diff --git a/Packages/vcs/Lib/VTKAnimate.py b/Packages/vcs/Lib/VTKAnimate.py
index ff1cee03bc..15c70ea95e 100644
--- a/Packages/vcs/Lib/VTKAnimate.py
+++ b/Packages/vcs/Lib/VTKAnimate.py
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def run(self):
       while not self.is_stopped():
           self.wait_if_paused()
 
-          self.controller.draw_frame(allow_static = True, render_offscreen = False, main_window_png = True)
+          self.controller.draw_frame(allow_static = False, render_offscreen = False, main_window_png = False)
 
           self.controller.frame_num += 1
           if self.controller.frame_num >= self.controller.number_of_frames():
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ def draw_frame(self, frame_num = None, render_offscreen=True, allow_static=True,
       else:
         self.reclaim_renderers()
 
-        update_input(self.vcs_self, self._number_of_dims_used_for_plot, frame_num)
+        update_input(self.vcs_self, self._number_of_dims_used_for_plot, frame_num, update=False)
 
         self.vcs_self.backend.renWin.Render()
 
diff --git a/Packages/vcs/Lib/configurator.py b/Packages/vcs/Lib/configurator.py
index 0aba4bbaa5..0f7edda952 100644
--- a/Packages/vcs/Lib/configurator.py
+++ b/Packages/vcs/Lib/configurator.py
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ def __init__(self, canvas):
         self.save_timer = None
         self.save_listener = None
         self.save_anim_button = None
+        self.anim_button = None
         self.listeners = []
         self.animation_last_frame_time = datetime.datetime.now()
         # Map custom templates to their source template
@@ -541,7 +542,7 @@ def setup_animation(self):
         if self.initialized == False:
             self.canvas.animate.create()
             anim_toolbar = self.toolbar.add_toolbar("Animation")
-            anim_toolbar.add_toggle_button("Animation", on=self.start_animating, off=self.stop_animating, on_prefix="Run", off_prefix="Stop")
+            self.anim_button = anim_toolbar.add_toggle_button("Animation", on=self.start_animating, off=self.stop_animating, on_prefix="Run", off_prefix="Stop")
             anim_toolbar.add_button(["Step Forward"], action=self.step_forward)
             anim_toolbar.add_button(["Step Backward"], action=self.step_back)
             anim_toolbar.add_slider_button(0, 0, self.canvas.animate.number_of_frames(), "Time Slider", update=self.set_animation_frame, end=self.final_animation_frame)
@@ -557,6 +558,9 @@ def step_back(self, state):
 
     def save_animation_press(self, state):
         if state == 1:
+            if self.animation_timer:
+                self.stop_animating()
+                self.anim_button.set_state(0)
             self.save_listener = self.interactor.AddObserver("TimerEvent", self.save_tick)
             self.save_timer = self.interactor.CreateRepeatingTimer(10)
         else:
@@ -623,7 +627,7 @@ def set_animation_speed(self, value):
     def animate(self, obj, event):
         if self.animation_timer is not None and datetime.datetime.now() - self.animation_last_frame_time > datetime.timedelta(0, 0, 0, int(.9 * 1000. / self.animation_speed)):
             self.animation_last_frame_time = datetime.datetime.now()
-            self.canvas.animate.draw_frame((self.canvas.animate.frame_num + 1) % self.canvas.animate.number_of_frames())
+            self.canvas.animate.draw_frame((self.canvas.animate.frame_num + 1) % self.canvas.animate.number_of_frames(), render_offscreen=False, allow_static=False)
 
     def start_animating(self):
         if self.animation_timer is None:
@@ -633,7 +637,6 @@ def stop_animating(self):
         if self.animation_timer is not None:
             t, self.animation_timer = self.animation_timer, None
             self.interactor.DestroyTimer(t)
-            self.canvas.animate.draw_frame(allow_static = False, render_offscreen = False)
 
     def set_animation_frame(self, value):
         value = int(value)