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From an early age, animator Don Bluth was a great admirer of Disney and has said in interviews that as a child, he would practice drawing by copying old Disney comic books. This childhood activity led to him being hired by Disney to work on their feature film version of "Sleeping Beauty" in the mid-1950s. After a stint doing missionary work and animating for various TV shows, Bluth returned to Disney in the mid-'70s to work on the company's version of "Robin Hood." Bluth worked on various animated features for Disney, eventually rising to the role of animation director for the 1977 film "Pete's Dragon." Over the course of working for Disney, however, Bluth became kind of disillusioned with the way the company owned all of their animators' work, and how animators were all trained to draw and animate the same way. Bluth left Disney in 1979 to form his own production company.

Dean DeBlois on his How To Train Your Dragon 3 plans, Don Bluth, DreamWorks, animated movies and more...

Now out on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK is How To Train Your Dragon 2, the impressive sequel to one of DreamWorks Animation's finest films. It's directed by Dean DeBlois, who steered the first movie alongside Chris Sanders. And as he embarks on How To Train Your Dragon 3, he spared us some time for a chat about the films, and his early days working with Don Bluth. Here's how the chat went...

What’s your day-to-day these days? Between knowing what the next project is and this one being finished, what have you been doing?

Well, up until Thursday I was working on the outline for the third film. I pitched that to Jeffrey Katzenberg last Thursday, then I got married on Saturday.

Congratulations.

Thank you. I’m headed off on Honeymoon tomorrow,...

[Our thanks to Mathieu Li-Goyette of Panorama Cinema for the following interview.]

For the 14th edition of the Fantasia Film Festival, programmers had the great idea of bringing up Don Bluth and Gary Goldman to given them an honorary award and to speak about the future of traditional animation. We had the honor to meet them, the creative team behind such classics as The Secret of Nimh (1982), An American Tail (1986), The Land Before Time (1988), Stanley's Magic Garden (1994), Titan A.E. (2000), etc. For the occasion, a real history lesson on how animation evolved and what, in 1979, made them quit the Disney studios in search of a renaissance of the Golden Age of animation was given to us. An interview with the last milestones of commercial animation: two geniuses that still have kid's hearts.

Panorama-cinéma: So you are here in Fantasia to present The Land Before Time and to receive an honorary award.

Gary Goldman: It's what we've been told! (laughs)

Panorama-cinéma:...

The most anticipated trade show in the animation epicenter of the world, Burbank Calif, is now only 6 weeks away. The Creative Talent Network Animation Expo (Ctn-x).

For the first time world class professional talent in the animation industry will converge for 3-days during “Animation Week” in Burbank, Ca. Get connected and more during an intense weekend full of educational programs, demonstrations, technology showcases, recruiting events, parties and after-hour networking.

“If you don’t like what’s happening at the event now, just wait 30 minutes because something else really great will be happening” says founder and 30 year animation veteran Tina Price. Everyone will walk away from this event with more than the walked in with whether an idea, a job opportunity or a career mentor. Ctn-x is 3-days of talent 2 talent privileged access from Friday November 20th – Sunday November 22nd. We are proud to announce the following signature events:

· The most influential cartoonist of this century,...