Is there really a window on Notre Dame?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Released:  June 21, 1996
Worldwide Box Office:  $325,000,000

While the story of Quasimodo was certainly not the blockbuster compared to Lion King, the overall story had many compelling and entertaining themes woven into a classic story.  This version by Disney while most certainly wasn't the same book as envisioned by Victor Hugo, still brought to the screen key themes about respect, love and social class to a new audience.

What was interesting about this film for me was the classical music score and the rich styling of the film.  The production backgrounds were characterized by evocative palettes matched to the mood in each sequence of the film, all the while rich in detail similar to backgrounds from Sleeping Beauty yet different from Eyvind Earle's style clearly.  As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, Disney originally sold key setups from the film at Sotheby's in June 1997.   With the average lot selling for over $3,100 each, the auction was very much a success.  

Anytime you attend a live animation auction, it is a wonderful event much like viewing a special exhibition at museum.  The interesting part about this experience is that you might be lucky enough to walk away with a piece of the magic.  I remember viewing all of the lots in Sotheby's York Avenue showroom in New York that summer and one piece in particular caught my attention.  The cover piece for the catalog showcased the only real significant view of Notre Dame, a character in the film in its own-right.  This production background was a key shot in the opening sequence for the Festival of Fools sequence.  The shot is comprised of nine separate background elements, seven underlays with a single character cel over a painted background of the sky on crescent board.  If you watch the film, Disney did a masterful job of bringing us into the heart of the festival with this deep camera shot flying from the Palace of Justice toward the heart of the Cathedral.  

The interesting thing about the cover lot is the piece was framed and displayed without a view of the Cathedral's stained glass rose window.  So considering that I had read in Stephen Rebello's book how Disney actually created the window utilizing CGI, I was curious as to whether it was painted or if it was just blank.  This was the big mystery in the auction catalog.  I questioned Sotheby's at the time, but unfortunately no one knew as the piece was framed by Disney before Sotheby's could examine the piece.  As framed, the piece suggested there was a blank space for integration with a computer image.  Why else would Disney arrange the production overlay in this arrangement?

As Frollo leads Phoebus out onto a balcony of the Palace of Justice, the background appears for the first time as Frollo states, "for twenty years I have been taking care of the Gypsies...."  All production elements are visible, but arranged slightly stretched across on the horizontal field.   The very next scene is where Frollo expresses in a sinister tone, "one by one!"  The flying camera shot is sequenced a few scenes later where Frollo remarks as he hears the beginning of the musical number Festival of Fools, "Duty Calls."  Phoebus looks back at Frollo as the camera flies into the scene over the village toward the Cathedral.  

Fast forward eight years later, the Cathedral background comes up for sale at auction.  Considering that I love to find key scenes that represent the essence of an animated feature that stand on their own without character animation, I could not resist the piece.  I was finally able to solve this long standing mystery.  As you can see below, the Cathedral is all there!

                              Key Master Setup, gouache on celluloid and board

                              Acquired:  June 16, 2008

                              Background Painter:  Unknown

                              Sequence 5, Scenes 19, 27

After some careful work taking the piece apart, I was able to separate and scan the layers to reveal more of the detail in the setup.  As I worked this, the art revealed the much more of the Cathedral than what the Disney presentation had shown.  This is so much better!  Additional notations indicated that the Cathedral was to be digitally scaled in the camera shot (around 200%).  

There a lot of fun details in the piece which include the colonnade on the roof of the Cathedral, the rose window of course and overturned stone by Frollo.   I plan to eventually frame the piece in a multi-plane effect to really make the 3D effect come alive.  What do you think?