhamrick9103]

What program do they use today?

[@MrRpdcheese1]

@PartyByMyself Thanks, dude!

[@awesomeclown]

Hey what’s that story boarding program called I’ve seen it before

[@3dsmaxrocks699]

Toon Boom I think

[@MichaelDominguesTv]

TOON BOOM :D

[@TheBenSanders]

I honestly like American Dad! a little better than Family Guy. Although Family Guy still manages to get a chuckle out of me at times.

[@RaidbossGaming]

I like American dad cuz I like roger. That's about it for me xD

[@paperchasindude6578]

American dad is better

[@paperchasindude6578]

These shows are literally one of the funniest shows ever concieved

[@ti-fiter]

True

[@csxguy3002]

8:25 suddenly THE CLEVELAND SHOW IN 2008

[@juanitajones7169]

There are; more, questions. Than, answers.😔 The Unknown Void.

[@emcvideoproductions500]

Sometimes, I wonder how long it takes to make a full episode of Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show.

[@shandy2470]

about 9 months im doing a paper on it :)

[@scoopy1917]

Steph Shand i dont think 9 months for 1 ep i think an entire season takes 9 months. 9months fora a single episode seems wayyyy off to me mabey a week or 2 for an ep

[@shandy2470]

dude im doing a damnd paper about family guy seth macfarline said so himself i think i should know how long it takes to make an eppisode. think about it it has to be written, read, proofread, table read, drawn, voice recorded, Annimated, sent to Korea for colouring, viewd, played about with, viewd again, sent to the FFC for cheacks and one final viewing to make sure it still works. a long prosess so two wekks will no way be long enough.

[@scoopy1917]

Steph Shand www.google.com/#q=how+long+does+it+take+to+make+an+episode+of+family+guy

[@shandy2470]

dont ask a question if you allredy think you know the fucking answer

[@Flip86x]

Paddy Tanager was funny as hell, yeah I said he was funny, big whoop, wanna fight about it?

[@metaknight234]

My mom's friend actually dated Seth once. He proposed to her too, but she turned him down.

[@knuclear200x]

D'Family Time

[@knowurself4999]

Thats what i do all day and i feel like its boring sometimes?

[@kriskendallrocks]

It looks like Storyboard Pro and a Wacom Cintiq.

[@MBGamingLegends]

Anyone notice at 0:40 that the character design for Steve in the background is different?

[@hotlandsz]

MBGamingLegends that’s Steve from the unAired pilot of American dad

[@fcpnightwolf]

is that toon boom studio,toon boom harmony or toon boom animate pro or toon boom animate

[@tameemhussain12]

2:04 what program are they using?

[@hotlandsz]

Luke Cage toon boom

[@ricardoceia9392]

What program do they use to make the digital storyboards?

[@PoorDog69]

Toom Boom Harmony

[@HardiHolpus]

what program do u use?

[@siranimator9514]

What was that software

[@CBRB123]

WHAT EPISODE IS THIS

[@matthewleach6358]

Has no one from the show corrected them on the video's title? "THE Family Guy"? They hate that.

[@sthomaz193]

hahahahahahahaha "He does have his limits" ......"I cant fake a burp so you'll have to put that in"

[@ishkibable]

I only came here for the part they left out...

[@KingPurcival]

Same thing for the simpsons and tons of other shows.

[@MathijsGroothuis]

Why doesn't KZbin deinterlace all those old footage.

[@johnnykeys1978]

Please update the title. Something like: 'how they palm off most of the animating work at family guy' - if you are studying animation - do not click this video if you want to learn anything.

[@YodaMan1]

What program do they use

[@ThePseudoTrinityS]

I think they use toon boom. Win 8.1 in 2008 ? )

[@HouseOfToonz]

They did the storyboarding with In StoryBoard Pro a Toon Boom branch off. I have and use both and an tell by the interface. The final is also made with Toon Boom Harmony (since its stated on Toon Bomm's website)

[@Xcrossy]

Ms paint 😂

[@Marjill_katzen888]

Go! Animate.

[@hotlandsz]

Drew Katzen You can’t draw In goanimate

[@KillerDempsey115]

2:48 XD

[@mc-kw3pu]

on which program is it made, toon boom or flash

[@gotchyeaaa]

Toonboom

[@MileyyyyyCyrussss101]

The only way to fill in is in Korea, The Simpsons do it to.

[@RushProductions19]

"It's just called Family Guy"

[@twofootsheep]

haha found that funny, 2 minutes of slow build up of them talking about pre-production of the 'Animating' process and just quickly says 'sent off to korea' to sum up the whole inbetweening, clean up, colouring process.

[@Dylaneggs]

Why this isn't removed is a mystery to me.

[@monterraindejeu]

hmmm I know you can do similar thing in photoshop but its very long... otherwise you can use anime studio pro to animate with a bone system similar to 3d programs

[@RM-ln7sw]

wtf where is Cleveland show

[@MrRpdcheese1]

What is that animation system they used? I'm creating my own animated show.

[@paperchasindude6578]

Really

[@hotlandsz]

MrRpdcheese1 toon boom

[@OrigenalDarkMew]

Not sure if I buy the fact it takes millions to make an episode as rumored..

[@Scrumpilump2000]

Yes. Yes, he is very funny. Like us, thoroughly marinated in a thick pop-culture sauce........what have we become.......

[@dennisjansson6239]

1:47 to 2:43 To be honest i prefer when you do 2D animation on paper, NOT directly on a computer. Its not the same. I prefer when Movie & tv studios rely on practical & manual ways of making traditional animated cartoons.

[@zpswim9861]

Who's the guy that draws them?

[@Blossom1232]

sent to korea?? D: i would of never thought lol

[@shimlaDnB]

i knew it! allmost all the animation is done in asia, thought that was just a rumour

[@DennisTeti]

Outsource the work to Korea. Seth is a credit to capitalism.