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September 1996 Vol. 1 No. 6

TELEVISION Goes International

Hearst’s Satellite Locomotion

Monique Renault’s Hiroshima Diary

William Moritz On Anima Mundi Table of Contents

3 Editor's Notebook by Harvey Deneroff 4 Letters to the Editor 5 Nickelodeon Goes Global Michael Goldman talks to Nickelodeon International’s Lisa Judson about how the cable network that redefined for the 90s is expanding around the world. 8 Locomotion:The Animation Network America’s Hearst Entertainment and Venezuela’s Cisneros Group are combining forces to form a , 24-hour-a-day animation channel for Latin America. Harvey Deneroff reports. 11 TV’s Fall Animation Lineup A special report from Pamela Schechter detailing what’s new and what’s being renewed in animation on American television this coming season. 16 Crocadoo Entertains with Energee Crocadoo, a new series from Energee Animation being broadcast on ’s Nine Network, is the latest evidence of a small but thriving animation industry. Karen Paterson details what’s happening with Energee down under. 19 So You Wanna Be An Animation Executive? Cori Stern provides a test to see if you too can join the executive ranks at the animation company of your choice. 22 Listen up, It’s Playtime The GiggleBone Gang is alive and well at Seattle-based Headbone Interactive. Judith Shane explains it all. 25 Larry Jordan Jackie Leger surveys the of Larry Jordan, surrealist and master of collage animation.

FESTIVALS,CONFERENCES, ETC. 28 Hiroshima 96 by Monique Renault (english / french - francais) 38 Images From Hiroshima ‘96 by Wendy Jackson 40 Anima Mundi by William Moritz 42 SIGGRAPH 96 by Kellie-Bea Rainey

FILM REVIEW 44 Joe's Apartment by John R. Dilworth 47 On a Desert Island With ...Be sure to bring a power source for TV,compiled by Frankie Kowalski Clare Kitson, John Coates, Gerry Travers, and Phil Roman 49 Dirdy Birdy by John R. Dilworth 50 News 53 Next Issue's Highlights September 1996 1 Cover: Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist, Courtesy of Central © Animation World Network 1996. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 2 TV Land International and explores the various few years ago, it was design and animation issues often the case that such producers face. AAmerican producers Jackie Leger continues in cared little about the interna- her series of profiles of tional market for TV shows. American experimental anima- While they did not ignore it, tors with “Larry Jordan,” who the amount of revenues the “creates a magical universe of global market generated work using old steel engrav- seemed insignificant com- ings and collectable memora- pared to what was generated bilia.” by licensing fees to US net- In terms of festivals and works and syndication sales conferences, we present two to independent stations. reports on Hiroshima 96: However, with the prolifera- Venezuelan partner to debut a Filmmaker Monique Renault tion of new television outlets new, all-animation channel for has presented us with her around the world, including Latin America. I explore the diary detailing her experiences cable and satellite services, the whys and wherefores of this as juror at one of Asia’s two international market has new venture in my article, major international festivals; in become more than just a side- “Locomotion: The Animation addition, our own Wendy bar to producers in the United Channel.” Jackson gives a more newsy States and around the world. Pamela Schechter’s “TV’s view of the proceedings. Despite the efforts of vari- Fall Animation Lineup” details William Moritz also reports on ous countries, the US and in considerable detail what Rio de Janeiro’s Anima Mundi still maintain a com- the forthcoming season bodes Festival, while Kellie Bea manding lead in their share of in the all-important American Rainey checks in from SIG- the global TV animation mar- television marketplace, and GRAPH 96, the world’s pre- ket. Thus, broadcasters around explores the implications of miere computer graphics con- the world continue to look such happenings as Disney’s ference, which was held this toward American companies takeover of Capital Cities/ABC. year in . like Nickelodeon for leadership Our all too brief look at Finally, John Dilworth, in things animated. In television concludes with reviews John Payson’s new “Nickelodeon Goes Global,” Karen Paterson’s “Crocadoo made for MTV, in “The Cock- Michael Goldman interviews Entertains with Energee,” a roaches of Joe’s Apartment,” Nick International executive portrait of an innovative new while Frankie Kowalski has gath- Lisa Jordan about the key role Australian studio which is try- ered her Desert Island picks this animation is playing as the ing to break into the interna- month from a variety of TV ani- innovative cable network tional multimedia marketplace. mation folk from around the expands its reach into Europe, The Seattle area has lately world. South America, Australia and developed into a center for Asia. interactive animation of the On the other hand, Hearst type found on the now ubiqui- Entertainment is depending tous CD-ROMs. In “Listen Up, Harvey Deneroff on the clout of its media con- It’s Playtime,” Judith Shane [email protected] glomerate parent and its profiles Headbone Interactive

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 3 Letters to the Editor

The Olympiad of Animation helped me enormously by invited me to the Lucca Ani- ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK 6525 Sunset Blvd., t was most gratifying to mation Festival, where he set Garden Suite 10 read about the 1984 up a press conference. There, Hollywood, CA 90028 IOlympiad of Animation in he spoke with great enthusi- Phone : 213.468.2554 your very interesting journal asm about the Olympiad and Fax : 213.464.5914 (“The Olympiad of Animation: what it would mean to ASIFA Email : [email protected] An Interview With Fini and to animation. He died a Littlejohn,” by Harvey few years ago and I will for- Deneroff, July 1996). It ever be grateful for his enor- ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE brought to many memories to mous help. [email protected] the surface, especially how Also, although the Soviet PUBLISHER wonderful it was that so many Union boycotted the 1984 Ron Diamond, President cooperated and Olympics, we did have a print Dan Sarto, Chief Operating Officer complied with a very of Yori Norstein’s very fine film, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF demanding rules committee. Tale of Tales [shown in the Harvey Deneroff We received films from all Champions of Animation ASSOCIATE EDITOR/PUBLICITY over the world, but best of all screenings]. Frankie Kowalski was a film made by 10-12 year Finally, I am very proud of CONTRIBUTORS : old children of the Lanterna the Olympiad, as it was a Harvey Deneroff Magica, in Turino, Italy, L’Im- unique event (both for the John R. Dilworth portante e partecipare (The Motion Picture Academy and Michael Goldman Importance is to Participate). the animation community) and Frankie Kowalski It had me in tears, I was so the only film event during the Jackie Leger happy. When Sheila Benson, 1984 Olympic Arts Festival. William Mortiz the film critic of the Los Ange- Karen Paterson Cori Stern les Times, reviewed it, there Fini Littlejohn Pam Schechter was a color still of the film Malibu, Kellie-Bea Rainey accompanying her front page Monique Renault article about the Olympiad in Judith Shane the Calendar section. (Inci- dentally, I sadly agreed with Le WEBMASTER her complaint about the omis- Guillaume Calop DESIGN/LAYOUT : sion of Disney’s Three Little Letters to the editor can be IMP Graphic Pigs from the “Champions of sent by email to editor@ e-mail : [email protected] Animation.”) awn.com, by fax to (213) 464- Christa Theoharous, Guillaume Calop Above all, I wish to give 5914 or by regular mail to Ani- ADVERTISING SALES credit to Max Massimo Garnier, mation World Magazine, 6525 North America : Wendy Jackson to whom I spoke about the Sunset Blvd., Garden Suite 10, Europe : Vincent Ferri Asia : Bruce Teitelbaum idea of an Olympiad of Ani- Hollywood CA 90028, USA. UK: Roger Watkins mation. He caught fire and

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 4

Nickelodeon Goes Global by Michael Goldman o become a global animation Nickelodeon people is how to build powerhouse, a company needs their brand while staying within the Tto be part of a global entity. Nick- confines of their self-professed pro- elodeon International certainly fits that gramming policy: to create product definition, falling under the umbrella with a “kids point of view” and “con- of parent media giant, , Inc. nect kids with kids.” Judson empha- And, although it may be argued that sized that policy repeatedly during a Nickelodeon is not yet a global ani- recent interview, making it quite clear mation powerhouse, it most certain- she and other company executives ly is a children’s entertainment pow- feel creating kid-friendly, nonviolent erhouse generally, with animation cartoons and selling them around the serving as the foundation of the com- world in no way conflicts with the pany’s growing international pres- mission of luring profits. ence. “From a business perspective, we have found that every time we do They are very Nickelodeon, something that is good for kids, it is because they come with a kid’s also good for business,” says Judson. point of view. “In the US, we have found the results of that attitude have been very posi- Lisa Judson, Senior Vice President, “Nickelodeon animation is central Creative Director & Chief of Staff, tive, and we figured out we can to our global effort,” explains Lisa Jud- Nickelodeon International extend it into the global marketplace. son, Senior Vice President and Cre- that’s the name of the game for most That kind of thinking on a global basis ative Director for Nickelodeon Inter- entertainment companies creating is a fairly new idea.” national. “Kids everywhere love ani- original intellectual properties these If Nickelodeon’s rate of expansion mation, if you give them the right days, no matter what form or genre. into the international marketplace is kind of programming. What makes In the case of animation, “brand build- any indication, that policy appears to our animation special and important ing”—creating identifiable franchises, be working thus far. The company to building our brand is we take a dif- shows and characters with long legs first began selling shows internation- ferent approach, and have since we and exploitable potential across most ally in the early 90s, launched its first went into the animation business in forms of media—is of crucial impor- foreign cable channel—Nick UK—in August of `91. We saw what other tance for those holding, or building, 1993, and followed that up with spe- people were creating for kids and significant libraries. And the cialty channels in Germany in July of most of it was action-based, violent, international marketplace is, toy-based stuff. Instead, we decided in turn, central to the suc- to go for evergreen stories and char- cess of any such policy. Dis- acters that really connect with kids. ney, Warner Bros. and Turn- Shows like and Doug are very er have always led the way Nickelodeon, because they come with in pursuing this strategy, a kid’s point of view.” and now Viacom, via its growing Nickelodeon The Name of the Game empire, is doing likewise. “Building our brand.” Indeed, Nickelodeon logo The challenge for the © Nickelodeon

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 5 , as top 10 selling children’s videos in Eng- was (initially) the land since debuting in March. Food now out-of-pro- and novelty item licensing agreements duction cult hit, are also under way in the UK and The Ren & Stim- elsewhere. Further extensive mer- py Show. As of chandise and promotional events are early August, planned throughout the world next Nickelodeon year to further the franchise. had produced “Rugrats is turning into a phe- 315 original nomenon, and it is probably our most episodes of ani- important show in terms of building mated shows our company internationally,” says since getting Judson. “It’s also a good example of into the cartoon the kind of show we feel can sell and business in still be part of our kids-first philoso- Rugrats © Nickelodeon 1991. phy: it is creative-driven and story-dri- last year and Australia this past Octo- ven, and takes risks. That kind of phi- ber. The company is now finalizing The Rugrats Phenomenon losophy has helped it touch a nerve Rugrats is the show that best illus- plans to launch a new cable web with kids around the world.” trates Nickelodeon’s attempts to brand- aimed at Latin America (based in Mia- And that, in turn, spawned the build. Quite simply, the show has mi) at the end of this year. In addi- Rugrats merchandising campaign, become an international hit. It is tion, Nickelodeon is exploring start- rather than the other way around. among the most popular children’s ing a channel for Asia, and currently Indeed, all Nickelodeon cartoons are shows in both the UK and Germany, offers programming channel blocks original, rather than deriving and the company has sold the show in Brazil, Israel and other parts of the from existing properties, and in practically every territory where it Middle East, Malaysia and Thailand. do not start life primarily as does business. Company officials say Shows are also sold on an individual efforts to sell toys or comic a recent study commissioned by basis to about 70 countries around books. Nickelodeon in Germany the world. Which is not to found that a whopping 64% All Nick channels, of course, fea- say the Nick empire of all children surveyed were ture a mix of live-action and animat- isn’t set up to exploit its familiar with the Nick- ed programming, and many of the creations in every signifi- elodeon name and pro- company’s best-selling shows around cant way possible. The com- gramming, only seven the world are live action. Still, it is clear pany has a movie unit in months after launch- that Nickelodeon’s growing anima- partnership with sister ing in that country. tion division——is central company Paramount, Further, the show to its global strategy. which launched its first has spawned a grow- The company has its own ani- title, the live-action Harriet ing demand all mation studio in , which the Spy in July, and has an around the world for currently makes two shows—Rocko’s animated Rugrats feature now in Rugrats merchandise, Modern Life and Hey Arnold! Its oth- the planning stages. The Nick- the holy grail of suc- er cartoon programs—Doug, Rugrats, elodeon infrastructure also includes cessful brand mar- Blue’s Clues © Nickelodeon a consumer products division, a keting. In the UK, in It is clear that Nicktoons is video and audio tape division, a world- particular, Rugrats stuff is hot. The central to Nickelodeon’s global wide online service, an interactive divi- company launched a Rugrats comic strategy. sion to launch CD-ROM and com- there in April, which has sold 150,000 puter game titles, a monthly maga- copies since it hit the stands, and zine, a book publishing division and launched a hardcover Rugrats annu- Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and Angry a live tour division. Beavers are or were produced by out- al comic in August. Rugrats home side animation houses, most notably videos, according to Nickelodeon numbers, have also been among the

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 6 Making Global Inroads “The way we are approaching the bing process the right way is crucial Thus, with the corporate power global marketplace is to take our basic to maintaining the integrity of our of Viacom backing up its various ini- philosophy, and then do research in shows.” tiatives, and a host of quality, nonvi- individual countries. We study cul- Another strategy has been to go olent programming to sell, Nick- tures and what kids enjoy in those into joint ventures with local broad- elodeon looks very much like a com- societies, and we try to have a deep casters and producers to co-produce understanding of the audience. Then, programming throughout the world. Nickelodeon cartoons do not we try to tailor the programming to In the UK, Nickelodeon’s channel was start out as efforts to sell toys meet the needs of that marketplace. launched in partnership with British or comic books. It’s not about simply taking a successful Sky Broadcasting; in Germany, it is formula which has worked in the US majority owned by Viacom in part- nership with Ravensburger Film and pany set up for making major glob- TV, and in Australia with XYZ Enter- al inroads. Things are going so well, tainment. Individual shows are co- in fact, that Nick decided to sell its produced with local partners, as well, two newest Nicktoons—Angry and Latin and Asian companies are Beavers and Hey Arnold!—to for- being wooed on a regular basis. eign markets even before the two As far as the future is concerned, had debuted in the US, an extreme- Judson feels it is wide open. ly rare maneuver. “We hire local people everywhere Judson says expansion into Asia we go, we have our own studio in has at its center the virtually the UK, and are very open to co-pro- untapped Chinese market. “We are ductions,” she says. “Nothing is out currently building relationships there of the question. There are lots of [in ],” she says, adding that to things on the table for us. There make the Nickelodeon brand tru- Rugrats © Nickelodeon are areas where we are looking to ly international, the company has work together in a kind of multi- to tailor its programming for specific and then repeating it in exactly the channel or cross channel environ- markets. That’s something which can same way.” ment to co-produce programs or sometimes take years of research and Thus, Nickelodeon has created acquire shows that are good for our planning. certain live-action shows, interstitials channels. “When we launched our first inter- and wraparounds that are tailored for “We can do just about anything, national service—Nick UK—it was our specific countries. It has not, thus far, as long as it is presented from a kid’s first venture outside the US. It was an created cartoon shows this way, but point of view.” important experience on a lot of lev- Judson says that remains a possibility. els, because we learned a lot about Its most successful animation over- how we need to view the interna- seas so far has been Bert the Fish, tional marketplace,” Judson says. who “hosted” programming seg- Michael Goldman is a Los Ange- ments for Nick UK view- les-based writer and editor. He is ers last season. More the author of Mortal Kombat: such efforts are planned, according to company The Movie, Behind the Scenes officials. and routinely writes about ani- Nickelodeon also mation, children’s entertainment spends a great deal of and special effects for several time and money over- publications. He is currently seeing the Associate Editor of Special process for its shows in Reports at Variety in Hollywood. various territories Rugrats because, in Judson’s © Nickelodeon words, “doing the dub-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 7 Locomotion: The Animation Network by Harvey Deneroff n recent years, there has been a has a long history in field. In fact, of Locomotion’s programming. proliferation of specialized cable its short-lived, -based Stan Sagner, Director of Program Iand satellite channels devoted to International Film Service, Service Development for Hearst children’s and/or animation established in 1915, played a small Entertainment & Syndication, sums programming. The most visible ones but significant role in the early history up the fact that, “Hearst has been have been the US-based of . The aggressively and actively producing Nickelodeon and the Cartoon operation was initially set up to over the last five years. We actually Network, which have made their exploit and publicize the comic strips were producing long before then, presence felt internationally. These that appeared in the Hearst as King Features Entertainment, and channels also have their newspapers, anticipating the type of are continuing to develop and counterparts around the world, promotional synergy so common produce on an ongoing basis.” ranging from to the today. The studio was perhaps best While these shows will form “the UK. Thus, it is not surprising that known for nurturing the talents of core of the programming,” he Locomotion, a new all-animation Gregory La Cava (who invented admits they will “not be sufficient to service, would emerge aimed at storyboarding and went on to program a whole network. So, we the Latin American via the gain fame in screwball will be acquiring additional DirecTV satellite service. in the 1930s) programming from around the A joint venture and Walter Lantz, world.” For the immediate future, between the Hearst rather than for its though, this does not include Corporation and films. original shows made just for Venezuela’s Groupo Hearst’s most Locomotion. “For the time being,” Cisneros, Locomotion long-lived he says, “we’re focusing on is a 24-hour channel connection with acquiring the best animation that will initially rely on the animation has been suits the market.” Hearst library for its through its King programming. While not Features Syndicate, which Variances in Taste substantial, the library does has licensed such classic Sagner suggests that there are features shows based on characters as some distinct differences between such popular comic and Popeye. In 1992, it Locomotion and other cartoon/ book/strip characters as 2040 set up what became children’s channels. “First of all,” Phantom 2040, The © 1994, Hearst Entertainment Hearst Animation Sagner states, “it’s not a children’s Legend of Prince Valiant and Productions in Los Angeles to channel. It’s an animation channel. Popeye; it also includes several new produce TV series. Its initial Second, unlike other channels, this shows, including Quasimodo (based production was the 26 half hour TV one was created specifically for the on Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of series, The Legend of Prince Valiant, Latin American market, and we’re Notre Dame) and . which was co-produced with a selecting animation that best suits French company, IBDH. Through that market.” A Long History this operation and other activities, I asked Sagner how the market in Hearst, mainly known as a Hearst has now built up a library of Central and South America differs publishing company, does not have about 600 half hours, that also from American or European markets. a very high profile within the includes Krazy Kat, Cool McCool and In response, he said that, “There are animation industry; nevertheless, it G-Force, which will form the kernel subtle variances in taste and

