Scar Tests

These are nearly all of the Scar shots that I animated for Lion King. Apologies for the low res. - it was 1992! You can see some of the early tests, reworked versions etc. This is all pre Hans Zimmer, so it's all scratch music from other movies. Enjoy.

[@TheAndrewBen]

1:46 I do not understand the mental capacity it takes to rotate a 2D object like this. This is ridiculously good.

[@wisgarus]

It's one thing to just rotate an object, but the fact that both characters are still acting, being expressive and synced to dialogue makes it actually insane

[@grey_25666]

I know, it’s literally so impressive his skill is insane

[@monochromesoul5873]

Its very reminiscent of the scene he made in Steven Universe

[@bendingdemon6483]

They're not just rotating Simba and Scar but they're rotating the background as well, just rotating the two for them would be turning in circles but they go so far as to rotate the entire background

[@Woofzilla]

I still cannot believe that last shot is entirely 2D, your talent is unmatched

[@elleroy9775]

Almost all Baxter's pencils move and rotate like 3D!! It's amazing! Just put atention in the form of the head, jaws, nose, eyes on Scar.

[@Tebsi_a]

Skill*

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

@@Tebsi_a heh true

[@ForTheOmnissiah]

I know, it's actually insane. I thought they used CGI to some capacity to pull it off, til I learned about Baxter a few years ago. Then I knew he just drew it cause he's a legend.

[@jamesbaxter1236]

@princessmeg999 Actually, no cg or maquette help on this one. I’m just being careful. You can kind of tell because when you look at the Simba drawings it’s the profiles and the front and back views which are more heavily worked on in the first rough stage. This was me taking my time to get these 4 important drawings right before breaking it down. Next up are all the three quarter views, breaking it down into eight positions - those are a little heavier in there line work as I’m searching for exactly the right spot to turn that form in space. As it gets broken down more the line placement becomes easier and therefore lighter in the rough stage.

[@ab_stuffnart8735]

I love the scene where Scar circles around Simba. It feels so cinematic and all-encompassing!! It blew me away as a child and it still does to this day. It just illustrates so well how guilt and/or someone as toxic as Scar can make you feel trapped. Thank you for sharing!!!

[@MYLAR.]

I love the lip sync on “what would your mother think?” The k in “think” was especially satisfying to watch :]

[@Flying_Pand4]

I like how 1:07 has the head wiggle, but afterwards it's removed so the flashy animation doesn't take away from the narrative. The amount of work put to figure out the perfect expression is so cool. Concepting out a whole bunch of movements for a single moment, so inspiring.

[@brelonwy]

You must have a 3D camera in your head seeing how you managed to make Scar so alive and realized in his shot with adult Simba. Fantastic as always! I may not be an animator but you are someone I really look up to.

[@Wushu17]

That last shot is INSANE! Not only is Scar circling around Simba, but the camera is rotating around them both. And you can FEEL that even without a background being there. Just pencil, paper, and raw talent. But seriously, JB must be an alien from another world!

[@SmileytheSmile]

What a monumental movie for the animation industry. Thank you for your work, Mr. Baxter.

[@JotaTheCreature]

Doing all this on paper is seriously mind-boggling

[@latsypie]

The man, the myth, the legend! James Baxter has literally built my childhood

[@gabrielfDrawings]

Hello James, would it be possible for you to provide us, at some point, with a detailed explanation of the production process for the last scene? We, as animation enthusiasts and passionate professionals, would love to understand how you created this impressive scene. I remember the time when you explained the complex dress on Tumblr and how you conceptualized and animated it. It would be amazing to gain a similar understanding, to comprehend how you applied rotation, perspective, and the various involved processes. If possible, we would also like to know the duration of this work. I was truly impressed by this scene. ✨

[@jamesbaxter1236]

