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Home , All Dogs Go to Heaven, Cartoon Saloon, Dan Kuenster, Don Bluth, Fred Wolf Films, Gary Goldman

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Estudios Irlandeses, Number 4, 2009, pp. 187-191 ______AEDEI

Drawing Conclusions: Irish and National Cinema Liam Burke

Traditionally perceived as the unclassifiable action production (stars, crew, locations etc.). stepchild of many national cinemas, animation 2008 found the Irish film industry on the cusp of has recently become recognised as a form achieving a consistent level of Irish animated capable of astutely articulating and reflecting a feature production; but do the films of this nation’s identity and concerns. In 2007, burgeoning trend reflect their local origins, or do Persepolis (Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane they yield to marketplace pressures demanding Satrapi) was chosen to represent in the cultural ambiguity? ‘Foreign Language Film’ category at the The animated form was first earnestly adopted . The film was adapted by by Irish filmmakers in the 1970s, with animators Iranian expatriate Marjane Satrapi from her own such as Aidan Hickey and later Steve Woods graphic novel, and charted her turbulent producing independent work. By the mid childhood growing up in Iran during the Iranian the form had become an industry, sparked by the Revolution and Iran-Iraq War. Although the film arrival of Sullivan Bluth, an did not make the final shortlist, its effective use studio run by former Disney animator, Don of simple black and white art to convey a child’s Bluth. Sullivan-Bluth was enticed to relocate perspective of complex issues, did see it garner a from Van Nuys, California to a site near Phoenix nomination in the ‘Animated Feature Film’ Park, by substantial Industrial category: a section ordinarily dominated by big Development Authority (IDA) grants and lower budget family fare from Disney, DreamWorks wage costs. Although Sullivan Bluth’s and . The 2008 animated-documentary productions, including Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman) also used surface (, 1988) and simplicity to more deeply penetrate a (Don Bluth, 1989) bore a superficial similarity to complicated topic. The film’s examination of the the output of Bluth’s former employer Disney, 1982 Lebanon War achieved renewed piquancy the director’s newfound autonomy allowed for by superimposing haunting, comic book-like the exploration of darker themes, with these graphics onto images that have become films proving considerable competition for worryingly familiar in live-action. Like Disney at the box office.1 Persepolis, Waltz with Bashir has also become Sullivan Bluth’s impact on the Irish animation an international breakout ‘hit’ and was chosen to scene was game-changing and far-reaching. In represent its country (Israel) in the Foreign order to develop the burgeoning studio, Sullivan Language Film category at the Academy Awards Bluth established ’s first animation course (2009). at Ballyfermot College in Dublin, which Yet, it seems strange that animated features continues today under the banner of the Irish have taken this long to co-habit the privileged School of Animation.2 Many of the graduates status of ‘national cinema’ automatically granted to live-action films. If one subscribes to Jean ______Cocteau’s belief that ‘film will only become art 1. In 1988 Disney’s Oliver & Company grossed when its materials are as inexpensive as pen and $53,279,055 at the US box office, only narrowly out- paper’ then surely animation, while still performing Sullivan Bluth’s The Land Before Time beholden to budgetary concerns, is the form $48,092,846. Figures from: better positioned to reflect national interests, http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr= avoiding as it does, most of the vagaries of live 1988&p=.htm [Retrieved January 19, 2009] ______ISSN 1699-311X 188

