In the early 1960s, animation studios began hiring professional screenwriters to write screenplays (while also continuing to use story departments) and screenplays had become commonplace for animated films by the late 1980s.
ɪnðɪ ˈɜːli nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti z, ˌænɪmˈeɪʃən stˈuːdɪˌoʊz bɪɡˈæn hˈaɪɚɹɪŋ pɹəfˈɛʃənəl skɹˈiːnɹaɪɾɚz tə ɹˈaɪt skɹˈiːnpleɪz wˌaɪl ˈɔːlsoʊ kəntˈɪnjuːɪŋ tə jˈuːz stˈoːɹi dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənts ænd skɹˈiːnpleɪz hæd bɪkˌʌm kˈɑːmənplˌeɪs fɔːɹ ˈænɪmˌeɪɾᵻd fˈɪlmz baɪ ðə lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi z.