Okay sure. I'm actually going to copy and paste a reply I posted about a year ago on another video, but if you want me to go into more detail, let me know. Here it is - Fortunately, it's only rotating in one axis, not flying all around (we'll get to that later). First, I elaborated on a sketch done by the layout artist showing the action from above, so that I could plan out where Scar, Simba, and the imaginary "camera" would be in order to catch all the most important parts of the acting. Then I took my time to draw a really nice ellipse on the ground-plane and divided it into eight sections like a big pizza. This "wheel" was my turntable which would rotate one slice every 16 frames and give me something to plant the characters on. I knew that the ground would not be in the final shot, but I wanted to do it anyway because I'm a loony. Then I drew my best attempt at a profile of Simba, and then a front view, being very careful with the proportions. To do the other profile, I took the first one and flipped the paper over to use as reference. Then I did a back view. Then breaking down these 4 positions, I added 3/4 views being very careful to move things out and around, like they are on a wheel, and not just in between. Then I just kept on breaking it down, adding more drawings being very careful with the placement and spacing. To do Scar, I decided that he would take a step every 16 frames. That would make it easier because my imaginary wheel on the ground was rotating one section every 16 frames. That way I could go through and draw the same phase of the walk (in this case the down position on his front legs, passing position on his back legs) every 16 frames on the next section of the pizza. Then, just like Simba, it was a question of breaking it down, adding more drawings, from 16s, to 8s, to 4s, to 2s, and finally to being all on 1's. Of course, to do this right, you have to know how a cat walks! Other shots in other movies that I have done which have cg backgrounds and are flying all over the place are a little harder. It means planning out the action carefully so that you can commit to a frame that a drawing will be on, there's no way to re-time your keys later. If you want to change the timing you have to redraw it because the background perspective will have shifted. Then you spend a lot of time on those key drawings to make sure they seem solid and in perspective before filling in the rest of the drawings. Luckily, computer moves are predictable and usually smooth, so if you concentrate on good arcs and good spacing, you can usually match it pretty well. Movies like Prince of Egypt and Spirit started to put in special extra cg cameras for the animators on these kind of shots to remove most of the big movement of the main camera and make it easier to animate in one spot. Then the animation would be tracked back into the main camera move. It made it a little easier. Also in Spirit, there were a couple of shots where I had a full cg horse model standing on the hill to use as reference, super easy!

[@sheashells]

@@jamesbaxter1236 thank you for this detailed reply! I can't imagine how long you'd studied cat and lion anatomy to get this to look real and have personality

[@user-vn2oc5ll8r]

@@jamesbaxter1236Wow. You’re truely an inspiration for me among many other. It’s animators like you who make me want to be one and I’m striving to be one every day. Thank you James Baxter, you are truely one of the greats.

[@gabrielfDrawings]

@@jamesbaxter1236 I understood. Thank you very much for your response, James. I am immensely grateful. ✨😃🙏✨

[@alexthebox]

​@@jamesbaxter1236thank you!

[@mollycblaeser]

God, I miss 2D! Something about seeing the pencil lines just puts me in awe!

[@cayiika]

That last shot with Scar circling Simba is genuinely incredible, I can't wrap my mind around how you're able to animate something that complex.

[@Mayyde]

I don't think I wouldn't have gotten into 2D animation if it wasn't for you and your amazing work, James! I would absolutely love to sit down with you and get into a long discussion about animation. You have a lot of wisdom in this craft.

[@comd4609]

YOOOOOOOOOO

[@mizurora9496]

These are relics! Thanks so much for sharing your work!

[@TonyTylerDraws]

It belongs in a museum!

[@CommonDrawings]

THE KING OF ANIMATION POSTED LETS GO

[@girlfurriendscartoon3848]

The Horse ... Has Returned! Fun fact: In the scene where Scar said "Kill him", the Hyenas were animated by Ken Boyer, one of the character designers for Tiny Toon Adventures.

[@lukeperkins1024]

Fantastic work as always! I always loved the close-up shot of Scar going “-You, he’d still be alive.” It’s a great portrayal of manipulation.

[@divalea]

Did you see characters act, move, and ROTATE? CONGRATULATIONS, you have just seen a genuine James Baxter! (Thank you for sharing these, James. They are wonderful.)

[@Balthazar2242]

I wonder how difficult it is to assign shots to different animators. How did they choose who gets a shot, was that just Andreas' call?

[@shoocharu]

James, you're literally unbelievable

[@strangeacelegume]

That last shot is sooo cool! To be able to animate a character walking in circles while the camera ALSO is turning is so crazy impressive and it’s like eye candy to me omg

[@soulslvr9562]

Keep in mind.... Wish couldve been animated in 2d but that idea was refused as it would "limit the animators of what they could do"...... 2d animators can make 2d shots look 3d like in the last shot. AND THIS WAS A PENCIL TEST IT WASNT DONE YET

[@isabellacrump103]

That way u animate animals is just crazy like omggg I LOVE THESE

[@Kyderra]

Having the camera rotate around a character has always been a amazing feat.

[@scarlett.a766]

I clicked faster than 60 fps

[@krishanoberoi]

Hi James, we're big fans of your work! Would you ever consider collaborating with a NYC-based team on an independent musical/animation project?

[@ThereAreThoseWhoCallMeTim]

Wow, I had no idea you worked on animation for Scar as well! I thought you were only responsible for Rafiki. How come you didn’t receive any credit for your Scar scenes?

[@jamesbaxter1236]

I would jump onto Scar whenever the Rafiki shots were still being worked on in storyboard or layout. As far as credit goes, it was nice to be credited by character at all, since that was not always the case, and it's usually too complicated to give animators more than one credit.

