Layout artist Roy Naisbitt dies at the age of 90

Roy Naisbitt, a renowned layout and background designer known for his work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Space Jam, Balto e 2001: Odissea nello spazio, died on Saturday 25 April, having almost turned 91 on 6 May.

Naisbitt's special talent for technical and intricate animation led to his first collaboration with Williams - the director hired Naisbitt to illustrate a paddlewheel ship engine in the title sequence for 1968. The charge of the light brigade. The designer has joined the Richard Williams Animation studio, tackling a number of projects over the years, including Williams' unfinished fantasy masterpiece. The thief and the shoemaker. Naisbitt created most of the “War Machine” sequence and the intricate architecture of the film, drawing a master plan of the entire Golden City in his spare time.

In the 80s, Naisbitt created tot-level POV backgrounds for the “Maroon Cartoon” featured in Chi ha incastrato Roger Rabbit while at RWA. Over the next decade, he contributed his finely honed talents to Amblimation Balto and the hybrid success of Warner Bros. Space jam. Neil Boyle, who worked as an animation supervisor Space jam and is currently directing Reign of Kensuke with Kirk Hendry, he took Naisbitt out of retirement to create the hypnotically complex and ever-changing backgrounds of his 2011 short The last beautiful.

Read more about Naisbitt's fascinating career on the Pulling a rabbit out of a hat blog here.

You can also learn more about making The shoemaker thief in Kevin Schreck's documentary Persistence of vision, available for rent or purchase on Vimeo.