By Joanne Fox
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (CNS) – Ron Clements is a renowned animator, screenwriter and producer-director of award-winning Disney films, including the blockbuster “Moana.” But at heart, he will always be a Midwesterner and grateful for his Catholic education, he told students at his alma mater.
Clements, a 1971 alumnus of the Bishop Heelan H.S. in Sioux City, visited with students this month. He was in Sioux City as a presenter at the Sioux City International Film Festival, Sept. 12-16.
As a Crusader, the school’s mascot, Clements was recognized for his artistic talent as the staff cartoonist at the Heelan student newspaper, Heelan Highline.
At 15, Clements worked at KCAU-TV, Channel 9, the Sioux City ABC affiliate, where another Heelan graduate George Lindblade and Heelan parent Bill Turner – both associated with the station – helped Clements with his journey to Disney.
“I had done some Super 8 films on my own and brought them down to Channel 9 with the idea of maybe we could do some commercials,” Clements said. “And then I asked them if I could use the equipment to do my own film, and they said, ‘Sure!’”
That eventually led to his long career at Disney Animation Studios in Los Angeles, Calif.
With John Musker, Clements co-directed “Moana,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “The Princess and the Frog” – all films nominated for Academy Awards. He also helped supervise, animate or write “The Great Mouse Detective,” “Hercules” and “Treasure Planet,” to name a few.
In the Kiddie Crusaders Preschool across the street from the high school, Clements waxed nostalgic about taking art classes in the same building more than four decades ago, taught by Sister Mary de Lourdes, a Sister of Christian Charity.
The kids serenaded Clements with the hit song “How Far I’ll Go,” while “Moana” played on a large screen TV. To repay that graciousness, the animator stood at a white board and drew “Moana” characters, Pua the Pig and Hei Hei the Rooster.
“He really hasn’t drawn in years,” confided Tami Clements, his wife of 29 years, who accompanied her husband. “He practiced and practiced before we came out here and kept asking me if it was good.”
Clad in an ocean-blue shirt with “Moana” colorful characters, Clements was clearly out of uniform, but emphasized that he never had detention at school.
The 65-year-old Clements credited instructors who provided a strong base for his livelihood.
“Mrs. (Helen) Socknat was my English teacher and she let me draw caricatures when we studied ‘Huckleberry Finn’ and ‘A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream,’” he said. “I had Sister de Lourdes for all four years of art and Miss Castle let me be the editorial artist for the student newspaper.”
“The Catholic faith was clearly a big part of this school,” he said. “Not only that, it is a valuable part of the school and the education it provides.”