USAnimation
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Software |
| Predecessor | USAnimation, Inc. |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | John Whitney Jr., Gary Demos |
| Defunct | 2003 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; software division sold to Toon Boom Technologies |
| Headquarters | San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | United States, Asia (through VirtualMagic Asia) |
Key people | John Whitney Jr., Gary Demos, David Lipman |
| Products | Animated television series and advertisements, digital ink and paint software (USAnimation) |
VirtualMagic Animation, Inc.—originally known as USAnimation, Inc.—was a traditional animation studio and software creator based in Los Angeles, USA. The company specialized in producing animated content for television series and advertisements, offering ink and paint services for popular programs such as The Ren and Stimpy Show and The Simpsons, as well as feature films like We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story. Its software division was responsible for creating USAnimation, a sophisticated digital tool designed to enhance the efficiency of traditional animation production.
History
John Whitney Jr. and Gary Demos, both formerly associated with Digital Productions (which was acquired by Omnibus Computer Graphics in 1986), established Whitney/Demos Productions following legal conflicts regarding shareholder entitlements. Although initial capital was secured from Symbolics' Graphics Division alongside private backers, the company declared bankruptcy in 1988 due to a downturn in the animation sector. Subsequently, Demos launched DemoGraFX, while Whitney proceeded under the names Optomystic and eventually Digital Animation Laboratories.
Whitney innovated a "paperless" animation technique that digitized hand-drawn artwork for the purposes of coloring and compositing. In 1992, he partnered with David Lipman to create USAnimation, aiming to commercialize this groundbreaking technology. The company rapidly attracted clients including Beavis and Butt-Head, The Ren & Stimpy Show, and early digitally produced episodes of The Simpsons. USAnimation also provided services for commercial campaigns involving brands like Lucky Charms and Levi's. By 1995, the firm began offering licenses for its digital animation platform.
In 1996, USAnimation divested its software operations to Canadian rival Toon Boom Technologies—whose Harmony software was developed from USAnimation's original technology—and rebranded its production division as VirtualMagic USA. That same year, VirtualMagic International Productions in Vancouver acquired USAnimation’s Production Services Division, branching out into CGI animation and interactive CD-ROM projects for clients such as Disney Interactive, Broderbund, and Digital Domain.
By late 1997, the enterprise was renamed VirtualMagic Animation and moved its headquarters to the San Fernando Valley. To maintain a competitive edge in episodic television and film production markets, it sought international collaborations, establishing VirtualMagic Asia in 1999 alongside ImagineAsia Studio in Manila to deliver digital ink, paint, and compositing solutions. Due to evolving conditions within the U.S. animation industry and shifting investor interests, VirtualMagic Animation was put up for sale in 2003 and ultimately ceased operations along with its Asian branch.
Filmography
- Commercial collaborations with Acme Filmworks, Duck Soup Productions, J.J. Sedelmaier Productions, Klasky/Csupo, MTV Animation, Renegade Animation, Spaff Animation, Spumco, Warner Bros. Animation, and Wild Brain
- Stanley and Stella in: Breaking the Ice (1987) (short film co-produced with Symbolics)
- The Earth Day Special (1990) (special effects)
- Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990) (digital scene simulation for main title)
- Five episodes of The Ren & Stimpy Show
- Twenty-nine episodes of Beavis and Butt-Head
- We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (electronic ink & paint and digital compositing)
- David Macaulay: Roman City
- Episodes "Radioactive Man" and "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" from The Simpsons
- Episode "Oy to the World" from The Nanny
- Episode "In the Realm of the Condor" from The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
- Main title sequences for Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles, Jumanji, Hey Arnold!, Extreme Ghostbusters, Channel Umptee-3, Men in Black: The Series, and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
- Music video "Love Rollercoaster" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Shorts "Great Minds Think for Themselves" from One Saturday Morning
- Contributions to shows such as Cartoon Sushi, Oh Yeah! Cartoons ("Planet Kate"), Godzilla: The Series, CatDog ("Fetch"), Boo Boo Runs Wild, and more
- Additional ink and paint work on The Tigger Movie
- Digital painting on Joseph: King of Dreams
- Animation coloring and compositing for Freddy Got Fingered
- Episode "Captain Sturdy: Back in Action!" from The Cartoon Cartoon Show
- Digital composite work on episodes 2-6 of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
- Participation in productions including The Powerpuff Girls Movie and color styling on Lenny & Sid shorts ("Love Thy Neighbor/All Hands on Deck")
Video games
- Development work on titles such as Wanna Be A Dino Finder
- Digital ink and paint for sing-along segments in Disney's Animated Storybook: 101 Dalmatians
- Ink and paint contributions to games including Nightmare Ned, Carmen Sandiego Word Detective, Disney's Hercules, and Living Books: Arthur's Computer Adventure
- Graphics design for 101 Dalmatians: Escape from DeVil Manor
- Work on the adventure game series including titles like Rugrats Adventure Game
- Advanced vectorized line art development to enhance graphical smoothness for The Curse of Monkey Island
VirtualMagic Asia
- God, the Devil and Bob
- Adventures from the Book of Virtues (episodes "Humility" and "Compassion: Part 1")
- Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law (episodes 2 through 6; digital ink and paint process)
See also
- Toon Boom Technologies, the company that purchased USAnimation's software development division
- Cambridge Animation Systems
- Toonz, a prominent 2D animation software during the 1990s and early 2000s
- Computer Animation Production System (CAPS), Disney’s animation technology used from the 1990s until the mid-2000s
- Adobe Flash
- List of 2D animation software