Vol. 3 Issue 5 August 1998 AsianAsian AnimationAnimation andand ComputerComputer AnimationAnimation MalaysiaÕs Kampung Boy Vilppu Life Affordable CG Drawing Set-Ups Profiles: India, China and Vietnam Plus: The SIGGRAPHCardiff, ZagrebÔ98 Special & Singapore Report Festivals Reviewed TABLE OF CONTENTS AUGUST 1998 VOL.3 NO.5 4 Editor’s Notebook Old countries are learning new tricks... 6 Letters: [email protected] 7 Dig This! Metrovision puts cinema in reverse. ASIAN ANIMATION 9 Ram Mohan and RM-USL: India’s Change Agents of Animation Dr. John A. Lent puts Ram Mohan and his new company RM-USL into perspective as India enters a new phase of development. 13 China-The Awakening Giant:Animation and Broadcasting in the Mainland Milt Vallas takes us inside China to understand this giant and its current bid for the world’s attention. 18 Emerging Vietnam Animation production is springing up in Vietnam. Anne Aghion and John Merson tell us about it. COMPUTER ANIMATION 1998 22 Small Studio/Home Studio:An Overview of Low-End Computer Aided Animation Choices Michelle Klein-Häss describes the hardware and software we need to start either a 2-D or 3-D affordable CG animation studio at home. OTHER 29 Here’s A How de do Diary: May How is Barry Purves getting on with his Channel 4 production? Find out in this month’s installment. 33 ASIFA’s Next Step Michel Ocelot relates the latest ASIFA International developments regarding ASIFA’s new relationship to festivals. THE STUDENT CORNER 34 Vilppu Drawing Online: Spherical Forms Glenn Vilppu continues his world-class life drawing lessons. This month the focus is on Spherical Forms. UGUST FESTIVALS, EVENTS: SIGGRAPH ‘98: Special Report A A multi-media co-production of Animation World Magazine and Visual Magic Magazine, AWN’s SIG- GRAPH ‘98 Special Report feature articles, news, reviews, product announcements and a special “compa- ny profile” section. Highlights include a survey of women in the computer graphics industry, an educa- tion spotlight on SIGGRAPH courses and panels, an update on the SIGGRAPH documentary in progress and a special selection of Quicktime video clips of animated films showcased in this year’s Computer Ani- mation Festival and Electronic Theater. AWN’s SIGGRAPH ‘98 Special Report will be available exclusively on the Internet on the AWN web site. © Animation World Network 1998. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE August 1998 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS AUGUST 1998 VOL.3 NO.5 37 Cardiff:A Difficult Year to Be Any Festival Heather Kenyon relates the events from Cardiff, Wales, an educational festival full of panel discussions and lectures with many bright spots, despite the rain. 41 Zagreb ‘98: Better Than Ever! The artists’ festival...Gunnar Strøm tells us about the 13th World Festival of Animated Films in Zagreb, Croatia. 44 Singapore Animation Fiesta ‘98 Singapore’s Animation Fiesta is making a unique place for itself after just two events. Mark Langer describes this exciting newcomer. 47 Members of the Fastest Growing Industry Meet Up in the Big Apple:The Return of the Licensing Show! Deborah Reber relates the latest animated merchandising trends straight from New York’s Licensing Show. FILMS: 50 Azimuth : Get Those Red/Green Glasses—3-D Has Made It to Tape! Judith Cockman reviews Staceyjoy Elkin’s Azimuth, a stereoscopic, 3-D computer animated film. BOOKS: 1998 52 The Animated Film Collector’s Guide : David Kilmer’s Odyssey A tool to find almost any animated short in the world, David Kilmer’s long-awaited The Animated Film Collector’s Guide is reviewed by Emru Townsend. HIDDEN TREASURES 54 The Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum:A Cultural Monument Jackie Leger takes us to the outskirts of Osaka, Japan to visit the museum dedicated to Osamu Tezuka, Japan’s revered father of manga. NEWS 57 Animation World News Fox Invests In Ciné-Groupe, Oscar Rules Out TV Series As Shorts, DreamWorks Ups The Ante and more. 72 On A Desert Island With....Asian Animators Ram Mohan and Frank Saperstein. AWN COMICS UGUST 73 Dirdy Birdy by John R. Dilworth 74 Next Issue’s Highlights A 8 This Month’s Contributors Cover: Kampung Boy is a new animated series about a youngster in Malaysia, designed by the cartoon- ist, Lat. An international co-production between the Philippine Animation Studios in Manila, broadcaster ASTRO in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and U.S. distributor Matinee Entertainment, Kampung Boy is an inter- national co-production in the truest sense of the word. The show was recently screened at the Singa- pore Animation Fiesta and will be showcased this month at the Hiroshima Animation Festival in Japan. Cover image and Quicktime movie © 1998 Matinee Entertainment. © Animation World Network 1998. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE August 1998 3 by Heather Kenyon Old countries are learning new In the past, in terms tricks... of large commercial produc- tions, Asian studios have he dog days of August are done the labor-intensive bringing another exciting work, primarily layout Tissue of Animation World through camera, while all Magazine. This month we are tak- design work, voice record- ing a look at Animation in Asia and ing, color keying, scripting, Computer Animation. We are spot- storyboarding and post pro- lighting three up-and-coming duction were done in either Asian animation-producing coun- the North American or Euro- tries: China, India and Vietnam. pean home studio. Perhaps Plus, in honor of SIGGRAPH, we this tide is turning. Will we are also issuing our first magazine see Asia nibbling at the pro- supplement in conjunction with duction steps that were cus- Visual Magic Magazine. The SIG- tomarily seen as processes GRAPH `98 Special Report will be that needed to be complet- on-line on August 11, 1998. ed on home turf? Asian pro- it is expanding the animation Asia continues to become ducers have certainly made it clear industry throughout Asia. Three more and more sophisticated in its that they are ready for the next countries currently preparing to production capabilities. Japan, a step and are developing their own make bids at the big time are world leader in producing animat- shows and shopping them at the India, Vietnam and China. ed footage, has brought the art to markets. On such series they will I am hoping Asian, Ameri- a new level, plus has manga and naturally be doing all of the pro- can and European studios can animation so integrated into its duction. Yes, the tide is turning work more closely on intelligent culture that, as Jackie Leger and Asia is trying to change from co-productions, bringing fresh, reports, Osamu Tezuka is regarded strictly a production house to a new Asian properties to our mar- as a national hero. Korean and creative player on the global mar- ketplace. These ancient cultures Philippine studios are continually ket scene. have spawned fascinating tales innovating with new technology In Asia, however, there are that I am sure would have global and expanding facilities. Many levels of preparedness for this new appeal. How many more times large Asian studios now have role. Japan, Korea, the Philippines can European and North Ameri- offices in Los Angeles in order to and Taiwan are the current lead- can audiences see re-hashes of the facilitate the animation process ers, having had an active anima- same old standard fairy tales and between North America and Asia. tion industry fostered by importing legends? Why, if children all over Indeed, Korean studio Rough work. In fact, one hears stories of the world can understand U.S. Draft performed quite a coup by work being so plentiful, that stu- programming, can U.S. children setting up a sister studio in Los dios in these countries farm it out not understand programming Angeles and snatching the high- through the back door to places from other regions? Kampung Boy profile, new Matt Groening series, like Bali, Malaysia and other grow- is such an example. This bright, Futurama, away from U.S. main- ing Asian animation countries. lively cartoon not only features stay Film Roman. Could this be the While this might get domestic pro- universal story lines, like children dawning of a new trend? duction managers hopping mad, being afraid to pass a certain ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE August 1998 4 locale, but might even be more Overview of Low-End Computer A certain bright spot for us interesting as it shows how Aided Animation Choices.” This all this summer has been Disney’s Malyasian children dress, eat and incredible how-to article should be Mulan. Mulan has proven that yes, sleep. This is a “fresh, new enough to start you on your com- audiences will still watch an ani- approach,” we just need someone puter animating way, whether mated film if the story, music and to be brave enough to take it. you prefer 2-D or 3-D. We are also design are good. This summer has In this issue, beyond the highlighting a film by a true trail- been marked by films that are sup- SIGGRAPH `98 Special Report, we blazer Staceyjoy Elkin. Her film posed to be huge, but turn out to are also touching on computer Azimuth is the first anaglyph, be little. No film, not even films like animation. Michelle Klein-Häss has computer-generated animation to The Truman Show, which did well put her mass of acquired knowl- make it to tape. So dig through with critics and audiences alike, edge to the test by putting togeth- your junk drawer, pull out a pair of are showing any legs or staying er “Small Studio/Home Studio: An those funky 3-D glasses and enjoy! power.