from Ballyfermot College found work not only at events such as the Irish Animation Festival.4 In Sullivan Bluth but also at Murakami Wolf, a time, the lobbying of Anamu (a collective of production company that had expanded from Irish animators) prompted the Irish Film Board Murakami films and was responsible for (IFB) to introduce Frameworks, a scheme for animating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. financing animated shorts. Frameworks began in Another company founded during this time was 1995 and early successes included Midnight Emerald City, established by American Al Guest Dance (John McCloskey, 1996), Guy’s Dog (clearly emulating the Sullivan Bluth model). (Rory Bresnihan, 1997) and The Last Elk (Alan This commitment to animation was echoed south Shannon, 1998). Today, ‘Frameworks’ offers of the city by the introduction of animation filmmakers budgets of up to €50,000 to produce courses with a more experimental emphasis at animated shorts with a running time of less than the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and six minutes.5 Technology (IADT). These various factors coalesced to foster the This prolific period of American animated production of a wealth of animated short films, production in Ireland drew to a close in the mid- which began receiving the kind of international when financial difficulties, exacerbated by acclaim that escaped most Irish live-action under-performing releases,3 prompted the closure efforts. 2002 proved a particularly successful of Sullivan Bluth. Emerald City soon followed year with two Irish works – Fifty Percent Grey suit, while Murakami Wolf was downsized to (Ruairí Robinson, 2001) and Give Up Yer Aul films. Yet, throughout the 1990s the Sins (Cathal Gaffney, 2001) – nominated in the number of experienced animators in Ireland ‘Animated Short Film’ category at the Academy continued to grow, as animation programs at Awards. Although a Pixar effort, For the Birds IADT and Ballyfermot College produced (, 2000) took home the prize, the filmmakers trained to a world-class level. There nomination helped propel Fifty Percent Grey were intermittent attempts during this time to director Ruairí Robinson into the director’s chair revive feature production. Most notably, Dublin- of the Leonardo DiCaprio-produced anime- based Terraglyph Production released three adaptation Akira (2011),6 while Give Up Yer Aul animated co-productions Carnivale (Deane Sins was expanded into a best-selling DVD Taylor, 2000) Duck Ugly (Emmanuel Klotz and anthology, suggesting that there was as much Deane Taylor, 2000) and Help! I’m a Fish appetite for Irish animation at home as there was (Stefan Fjeldmark, Michael Hegner and Greg overseas. Yet, as in live action, the animated Manwaring, 2000). Yet theses films failed to short can only achieve so much and in 2008 the resuscitate the animated feature. During this potential for regular Irish animated feature fallow period many animators began to production, hinted at in the shorts, finally began concentrate on short films, finding audiences at to be realised.7

______2. http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId= 4. Launched in 1994, the Irish Animation Festival was 4381094778 run out of the Irish Film Centre in Dublin. The festival initially ran for three years showcasing Irish 3. The box office performance of Sullivan Bluth shorts alongside international works. productions post-1990 lagged far behind previous successes and productions from rival studios. Sullivan 5. From the ‘About Frameworks’ section of the Irish Bluth productions and their US box offices grosses Film Board website http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/ , for this period are as follows, Rock-a-Doodle (Don funding_programmes/Frameworks/65 [Retrieved Bluth, and , 1991) January 15, 2009] $11,657,385, Thumbelina (Don Bluth and Gary 6. Ironically for director Robinson, whose greatest Goldman 1994) $11,373,501, and The Pebble and the success to date has been in animation, the adaptation Penguin (Don Bluth and Gary Goldman 1995) of anime Akira will be in live-action. $3,983,912. Figures from: http://www.boxofficemojo. com/yearly/chart/?yr=1988&p=.htm [Retrieved 7. For further information on the history of Irish January 19, 2009] animation and ongoing productions see: 189