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 8 its partnership with the Cisneros Group to help level the playing field. “They bring,” Sagner states, an unprecedented, for us, level of expertise about the Latin American marketplace, about programming, distribution and marketing. “Locomotion,” he points out, “is a 50/50 joint venture. So, they’ve been involved every step of the way, from the beginning, in terms of the development of the channel; and they will certainly be involved every step of the way in running it with us.” This partnership, however, will not extend to commissioning original programming produced in Latin America for the foreseeable future. Though there has apparently been some very preliminary exploration of the capabilities of the Latin-American animation industry, Sagner points out that they are “not The Legend of Prince Valiant quite there” in being able to handle © Hearst Entertainment series production exposure. There are certain types of reference to Locomotion’s most direct animation that, I think, you would competition, the ubiquitous Cartoon A Direct-to-Home Service have a harder time showing, for Network, which already broadcasts Locomotion itself will begin example, on Saturday morning in to the Latin American marketplace broadcasting this fall, “probably the US. For example, Asian on a split day with its sister channel, sometime in October, via GLA, animation from Korea or Japan, or TNT. (The two channels have a Galaxy Latin America’s DirecTV certain European animation that I similar arrangement in both Europe service. Galaxy, which is based in think the Latin American market is and Asia.) The , of Nassau, Bahamas, has Hughes much more open to. He further course, has ready access to the Electronics (a division of General Hanna-Barbera, Warner Bros. and Motors) as its majority shareholder. It’s not a children’s channel. It’s MGM animation libraries, which are MVS Multivision, a Mexican pay-TV an animation channel. owned by its parent company, Time company, Groupo Cisneros and Warner. Televisão Abril, a Brazilian media Thus, it is obviously counting on company, are the minority partners. points out that, “there are some (GLA’ s main competition will be Japanese series that would probably the Los Angeles-based Sky never see the light of day in the Entertainment Services, which is that have done backed by Rupert Murdoch’s exceptionally well in Latin America. News Corporation, Mexico’s Nevertheless, without getting too Groupo Televisia and Brazil’s specific, the intent is to program the Organizaçõs Globo.) channel with a sensitivity to that “GLA,” Sagner states, market, instead of just taking what “provides direct-to-home service, we have here and playing it down and will make Locomotion there.” available to all of the countries This comment is an indirect Flash Gordon under its footprint, which will © Hearst Entertainment

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 9 eventually number 23. The satellite today’s Latin American marketplace, It is certainly too early to tell how service itself is brand new, so the such satellite channels will, of successful Locomotion will be. countries are coming online one by necessity, aim for a relatively more Nevertheless, its very existence, as an one, and is only available now in upscale audience than views cable important component of a major Venezuela and Brazil. By the time TV in the US or Canada. As such, its new satellite broadcasting service is we go on the air, I would expect strategy to include more adult further indication of the importance that a number of other major offerings than their North American being attached to animation in territories, including Mexico, should counterparts makes a lot sense. today’s international marketplace. If be receiving the service; and most “Our intention,” he explains, “is it also fulfills its promise to be an of the countries will be able to to also expand to cable and wireless animation and not just a children’s receive it by sometime by the middle services in about a year. Our hope channel, it can only help expand is that DirecTV is going to grow very the market for more sophisticated Such satellite channels will aim quickly, but it will certainly fare. for a relatively more upscale supplement the direct satellite audience. broadcast.” Like a number of countries in Europe, most of Central and South of next year, ranging from Mexico America lacks the cable TV down to the tip of Argentina.” infrastructure so prevalent in the US Harvey Deneroff, in addition to The programming itself will be and Canada. Sagner states that, his duties as Editor of Animation bilingual. Viewers will be able to “There are certain countries where World Magazine, edits and hear programs through two audio cable is very well developed and publishes The Animation Report, channels either dubbed in Spanish obviously that would be a very smart an industry newsletter, which or (for Brazil) in Portugese, or in their route for us to take. However, there can be reached at original language. “Thus,” Sagner are others where there is little or no [email protected]. points out, “if the original program cable or wireless service available, was American, British or Canadian, and satellite systems are pretty much the secondary language will be the only means of getting English. If it’s a French program, then multichannel television.” mostly likely the secondary language will be French.” “It’s our intention,” he says, “to provide a variety of top quality animation that appeals to all ages. It’s clear to us that there is an appetite for this type programming, not just for children, but for teenagers and adults as well. We think that we can fill that need. In other words, they’ll be programming that appeals to adult sensibilities. “For example,” he points out, that besides a lot of very strong action- adventure programming from Japan, there are also shows from Europe that are a little more sophisticated,” referring to such things as the new adult series being programmed by Britain’s Channel 4. Phantom 2040 Given the economic realities of © 1994, Hearst Entertainment

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 10

TV’s Fall Animation Lineup

n the United States, late August yet to have aired in the US. the Disney live-action films, as well and early September marks a time On the cable front, Nickelodeon as by the fact that Disney owns a Iwhen children return to school its expanding the parameters of its hockey team with the same name. and the new TV season starts. In animation programming to prime The characters in the show are terms of animation, the new fall time, as its more adult-oriented Nick crime fighting, hockey playing schedule reflects some major at Night block of evening shows ducks from another planet and corporate changes, including the starts to fade away in favor of its some of the voice regulars are Jim takeover of Capital Cities/ABC by new cable outlet, TV Land. Belushi, Ian Ziering and Tim Carrey. Disney and the establishment of With these changes in mind, It debuts on September 8 and is two new broadcast networks— what follows is a rundown of what’s also airing in syndication. Brand Warner Bros.’ WB Network and new or renewed on American Spanking New Doug is from Jumbo Paramount’s UPN—both of which television on the broadcast Pictures (now owned by Disney) rely heavily on animation. networks, cable and in syndication and, yes, based on the old The new terrestrial networks this coming season. Nickelodeon standard, Doug. It have effectively cut down the begins on September 12 and amount of air time available for The Broadcast Networks shows how young Doug “gets by syndication companies to sell their ABC: One of the most visible signs in life.” shows to independent stations, of Disney’s takeover of the ABC-TV , from DIC network is the studio’s Entertainment (now also part of complete dominance the Disney empire), which enjoyed of the network’s a successful run in syndication, will Saturday morning be added to the network’s lineup, lineup. Gone are such as well as also being cablecast on independently- the USA Network. Distributed by produced shows as Bohbot, it is an action-adventure Reboot and Bump in series about four half-shark, half- the Night, which have human brothers who dominate the been replaced by street as they enforce their brand of shows turned out by Jawstice and the Law of the Jaw. various divisions of the Also returning in syndication and Mouse House. premiering on the network is Among the Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles newcomers to from Disney Television Animation. © Disney Saturday morning is It follows the adventures of a many of which have now become The , a sequel to The mystical, ancient clan of fearsome, affiliated with one of the two new Jungle Book. The series, which winged creatures who come alive networks. Despite this, the amount debuts October 5, features , at night and turn to stone at of animation offered in syndication Prince Louie and other favorite sunrise. is still rather substantial. Some characters who learning the shows, like Dinobabies (Fred importance of friendship and the CBS: Project G.eeK.eR. is an action Wolf/Shanghai Morning Sun), have laws of life in the jungle. There is adventure series focusing on the been successful overseas, but have also The Mighty Ducks, inspired by exploits of a nerdy hero who

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 11 happens to have unlimited powers. Is Carmen Sandiego (DIC), Bobby’s new on UPN is Jumanji, based on The problem is he does not know World (), Eek! the Robin Williams film, which how to use them. Film Roman’s The Stravaganza (), The follows the adventures of two Mask (based on the popular Jim Adventures of & Robin children who find their lives turned Carry feature) and The Twisted Tales (Warner Bros.), upside-down when they discover of (the latest (Hyperion), Spider-Man (Marvel), X- a mystical board game that pulls incarnation of the classic character) Men (Saban/Graz) and The Tick them into a perilous jungle world. have been renewed for a second (Sunbow/Graz). season. Also returning is Disney’s In the meantime, WB Network: The surprisingly ’s Timon & Pumbaa, (Gracie/Film Roman) comes back strong showing the new network which will have new episodes for another season on prime time.. has had in the ratings race has, in running both on Saturday morning large part, been attributed to its and in syndication; the show, of UPN: The new network, which is strong animation lineup. It also course, deals with the exploits of still finding its legs, will premiere helps to have a number of popular feisty meerkat, Timon and his franchise characters readily Pumbaa, Also returning are Ace available from Warner Bros. and Ventura: Pet Detective and Fred . Wolf Films’ old perennial, Teenage New this fall is based Mutant Ninja Turtles. on the classic DC Comic character from Warners. The series will Fox: The Network, which undoubtedly draw its inspiration has been the dominant force from the old Max Fleischer among terrestrial broadcasters these Superman cartoons, which had past few years, has renewed most The Incredible Hulk previously inspired Warner’s highly shows from last season, but will © UPN successful Batman: The Animated introduce several new titles this Series. Tim Daly is supplying the time around. These include Casper, four new shows this fall. The Mouse voice of the Man of Steel while the inspired by the old and the Monster, produced by voice of Lois Lane belongs to Dana cartoons and last year’s live-action Saban (which is programming the Delaney. film, from Universal Cartoon Studios UPN Kids lineup), is described as a Warners is also producing and Harvey Entertainment. Also Rocky & Bullwinkle for the 21st , which provides century. The plot involves an comedian ’ debut “outrageous monster” and his in animation. The show is about sidekick mouse who are being Darney Walker, a 10-year-old living chased by a mad scientist who is in lower , who is the after the monster’s brain. Also from neighborhood underdog and Saban is Bureau of Alien Detectors, struggles with the problems of which is being touted as an “X-Files preadolescence. Then there is Road meets The A-Team.” This action- Rovers, which feature some adventure series, which premieres superhero dogs who protect the in September, is about a secret The Tick group who protects the world from © Fox Broadcasting Co. supernatural encounters. Marvel will provide an animated new is Film Roman’s C-Bear and incarnation of The Incredible Hulk, Jamal, which explores the which features the classic character relationship between Jamal, a in various modern day adventures. young African-American boy, and Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk C-Bear, his stuffed animal on the live-action TV show, will companion who walks, talks and supply the voice, joining a vocal transports him to imaginary places. cast that also includes Luke Perry, Earthworm Jim Returning are Where On Earth Genie Francis and . Also © Universal Cartoon Studios

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 12 galaxy. , Pinky & The will use a variety of styles and networks, along with Hanna- Brain, Freakazoid (all three from techniques, ranging from cutout Barbera, are now controlled by Spielberg/Warners), The Sylvester to pixiliation, along with more Time Warner, which got them in & Mysteries (Warners) and traditional cel animation. Each its takeover of Turner Broadcasting.) Earthworm Jim (Universal Cartoon episode will feature two segments, Also on the schedule is Dexter’s Studios) are all returning. Action League Now! (which follows Laboratory and the World Premiere the ongoing adventures of a group Toons series of original animated PBS: The public broadcaster is bumbling, crime-fighting action shorts, both from Hanna-Barbera. expanding its initial foray into series figures) and Sniz & Fondue (about animation that began with The a pair of cartoon cats and their MTV: , the Beavis and Butt- Magic Schoolbus with two new in pursuit of fun and “self- Head spinoff, which debuts early shows. Premiering in October is amusement.”). Additional recurring next year, follows its heroine as she Arthur, which is based on Marc segments will rotate throughout moves to a new town and starts Brown’s popular children’s books the series. school. MTV is also currently about the trials and tribulations of Finally, there is ’s developing Cartoon Girl and an eight-year-old aardvark. (Gunther Wahl), Migraine Boy. The latter character network is also debuting its first which will debut in 1997. It deals who, not surprisingly has a prime-time animated show, with two brothers who set out on constant headache, has a dog Adventures From the Book of their own for the first time and try named Tylenol, not surprisingly has Virtues. Based on William J. to make it in the big world. a constant headache. Bennett’s best-selling book, The Book of Virtue,from USA Network: Universal PorchLight Entertainment Cartoon Studios and and Fox Animation. The Electronic Arts have Magic Schoolbus (Schola- combined forces to stic/Nelvana) based on the produce Wing Com- popular science books for mander Academy, based children, returns on a daily on the CD-ROM game, basis, starting October 7. which will debut this fall. Lily Tomlin once again It focuses on futuristic supplies the voice of the pilots earning their wings. peripatetic bus driver cum Also premiering (on teacher, Mrs. Frizzle September 21) is Mortal Combat: Defenders of the © Universal Cartoon Studios Cable Realm, which is being Nickelodeon: The network which Returning Nicktoons are Rugrats produced by Film Roman in practically invented the current 1997and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters association with Threshold trend toward “creator-driven” TV (both from Klasky Cuspo). Little Bear Entertainment. The series chronicles shows with its Nicktoons, will debut (Nelvana), which is not part of the the adventures of the Chosen its new lineup on October 7 in Nicktoon curriculum, is also coming Warriors assembled to protect the prime time with ’s Hey back; the show tells the story of a Earth from the evil emperor Shao Arnold! The show, which explores young cub taking his first steps of Kahn. childhood through the eyes of independence always under the Returning in the fall for its Arnold and his best friends, was guidance of his mother. second season are Street Fighter inspired by some of Bartlett’s (InVision), another video game popular clay-animated shorts. Cartoon Network: The Real derivative, and Savage Dragon, Decidedly less conventional is Adventures of , the based on the comic book. In Kablam!, which debuts October much touted return of the Hanna addition, there is Highlander, The 11, which is billed as “the first-ever Barbera perennial premiered in (Gaumont) and animated show.” August on the Cartoon Network, the prime time comedy, Designed as a creative outlet for as well as its two sister Turner cable (Klasky Csupo). new and established animators, it outlets, TBS and TNT. (All three

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 13 will feature new knights and dragons from the The Fantastic Voyage of , episodes of The Tick along with its dragons’ point of view. which is based on the classic award-winning Dr. Katz Profes- Bruno The Kid features Bruce character from the Arabian Nights, sional Therapist . Willis as the voice of a 10-year-old is being distributed by Warner Bros. computer wiz whose digitally- Flash Gordon (Hearst) is a new generated, super spy alter-ego gets series based on the classic comic him involved in international strip. It is set in a future filled with espionage. The show begins black holes, time warps, humanoid September 23. creatures and ingenious Captain Simian & The Space technology. Monkey (Hallmark/Monkeyshine G.I. Joe Extreme (Claster) has /Bohbot) features Captain Simian G.I. Joe and his squad protecting and his monkeys in their battle humanity from the forces of SKAR, Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist Courtesy of Comedy Central against the evil Nebula. thus keeping the world free from Cave Kid Adventures (Hanna impending disaster. HBO: The premium cable channel Barbera) is a Flintstones spinoff that Home to Rent (Gaumont) is will bring back The Neverending features Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm about five alien monsters who find Story (Nelvana), which is based on as prehistoric preschoolers. refuge in an abandoned house and the live-action German feature Dinobabies ( Films, will do anything to keep it from version of the classic novel. Dublin/Shanghai Morning/ being rented. Westinghouse), tells of how five Mayan Monsters of the Yucatan Showtime: Returning this season dinosaurs and their neighbor act Kort (EM3/Bohbot) is an action is Cinar’s The Busy World of Richard out fairy tales. adventure series that shows how Scarry, based on the popular (Saban) is a team work, intelligence, speed and children’s books. Also coming back mystical action adventure show agility are what triumphs in the in September is A Bunch of Munsch featuring characters “who embody end. based on Robert Munsch’s tales. the essence of good and evil.” Pocket Dragon Adventures Eagle Riders (Saban) is about a (Bohbot) follows the adventures of Syndication team of five young avengers who miniature dragons who live in “an (Disney), the popular use their special powers to battle environment of adventure and series based on the feature that evil villains. learning.” follows the escapades of Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Iago and Abu returns for another season. All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series is the new MGM show based on the Don Bluth film featuring the further exploits and shenanigans of Charlie and a pack of gangster dogs living in New Orleans. The series, which debuts September 21, is distributed by Claster. Beast Wars (Claster) premieres September 16 and features powerful robotic beings—Maximals and Predicons—who crash land on an earth-like planet and battle each other for control of a uniquely powerful energy source called energon. Blazing Dragons (Nelvana/ Beast Wars Ellipse) tells of a battle between © Alliance Communcations

