Not in OED: "in-between(s) (n.) and "inbetweener"

[Joel S. Berson]

Heard on NPR while driving, someone involved with the imminently
forthcoming Disney/Pixar animated film "Up" (already with an official
site) saying that one of the lesser-paid jobs he had early in his
career was "drawing" "in-betweens"; and calling such people
"in-betweeners".  In-betweens are the images between extremes of
motion, which are drawn by the senior animators.  (Nowadays, he said,
no-one draws cels, but I assume there are still in-betweeners doing
the in-between computer animations.)

For "in-between", this sense is not in OED2.

For "in-betweener", this is not a head word.  (Not to be confused
with the Marvel Comics character.)  Under "in-between" the OED has
one quotation for this sense, from 1970:  "S.A. Panorama Feb. 25/1 He
joined the London Polytechnic Studios. He started as an
'in-betweener'{em}the name given to the most junior apprentice."

Google Books brings "in-between" back allegedly to 1944, with several
citations:

1)  The art of Walt Disney
By Robert D. Feild
Edition: reprint
Published by Collins, 1944
Original from the University of Virginia
Digitized Apr 11, 2008
290 pages

[this page restricted]

2)  Technical Manual
By Federal Highway Administration, Navy Dept, United States, United
States War Dept, Dept. of the Army, United States. Civil Aeronautics
Administration, Traffic Systems Division, Air Force
Published by Depts. of the Army, Navy and Air Force, 1944
Item notes: no. 102
page 36
[possibly a serial publication, so year may be questionable]

"Decides on any special animation techniques to be used. Draws base drawings,
backgrounds, extreme drawings, and in- betweens, which are first made on ..."

and:

3)  Special aids for placing military personnel in civilian jobs
By United States, United States. Bureau of Manpower Utilization,
United States Employment Service, War Manpower Commission
Published by Division of occupational analysis and Manning tables, 1944
Original from the University of Michigan
Digitized Nov 20, 2008
490 pages
page 39
[also possibly a serial publication]

"Decides on any special animation techniques to be used. Draws base drawings,
backgrounds, extreme drawings, and in- betweens, which are first made on ..."
[yes, the same text]

The earliest I saw for "in-betweener" is from 1953:

4)  It takes more than talent
By Mervyn LeRoy, Alyce Canfield
Published by Knopf, 1953
Original from the University of Michigan
Digitized Feb 26, 2008
300 pages

"Salary: In-betweener starts at approximately $40 a week"

There is also a mysterious snippet perhaps from 1943, perhaps not
about the animation film industry:

5)  Decisions and orders of the National Labor Relations Board
By United States. National Labor Relations Board
Published by The Board, 1943
Item notes: v. 48

"TM Also in May, Lessing summoned "in-betweener" Franz Bauer and several
messenger boys to ... "I asked them about the meeting in the old Animation
Building, ..."

The alleged 1900 "Cinefantastique" I assume is spurious; keywords
include films made in the 1950s or later.

Joel

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