Bob attended the University of California at Los Angeles, studying chemistry, physics, math, and optics. He joined Disney in 1937, delivering mail to Studio offices before stepping into the camera department. There, he shot test camera on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a step in production to check the continuous action of animated scenes before photographing the final product. Bob quickly graduated to the more technically advanced multiplane camera, photographing artwork painted on glass up to six layers deep and giving depth to animated scenes in such features as Pinocchio.