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 14 were created by alien sound waves. VOR: Tech (Universal/Claster Television) is an action/fantasy program that features two research scientist brothers, who harness a computer virus to create a new technology that transforms ordinary beings and machines into a single biomechanical unit. ’s Field Trip The Why Why Family (Saban) © DIC Entertainment features a family able to travel Saban’s Adventures of Oliver anywhere to find answers to Twist (Saban) attempts to present questions. Charles Dickens’ characters in a new light as anthromorphic animals. The story, though, is still set in Victorian London, which is home to 12- Dragon Flyz year-old Oliver. © Abrams/Gentile Entertainment (Disney) has Donald (Saban) features a group Duck as a cameraman for an of superhero crime entertainment news show called fighters who own their What in The World? and who has own pizza parlor in the to contend with raising his three thriving metropolis of 16-year-old nephews. Little Tokyo. The Why Why Family Reboot (Alliance/Mainframe/ Sky Dancers and © Claster), the all-CGI show which Dragon Flyz (Gaumont made its debut on ABC in 1994, /Abrams/Gentile). When Gaumont takes viewers into Mainframe, a decided to build an animated series covert electrical world inside a around Sky Dancers, the popular personal computer controlled by girl’s toy, they also came up with a The User. companion show for boys, Dragon Richie Rich (Film Roman/ Flyz. (The new show naturally Harvey/Claster), based on the brought about a new line of toys, Pam Schechter is an classic comic book character, tells of as well). The former show follows entertainment attorney in New the further adventures of the the adventures of five young York City. Her practice includes a world’s richest 11-year-old, who has dancers who are chosen by the last special concentration in the a virtual fairyland of fun and power reigning monarch to become Sky animation industry. She at his disposal. Dancers. The latter is a futuristic represents several animators action-adventure series that takes including Eric Fogel, the creator place in the 41st century, in which of the MTV animated series The a man and dragonfly live as one Head and Beavis and Butt-Head as they battle against the evil animation director Yvette Dreadwing. Kaplan. Sticken Around (Nelvana/Ellipse) stars imaginary stick figures from the mind of an eight-year-old girl and her best friend. Samurai Pizza Cats (DIC) is about © Saban Entertainment superhumans called Ultras who

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 15 Crocadoo Entertains with ENERGEE by Karen Paterson

nimation is the hot career is connected to the conflict more relevant to today’s audience. for many young Australian between the crocodiles, led by More than 50 digital work- Agraphics professionals,” Jazz and Brian, and Rufus B. stations, including high-end according to Gerry Travers, Hardacre, the ruthless property Marketing & Distribution Manager developer who is only interested for Australian animation house, in getting the crocs out of It has become Australia’s Energee Entertainment. After all, Crocadoo so that he can build a leading series house with a the Australian animation industry new resort. swag of international projects is booming and Sydney-based Energee is no exception, with its Special FX own successful series, Crocadoo, Crocadoo is distinguished by Silicon Graphics computers and screening on the Nine Network— the fact that, in addition to its Power Macs were used for the 3D one of Australia’s major clever animation, it uses some of backgrounds. Special particle commercial television effects for rain, networks. snow, lightning From its beginnings as and time distortion Unlimited Energee in were also created 1989 with just 20 using digital people, Energee has means. The show’s experienced rapid directors have also growth to become successfully Australia’s leading series scripted 2D and 3D animation production action sequences house with more than together, using the 100 staff and a swag of same Alias software international projects used in such live- under its belt. Energee action features as was founded by Gerry Jurassic Park. and John Travers, who Gerry Travers saw animation as a feels growth market, that,”Crocadoo particularly with the merges the proliferation of new traditional skills of television outlets The cast of characters from Crocadoo. animators with the © Energee following the modern introduction of pay TV, cable TV the latest in computer animation technology skills of many young and multimedia. software. Thus, it features 3D multimedia creatives to bring a Crocadoo itself is a children’s backgrounds that allow for a lively, exciting and ‘real life’ show, aimed at 8 to 12 year olds, great variety of special effects and cartoon to children of every which seeks to convey a value for camera tricks. The colorful and culture.” nature through comedy and stylized art direction is designed to The series also showcases the action. The conservation message make the show appealing and Computer Enhanced Classical

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 16 Animation Production System partners including in coloring and animating a (CECAPS), a proprietary animation the USA, Virgin Interactive in the drawing. Some color and image compression software UK, Ravensburger Film and TV in combinations don’t animate well developed internally by Senior Germany, Longman Asia in Hong and the children can learn this by Research and Development Kong and the Nine Network in Manager, Richard Collins. Travers Australia.” Animation on the Web is a notes that, “CECAPS provided the Apart from producing its own natural extension to the company with a taste of the series, Energee has played a activities that many animators future in digital ink and paint. significant role in projects already cover. Using specially programmed including the Disney’s popular algorithms developed in Aladdin TV series; the 39 episode coloring an image of Brian, in the conjunction with the University of Gogo’s Adventures for Longman “Color in a Crocodile” page on the Australia, it allows Asia; animation of a series of site. automated painting of hundreds bumpers for the highly successful “In many ways,” Travers asserts, of drawings at the touch of a Australian Broadcasting “ the techniques developed by button. CECAPS helps to minimize Corporation series Bananas in Energee have led the charge to some of the repetitive tasks in the Pyjamas to help repackage the digital series production and noncreative area, such as coloring series for US release; and Hoops, animation. The company’s cells and scanning images” an animated NBA basketball experience with both analog and game for Sony Playstations and digital processes has given the Flexibility and Sega Saturn platforms. company a lead in the Diversification international animation industry.” Travers also feels that the future Animation Online of the animation industry lies in Animation is moving online, The Business of Creativity diversification. It is this, he claims, following the growth in the World Travers further noted that that makes Energee more flexible Wide Web, with concurrent international companies come to than traditional international enhancements to web browsers Energee for their business skills as animation companies and and technologies like Sun’s Java, much as its creativity. “Energee is contributes to its success. “We and Macromedia’s . able to provide the full range of took full advantage of our creative The arrival of these technologies skills required to project manage and technical expertise gained in has extended the range and type and produce an animated series, the creation of Crocadoo,” he of projects that animators get animation on CD-ROM and notes, “by reusing the material to involved in. Animation on the animation on the Internet.” produce a CD-ROM game, a Web is a natural extension to the When asked about the reason video and a web site. It is this activities that many animators for Energee’s success in both the ability to work with different already cover. When artists design international and domestic mediums—video, online, and TV characters, they consider all markets, Travers commented, that is attractive to many of our aspects of visual feedback: international partners.” color, depth, movement, Very much an export-oriented and texture. They also business, Energee Entertainment consider the interaction has completed 13 movies for with other characters, the overseas distribution and has timing and sequencing of many strategic partnerships with events. These same skills can large international companies. be used very effectively with Marketing & Distribution Manager on the Web. (2) Gerry Travers, indicated that, For example, Java and “Through our expertise in digital Shockwave are used production and our extensively in the company’s understanding of the Crocadoo Web site to international market , we formed educate children regarding Hardy & Ajax strategic relationships with the issues associated with © Energee

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 17 “Whilst we are working in a company that creates animations highly successful owner, producer creative industry—the for TV commercials. and distributor of content in the professional animation market— Energee Entertainment also international media industry. we are very aware of its handles distribution of animated “Our record of achievement, competitiveness and run our TV series of its own shows, as well developed during the production business as a commercial as any international co- of over 50 hours of animation enterprise.” productions that it is a production, has given Energee partner in. “Quality the ability and confidence to meet Company product is always in he demands of the fast emerging Structure great demand in markets for digital media Energee the world products. Entertainment markets,” is made up of a Travers says, number of “so Energee attends departments: all the major Energee Series— American and responsible for the European production of markets that buy Karen Paterson is a Sydney- Crocadoo and other Jazz playing the sax, from Crocadoo. and sell based publicist for a number of animated TV series; © Energee animation and high tech companies, including Energee Interactive—CD-ROM new media products. Energee Entertainment. She is production including, Tales from “As part of our future growth also studying part-time for her the Kangaroo Crypt, Hoops, and strategy, we have secured the Bachelor of Business degree, Crocadoo Park; and Energee rights to a number of original and majoring in Marketing and Online—offering Java existing stories from Australia and Psychology. programming to companies who overseas. Our project want to include animations on management of multimillion their Web pages. Finally there’s dollar projects is the central plank RedRock Animation—the in our strategy to becoming a REGISTER with Animation World Network TODAY and

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ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 18 SO YOU WANNA BEAN ANIMATION EXECUTIVE? by Cori Stern

Hey boys and girls, have you always dreamed of a career in the glamorous world of animation development but you just don’t know if you have what it takes? It’s not as hard as you might think! Cori Stern, Saban Entertainment Here’s a simple test to help you determine if you belong in the high-powered world of cartoon creation:

1. It’s your first day on the job! Do you...

a) Arrive early, read the trades, and prepare for the rest of the day? b) Schedule a power lunch with your colleagues to discuss the fall line-up c) Hang out in your office and take advantage of the free long distance by calling your seventh- grade algebra teacher to gloat over the fact that you’re abig Hollywood executive now and who needed to know the value of X, anyway?

2. Office decor is oh-so-important to the rising young executive’s image. One’s choice of decorative garnishes says a lot about one’s creativity. It’s time to decorate your new office! Do you fill your office with...

a) Cool toys from various shows your company has produced? b) Cool toys from various shows you’ve actually worked on? c) Cool toys from various shows you want everyone to think you worked on?

3. You’ve just received the not-so-great results of the latest focus group testing your pet project. Do you...

a) Examine the data and redevelop your show accordingly? b) Ask for further testing across a wider demographic sampling? c) Decide that focus groups are a diabolical plot by the Evil Anti-Creativity Overlord to put an end to is smart and good, in order to hasten the inevitable downward spiral of the human race and ultimately reduce us to drooling, monosyllabic, knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers.

4. Your company has begun installing computer workstations and utilizing new digital tools. Do you...

a) Applaud the production department for their efforts to bring your company into the new age of technology?

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 19 b) Learn all you can about computer animation so that you can develop new cutting-edge properties? c) Sneak into the studio after work to see if you can figure out how to animate that wacky photocopy of the Senior V.P.’s butt that you snagged after last year’s office Christmas party?

5. It’s Comic-Con time! Do you prepare by...

a) Making your hotel reservations early? b) Buying a pair of comfortable shoes for walking the floor? c) Packing your full Klingon warrior regalia costume and praying for a George Takei sighting?

6. At Comic-Con, you’ve spotted a property that could be the next Smurfs! Unfortunately, your arch rival at Deep Pockets Productions has also targeted your prize. Do you...

a) Take the creator out to dinner and convince him that you alone understand his masterpiece? b) Pow-wow with your buddy at the network to try to secure an advance on-air commitment? c) Slip your rival some “roofies” and spirit the creator off to Tijuana for some Cuervo with your business affairs office?

7. In your annual job review, your boss has suggested that you need to work on your ability to come up with merchandisable properties. Do you...

a) Scour expos for the next phenomenon? b) Gather a group of hip Gen-X ad geniuses to brainstorm new and innovative product tie-ins? c) Offer the God of Licensing a sacrifice of twenty camels, a vintage Chewbaca action figure, and your sister in return for a master toy license on your next series?

8. You’re having dinner with your French co-producers to discuss a new series. Do you attempt to impress them with...

a) Your amazing command of the French language? b) Your vast knowledge of fine wine? c) Your thinly-veiled scorn for all cultural icons they hold dear?

9. It’s the holiday season and you’ve got to buy gifts for all your hard-working staff artists and writers. Do you buy them...

a) Framed cels featuring characters from classic shows? b) Rare toys featuring characters from classic shows? c) Pez dispensers featuring characters from classic shows?

10. It’s five o’clock and your thirty-seventh meeting of the day is in the conference room setting up an elaborate pitch involving feathered monkey hand puppets and an accordion orchestra. Do you... a) Call his agent and beg to reschedule? b) Take the meeting and excuse yourself as soon as possible? c) Sign him to a deal sight unseen because you want to prove that you can make sound executive decisions despite the fact that you’re delirious from too much work and too many trips to the whiskey flask hidden in the file room? Besides, accordions are “edgy.”

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 20 11. Your department is expanding and you have to hire a new executive. Do you choose...

a) The hard-working department assistant who has proven herself bright and capable? b) The smart and creative up-and-comer from a rival studio? c) The CEO’s wife’s personal assistant-in-charge-of-poodle-care?

12. Your boss is on vacation. Do you use your time to... a) Compile daily development updates and fax them to his hotel? b) Check on every project on the slate and keep careful tabs on their progress? c) Sleep late and throw nightly keggers in his office paid for out of the petty cash fund, resulting in the need to hock his prized comic book collection to cover your crime?

13. You’ve been invited to write an article for a prominent trade magazine. Do you...

a) Spend weeks interviewing the top professionals in your field in order to produce a comprehensive report on The State of the Art of Animation? b) Write a lengthy tome contemplating the history of animation and discussing the philosophical and stylistic differences between McLaren and McCay? c) Wait until the last day and then spend the final hours imploring your assistant to make six separate trips to Starbucks for the necessary caffeine and cursing the name of the editor who agreed to give you the assignment in the first place?

So, how’d you score?

If you chose mostly A’s: Congratulations, you’ll make a great animation executive!

If you chose mostly B’s: Get your resume ready, kid! You’ll do a fine job!

If you chose any C’s: Forget about it, pal - this town isn’t big enough for two of us!

Cori Stern is a happy but twisted development executive at Saban Entertainment. Her past experience includes pond diving for golf balls, writing musical comedies, and serving as the CEO’s wife’s personal-assistant-in-charge-of-poodle- care. She thanks her very funny husband Doug for contributing a few good punchlines. (He’s an animation writer - hire him!)Comments and bon mots can be e-mailed to Cori (and her husband) at [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 21 ListenListen Up,Up, It’It’ss PlaytimePlaytime by Judith Shane

bring a couple of are you? four year olds to the The What the Heck Ipark, the only place Will Elroy Do Next? series, is around big enough deemed appropriate for to contain their joie those aged 7 to 10. A new de vivre—not to title, Iz & Oggie, is currently mention their joie de in beta testing. jouer. There is an Now there is beta empty grass playing testing and there is beta field with a shallow testing. Headbone consumer muddy hole near tests its products in the local one corner. The kids public schools. And that too look it over. One of is an interactive process. With them picks up a small the help of interested branch and pokes at Infinity City:Time Museum Mix and Match teachers, The company’s the ground. Within © Headbone Interactive staff provides the CDs and two minutes, they start a game. Rules excursion into Internet goes into classrooms to observe the are yelled out, elaborated, solidified, programming, a drumbeat of kudos children playing the games. dismissed. Play progresses. Stops. from print magazines to online Although the games don’t require Starts over from the middle, the magazines to the Parents’ Choice more than one player, several beginning. Points are won. Points Foundation have heralded the children can take turns and play at lost. “You’ve had your turn.” “That conclusion that Headbone indeed the same time. didn’t count.” Elaborate negotiations knows how to play. The staff overhears as well as over instantaneously arcane rules of questions the kids and they listen to order. Roles emerge within seconds. The Operative Word the answers. Rituals fitting for a cabal are A Seattle animation company To make a user-friendly CD for developed then discarded within the begun in 1993, Headbone children, it helps to think the way space of minutes. The only constant Interactive is the brainchild of Susan the kids do, or at least be aware of I recognize is the muddy hole. Lammers and Walter Euyang, who Twenty minutes of excited also have children together in the screaming, jumping and running real world. Headbone produces two Simple animation rich in around in quelching shoes is series of interactive CD-ROMs for content with the wacky feel of interrupted by the return of the children., aged 4 to 10. The a giggly kid who can’t sit still. mothers and time to go. operative word is interactive. Both Not an easy task to invent a game, series combine cartoon-like their cosmology. Taking into account unless, of course, you happen to be animation against photographic a child’s eye view of the world, a a child. Children excel at play. To backgrounds to produce simple successful game will help kids have capture their attention requires play animation rich in content with the wonderful ideas and feel good about at least as interesting as what kids wacky feel of a giggly kid who can’t themselves for having them. can create on their own. sit still. Can a CD-ROM do that? Can it The GiggleBone Gang series Animation & Design Issues even come close? Headbone presently comprises three I asked Scott Hudson, the Creative Interactive thinks so and they may edutainment CDs (AlphaBonk Farm, Director at Headbone, who be right. From the release of their Pantsylvania, Infinity City) directed developed their animation first CD in 1994 to their recent to those aged four to, well, how old technique, what he was aiming for,