[@yooyoo2371]

1:55 WOW, stunning, simply impressive

[@iamnoone21]

Scar's design is awesome, and there's so much personality in all of his movements

[@NickAndriadze]

If it weren't for you, the masterpiece of Walt Disney animation studio would not look or feel nearly as beautiful and expressive, so thank you for the work and effort you put into this beloved cold classic.

[@ArchArtsOfficial]

The last one holy jesus

[@BeautySnake]

you have such stunning 3d awareness

[@gubbothehuggo2771]

0:19 This must have been a really intimidating character acting shot to get right. Because Scar himself is acting, trying not to let the thrill of his victory betray his facade, but also you can’t have him seem too remorseful, because he definitely isn’t. He has to come across in a very controlled way.

[@thomaskite7222]

Scar: "Perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me." Mufasa: "ASRN*&RYF*AE NF"

[@kitcatkitty5985]

Scar: "Oh no, Mufasa perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me." Mufasa: " R̴҉̷̨̖̮̉͑ͯ̑̋͟͠O̷̵҉̢̭͚̜̠ͫͣ͐͢͟͢͠͞͝E҉̰̰͎̆͞E҉̰̰͎̆͞E҉̰̰͎̆͞E҉̰̰͎̆͞R̴҉̷̨̖̮̉͑ͯ̑̋͟͠ "

[@leeleebahleelee]

This is gorgeous! Such an inspiration!

[@GeriStrawberry]

i can never get over your talent with sheer consistency with movement and spacing. its absolutely fantastic and captivating. It makes it looks like a 3d model. your talent is unmatched and admirable. As a self taught animator (more illustrator), i always look up to your work.

[@kiokyodora8657]

Old Disney 😢

[@iggykidd]

Ah, of COURSE you did the rotating scene !! Amazing work.

[@ChessAlbaneze]

God, it's so beautiful to look at these. Your camera moving shots are always insane.

[@rickiiezz]

One of my favorite characters! So interesting

[@Dimonds456]

Absolutely insane stuff right here. As an aspiring animator myself, you've been one of my biggest inspirations. So cool to see the process behind some of my favorite shots!

[@dillonwright13]

I gotta know, how did it feel to work with Eric Goldberg on Once Upon a Studio?

[@athensk.4720]

How you did that last shot is beyond comprehension 🙌

[@doggycatalan]

Of course they would get James Baxter to animate Scar. They deserve nothing less.

[@skylerdale5351]

This is incredible. the 360 AND the camera turn? immaculate. 1:37

[@Fungiarts]

1:54 still really impressed on how 3 dimensional this look despite the 2D animation

[@joosoo]

Oh, after watching these tests, I'm wondering if Milt Kahl was a mentor? The little headshakes remind me of his style! Regardless, I love to hear you describe the process of such good acting in your animation.

[@KrisDobbins]

The Lion King is my all-time favorite movie and made me want to become an animator. Thank you for sharing these. ❤ That shot with Scar circling Simba as the camera turna has broken my brain for years. I can't imagine how hard it was to get that right.

[@elleroy9775]

Almost all Baxter's pencils move and rotate like 3D!! It's amazing! Just put atention in the form of the head, jaws, nose, eyes on Scar.

[@TVgoodies]

Since Andreas Deja was the supervisor and lead for Scar, do you remember if he did shots of be prepared too?

[@Tenshii_Artii]

I always dreamed about becoming an animator. But for some reason, it’s just really difficult for me to grasp. Or I don’t know where to start. I still illustrate though. But no matter what. You will always be one of my biggest inspirations in the industry!

[@AtLeastA.C-plus]

God, you make me wanna go back to art school and realize my childhood dreams 😭

[@JackFrosteee]

Do you have the test animations for James Baxter in Adventure Time?

[@DeepEye1994]

1:32 I spy with my little ears a snippet from the score of "Aliens" ^^

[@justbilly]

I feel scared watching this like its some analog horror idk why lol

[@UsagiMimiChu]

Ofc you did that last scene, your trademark!

[@RageHole]

Some Milt Kahl-esque head swaggles in there!

[@CidZero]

You are so talented. I LOVE your work.

[@fuzzylittlespider]

Now I know why these scenes stuck with me for over 29 years because they were animated by a legend!

[@colouur4778]

Do you think you’ll ever go on tour ? I would love to get your autograph. Hope you’re doing well.

[@NikiPaprika]

this is AMAZING that these linetests are still around! thank you for sharing these after many years. also sorry to gush, but holy moly that last shot, it's one of those ones that i can barely believe that this is animated on paper, just an amazing show of technical draftmanship and sense of perspective!

[@pjheusinger6870]

At 0:59 I noticed there are two versions of the animatic phase, was this the result of a note wanting a change in the acting?

