Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. (founded as Videocraft International, Ltd. and later known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment) was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop motion animation. Rankin/Bass stop-motion features are recognizable by their visual style of doll-like characters with spheroid body parts, and ubiquitous powdery snow using an animation technique called "Animagic". Often, traditional cel animation scenes of falling snow would be projected over the action to create the effect of a snowfall.
Nearly all of the studio's animation was outsourced to at least five Japanese animation companies: MOM Production, Toei Animation, TCJ (Television Corporation of Japan), Mushi Production and Topcraft
History with the Macy's Parade[]
A new float based off the Rankin/Bass adaption of "The Hobbit" debuted in the 1977 Parade to promote the animated special on NBC, which aired three days later after the parade on Sunday. The float featured Smaug the Dragon and other characters featured in the animated TV special with Bilbo Baggin's voice actor, Orson Bean hitching a ride. The float was retired after the procession after its only appearance, and Smaug was later used on the Dragon Tales float from 1993 to 1995 as a generic dragon.