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 22 games or education. “We have a staff of 8 to 10, not rest is filled in by the audience. The “We take different approaches counting the actors: 4 animators, 3 parts of a drawing with the most with the different age groups,” writers, 1 person for sound effects, impact tend to be the most simply Hudson said, depending on who is 1 for music, 2 programmers, a drawn. The starkness of the image doing the buying. When the parents photographer and a makes it stand out, while its iconic are buying, the market is for quality makes its meaning easy edutainment. Specifically, the to recognize.” most education for the buck. For Overlooking the fact that the older kids, the games are adults in other (non-Western) primarily games. The kids cultures also relish cartoons, themselves are behind the Rushkoff talks about how the purchases.” simplicity of cartoon characters is He pointed out that the major just what lets children identify design issues are: “1) to produce with them so completely across enough work to sustain the story cultural and national divides. and 2) create an interface that is It’s their generality which makes simple to use. The Elroy titles and them universal. Makes them Iz and Oggie have two hours of icons: Visually simple, Elroy and Syd, the heros of Elroy Hits the Pavement. animation apiece and are story- © Headbone Interactive conceptually fertile vehicles for driven. remembering . “We needed to be able to producer/director. It will be 11 produce a lot of animation quickly, months from idea to [projected] They communicate with basic so we use one tool only and create shipping date for Iz and Oggie. And symbols and relationships, and a flat, stripped-down character we were in production for four the rest is filled in by the design with a low frame rate. We months.” audience. don’t worry about the jagged edges, as they blend with the photographic A Simple Style backgrounds, which in turn help to Aside from expediency, there is I asked Hudson whether, in the create a simple transparent interface another reason for Hudson to interest of expediency, he forsaw a for the player. I prefer to concentrate champion a simple cartoon style, change from a 2D cartoon animation on an idea, and not the laborious one beautifully elucidated in Douglas to something digital for Headbone. execution of the idea. A good model Rushkoff”s Playing The Future, with “I try to be conservative,” he replied, is the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, the telling subtitle, How Kids’ Culture “and produce something people can which were content rich but had Can Teach Us To Thrive in an Age of use and enjoy Something that they’ll simple drawings.” Chaos. buy again. You really don’t need all When I asked Hudson about Rushkoff says that, that high-tech stuff. What people the production process, “Comic books may really want to see is a good story. he said that, “We seem visually Besides, consumer machines are develop a pretty primitive. And without a high scrapbook of end computer, they won’t be able multiple positions to appreciate it. for each character oversimplified and work from and Variability & Interactivity that. Generally thematically Headbone stresses interactivity about 100 to begin primitive to most where kids are in control of shaping and approaching adults, but these the scene and the action. But what 1,000 by the time we very qualities are is so special about the interactivity? finish. And we are The Gigglebone Gang what permit an “We learned a lot observing the on the way to Infinity City. always writing while in © Headbone Interactive active participation kids test the games,” Hudson says. production. It is a true from their readers. “The children weren’t satisfied with team effort to produce one of these They communicate with basic just one story line. ‘I wish there was titles. symbols and relationships, and the some way to jump around,’ they

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 23 said. We realized that the children that if, as he believed, the aim of video games, which are presented were willing to accept partial failure intellectual training is to produce with charm and humor within the a lot more readily than total failure. “intellectual explorers,” then the best framework of a child’s cosmology. So we developed games with way to go about it is to have the You don’t have to “start at the child discover or invent ways of beginning and go to the end and dealing with objects for himself. stop,” as we once learned to do from We realized that the children But not many put Piaget’s ideas Winnie the Pooh. were willing to accept partial into practice so engagingly as do A Headbone story sets the stage failure a lot more readily than these CD-ROMs. to let the interactivity begin. The story total failure. line progresses according to a player’s Netscapades choices. Get all the bad guys, you Headbone recently took Elroy to proceed to one stage. Defeat half different possible levels of the Internet in Elroy’s Netscapade, the bad guys, you go to a different achievement, both within the a “directed program” for exploring stage. Or, you can decide to skip segments and throughout the whole sites on the Web, designed as a what’s happening next and move game. treasure hunt with prizes for forward or backward to another “For example, there is a math concept associated with each area in Infinity City, and each area gives a player five different ways to approach the concept. You can choose among different levels of difficulty, or play against time. “That kind of variability plus, the sheer amount of material in each CD cannot be found in a book or on television. Nor can you match the immediacy of the situations in any other way. I mean, where else Iz and Auggie decide how to deal with an Elite Qubic Pentameter Security Guard in the forthcoming Escape From Dimension Q. - © Headbone Interactive can you so easily combine a duck and a Volkswagen and get the individuals and classrooms. The challenge. And with all of the games, learning hit and satisfaction from the program takes the form of a cartoon the end of the game isn’t the end of result: a duckwagon. mystery in seven episodes, which the game. You can play it again, Listening to Hudson, one can are released over a period of a week. Sam, indefinitely, or until you lose almost hear the developmental The contestants search the Web to interest. Return to any point of psychologist Piaget murmuring in get information Elroy needs to solve interaction, do it over, check out the the background his own words from the mystery. result and choose to move to the Science of Education and Psychology I asked Hudson how the first next step or jump around. of the Child: “... knowledge is derived netscapade, which occurred in May, After all, children understand well from action ...To know an object is went. “The response from teachers that life does not proceed in an to act upon it and to transform it ... has been very gratifying,” he noted, orderly fashion. And that you can To know is therefore to assimilate “especially from those teaching fifth always rewrite the script, at least until reality into structures of to ninth grades. They’re so thankful time out. transformation, and these are the for something to do on the Internet structures that intelligence constructs with the kids. Future netscapades as a direct extension of our actions.” will take advantage of Narratives’ Judith Shane is a Seattle-based Nowadays, many agree with Enliven software to stream animation freelance writer and editor. Her Piaget that the aim of teaching over the Internet.” email address is should be to enable children to think By design or serendipity, fox2trot.earthlink.net creatively and innovatively on the Headbone has evolved a winning one hand, and to develop the faculty combination of sophisticated of critical thinking on the other. And software, cartoon characters and

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 24 LarryLarry JordanJordan by Jackie Leger

from 1951-53, where he became also made a trilogy of surrealist films: attracted to the work of surrealist painter Cotillion, Midnight Party and Children’s Max Ernst. He also recalls, due to his Party. Jordan has fond memories of active involvement with the university’s Cornell as a cultural eccentric, passionate film society, being influenced by the about poetic engagement within the work of another surrealist, Jean context of his “monologues.” Cocteau, and in particular Blood of a Poet. But it was through his reading of A Personal Vision Ernst’s collage novels, Women Without Like many other experimental a Head/Women with 100 Heads and filmmakers of his era, Jordan came into Larry Jordan A Week of Happiness, that inspired him his own remarkable style in the 1960s. antastic landscapes of the mind is to collect engravings, then refilming His personal vision is symbolized in Duo what makes the unique work of them into what became his first collage Concertantes (1964), heavily influenced FSan Francisco Larry experiments. At the time, experimental by Ernst. This nine-minute film used Jordan so compelling. With a taste for filmmakers often looked to the world engravings as backgrounds and, while nostalgic romanticism for intricate turn- of art and poetry in their quest to having no story line per se, Jordan of-the-century illustrations, Jordan develop a new filmic language using linked unconscious chains of events by creates a magical universe of work using historical references. motion. This moving collage won him old steel engravings and collectable In the 1950s, Jordan was spending many awards at festivals and paved memorabilia. His 50-year pursuit into the time with Stan Brakhage on New York’s the way for the more ambitious works subconscious mind gives him a place Lower East Side/The Bowery, in the annals of cinema as a prolific where he had the chance to animator on a voyage into the surreal meet American collagist and psychology of the inner self. surrealist Joseph Cornell. Between Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1934, 1955-65, Jordan studied and Jordan was introduced to filmmaking collaborated with Cornell, who by Stan Brakhage, one of the pioneers has remained a kind of spiritual of American experimental film. As mentor for his work. Cornell, born classmates, they began to investigate in Nyack, New York in 1903, the possibilities of filmed “psychodrama,” studied romance languages at a form of free-association using dream Philips Academy before starting imagery. One of Jordan’s earliest films, his own obsessive career Sophie’s Place (1986) One Romantic Adventure of Edward collecting visual fragments from Courtesy of Larry Jordan (1952) uses erotic visual references literature, dance, art and film assembled in the style of the then in- publications to create masterpieces of to come. vogue classic school of “Russian collage, culminating in his dimensional While spending a summer with montage.” Brakhage made his acting boxes. Cornell, also interested in the Cornell, Jordan made three short films debut in this film and both work of Max Ernst and the surrealists, using soft, lyrical animation—Dream experimented with psycho-adventures Merchant, Pink Swine and throughout the 1950s, as did other Experimental filmmakers often Gymnopede—all using well-known early experimental filmmakers such as looked to the world of art and sound tracks. In 1969, he created what Maya Deren. poetry in their quest to develop is considered one of his best films, Our a new filmic language using Lady of the Sphere. The film takes its Surrealism & Collage historical references. theme from the Tibetan Book of the Jordan attended Harvard University Dead and relies on pure intuitive

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 25 filmmaking in its structure, a technique cult and religious practices throughout captivate Doolittle’s essence. Born in that works best for Jordan’s fine-tuned human history. Pennsylvania, HD spent much of her talents. In 1990, Jordan made another adult life among the literary circles of During the 1970s, Jordan exhibited classic Visible Compendium, a 17- England and Europe. She died in 1961 internationally in galleries and specialized minute work which took 2-1/2 years to at age 77 and “Hermetic Definitions” cinemas. It was a prolific time, in which make and relates to an idyllic trip in a was her last poem. The idea behind he made several films of note. hot air balloon as an enigmatic journey. Jordan’s film was to encourage viewers Rime of the Ancient Mariner, based Here, he also begins to focus on sound to discover the importance of the poet on the Coldridge poem, had Orson as collage by collecting audio bits and and her work. Today, Larry Jordan Welles as the narrator. Illustrations by pieces as he did with pictures. The film teaches at the San Francisco Art Institute Gustav Doré form the visual itself is cut to the soundtrack, which and continues his lifelong search into compositions of the intricate trains of free mixed both recognizable and the possibilities for collage animation. thought woven into moods and unrecognizable sounds, making it a He is collecting more engravings and feelings brought about through free true “compendium.” The film is a kind visual fragments for two projects Glass association. of a puzzle constructed from fragments House and Kabbalah. He forsees these of unnamed meanings and fragments films taking 10 years to complete, but Magical and Enigmatic of light—light being the base for all By the 1980s, Jordan, a master at his film—in which Jordan wants the viewer Each cinematic journey uses a craft, single-handedly made Sophie’s to discover his own meaning in these set of symbols to elicit thoughts Place, an 84 minute feature, between films by bringing a personal and emotions of transformation. 1983-87. The 129,600 single-framed predisposition into play. Today, Visible images revolve around the mosque of Compendium remains an important Saint Sofia in “Constantinople.” Again, experiment into the secrets of the patience is a virtue in the work of Larry the complex world of fine art unknown. Jordan. Both films intend to bring a engravings are interlaced with mystical wheel of images into mysterious trees and castles, while view, as his interests remain in objects change objects through the deep realm of spirtiual rapid montage, leaving the viewer mysticism, from ancient Egypt immersed in a visual web of through the medieval experience. Like a stream of Kabbalah to the present. He consciousness meditation, this seems to have a monumental epic reflects on Sophia, godess of task ahead of him. wisdom and includes cutouts When not engaged in ranging from Victorian prints to the painstaking frame-by-frame Daliesque dreams. This awesome process of animation, Jordan technique lets the film unfold in a works as a kinetic sculptor magical and enigmatic way. making three dimensional At this time, Jordan began to boxes from the same materials focus on colored engravings. His The Visible Compendium as his films. One might consider short interim piece, Masquerade Courtesy of Larry Jordan his art work as films in reverse. evokes a tragic, romantic mood, while One thing is certain, Jordan has brought Moonlight Sonata calls forth a lyrical For his next film, Jordan decided to the fine art of collage technique to a feeling. With every film, Jordan tries to use animation and (mostly) live-action pinnacle throught his career. transform objects in space like humans techniques in the form of a (please see filmographie on next page) might transform themselves in life. Each biodocumentary mixed with segments cinematic journey uses a set of symbols of the work of the imagist poet HD to elicit thoughts and emotions of (Hilda Doolittle), in particular, her poem Jackie Leger is a Santa Monica- transformation. Jordan believes that all “Hermetic Definitions.” The HD Trilogy based documentary filmmaker his films come from the collective includes short filmed pieces of interested in the roots of unconscious, not just in terms of contemporary poet Joanna McClure American experimental film. archetypes or specific symbols, but in as she journeys through ancient ruins terms of mirror like fragments of ritual, and a Mediterranean village, seeking to

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 26 Larry Jordan Filmography *Duo Concertantes, b&w, 9 min. Production began in 1965. Production began in 1961. *Moonlight Sonata, 5 min. Please note, all films were done in *The Dream Merchant, b&w, 3 min. 16mm color and sound, except where Rodia-Estudiantia, 4 min. 1980 noted. Films with an asterick (*) next to Big Sur: The Ladies, 3 min. *Finds of the Fortenight, silent, b&w, the title are animated. Johnnie,3 min. 9 min. Jewel Face, 6 min. 1953 1981 Morningame, silent, black & white, 6 1965 *Masquerade, 5 min. minutes. *Hamfat Asar,b&w, 15 min. 1983 1954 1966 Magenta Geryon, 35 min., which The Child’s Hand, b&w, 7 min. The Old House, Passing, b&w, 45 min. began production in 1981, includes: Man is in Pain, b&w, 4 min. *Gymnopedies, b&w (blue tint), 6 min. • Adagio, 8 min. • In a Summer Garden, 15 min. 1956 1969 • Winter Light, 9 min. Trumpit, b&w, 6 min. Hildur and the Magician,b&w, 70 min. 3, b&w, 6 min. Production began in 1967. 1987 Undertow, 7 min. *Our Lady of the Sphere,10 min. *Sophie’s Place, 84 min. Production began in 1983. 1957 1970 Waterlight, 7 min. Living is Dying, b&w, 9 min. 1988 Tapestry, 18 min. 1958 1972 Triptych in Four Parts, 12 min. Sacred Art of Tibet,28 min. Production 1990 began in 1970. *The Visible Compendium, 17 min. 1959 The Soccer Game, b&w, 5 min. 1973 1992 Minerva Looks Out Into the Plainsong, 7 min. The Black Oud, b&w (sepia tint), 45 Zodiac,b&w, 6 min. Fireweed, 3 min. min. *Orb, 5 min. 1960 1993 Hymn in Praise of the Sun, 8 min. 1974 The Grove, b&w (orange tint), 45 min. Portrait of Sharon, 7 min. *Once Upon a Time, 12 min. The Herb Moon, silent, 3 min. 1994 The Season’s Changes: To Contemplate, 1976 Star of the Day, b&w (orange tint), 25 silent, b&w, 7 min. The Apparition, 50 min. Production min. began in 1974. 1962 The 40 and 1 Nights, or Jess’s Didactic 1977 Nickelodeon, 6 min. *The Rime of the Ancient Circus Savage, silent, color and b&w, Mariner, 42 min. Narrated by 150 min. . *Enid’s Idyll, b&w (green tint), 11 min. 1978 1963 *Ancestors, b&w, 5 min. Shomio,3 min. *Pink Swine, b&w, 3 min. 1979 Visions of a City, b&w (sepia 1964 tint), 9 min. Production began The One Romantic Venture, b&w, 8 in 1957. min. Production began in 1952. Cornell, 1965, 8 min. The Visible Compendium Courtesy of Larry Jordan

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 27 Hiroshima Diary by Monique Renault Translated by William Moritz

atmosphere is pleasant, but the pub- Thursday, August 22, First Monique lic doesn’t react much to the films. I Renault Day of the Festival (Photo by saw again Joy Street of Suzan Pitt, rrived yesterday after having Wendy USA: animation and design superb. flown halfway around the Jackson) Rainbows of Hawaii by Faith Hubley, Aworld without seeing very whom I love because of her great much of it. Yes, . It’s much poetry—a charm that few other bigger than I had imagined. I artists possess. thought Taiwan was just a pile of lit- Then finally the opening cere- tle workshops where people made works, monies, with the presentations, counterfeit Diors, false Raybans or and chose 74. That thank-yous, congratulations and Adidas ... Evidently there are also made a great number of disap- translations. Raoul Servais made a mountains and greenery. pointed and discontented people! speech which was much appreciat- I’m happy to be back in Hiroshi- The festival will be even more inter- ma. Last May, for the selection of esting for me, seeing on screen the films—Ah! that selection!—I discov- results of this difficult gestation and ered Japan. You hearing the com- encounter the ments. Unlike Annecy, which is politeness of the Last night, barely overtaken by gigantism, here it Japanese while arrived, no time to is possible to meet everyone. working, and unpack my suitcase, by chance. And meeting at the ASIFA the beauty of the nearby islands. For headquarters. Met again Sayoko the selection, we saw more than Kinoshita, the director of the festival, Movements of the Body by Wayne Traudt 1,000—I don’t dare say “films”— Ahi Feijo, David Ehrlich, and my dear Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 Nicole Salomon, among oth- ed. He spoke of Peace and our duty ers. Preparation for the pre- as artists to utilize animation to send sentation of our last collective messages of peace now while war workshop to the press and the and anti-democracy rages in certain Japanese public. Theme of the parts of the world. The festival opens workshop: “The Rights of Chil- with Triangle by Erica Russell: prac- dren.” Results more or less tically abstract, but with different style good. Afterwards we (Ahi, and subject matter. She reminds me Nicole, David and me) prepared of Kathy Rose in the way she mixes a text for the press. music and dance with animation. I Opening day of the festival. won’t mention all the films in the In the afternoon, screening of programs, only those that stand out Primitive Movers by Kathy Rose the first program “Best of the clearly in my memory. Furthermore, Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 World”. Very crowded. The concerning memory, it’s astonishing