[@Cometstarlight]

Gah, how do you make each frame so fluid and meld into the next one so seamlessly?

[@Cuapdoki]

I can't find the right words to compliment how insane it is that you were able to animate that last part in the 90s, hats off to you

[@littlecharizard426]

One of the best Disney villains!! 😆😆

[@wolfcry087]

My favorite Lion King character, my favorite movie series, and my favorite animator

[@a-myriad-of-stars96]

You are absolutely incredible. Your sense of depth, of space, of volume, is unmatched and yet to be replicated by us mere mortals. The way you animate makes things feel alive. It’s not just a drawing on a page when you’re behind the pencil, it’s a living breathing thing. I love watching your work, because even pencil tests are vibrantly alive.

[@addys8901]

Huge Lion King fan here! This has been my favorite movie basically my whole life, and seeing all the animators' work and passion for this film makes me love it even more, honestly, I don't think Disney could've chosen better animators for Scar than you and the others! You made him a very sinister, and manipulative villain, with movements, expressions, that creepy design, all of that mixed with Jeremy Irons's PERFECT acting, it really makes him a psycho, old, jealous lion! 🤩I'm very proud of how you guys did this film, and thanks for making it so well done!

[@sandrocleuzo8814]

These are still amazing to see! I keep studying it! Thanks for posting them!

[@LisFilm1928]

Fantastic shots!!! Especially the last one. Looks like 3D models!

[@PepeGomezAnimation]

Amazing as always. That last turnaround shot is so smooth, I wonder if a 3D model of Simba was used for reference

[@grimsbystalker]

nope

[@PepeGomezAnimation]

@@grimsbystalker well that makes it even more impressive!

[@grimsbystalker]

@@PepeGomezAnimation indeed

[@nyaanimationstudio]

Amo tus trabajos ✨️🌸✨️🌸✨️🌸

[@whoami784]

I wonder how many pages you used for this animation. It looks so fluid and smooth.

[@Zackzilla2479]

Although Andreas Deja was the supervising animator of Scar, I did not know that you did the additional animation of the character despite the fact that you've done Rafiki as a supervising animator. Your animation is pure gold.

[@asia1174]

What a flex to have worked on that movie. Like omg I watched that when I was a little kid, this is amazing

[@Spinnick]

The ability to create breathing, three-dimensional life from a flat piece of paper and a pencil is just enchanting! I'm going to keep practicing 🤣

[@Yeloman7]

Woah how did you get so good at animating?

[@Scytherwolf]

This is amazing, seeing the progress makes me so inspired

[@effortlesslytalented]

Truly a master of their craft. I love going back and watching these movies and seeing the different styles between all of the key animators that worked on them. Like Milt Kahl's head wiggles lmao

[@jamesrowley2492]

The character acting fits perfectly with Jeremy Irons vocal performance. It interesting seeing the difference takes on the scenes.

[@LovablePWNER]

You're a cool dude, James.

[@ArtSoLili]

Your character turn arounds are such an inspiration!❤

[@MarcHendry]

every Scar scene is so juicy 👌 really making the most out of little attitudes in the voice track

[@Cqat1]

that's so insanely well animated

[@RACCYGOOBYLICIOUS]

The way you make 2d animation looks so third dimensional ans fluid is so cool! ❤

[@Nyaiv]

That turnaround at the end was beautiful! Got me feeling some type of way...

[@gmcubed]

I still wonder how that last shot was done. Was it only possible because you guys had a maquette to spin around?

[@alphadoggrito]

Oooh I didn’t know you worked on animating Scar too, these shots are incredible! Always so inspiring seeing footage of your work from over the years, older and recent! Thank you so much for your uploads, they make fellow aspiring animators such as myself so happy! :D

[@TheEnabledDisabled]

Dont need to apologize for the quality, the fact that we can see the creation of this amazing film, is amazing

[@alexisking3579]

Animation is such a beautiful thing

[@auberry9900]

Thank you for sharing these, Mr Baxter! Scar was always my favorite :) Your expressions are *to die for*

[@Dan-sx9gl]

The best there has ever been and probably ever will be from a technical standpoint. Simply amazing

[@Unsquidicious]

Sick! ❤

[@divatheeva7519]

Absolutely stunning!! Thank you for posting these!

[@Yorancy]

It's insane! The last shot has about 3 rotations! The camera going around Simba, Simba himself spinning, and Scar going in the opposite direction the camera is going! You're such an inspiration, your skills are unmatched

[@SnooziacTM]

I wish Disney brought this type of animation back. 😔

[@mariaelisacruz]

Amazing as always, thank you for sharing yet another piece of your fantastic work!

[@derpidot]

i'll always love the shot with scar walking around simba its so smooth