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 28 how few films I do remember. It’s isfied with the selection. Except for good audience for that hour of the almost by chance! That lets me redis- a person who starts to pursue me morning. Sayoko makes the usual cover Ex Child by Jacques Drouin, because a film that he produced isn’t introductions. one of the series of films from the “in,” although it should have been. National Film Board of Canada about Of course, there are always some Most men don’t dare make the rights of children—against using discontented people that make it films treating their personal children as soldiers; animated on known. Sayoko, the festival director, problems—a domain that has pin-screen—an example of the mes- knows all about that. been reserved for woman. sage given by Raoul Servais. Quest After the screening a party, at by the German Tyron Montgomery: which we are greeted by a concert of Japanese drums— “The Rights of Children” is very impressive, it goes back well received. The program seems to the dance of ancient better to me than when Jean Luc times, to rituals. At the Stock (secretary of the group) and I end of the perfor- put the reel together in Belgium. The mance, a cask of sake diversity of techniques, of ideas, of is opened. David music, the spontaneity of children Ehrlich and Raoul Ser- made this 40 minutes go by very vais do the honors, quickly. It was very encouraging. You after speeches, transla- could tell the difference between the tions, etc. ... Gigantic rigidity of texts written by adults and buffet, with tons of the imagination of the children. Just Achilles by Barry Purves © Bare Boards Productions sushi and other see the results, the animation of the unimaginable delica- future! a first film, student of Paul Driessen— cies. The party is over at midnight. A little later, the Disney Studios the search for a person, a sort of There, at Hiroshima, parties official- make a presentation of “computer- golem, in sand—across worlds in ly end at 11 or midnight. generated crowd characters” from stages of paper, stone, fire to the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and at search for water—dramatic, but Friday, August 23 the same time Thailand and Sri Lan- magnificently animated! The audi- First a coffee! Everyone ence doesn’t appreciate Jumanji by gathers at the festival hall. Joe Johnston, for which we must In fact it’s a hotel with two reproach the selection committee. screening rooms, several But I do think it’s a good idea to have meeting rooms and a a special section in festivals for pre- restaurant. One could views and special effects. practically live at the Aster The marvelous Achilles of Barry Plaza without needing to Purves. I love his dramatic flow, his go out. Everything hap- editing, his courage to make a pens in the hall: the meet- homosexual film—I find that most ings, the discussions, the men don’t dare make films treating photos and interviews. Taxandria by Raoul Servais their personal problems—a domain Unlike Annecy, which is © BIBO-TV that until now has been reserved for overtaken by gigantism, here it is ka show Asian animation. Impossible woman—they say that women’s films possible to meet everyone. The com- to see everything ... speak above all about their bodies. petition screenings take place at the Later that afternoon we had the Now men are no longer embar- end of every afternoon at 6:30. Dur- pleasure of hearing Raoul Servais rassed to speak about themselves— ing the day, a lot of special programs. introduce his Harpya (1979) which a beneficial effect for feminists. At 9:15, the first of our ASIFA work- always remains surprising with its In general, the audience reacts shops, “Animation by Children strange bird-woman of paper, and well this evening, if less warmly than Throughout the World.” The press Taxandria (1995), his hypersurrealist this afternoon; they are mostly sat- is there, lots of children, and a very feature. Taxandria is a mysterious city

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 29 which has neither memory nor graphics—black lines of india ink, Already seen at Annecy, where I clocks—neither past nor future—but the choice of paper, the decorative thought it would be awarded the where the inhabitants have lost their colors like watercolors, pure and live- Grand Prize. Maybe here? Even liberty. But love enters the picture ly blues, yellows, the timing, the though it’s late, the audience stays and saves everything, as usual, and music—everything in it delights me. and loves the film. destroys the dictatorship of Taxan- Surely I’ll see it again in the final To finish the evening, a party, of awards. course, hosted by the sponsors of Clocks by Kirsten Winter, Germany, Hiroshima. Madness! As much sake a sort of documentary about the life as you can drink. Stifling heat. Every- and work of the composer/pianist one on their knees, on their heels, Elena Kats-Chernin. Lovely effects of Japanese style. Everyone sings a painting over live action. The image song. I conduct a French-language and music complement each other chorale. I brought musical scores strongly. Many good films this with me: great success with “Petit evening. The audience is content vin blanc” and “Sous les ponts de and that benefits all. We continue: Paris”... Abductees by Paul Vester, England, The Monk and the Fish by Michael Dudok de Wit docu-animation—also one of my Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 favorites for the Grand Prize. Curi- Saturday, August 24 Day of the picnic at Miyashima. dria, restoring liberty and happiness ous to have the reaction of the audi- Everyone piles into buses, then into to the Taxandrians. The special effects ence, for this is not an ordinary ani- a boat to go to the island across from are breathtaking, mixing live action mated documentary, mixing inter- Hiroshima. Guided visit to the tem- with animation. I much prefer the views with animations of tales and ple, the great gate of the Emperor animated parts. sketches of those enlightened ones (I forget which one). Watch out for Afterwards, just to change our persuaded that they have seen thoughts and breathe, my chum extraterrestrials. Superb original Kine Aune from Norway and I went idea, treated by the hand of a out shopping. I returned to a fish master, with the professional- merchant where I had gone in May, ism of Paul. The audience and was very pleased to be recog- seems to love it as much as I nized. I should note that in May we do. had compared the different ways of Then An Artist by Michele fishing in Brittany and Japan, and Counoyer, Canada—part of the since we didn’t speak Japanese and “Rights of Children.” Live action they didn’t speak French, I had to superimposed with animation. make drawings of hooks and baits A young girl wants to become and fishing and nets ... the a composer, against the wish- Starbuck's Bluenote by Ed Bell power of drawings! es of her father. Rest assured! Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 8:30, Second Program. It opens She succeeds, happily! Thou deer, which have a tendency to eat with one of my favorite films, The Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Wife everything. I had the bad idea to Monk and the Fish by Michael Dudok by Phil Mulloy, England—a stroke of offer them cookies, and a legion of DeWit, a Dutchman working in Lon- black ink, rude and provocative, to them flocked around me, even try- don, who made this film in France, die laughing, liberating! To close the ing to eat my dress. They’re pro- at in Valence. I admire program: The Grey-Bearded Lion by tected, and one doesn’t even have everything about this film: the sim- Andrey Khrjanovsky, , 30 min- the right to kick at them. Noon: bar- plicity of the story, a monk and a utes of poetry, of pure animation. A becue on the beach. Sumptuous. fish, but a philosophy of joy and moving pleasure—the friendship Then swimming. It’s funny to see peacefulness. I had already seen it between the lion Amadeus and his people that you always see fully several times, and each time I dis- master Peretty. A Felliniesque story— clothed suddenly in swimsuits ... cover something more in it: the ani- the lion so strongly resembles Andrey there’s something touching about it! mation is made of detail close to himself. All subtlety and emotions. They must be thinking the same

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 30 about me when they see my Cubed, Tim Johnson, USA— little rolls of fat! Finally every- an unusual Simpsons which one is satisfied, and we abandons 2D for 3D, thanks return, a little sleepy, to the to . Small festival. Treasures by Sarah Watts, Aus- 6:30 show sold out. First tralia: my favorite film—Sarah film: Barflies, Greg Holland, is a painter— I already saw Australia—animated pup- another film of hers at pets: two flies that hurl them- Annecy, in 1991, I think. She selves at people in a pub. The uses rotoscope, but that does- parallel with the people in n’t bother me. Sarah tells an the bar is evident. Refresh- intimate story relevant to men ing. A good soundtrack, with as well as women: “Men its cascades of belches. Aus- make war, women give birth,” tralia sent many good films: Pas à deux by Monique Renault says a man, and Jane, the first films, student films of Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 heroine of the film, sighs ... great dynamism promising a flour- of useless things, to be sure... To our But birth causes casualties as well. ishing future. They must have good great surprise, all the stores are This film is all subtlety, finesse and teachers down under. It’s an up-and- open—”business as usual.” When understanding of attitudes, glances, coming school. do the Japanese rest? suggestions. It is never heavy, is sup- Repete by Michaela Pavlatová, In the afternoon, screening and ported by a commentary from Jane Czech Republic. Already seen many, lecture “Animation Education in the who tells of suffering and loneliness many times. Once again I’ll Salute ” by Richard Taylor, without moralizing or whining. A the Sun by Mahin Javaherian, Iran. who has taught animation in Eng- true film both in conception and ani- Astonishing—Peace, war, peace? land for 25 years. He’s about to pub- mation. I think it deserves a prize, Rotoscope, probably. I liked it very lish an Anthology of Animation. The maybe the Grand Prize. much during the selection, and I am auditorium is full. It’s a delight. He Gagarin by Alexei Kharitidi, Russia: not disappointed this time either. I shows and explains the films, how perfect in its conception. Nothing hope to see it again during the prize they were made, the character and too long. Marvelous traditional ani- screening. Country Doctor by Kata- career of each animator: from An mation, pastel on paper. And fun- rina Lillqvist, Finland: puppets, based Vrombaut (Little Wolf) to Mark Bak- ny: a caterpillar who doesn’t want to on a story by Kafka—a little confused, er (The Village)—with Nick Park’s become a butterfly. Bursts of laugh- hard to follow: the soundtrack is a lit- Creature Comforts in passing. It’s so ter from the audience. Certainly we’ll tle too aggressive, but the anima- interesting that when it lasts an hour see this again among the prize win- tion, the puppets are superb. We longer than it’s supposed to everyone ners. Hand in Hand by Lasse Lars Lived in Grass by Andreas Hykade, stays, mouths open, breathless. An Persson, Sweden: 4 minutes of ani- Germany: first film, drawn on paper hour late—impossible for the Japan- mated drawings—it made me think and cels, purposely primitive graph- ese! back on the three graces in A Greek ics—at 16 minutes, it’s long but it Our films, Ahi Feijo’s and mine, Tragedy (1985) by the Belgian Nicole goes by well—a personal film, like the audience loves, too. Whew! It’s Barry Purves, the unusual expression not often that I get a chance to see of a young man who speaks of his my films on such a large screen. birth, war and love, while reproach- 6:30 screening sold out. Gogs- ing his father for having hidden the Ogof by Deiniol Morris and truth from him. Good for the Grand Michael Mort, England, puppets, Prize? set in Pre-history, a succession of gags in which everyone can rec- Sunday, August 25 ognize their own stupidity—or is First thing in the morning I write, it just me and mine? It goes by as I do every morning. Then shop- quickly—the audience reacts won- ping with Kine—where we buy lots derfully. The Simpsons—Homer Small Treasures by Sarah Watt Courtesy of Hiroshima 96

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 31 van Goethem, which won the total spectacle if ever there was one, her. I had thought Grey-Bearded Grand Prize at Annecy and an Oscar which combines influences from Lion or Small Treasures—but it’s the some years back. And to end the many cultures—Egyptian, Indian, same with juries as with selection program, Puss in Boots by Garry Russian, the 1920s ... committees. But as we talked about Bardin, Russia. After his Little Red Rid- Today’s the day when everyone it to each other, we realized that all ing Hood, he returns to Charles Per- makes the rounds to get presents to the films had one thing in common: rault, this time to the clever cat. Ani- take home. It’s amusing and instruc- they were not necessarily easy films, mation with modeling clay—at 27 tive to see what everyone buys: from but practically all were films that told minutes, you never get bored. Good a watch you can wear on a finger a story. for the Grand Prize, I hope. to a knife specially made to cut bam- And afterwards ... what? Why a That’s it. Our four programs have boo—not to mention the hats, bot- party, of course! This one, the last tles of sake. (Of course, they make one, where one once again What remains is the vitality of sake here in special bottles that when exchanges addresses, where one Animation—its creativity and you lift the lid, after five minutes you embraces once again, where one its youth. get hot sake—I’m taking home some once again drinks a toast to health, of this myself!) to the country, to a friend, and even Finally the closing ceremony, the (since one is in the convivial domain been shown. The film party is over. announcement of the prizes—some of animation) to an enemy. Bruno Are we, the five members of the surprises, some satisfactions. In any Edera tells more of his stories, and selection committee, satisfied? I think case, the ceremony is run to per- Jacques Drouin, too. And Nicole and so. Of course, as I’ve already said, fection. Sayoko keeps an eye on her I are once again weeping with there remains a few doubts ... But I’ve whole world: she has incredible ener- laughter. It’s impossible—we’ll nev- learned that to be or not to be select- gy and vitality, force and gentleness. er be able to leave ... At 2:00 AM, the ed is sometimes a little bit of a Japanese, the Austrians, lottery—and as the president of the Australians, the Ruma- our jury, Ahi, said: there is nians, the French, the always a degree of subjectivity Dutch (that’s me), the Por- in the selection process, tuguese, the Canadians, nonetheless we made our the Americans, the Swiss, choices as honestly and impar- the Belgians—we sing, dis- tially as possible. What remains cuss a little (more and more is the vitality of Animation—its vaguely) the future of Ani- creativity and its youth. I believe mation ... the next festival I can say that we made a good ... Animation is a lovely selection, and good programs. country of which I am In any case, that’s what I heard proud to be a citizen. ... a said often on all sides. little tired, but happy. As every night, party! This time an ASIFA party on a terrace —Hiroshima, Tuesday, Repete by Michaela Pavlatová, Hiroshima's Grand Prize Winner overlooking the city. Beer, sake, Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 August 27, 3:00 PM. sushi, laughter, emotions, songs. Bruno Edera, the Swiss jour- When she makes her brief closing nalist from Geneva, who made us statement—not forgetting to thank all laugh to the point of tears with his everyone, she is witty, like a little fairy Monique Renault is an accent, his stories and his great eru- with long curly hair, but behind a independent filmmaker based in dition. microphone, in the middle of a huge Amsterdam. Three of her films— stage. Cheers, La donna e mobile and Monday August 26 We come to the prizes: almost all Pas à deux—were shown at 9:15—it’s early for the morning- the films I thought should won some- Hiroshima out-of-competition. after-the-ASIFA party. Kathy Rose thing. The Grand Prize for Michaela dances in front of her animations: a Pavlatová and Repete. I’m happy for

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 32 Hiroshima

par Monique Renault

Monique remerciements, congratulations et Jeudi 22, premier jour du Renault traductions. Raoul Servais fait un festival (Photo speech très apprécié, il parle de la rrivée hier après avoir sur- Wendy volé la moitié du monde sans Jackson) paix et de notre devoir d’artistes à en avoir vu grand chose. Si. utiliser l’animation pour envoyer A des messages de paix alors que la Taiwan. C’est beaucoup plus grand que je ne l’imaginais. Pour moi, Tai- guerre et l’anti-démocratie font rage wan c’etait un amoncellement de dans certaines parties du monde. Le Festival s’ouvre sur Triangle d’Erica petits ateliers où les gens s’entassent ges- pour fabriquer des faux Dior, des Rae Russell, UK ; abstrait pratique- tation et d’entendre ment, mais de manière et de style fausses Rayban ou Adidas ... les commentaires. Premières impres- Apparemment ils ont aussi des mon- sions cet après-midi. tagnes et de la verdure. Hier soir, à peine arrivée, pas le Je suis contente de revenir à temps de défaire la valise, réunion Hiroshima. En mai dernier, pour la des ateliers ASIFA. Retrouvé Sayoko selection — Ah! la sélection! — Kinoshita, la directrice du festival, j’avais découvert le Japon, la gen- Abi Feijo, David Ehrlich, et ma chère tillesse des japonais rencontrés dans Nicole Salomon, entre autres. Pré- le travail et par hasard. Et la beauté paration de la présentation de notre des iles aux environs. Pour la sélec- dernier workshop collectif à la tion, ou a vu plus de 1,000. Je n’ose presse et au public japonais. Thème pas dire films — oeuvres — et selec- du workshop “les droits de l’en- Movements of the Body de Wayne Traudt tionné 74. Ça fait un grand nom- fant”. Résultat plus ou moins Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 heureux. Nous avons ensuite, différents. Elle me fait penser à Abi, Nicole, David et moi Cathy Rose par sa démarche de redigé un texte pour la presse. mélanger la musique et la danse Ouverture du Festival. Dans avec l’animation; je ne vais pas l’après-midi; projection du pre- nommer tous les films du pro- mier programme “Best of the gramme, seuls ceux qui me revi- World”. Beaucoup de monde. ennent clairement en mémoire. L’atmosphère est agréable. D’ailleurs, à propos de mémoire, Mais le public réagit peu aux c’est étonnant comme je me sou- films. Revu Joy Street de Suzan viens peu des films. C’est presque Lee Pitt, USA; animation et une chance! Cela me permet de les design superbes. Rainbows of redécouvrir. Ex Child de Jacques Primitive Movers de Kathy Rose Hawaii de Faith Hubley, USA, Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 Drouin, Canada ; un des films de la que j’aime à cause de sa série de l’ONF pour les droits de bre de déçus et mécontents! Ce qui grande poésie, un charme que peu rend le festival encore plus intéres- l’enfance, contre les enfants soldats; d’autres artistes possèdent. écran d’épingles ; exemple du mes- sant pour moi, c’est de voir sur Puis enfin, la cérémonie d’ou- l’écran le resultat de cette difficile sage porté par Raoul Servais ; Quest verture avec ses présentations, de l’allemand Tyron Montgomery ;

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 33 premier film. Elève de Paul Driessen Sayoko, la directrice du festival, en heure si matinale. Sayoko fait les ; la recherche d’un personnage ; sait quelque chose. présentations d’usage. une sorte de Golem en sable ; à Après la projection, fête. On est “Les droits de l’enfant” est travers des mondes en étages de accueilli par un concert de tam- extrêmement bien reçu. Le pro- papier, de pierre, de fer, à la bours japonais. Ils doivent avoir un gramme me parait bien meilleur recherche de l’eau. Dramatique, nom impressionant. Cela relève de que quand nous avions fait le mon- la danse en même tage en Belgique, Jean-Luc Slock temps et du rite; le tout — le secrétaire du groupe — et pour en fin de compte moi. La diversité des techniques, ouvrir un tonneau de des idées, des musiques, des spon- saké. David Erlich et tanéités des enfants fait que ces Raoul Servais en font quarante minutes passent vite. C’est les honneurs, après très encourageant. On fait bien la speechs, traductions, différence entre la rigidité des textes etc. ... Buffet gigan- écrits par des adultes et l’imaginaire tesque de tous les des enfants. Rien qu’à voir ce résul- sushis et autres deli- tat, l’animation a de l’avenir! Un catessen imaginables. peu plus tard les studios Disney Achilles de Barry Purves La fête se termine à font une présentation de “computer © Bare Boards Productions minuit. Ici, à Hiroshi- generated crowd characters in The mais magnifiquement animé. Le ma, les fêtes se terminent à 23 ou Hunchback of Notre Dame”, pen- public n’a pas apprécié Jumanji de 24 heures. dant qu’ailleurs, Thailande et Sri Joe Johnston, USA ; on nous en a Lanka montrent l’animation asia- reproché la sélection. Mais je trou- tique. Impossible de tout suivre ... Vendredi 23 ve que ce serait une bonne idée D’abord un café. Tout le monde Plus tard dans l’après-midi, Raoul d’avoir une sélection spéciale dans se retrouve dans le hall du festival. Servais nous fait le plaisir d’intro- les festivals pour les bande- En fait, c’est un hôtel avec deux duire Harpya (1979) qui reste tou- annonces et autres effets spéciaux. salles de cinéma, des salles de réu- jours surprenant avec son étrange Le merveilleux Achilles de Barry nion, un restaurant. On peut pra- oiseau-femme papier et Taxandria J. C Purves, UK. J’aime sa dra- tiquement vivre dans le “Aster Plaza” (1995) son long métrage hyper sur- maturgie, son découpage, son sans avoir besoin de sortir. C’est réaliste. Taxandria est une ville mys- courage de faire un film homosex- dans le hall que tout se passe ; les térieuse qui n’a ni mémoire ni uel. Je trouve que de plus en plus rendez-vous, les discussions, les temps, ni passé ni futur, mais où les d’hommes savent faire des films trai- photos et interviews. A la différence habitants ont perdu leur liberté. tant de leurs problèmes personnels. d’Annecy, atteint de gigantisme, ici Mais l’amour entre en jeu et sauve Domaine qui était jusqu’alors il est possible de rencontrer tout le tout, comme d’habitude, et saura reservé aux femmes. On disait que monde. Les projections de com- détruire la dictature de “Taxandria” les films de femmes parlaient surtout pétition ont lieu toutes les fins et rendre la liberté aux Taxandriais. de leur corps. Maintenant les d’après-midi à 18h30. hommes ne sont plus gênés pour Dans la journée, des tas parler d’eux mêmes. Effet bénéfique de programmes spéci- des féministes. aux. A 9h15, première de En général le public ce soir réag- notre workshop ASIFA it bien, plus chaleureusement que commun dans un pro- cet après midi. Ils sont globalement gramme spécial com- assez satisfaits de la sélection, à part posé par le festival “Ani- une personne qui commence à me mation by children poursuivre car le film qu’il a produit throughtout the world”. n’est pas “in” alors qu’il aurait dû. La presse est là, beau- Il parait qu’il y a toujours quelques Taxandria de Raoul Servais coup d’enfants et un très © BIBO-TV mécontents qui le font savoir. bon public pour une

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 34 Les effets spéciaux sont époustou- Cloks de Kirsten Winter, Alle- d’Hiroshima. Fou! Du saké à volon- flants, mélangent la vue réelle et magne. Moitié live-action, moitié té. Chaleur étouffante. Tout le l’animation. Pour ma part, je préfère animation. Un genre de docu- monde à genoux, sur les talons. A de beaucoup la partie animée. mentaire sur la vie et l’oeuvre de la la japonaise. Chacun y va de sa Après, pour se changer les idées compositeur-pianiste Elena Kats- chanson. Je dirige la chorale fran- et respirer, ma copine Kine Aune, Chernin. Beaux effets de peinture cophone! J’avais apporté des par- de Norvège, et moi allons faire le sur la vue réelle. Image et musique marché. Je retourne à la poisson- se complètent fortement. Beaucoup nerie où j’allais en mai et suis très de bons films ce soir. Le public est satisfaite que les gens me recon- content et cela se sent; on contin- naissent. Il faut dire que nous avions ue... Birds in the Window d’Igor comparé, en mai, les différentes Kovalyov, USA ; Abductees de Paul façons de pêcher en Bretagne et Verster, UK. Docu-animé. Aussi un au Japon et que, ne parlant pas le de mes favoris pour le palmarès. japonais et eux pas le français, Curieuse d’avoir la réaction du pub- j’avais fait des dessins d’hameçons, lic, car ce n’est pas un D.A. ordi- de crochets, de cannes à pêche et naire. Mélange d’interviews et d’an- autres filets... le pouvoir du dessin! imation des récits et des dessins. Le Moine et le Poisson de Michael Dudok de Wit 8h30, 2ème programme. S’ou- des illuminés persuadés qu’il ont Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 vre sur un de mes films favoris Le vu des extra-terrestres. Superbe idée titions. Grand succès du “petit vin Moine et le Poisson de Michael originale traitée de main de maitre blanc” et “sous les ponts de Paris”!... Dudok de Wit. Hollandais qui a tra- par le professionalisme de Paul. Le vaillé à Londres et réalisé son film public semble aimer autant que Samedi 24 en France à Folimage (Valence). moi. Ce n’était pas évident. Jour du pique-nique à Mijashima. J’admire tout dans ce film. La sim- Puis An Artist par Michèle Tout le monde s’entasse dans des plicité de l’histoire, un moine et un Cournoyer, Canada. Fait partie des bus, puis dans un bateau pour aller poisson, mais une philosophie de “droits de l’enfant” Live-action dans une ile en face d’Hiroshima. la joie et de la quiétude. Je l’ai déjà superposée d’animation. Une jeune Visite guidée du Temple ; la grande fille veut devenir compositeur porte rouge de l’empereur, je ne contre la volonté de son père. sais plus lequel. Attention aux daims Rassurez-vous! elle réussira. ; ils ont tendance à tout bouffer. Heureusement! Thou Shalt Not J’ai la mauvaise idée de leur don- Covet Thy Neighbour’s Wife ner des biscuits et ils sont une légion par Phil Mulloy, UK. Trait noir autour de moi, même à essayer de à l’encre; grossier et provoca- goûter à ma jupe. Ils sont protégés teur, à mourir de rire. Libéra- et on n’a pas le droit de leur don- teur! Et pour terminer, Le lion ner des coups de pied! Midi, bar- à la barbe grise par Andrey becue sur la plage. Somptueux. On Khrajanovsky, Russie. Trente va se baigner. C’est drôle de voir minutes de poésie, de pure des gens que l’on voit toujours en Starbuck's Bluenote de Ed Bell animation. Un plaisir ému. Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 robe ou complet-veston tout d’un L’amitié entre le lion Amadeo coup en maillot de bain... Ca a vu plusieurs fois et à chaque fois je et son maitre Peretty. Une histoire quelque chose d’émouvant! Ils découvre un plus. L’animation est à la Fellini. Le lion ressemble fort à doivent penser la même chose de faite au détail près; le graphisme Andrey lui-même; tout en subtilité moi en voyant mes bourrelets! Enfin — ligne noire à l’encre de chine — et émotions. Déjà vu à Annecy où tout ce monde satisfait et repu, un le choix du papier, les couleurs des je pensais qu’il aurait le grand prix. peu somnolent rentre au festival. décors, à l’aquarelle, pures et vives Peut-être ici ? Bien qu’il soit tard, le 18h30; compétition. Premier film — bleus jaunes — le timing, la public reste et aime. Barflies de Greg Holfeld, Australie. musique, tout me met en joie. Je le Pour clôre la soirée, fête bien Poupées animées. Deux mouches verrais bien dans les prix. entendu, offerte par les sponsors qui se pètent la gueule dans un

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 35 pub. Le parallèle avec les Sarah Watts, Australie, mon consommateurs est évident. film favori. Sarah est peintre Rafraichissant. Une bonne d’abord. J’avais déjà vu un bande son avec sa cascade de ses films à Annecy, en 91 de rots. L’Australie a envoyé je crois. Elle utilise de roto- beaucoup de bons films. scope mais cela ne me gêne Des premiers films, des films pas. Sarah raconte une his- d’étudiants qui montrent un toire intime qui appartient grand dynamisme et un aux femmes comme aux avenir florissant. Ils doivent hommes. Les hommes ont avoir de bons enseignants, la guerre, les femmes la nais- là-bas. C’est une école qui sance, dit un homme. Jane, monte. l’héroine du film soupire ... Repete de Michaela Mais l’accouchement fait ses Pavlatova, Republique Pas à deux de Monique Renault victimes aussi. Le film est tout Tchèque. Déjà vu maintes Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 en subtilité, en finesse et en et maintes fois. Once Again, I’ll Dans l’après-midi, projection et intelligence des attitudes et des Salute The Sun de Mahin Javaher- lecture “Animation Education in the regards, des suggestions. Il n’est ian, Iran. Etonnant ; la paix ; la UK” par Richard Taylor. Professeur jamais lourd et supporté par un guerre ; la paix ? Rotoscope; prob- d’animation en U.K. pendant plus commentaire de Jane qui se racon- ablement. Je l’avais beaucoup aimé de 25 ans. Vient de sortir une te, raconte la souffrance et la soli- pendant la sélection, et ne suis pas anthologie de l’animation. La salle tude, sans être moralisateur et pleur- déçue cette fois-ci. J’espère le retrou- est pleine; c’est un bonheur. Il mon- nichard. Un film, dans toute sa con- ver au palmarès. The Country Doc- tre et explique les films, leur fabri- ception et son animation. Pour moi, tor de Katarina Lillqvist, Finland. cation, le caractère et la carrière de c’est un prix. Peut-etre le grand prix. Puppets ; sur une histoire de Kafka. chaque auteur. De An Vrombaut Gagarin d’Alexij Kharatidi, Russie. Un peu confuse, difficile à suivre. La (Little Wolf) à Mark Baker (Le village) Parfait dans sa conception. Rien de bande son est un peu trop poussée; en passant par Nick Park (Creature trop long. Merveilleuse animation mais l’animation, les poupées sont Comforts). C’est tellement intéres- traditionnelle, crayon sur papier. Et superbes. We Lived In Grass, sant que le programme dure une drôle. Une chenille qui ne veut plus Andreas Hykade, Allemagne; pre- heure de plus et que tout le monde devenir papillon. Le public rit aux mier film. Dessin sur papier et cel- reste bouche bée, en haleine. Une éclats. On le retrouvera sans doute lulo. Graphisme volontairement heure plus tard que prévu, impos- au palmarès. Hand in Hand, Lasse primitif. seize minutes c’est long, sible en japonais! Lars Person, Suède. Quatre minutes mais ça passe bien. Un film per- Nos films, à Abi Feijo et à moi. Le de dessins animés. Me fait penser sonnel, de même que pour Barry public aime aussi. Ouf! Ce n’est pas de loin aux trois grâces (Une Purves, l’expression inhabituelle souvent que j’ai l’occasion de voir Tragédie Grecque, 1985) de la d’un garçon qui parle de sa nais- mes films sur un si grand écran. belge Nicole Van Goethem qui avait sance, de la guerre, de l’amour et 18h30 — compétition. Gogs- eu un grand prix à Annecy et un reproche à son père de lui avoir ogof de Deiniol Morris & Michael caché la vérité. Bon pour le pal- Mort, U.K. Puppets. On est dans marès ? la pré-histoire. Une succession de gags, chacun peut y recon- Dimanche 25 naitre sa propre stupidité, ou bien Le matin, d’abord écrire, comme est-ce dû simplement à la mienne tous les matins. Puis shopping avec ? Ca va vite, le public réagit à Kine. On achète des tas de trucs merveille. The Simpsons’Homer inutiles, bien sûr ... A notre grande Cubed, Tim Johnson, USA. Un surprise, tous les magasins sont Simpsons inhabituel, qui passe ouverts. Business as usual. Quand de la 2D à la 3D, grâce à Pacif- est-ce que les japonais se reposent? ic Data Images. Small Treasures Small Treasures de Sarah Watt Courtesy of Hiroshima 96

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 36 Oscar. Et pour terminer, Puss in C’est le jour où chacun va faire sures. Il y va des jurys comme des Boots de Garry Bardin, Russie. Après ses courses pour rapporter des comités de sélection. Mais lorsque son chaperon rouge, il récidive avec cadeaux à la maison. C’est drôle et nous en reparlons entre nous, nous Charles Perrault. Cette fois, c’est Le instructif de voir ce que chacun a apprécions le fait que tous ces films chat botté. Animation de pâte à acheté. De la montre à passer au ont une chose en commun, pas modeler. Vingt-sept minutes et on doigt au couteau spécial pour forcément des films faciles mais pra- ne s’ennuie pas. Bon pour le pal- couper le bambou, sans compter tiquement tous racontent une his- marès, j’espère. les chapeaux, bouteilles de saké toire. Et voilà. Nos quatre programmes bien sûr. Ici ils font du saké en boite Et puis après... quoi? Mais la fête se sont égrenés. The film party is de conserve et quand on retourne bien sûr; celle, la finale, où l’on over. Tous les cinq, nous les échange encore plus membres du comité de sélec- d’adresses, où l’on s’em- tion, sommes-nous satisfaits? brasse encore plus, où l’on Je crois que oui. Bien sûr, boit encore plus de verres à comme je l’ai déjà dit, on la santé d’un pays, d’un ami reste avec quelques doutes ; on est dans la convivialité ... Mais j’ai appris que d’être de l’animation. Bruno Edera ou non sélectionné parfois y va à nouveau de ses his- cela relève de la loterie, et toires, Jacques Drouin aus- comme a dit Abi, notre Prési- si. On se retrouvve Nicole et dent de comité, il y a tou- moi à nouveau à pleurer de jours un degré de subjectiv- rire. C’est impossible ; on ité dans le procédé de sélec- n’arrive pas à se quitter... A tion, mais nous avons fait le deux heures du matin, le choix aussi honnêtement et Japon, l’Autriche, l’Australie,

impartialement que possible. Repete de Michaela Pavlatová, Grand Prix Hiroshima ‘96 la Russie, la France, la Hol- La chose qui reste, c’est la Courtesy of Hiroshima 96 lande — moi donc — le Por- vitalité de l’animation, sa tugal, le Canada, les USA, la créativité et sa jeunesse. Je crois la boite et enlève le couvercle, après Suisse, la Belgique, nous chantons, pouvoir dire que nous avons fait cinq minutes on a du saké chaud. discutons un plus, de plus en plus une bonne sélection et une bonne Je vais en rapporter moi aussi. vaguement d’ailleurs, de l’avenir de programmation. En tous cas, c’est Enfin, la cérémonie de clôture. l’animation... du prochain festival... ce qu’on nous a dit de bien des Annonce et remise des prix. Des L’animation est un beau pays dont côtés. surprises et des satisfactions. De je suis fière d’etre citoyenne... un Comme tous les soirs, party! toutes façons, la cérémonie est peu fatiguée mais heureuse. Cette fois, ASIFA party sur une ter- réglée à la perfection. Sayoko sur- rasse dominant la ville. Bière, saké, veille tout son monde. Elle est Hiroshima, mardi 27 août 1996, sushis, rires, émotions, chansons. incroyable d’énergie, de vitalité, de 15 heures Bruno Edera, le journaliste suisse force et de gentillesse. Quand elle de Genève qui nous fait pleurer de fait son bref discours de clôture, rire avec son accent, ses histoires sans oublier de remercier tout le suisses, et sa grande érudition. monde et chacun, elle est drôle, toute petite fée aux longs cheveux Monique Renault est une Lundi 26 bouclés. Seule derrière un micro, réalisatrice independante basée à 9h15. C’est tôt pour un lende- au milieu de l’immense scène. Amsterdam. main de ASIFA party. Kathy Rose Revenons aux prix: presque tous Trois de ses films ont ete danse devant ses animations. Spec- les films que j’avais en vue ont eu présentés a Hiroshima cette tacle total s’il en est, qui combine quelque chose. Le grand prix pour année : Cheers, La Donna e des influences de plusieurs cultures, Repete de Michaela Pavlatova. Con- Mobile et Pas a deux.. égyptiennes, indiennes, russes, des tente pour elle. Moi, j’y voyait ou Le années 20. lion à barbe grise ou Small Trea-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 37 Images From Hiroshima ‘96 by Wendy Jackson

he International Animation Festival in Hiroshima is often referred to as the most organized animation fes- tival in the world, and for good reason. Every screening, symposium, publication, party, exhibition, press Tconference and ceremony of the festival was expertly timed, translated and presented by a dedicated group of staff members and volunteers. For details on specific programs, please read Monique Renault’s per- sonal account of the week’s events elsewhere in this issue. What is really so unique about Hiroshima is its simultaneous dedication to the art of animation and the pro- motion of international peace. For five days and nights, films and people from 53 countries around the world joined together in a city which has rebuilt itself in the name of peace. Festival director Sayoko Kinoshita notes that, “We chose Hiroshima [for the festival location] because it has a certain power. Visitors cannot be here without thinking about the preciousness of peace.” The following photos highlight some of the people and events that made this festival so memorable. Wendy Jackson is a Sales Representative for Animation World Network. Previously employed as General Manager of the International Animated Film Society’s Los Angeles chapter (ASIFA-Hollywood), she coordinat- ed events such as the 1995 and the 1996 Animation Opportunities Expo.

Sayoko and Renzo Kinoshita (Japan). Kihachiro Kawamoto,Vice President Hiroshima '96. Photo by Wendy Jackson Photo by Wendy Jackson

Hubert Tison (Canada),Jean-Luc Xiberras (Annecy Animation Virginia Bacheler & Skip Festival, France) Georges Lacroix (Fantôme, France) and Battaglia (USA). Nicole Salomon (A.A.A., France) at Friday night's party. Photo by Wendy Jackson Photo by Wendy Jackson

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 38 Wendy Jackson gets Lappy happy in Hiroshima.The festival's animated mascot, Lappy, has a name derived from the combination of the words "love", "peace" and "happy." Courtesy of Wendy Jackson

Nicole Salomon (France) and Monique Renault (Netherlands) taking a break between screenings. Photo by Wendy Jackson

Front row, left to right: Oksanna Cherkassova with daughter Jena (Russia), Sarah Watt (Australia), Robert Gudan (Australia), Jacques Drouin (Canada) & Hironori Terai (Japan). Center row: Garry Bardin (Russia), Kathy Rose (USA), Sayoko Kinoshita (Japan), Raoul Servais (Belgium) & Borivoj Dovnikovic (Croatia). Rear:Andrej Khrjanovsky (Russia), Hubert Tison (Canada),Georges Lacroix (France),Yoichiro Kawaguchi (Japan) & David Anderson (UK). Photo by Wendy Jackson

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 39 Anima Mundi by William Moritz And the fabulous Carmen Miranda a cafe, tea room and a restaurant. Museum, with her astonishing shoes, The huge lobby of the Bank of Brazil jewelry and hats on display togeth- was set up as an animation school, er with movie stills and snapshots tended by real animation students, showing them in their original set- where you could try out drawing- ting. Carmen’s sister Aurora (whose on-film or paper, clay modeling, or animation credentials include singing computer animation and see the and dancing with in results played back on monitors (or Disney’s Three Caballeros) regaled us in the case of the drawn-on-film, on with anecdotes about Walt and Mary an “antique” moviola). One of William Moritz with the Anima Mundi Festival Blair staying at the Hotel Gloria the galleries displayed the excellent Director, Marcos Magalhães (where the festival guests also stayed), exhibition Animagia, 100 Years of Courtesy of William Moritz and she attended screenings, where Animation, borrowed from Annecy. he fourth international Anima she showed good taste by pro- It began with an uncanny life-sized Mundi animation festival took nouncing Barry Purves’ Achilles automaton of Émile Reynaud pro- Tplace in Rio de Janeiro August exquisite. jecting his Théâtre Optique of Poor 16-25, 1996, overlapping a bit with Pierrot in 1892 and included models Hiroshima. Unlike the rather hectic Guests, Screenings, etc. of most animation techniques (pin- pace and nervous business rivalry of The guests at previous Anima the older and bigger festivals, Ani- Mundi festivals included Frédéric ma Mundi offers a relaxed and user- Back, Joan Gratz and Jan Svankma- friendly atmosphere for discovering jer. This year, in addition to Barry and enjoying animation. Purves, with his very hand-made pup- Natu- pet films, a seminar on computer rally, it is graphics brought Bill and Susan Kroy- rather hard to One could see everything separate leisurely, a few things each day, the event and still enjoy all the other from the delights of the festival. city of Rio, which is er, Henry Anderson, Jane Flint one of the DeKoven and Carlos Saldanha (who most daz- offered workshops), and portfolio zling screenings by companies such as places, , PDI, and Barry Purves with his puppets at Rhythm & Hues. Anima Mundi with its Photo by William Moritz perfect Screenings are held in four state- weather, beautiful beaches, exotic of-the-art theaters housed in the Bank Amazonian fruits and vegetables, of Brazil and Post Office headquarters, screen, scratch-on-film, paint-on-glass, romantic 18th and 19th century large buildings across the street from etc.) up to computer graphics. As a buildings sandwiched between mod- each other, which also permanently parallel, I presented two two-hour ern skyscrapers and expansive parks. house an arts bookstore, art galleries,

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 40 a weekday, once on a weekend. This meant that one could see everything leisurely, a few things each day, and still enjoy all the other delights of the Your Ad festival and Rio. The grand prize, not unexpectedly, went to A Close Shave, Could Be but second place was awarded by the audience to Michaela Pavlatova’s Repete, a much more experimental Here! work. Third place went to John Dil- worth’s 7-minute cartoon The Dirty Birdy, which successfully recaptures For rate cards and The Jeweled Mountain by Abdollah Alimorad and updates the /Warner additional information Courtesy of Anima Mundi Bros. formula. The best children’s film programs of films tracing master- about award went to a magnificent half- pieces of animation over the last 90 various opportunities hour Iranian film, Kuh-e Javaher (The years. for exposure at Jeweled Mountain), which rivaled Animation World the golden-age Czech puppet films Competition Screenings in its elaborate detail and truly cine- Network, The competition screenings includ- matic storytelling. The Busby Berke- contact our ed some 60 films from 20 countries, ley “Blue Sky” musical cockroach num- with an enormous variety ranging Los Angeles ber from Joe’s Apartment also from Dave Borthwick’s harrowing office at received many votes, even though it hour-long The Secret Adventures of appeared on an informational com- Tom Thumb to the hilarious two- 213.468.2554 puter-graphics program rather than minute Dutch cartoon Safe Sex—The in competition. Manual, from ’s dark The most touching event of the or e-mail surrealist vision Bird in the Window festival was a screening of a fine Brazil- to lyrical abstractions such as Clive any of our sales ian film, The Eight-Pointed Star by Walley’s Divertimento No. 3, Alek- representatives: the elderly Fernando Diniz, who sandra Korejwo’s Carmen Habanera spent many years in a mental insti- and Amy Alexander’s beautiful com- tution, and whose drawings and clay North America: puter-graphic Unbroken Pieces. animations were documented on Prizes, including a $1,000 first place, Wendy Jackson film by the Friends of the Museum of were awarded entirely on the basis [email protected] Images of the Unconscious. Diniz’s of audience vote—a ballot came with artwork is truly imaginative and inter- each admission ticket. All of the com- esting in its own right, and the time- Europe: petition programs were screened lapse footage of him painting is fas- seven times, at least once in the after- Vincent Ferri cinating. The film had just won an noon, once in the evening, once on [email protected] award at another festival, and he received the trophy at Rio in the pres- ence of his long-time doctor, now U.K. an ancient woman in a wheel-chair, Alan Smith and a wildly enthusiastic audience. [email protected]

William Mortiz teaches film and Asia: animation history at the California Institute of the Arts. Bruce Teitelbaum [email protected] Limbo by Bériou Courtesy of Anima Mundi

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 41 SIGGRAPH 96

by Kellie-Bea Rainey

IGGRAPH, held you could see how between August 4-9, at technology helps in, for Sthe Morial Convention example, Telemedicine Center, in New Orleans, is and Distributed Scientific the world’s largest and most Visualization of Ocean prestigious computer Models. These are technology event dealing intriguing and quite with computer graphics and refreshing to see, especially interactive techniques, of if you are in a specific which animation plays a industry and most of your major part. The annual projects are similar in conference is put on by production. what was once known as Hands-on is a the Association for SIGGRAPH 96 showroom floor. commonalty during the Photo by Kellie-Bea Rainey Computing Machinery’s convention and one of my Special Interest Group on Computer I’ve been going to SIGGRAPH since favorite venues for this integration is Graphics (i.e., SIGGRAPH). This year 1993, and I have been more and the Gorilla Gallery. Here you could marked the 23rd running of the big more active since my first year. Each bring or make images with the help daddy of all computer graphic year there is more to see and from other artists in attendance. It’s an conferences, which acts as a showcase experience. Sure there’s the new exciting share and share alike type of for all the newest and greatest advancements in the technologies, atmosphere where one can both tap achievements in computerized visual this is expected, but there are into others’ creativity and collaborate. arts, special effects and animation. educational demonstrations, courses, The exhibition floor itself seems to This is a serious gig I tell you, nothing papers and panels. For instance, I expand exponentially each year to to take lightly! But through the heavy went to Pixar’s course on the “Making accommodate the explosive growth breakthroughs in technology and the of Toy Story,” where the production advancements in software on display team talked about how they did there is also plenty of partying as well. problem solving and made creative The technology of computer (The address for SIGGRAPH’s “cheats” to reach their expected results. graphics floods the likes of conference site is http://www.sig This sharing of creativity and learning Education and Research. graph.org/conferences/siggraph96.) curve ingenuity were invaluable and is widespread throughout the SIGGRAPH experience, and one major within the field. As I walked the floor, reason I attend each year. there seemed to be a slightly different approach to many of the booths. Of Bayous and Gorrillas There were more small hands-on SIGGRAPH goes into all aspects of instructional areas and smaller group computer visual mediums, it does discussions and presentations this year. more than provide a realm for large There was one company that had a entertainment companies. The schedule of unique event showings technology of computer graphics and discussions every half hour for Kellie-Bea Rainey and Doug Cooper at K-Paul’s floods the likes of Education and every day they were there on the floor. restaurant. Research. In the Digital Bayou this year This feeling of schedule and choice is Courtesy of Kellie-Bea Rainey

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 42 Bridge held on and off-site. but hey SIGGRAPH is only once a year. There were also smaller Another is that you just couldn’t do activities every day and night held in both convention center rooms and local Most of the parties, hotels. So, no matter where considering we were in New you were staying, you could Orleans, went on until dawn. check at your front desk to see what types of SIGGRAPH activities were going on everything. I should know it’s not there. These hotel events doable, because I really tried to do were generally sponsored just about everything possible each by separate companies. (For day and night. The last “drawback” is example, Industrial Light & the restricted amount of time spent Magic hosted screenings on your email, cellular phone or pay All lined up for Disney’s SIGGRAPH party held at an old and discussions at the Hilton phones. There was just so much to convent in New Orleans. Photo by Kellie-Bea Rainey Riverside.) Apart for these do, see, and get involved with that if activities there was you wanted to communicate and rarely found on an exhibit floor, and SIGGRAPH’s own Electronic Theater, share your experience, it was to your very exciting trying to fit-it-all-in. which is the showcase for new benefit to do this directly with anyone I noticed a lot more user-friendly technology and is a must see. and everyone at the conference. applications this year. It used to be a As each day went by, there were Overall, this year’s conference was general rule of thumb that if you were huge parties to an artist then you were probably not go to. Some computer literate, and if you weren’t were by a computer engineer you probably invitation only weren’t an artist. But since high end (mainly for large software has been getting easier to company use and many high-end products are recruitment), but now available for the home there were computers, the bridge between artist others for and computers is becoming less and anyone and less intimidating. I believe there will everyone. Most be a considerable narrowing of this of them, considering we were in New gap next year just based on all the Orleans, went on until dawn. one of my favorites, but then again I’m new applications coming out for the One morning I came back from addicted and I say that each year. Windows NT platform. I’m sure many one of these parties to find that I had of these packages will be on display only two hours until the keynote at SIGGRAPH 97 in Los Angeles. I can’t address. This year’s speaker was wait. Say, maybe I’ll even try one. Douglas Adams, the author of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Kellie-Bea Rainey has been in the Noticed in Passing Knowing if I tried to sleep I’d probably entertainment industry for four Some other things I noticed in miss him, I made my way over to the years. She has working in visual passing this year. For one, there convention center to find a ton of special effects for many top seemed to be a lot more women both people moving into the main feature films. She has also worked attending and contributing to the presentation hall. Never had I seen so in animation (traditional and conference than in previous years, many attendees so enthusiastic about computer 2D and 3D), including which was very encouraging. I also a keynote speech, which I have to interactive multimedia and online noticed the massive volume of inner admit was most excellent! environments as a production convention center and outer Some of the drawbacks to such an coordinator, production manager convention center activities. There exciting week-long conference are not and as a producer. were large hands-on venues like The really so bad. There is the lack of sleep,

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 43 The Cockroaches of Joe’s Apartment by John R. Dilworth uthor John Berger has trend of developing material already the live-action, and observed that the only oth- designed for one medium for all CGI elements. It stars Jerry O’Con- Aer living things that will sur- mediums. (Does television pro- nell () as Joe, Megan Ward vive alongside human evolution gramming make for feature film (Party of Five) as the love interest, will be those which Lily, and Robert humans eat (like cows Vaughn (The Man and chickens) and the From U.N.C.L.E.), the cockroach. As Ralph, the corrupt Senator with a lead cockroach in John fetish for his daughter’s Payson’s unconventional costume jewelry feature film, Joe’s Apart- among other things. ment has prophesied, The film tells the sto- after the bomb drops, ry of a young man roaches will rule the who moves from the world. The idea of using Midwest to the Big the most universally Apple and lucks into a loathed insect as a means rent-controlled, tene- to examine the land- ment apartment in the scape of human related- East Village, whose - ness to other humans ants include 50,000 and the world they cockroaches. The build- inhabit, questions the The cockroach buddies in Joe’s Apartment created by Blue Sky Productions ing, however, sits on belief of human vitality © Geffen Pictures the site of a proposed and longevity. As a species, we are material?) The film was written for prison. Joe falls in love with a priv- extremely vulnerable to our envi- the screen and directed by Payson ileged girl who loves flowers and ronment and the condition of the who, at the time of the original whose father (the Senator) is environment is directly related to short, was MTV’s director of on-air involved with criminals who want our degree of vulnerability. We are promotion and animated I.D.’s. After to tear down the building. With the living in an apartment subject to devoting over a year to writing the aid of the cockroaches the build- nature’s will of continuing our lease. script, the film spent another year ing is turned into a veritable par- Joe’s Apartment was inspired by in production, including shooting adise and the lovers live happily Payson’s 1992 short of the same ever after. name that aired on MTV. It repre- sents the cable network’s first ven- We are living in an apartment An Uncompromising ture into feature films (the second subject to nature’s will of Point of View is the to-be-released Beavis and Butt- continuing our lease. The real stars of the film are the Head this fall ) and continues a

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 44 elimination of other species families living in tenements not seen as the human species is as undesirable insects subject to the famous for. The film charac- desires of housing committees lob- terizes the insensitivity and bied by developers wanting to prof- necessary obviousness of it from gentrification of a neigh- human existence through var- borhood? ious demonstrations of shoot- ings and muggings that Rebirth and Hope occur right in front of Joe. Payson, who continues to live in There is even a scene where New York’s East Village believes Joe, after stumbling out of a strongly that good things grow burning building, is lying on from rubble. Near the film’s end, a the street smoldering and two once promising garden that was pedestrians walk right over destroyed is suddenly transformed him, unimpressed. Joe soon into an even better paradise. A fan- learns that it is part of a nor- tasy element only possible through mal day in the city—some- the cinema, it underlines the direc- thing one lives with. And liv- tor’s sense of enchantment with ing with that kind of violence rebirth and hope. and inhumanity is better than The cockroaches in Joe’s Apart- ment are avatars for humans. They Joe’s Apartment living with bugs in your © Geffen Pictures home. watch a TV program called Alter- cockroaches—from the opening Early on in the film, the dis- native Life with Charlie Roach. Char- title sequence where a cockroach trust and resentment the roaches lie, a cockroach, hosts a table dis- is perched on the very top of the feel toward humans is clearly estab- cussion with a city pigeon, a squir- Statue of Liberty’s torch to the final lished. “Another stupid human,” rel and a rat. The discussion breaks display of human care the cock- says one cockroach. But the roach- down and feathers and fur begin roaches display for Joe. In what es do not discriminate—they are to fly, prompting the host to turns out to be a genuine voice not racist. They fully embrace Joe demonstrating man’s indifference after he eats a stale piece of toast Payson’s cockroaches are to other living things, especially where a cockroach once stood, examples of smart and insects that infest your home, accepting him on the understand- successful living.They are Payson presents an uncompromis- ing he is not one of them, but is incredibly resourceful, ing point of view. “Oceans Becom- similar enough to be one of them. supportive and adaptable. ing Watery Deserts” reads a Gene- Despite their difference in size, va newspaper headline. And there Joe and the cockroaches live quite are countless other examples of well together, discovering the new implore, “Can’t we all get along ...?” how human existence on the plan- opportunities their relationship (a little reminder of the Rodney King et has decidedly changed the way offers. This theme was made incident that continues to illustrate all life co-habitats. In Joe’s Apart- famous by Jonathan Swift in Gul- the self-righteousness of those with ment, the cockroaches turn out to liver’s Travels, which Payson pays power and influence over the less be the most uncivilized of civilized homage to when Joe finds himself well off). beings. They represent a commu- tied down by the roaches the same Payson keenly observes the lack nity committed to the survival of way Gulliver was by the Lilliputians. of understanding that exists the species, but not through the And it is a direct comparison between different cultures. When it between the interpretation of “little comes to human behavior, con- people” and cockroaches that temporary TV shows rely on pulling The cockroaches turn out to Payson is making. The terms virtu- aside the curtain of truth when it be the most uncivilized of ally mean the same. Both species comes to human behavior. The civilized beings. are squashed and the less seen the irony here is that city animals and better. Are the poor and low income insects live hard lives as well, but

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 45 do not exceed the interest of tele- vision executives. It is interesting to note the char- acterizations of the cockroaches in the film. They are predominately male, healthy and heterosexual— they shout macho phrases and thrust their pelvises in the hopes of getting a woman’s attention. They cannot only talk, but can also sing and dance (nearly every style of music is covered from funk and country and western to gospel). It is like visiting a cockroach Animal House. The roaches live to have fun, and to them life is one long party. Many of the party scenes amidst decomposing waste, emp- Joe’s Apartment ty beer bottles and dirty socks rep- © Geffen Pictures resent a standard of living that is Technically, the execution of the of note are the two stop motion associated with the poor, and the cockroaches is very well done. In shots created by Peter Wallach and poor in this case have no fear of a decade when special effects dom- Fly Films in New York. To fill in the the future. In many ways, the scene inate the box office, Joe’s Apart- total effect, “roach wrangler” Ray can be compared to the oil paint- ment stands alongside the best, Mendez brought in several thou- ings of Brueghel, where 16th cen- including Twister and Indepen- sand live cockroaches. tury pagans celebrated life in much dence Day. The CGI animation of As Federico Fellini has said, “A the same way the roaches do in the insects was done by Blue Sky good picture has to have defects. Joe’s Apartment. Interestingly, the Productions in New York. Chris It has to have mistakes in it, like life, Black Plague, long believed to have Wedge was the director of anima- like people.” Joe’s Apartment is the its origins in the poor communities tion and his team worked from sto- first film of a young director who of Europe, was spread by insects ryboards created by Payson and thinks and feels, and the first film of and rodents. Dan Shefelman. The design of the a company exploring new markets. Payson’s cockroaches are exam- roaches required actually repro- Payson survived a creative and man- ples of smart and successful living. ducing the anatomy of a cockroach. agement task few are capable of They are incredibly resourceful, sup- Small liberties were to give and many are willing to attempt portive and adaptable. When Joe the designs more flexibility when with less spirit. The results are unpre- attempts to flush them down the animated, but the final composit- dictable and promising. Payson toilet, the roaches begin surfing the ed product results in convincing wants to make people laugh and wave. And it is this observation of the audience they’re not watching have a good time watching his turning a bad situation into a good CGI. films, just as his cockroaches do. one that reinforces the theory of With 14 artists, Blue Sky created What more can one ask of humans? survival of the fittest, challenging 200 shots requiring CGI—the the belief that the human race is longest shot took one-and-a-half the dominant one. Ironically, it is months to complete and it was only John R. Dilworth is a New York the cockroaches who aid the sur- five seconds long. In order to scat- based independent filmmaker vival of a human (Joe) when he is ter hundreds of cockroaches at one whose recent short animated threatened by others of his species. time, the company created a pro- film, The Chicken From Outer gram that enabled them to dupli- Space, was nominated for an cate a cockroach as many times as Academy Award. Anatomically Correct and needed to follow a determined ... path, called flocking software. Also

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 46 BeBe suresure toto bringbring aa powerpower sourcesource forfor TV!TV! by Frankie Kowalski

hen I reflect on autumn and what it means to me, I think of the season’s beauty, fuzzy sweaters, kid’s lunch boxes (with plenty of twinkies), and what I look forward W to most—the new toons to hit the tube! International Television is this month’s focus, so I spoke to the executives that graciously make it happen day in and day out: Clare Kitson, Commissioning Editor for Animation at Channel 4 in the UK; John Coates founder of TVC, in London; Gerry Travers, Marketing and Distribution Manager for Energee Entertainment, in Sydney; Fred Seibert, President, Hanna Barbera and Phil Roman, President, Film Roman, both in Los Angeles.

Clare Kitson’s top 10 picks...OK, she couldn’t resist—12 picks....

1. Some Like It Hot by Billy Wilder 2. The Major and the Minor by Billy Wilder 3. One, Two, Three by Billy Wilder (a big Wilder fan as you see) 4. Singin’ In the Rain by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen 5. The Lady-Killers by Alexander Mackendrick (the only British entrant, how sad) 6. The Lady With the Dog by Joseph Heifitz 7. No End by Krzysztof Kieslowski 8. The Street by Caroline Leaf 9. The Big Snit by Richard Condie 10. The Tale of Tales by 11. The Wrong Trousers by Nick Park 12. The Cow by Alexander Petrov

John Coates’...

“We grew up at TVC making TV commercials—nearly 1,500 of them— and it wasn’t until we made The Yellow Submarine that I realized that it was really fun to entertain people. By Christmas this year, we will have completed one cinema feature, two TV fea- tures, and thirteen half-hour TV specials in the past fifteen years. Hopefully they will have entertained millions of people around the world and we have certainly had a lot of fun making them.” Crapston Villas Courtesy of Channel4

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 47 1. The Go Between by Joseph Losey 2. Au revoir les enfants by Louis Malle 3. Blow Up by Michelangelo Antonioni 4. North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock 5. Casablanca by Michael Curtiz 6. Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa 7. Pinocchio by Walt Disney 8 The Man Who Planted Trees by Frederic Back 9. Granpa by Dianna Jackson 10. The Wrong Trousers by Nick Park Gerry Travers’...

1. The Wizard of Oz by Victor Fleming 2. The Manchurian Candidate by John Frankenheimer 3. and the Seven Dwarfs by Walt Disney 4. Crocodile Dundee by Peter Faiman 5. F Troop (series) produced by William T. Orr & Hy Averback 6. Fritz The Cat by 7. by Walt Disney 8. Droopy cartoons by MGM The Yellow Submarine Fred Seibert’s... © TVC-London

“Working with cartoons has been amazing. The talented animators and the people who support them are the best kind of colleagues to have. Traveling around the world and watching people laugh with films I’ve been lucky enough to touch is one experience that can not be duplicated.”

1. Rock n Roll High School by Alan Arkush 2. Car Wash by Michael Schultz 3. Bringing Up Baby by Howard Hawks 4. (all three) by Francis Ford Coppola 5. (series) produced by Carl Reiner 6. Missing by Costa Graves 7. A Hard Day’s Night by Richard Lester 8. by various directors 9. North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock 10. The Fugitive (series) produced by Quinn Martin

Phil Roman’s...

1. by Walt Disney 2. The Wizard of Oz by Victor Fleming 3. It’s A Wonderful Life by Frank Capra Brian at the drums, from Crocadoo. 4. Some Like It Hot by Billy Wilder © Energee 5. Singin’ in the Rain by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen 6. Pinocchio by Walt Disney 7. Doctor Zhivago by David Lean 8. by Robert Zemeckis 9. Roman Holiday by William Wyler 10 The Last Emperor by Bernardo Bertolucci

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 48 AWMag Comics

The Dirdy Birdy by John R. Dilworth

© All Rights Reserved. JRD 1996.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 49 Fall TV Season: News on the com- & M University, in College Station, ing animation season on American Texas. In Canada, students from television is found in Pamela Schecter’s Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, article, “TV’s Fall TV Lineup,” appear- a favorite of mainstream animation ing among this issue’s feature articles. houses are also being sought after.

Arab-Americans Set Disney The following items are Protest. Leaders of the American- from AWN’s August 7, Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee 1996 email news flash: (ADC) angered by what they see as the Walt Disney’s Co.’s “blatant racism,” Unveils First say they will stage “simultaneous Feature Film Slate. Following up protests” outside Disney’s Burbank lot, the release of Nickelodeon Movies’ Disneyland in Anaheim and Fox Children’s Network first feature effort—the live-action DisneyWorld in Orlando in August. Appointments. Maureen Smith was Harriet the Spy last month (accom- ADC officials are incensed over what named vice president of planning panied by Craig Bartlett’s animated they call a continuing pattern of “Arab and program scheduling, where she short, Hey Arnold)—the company bashing” in such Disney releases as will work with Fox Children’s Network announced a slate of three animat- Aladdin and Return of Jafar. They are and other Fox divisions on strategic ed films now in development. The also angry that Disney has allegedly planning of the service in the U.S. highest profile title is certainly The not kept its word to consult with them and abroad. Donna Cunningham, Stinky Cheese Man, based on the whenever a Disney movie features previously a vice president of Hanna- best-selling children’s book by Lane Arab or Arab-American characters. Barbera Inc., has joined FCN as vice Smith and Jon Scieszka. The book fea- According to ADC spokesman president of business affairs, where tures various off-the-wall versions of Donald Bustany, “Disney’s TV anima- she will oversee all negotiations and classic fairy tales; right now, the plot tion division has complied with that supervise business relationships of the film seems to center on how agreement, and we’ve been work- between the service and its program Jack (of ) cre- ing with them in a very efficient and suppliers, production companies, tal- ates a stinky cheese man to repel the amiable way, but management did ent and ancillary businesses. giant, but instead creates havoc in not bother to spread the word and fairy tale land. The film will utilize cut- tell other divisions.” Disney has not Global Recruiting. Fewer than a out animation, somewhat in the man- returned Bustany’s calls, “I don’t know dozen institutions throughout ner of the dream sequence in “James why they are doing this, but we’ve California train computer animators and the Giant Peach,” for which Lane got to wake them up. Maybe this for work in entertainment, but The Smith helped design. protest will help.” Hollywood Reporter recently checked Also on Nickelodeon Movie’s In the meantime, Disney’s with local operations animation agenda is a feature version Aladdin and the King of Thieves, the produced the names of several out- of their long-running TV series, company’s second made-for-video of-state schools whose graduates Rugrats, which chronicles the world sequel to Aladdin, was in second increasingly are being recruited as from a baby’s point of view, to be place on the rental charts according well. They include: Rochester (NY) made by Klasky Csupo. The film to VSDA VidTrac. While having a sell- Institute of Technology; which has been in development for through title be one of the top rental Institute of Technology; Rhode Island some time, will be Klasky Csupo’s first titles is not that common, it is much School of Design; Ringling School of feature effort. Finally, there is Kogny, rarer for this to happen for a made-for- Design in Sarasota, Florida; Pratt which is created by and will be pro- video title. Institute in Brooklyn, NY; the School of duced by Doug Lawrence (who Visual Arts in New York; and Texas A worked on Nickelodeon’s Rocko’s

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 50 Modern Life). This comedy deals with Japanese Wrestling Title. Los ed retail price of $22.99. (See Wendy the struggles of Krogny, a dog who Angeles-based Activion has signed an Jackson’s review of the film in the May becomes a fugitive after he is falsely agreement with Tomy Company to 1996 issue of Animation World accused of murdering the Mayor’s cat. acquire the worldwide rights, exclud- Magazine.) He returns, disguised as a human, in ing Japan, for Toukon Retsuden— an attempt to solve the crime. the wrestling game which, accord- Central Park Media Makes Anime ing to Tomy, has shipped some Titles Available On October 8: Snowden And Fine Sign With 220,000 units for the Sony PlayStation Three English-dubbed episodes of the Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Feature in Japan. Activision will work with “adults only” sci-fi series, Urotsukidoji: Animation has signed a two-year, first- Tomy to adapt the title for the inter- Inferno Road by Toshio Maeda, will look deal with London-based direc- national market. be released in the US by Central Park tors Alison Snowden and David Fine. Media. Each 45-minute episode is The pair, known for such Academy Wallace And Gromit Meet The priced at $29.95, with all three avail- Award nominated shorts as George Queen. The visit was requested by able in one 135-minute package and Rosemary, Special Delivery and the palace to Aardman Animations under the title of Inferno Road Brick the Oscar winning Bob’s Birthday. and it appeared that the Queen her- is priced at $79.95. At the same time, The deal will give Warners the option self was an admirer of Wallace and the company will release Area 88: to develop and produce any idea the his faithful canine companion, The Blue Skies of Betrayal (an action- pair may come up with. The films, Gromit. The Queen was amused by adventure story), Judge (a horror which Warners said will not neces- a brief introductory film showing the occult thriller) (both for $14.95 each), sarily be aimed at children, will be art of the Oscar winning animator, The Heroic Legend of Arislan, Parts 3 made at either the company’s London Nick Park (Creature Comforts, The & 4 ($19.95), and My My Mai, or Glendale studios, rather than in Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave). Volume 1 (a supernatural mystery Snowden and Fine’s facility in Park later said that, “The Queen with “sex appeal.”) ($19.95). London, which is considered too laughed and chuckled in all the right small to handle a feature-length pro- places. She seemed to thoroughly The following items are ject. enjoy herself.” She was also given a from AWN’s August 21, preview of a scale model of televi- 1996 email news flash: The Hearst Corporation And The sion’s Coronation Street, apparently Cisneros Group To Launch constructed entirely of chocolate, Warner Bros. Animation Shuffle. Locomotion Throughout Latin which will be used for a Cadbury Joe Reilly has been named senior vice America. A new 24-hour, all-anima- commercial. At one stage the Queen president and general manager of tion programming series for 23 coun- took off her glove to hold one of the the studio’s Television Animation tries in Latin America and the “chocolate” characters from the Division and is charged with over- Caribbean is scheduled to begin ser- Coronation Street Set. She also got seeing all financial business and vice this fall. Locomotion will be some insight on the biggest studio administrative matters. Ken Duer is broadcast to homes throughout the secret of all—the script content for now vice president of worldwide pro- region initially via DirecTV in Spanish, studio’s first feature-length film writ- duction for Television Animation Portuguese and English. DIRECTV is ten and co-produced by Park, Peter which puts him in charge of all the first service to offer direct-to-home Lord and Dave Spoxton, which domestic and international produc- television entertainment to this mar- should be ready for worldwide dis- tion units. Maria Womack has been ket and before year end, 19 new tribution in two-and-a-half years. promoted to director, finance, Warner channels will be added to the service. Bros. Television Animation. Liza-Ann Locomotion will feature programs New On Video: Warren takes the newly created slot from Hearst Entertainment’s library of of director, recruitment for the divi- animated series such as The Legend James And The Giant Peach Due sion, and as such will scout new ani- of Prince Valiant, Popeye, Beetle October 15. ’s live- mation talents, production entities Bailey,Krazy Kat and the new Flash action/animated adventure based on and training opportunities. Warren, Gordon. Roald Dahl’s book will be available in who was director, domestic produc- stores in the United States from Walt tion, will be replaced by Howard Activision Aquires Best-Selling Disney Home Video with a suggest- Schwartz. Finally, Chuck Ansel has

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 51 been appointed director, finance, cuit TV. Two-way communications will French license-holder Marina Warner Bros. Classic Animation. allow students to ask questions and Productions. s have their work critiqued by ani- Mainframe Teams With Imax On mators. Dave Master, manager of Claster Television Expands Reboot Projects. Mainframe, best artist development and training for “Power Block” With CGI known for its computer-animated Warner Bros. Feature Animation, is Animation Series Reboot. Joining Reboot TV series, will produce two heading the effort. Beast Wars, G.I. Joe Extreme, and films for Imax’ motion simulator rides VOR-Tech as part of a 5 day a week using characters from the show. The Nick Park’s Close Shave Wins action-oriented animation block, Vancouver-based studio’s deal also Again! At the recent Palms Springs “Reboot” extends the CGI franchise. calls for the development of other International Short Film Festival, “Power Block” will debut this fall on projects. Imax, which premiered Academy Award-winning director 106 stations covering 85% of the U.S. Cosmic Voyage, which contains 15 Nick Park’s A Close Shave was voted ReBoot, which originally made its pre- minutes of computer animation favorite short film by festival audi- miere in September 1994 as part of effects, will release another CGI film in ences. The winners received a solid ABC’s Saturday morning line up, has October, L5—First City in Space, with bronze statue named “The received several awards for its appeal computer animation provided by to kids of all ages; it is produced in Britain’s CFI and France’s Ex Machina. Vancouver at Mainframe Entertainment’s 3D computer ani- Nickelodeon In Nordic Territories. mation studio and is distributed On August 1, 1996, Nickelodeon worldwide by Alliance began transmitting a six-hour block of Communications. its programming, including RugRats to the five Nordic Territories— Pillow People Comes Through In Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland Syndication. The new kids “FCC- and Finland. The kids network has Friendly” series, has been cleared in previously licensed deals to broad- more than 85% of the country

casters in Scandinavia and Finland, VOR Tech through syndicator Summit Media but has never entered the territory © Claster Television Group, a division of 4 Kids with any real presence. The pack- Entertainment. The series is pro- age is being broadcast initially only Entertainer”, designed by local artist duced in New York by creator Penny in Swedish and English. It comes as John Kennedy, as well as a $500 cash Ekstein Lieberman’s production com- a part of a deal between Viacom prize. (Park’s film also won a $250 pany, Sandbox Entertainment. (Nickelodeon’s parent company) and prize for best animated short.) Under SES (Société europeen des satellites) to the International Student Short Film Humongous Entertainment Ships provide transmission via the Astra 1B category, They Were The First To Ride Freddie Fish 2. On August 29, 1996 satellite to Germany and the Nordic directed by Lyndon Barrois, received the new hand-animated Junior countries under a multiyear arrange- a certificate and a $250 cash prize for Adventure for kids age 3-8 will be ment. best animated film. available on one multi-platform CD- ROM for Windows 95, Windows 3.1 Warner Bros. Begins Virtual Class. France Finds Hit In Sandiego. The and Macintosh for $39.95. The Case Warner Bros. Feature Animation, as Gallic TV version of Where in the of The Haunted Schoolhouse, Freddie part of a nationwide consortium of World is Carmen Sandiego? is a big Fish and her pal Luther are on the telecommunication companies and hit with French children audiences. case to unmask the ghost and reclaim school systems, has been training Public web France 3, where the the toys in an underwater world full teachers from around the country as show airs Sunday mornings, has of adventure with 36 new environ- part of a program called the Virtual reported a market share of 25% since ments to explore. “Sing Along with Training Network. The program will its launch last April. France 3 is so Freddie Fish and her Friends” an illus- go online in October, whenstudio happy with it that it has commis- trated 24-page book with audio tape staffers will demonstrate animation sioned another 30 episodes of Mais will be available free with the pur- techniques to students via close-cir- ou se cache Carmen Sandiego? from chase of Freddie Fish 2.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1996 52 Animation World Magazine 1996–97 Calendar

October Issue Highlights

It’s a Presidential election year here in the States, so we are taking the opportunity to shift our focus in October to Politics and Propaganda around the world. We will feature an interview a candid interview with Dr. Helen Caldicott, the peace and environmental activist, about the influence of children’s television (including animation) on children. Jill McGreal will take a look at the politics involved in CARTOON, the European Union organization that is trying to jump start the European animation industry. Also, Fred Patten takes a look back at the first Japanese animated feature, Momotaro, Divine Sailor, made on behalf of the military government. In addition, award-winning German animator, Raimunde Krumme, who is being honored at the Ottawa Animation Festival, will give us his views on the art of animation, while the Cartoon Network’s Linda Simensky gives us her views on “leaving home,” i.e., the etiquette involved when moving on to a new job in the animation industry.

Theme Park Animation (November)

Interactive Animation (December)

Animation Festivals (January ‘97)

International Animation Industry (February '97)

Children & Animation (March '97)

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