Fittingly for a stratum of filmmaking bubbling Consequently, the film is a familiar blend of just under the crust of public recognition, talking animals, musical interludes and comedy Galway-based Magma Films has been promoting sidekicks (here a cowardly flying squirrel and a animated feature production for some time. pampered, purple poodle), with animation that is Magma Films is a prolific and diverse competent, if a little rough around its digitally- independent production company, creating rendered edges. However, the film does avoid everything from Irish language fashion shows the knowing cynicism of some of the celebrity- (Paisean Faisean) to live action family films laden US efforts, and the computer-generated such as Summer of the Flying Saucer (Martin gamble seems to have paid off with Niko and the Duffy, 2008). It is also one of the greatest Way to the Stars selling to over 120 countries.9 proponents of animation in Ireland, previously The success of Niko & the Way to the Stars co-producing with European partners The Ugly does raise a number of concerns about the future Duckling and Me (Michael Hegner and Karsten of not only Irish animation, but the larger field. Kiilerich, 2006), a feature film and television As an international co-production Niko & the series that was a computer-generated twist on the Way to the Stars migrates about a vague movie- Hans Christian Andersen tale. land, displaying no traits that could be identified 2008 saw the release of Magma Films’ latest as specific to Ireland or any of its funding animated co-production, Niko & the Way to the nations. Similarly, while the film had a Stars (Michael Hegner and Kari Juusonen, significant number of Irish contributors,10 it must 2008), which like past efforts, was a family film, be acknowledged that most of the animation was this time following a young reindeer who, handled overseas. Finally, as a computer believing his father to be one of ‘Santa’s Flying animated film, Niko & the Way to the Stars joins Forces’ traverses the dangerous wolf-invested a wave of digital efforts that have washed over wilderness to find him. In its story of the form since the success of (John anthropomorphic animals with abandonment Lasseter, 1995), with the technique becoming the issues, the film recalls some of the highlights industry standard and drowning out more from the Disney canon, particularly traditional styles.11 These concerns prompt a (David Hand, 1942) and ( and Rob Minkoff, 1994), while its use of ______computer-generated imagery (CGI) allows the 9. ‘Double Win For 'Niko' at Cinekid’, IFTN, film to compete with DreamWorks’ green ogre Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and Pixar’s talking toys. http://iftn.ie/?act1=record&aid=73&rid=4281635 Yet quality computer animation comes at a &sr=1&only=1&hl=Niko+and+the+way+ to+the+ price, necessitating a larger budget that in turn stars&tpl=archnews [Retrieved January 14, 2009] demands the widest possible appeal if the film is 10. The film’s voice track was recorded in Ireland and to stand a chance of recouping its costs. This features many Irish actors including Andrew Mc economic reality was cited in the film’s Mahon (Niko), Morgan Jones (Dasher), Paul Tylak production notes, ‘Fairly soon it became clear (Specks/Prancer) and Alan Stanford (Black Wolf), it that the budget goal had to be six million euros was co-written by Irish-based Marteinn Thorisson, to invest and that the genre needed to be family and Wicklow-based Stephen Mc Keon composed the entertainment’.8 score. ______11. Evidence of computer animation’s dominance of the field is apparent by Animation http://www.stevewoods.ie/, Animation Ireland Studios current focus on computer animated films, http://www.animationireland.com/ and ‘Animation in with the studios last theatrically-released, traditionally Ireland’ by Maeve Clancy http://www.ncad.ie/faculties/ animated film being 2004’s Home on the Range (Will visualculture/research/thoughtlines/mclancy.shtml. Finn and John Sanford). Similarly Aardman 8. ‘Niko & the Way to the Stars Fact Sheet’, , which built its reputation on stop-motion http://www.magmaworld.com/NIKO/FactSheet.doc films such as the Wallace and Gromit shorts, released [Retrieved January 19, 2009] its first computer-animated feature in 2006, Flushed Away (David Bowers and Sam Fell). 190

three fold question: Is it possible to animate a foreign invaders as an analogy for hand-drawn traditional, hand-drawn film in Ireland that Irish animation in a global marketplace, but there maintains a national interest and succeeds at the is something commendable about the film’s box office? As if anticipating such concerns The adherence to a more traditional style employed in Secret of Kells (, 2009) answers a national interest. Film academic Paul Wells these questions – Yes, Yes and time will tell. notes that ‘many studios worldwide have insisted , due for release in March upon using their own indigenous fine arts 2009, is the first feature length production from traditions, mythologies and cultural imperatives -based animation studio Cartoon in order to differentiate their own work from Saloon. The company was founded in 2000 by what may be regarded as a diluted form of Ballyfermot College graduates Tomm Moore, American artistic and cultural imperialism’.12 In , Ross Murray and , this vein, The Secret of Kells is far removed from and has since secured a reputation as a world- the textured polygons of computer animation, class production company through the telling its story in curves and swirls that mirror international success of its Skunk Fu! television the insular style of the eponymous book, and series. makes one nostalgic for the more ornate designs Directed by Kilkenny-native Moore, The of pre-Euro Irish currency. Secret of Kells features the voices of Brendan Given the inevitable difficulties Irish animated Gleeson and , with music provided by features face competing in a global box-office Irish folk group Kíla. Like Niko & the Way to the dominated by pixel-powered American Stars, The Secret of Kells is a co-production, productions with mammoth budgets, The Secret which sees partnering with Les of Kells suggests an alternative route. In looking Armateurs in France and Vivi Film in Belgium. to the past for its style and inwards for its However in a change to the usual strategy, the inspiration, The Secret of Kells does not invite majority of The Secret of Kells’ key animation unfavourable comparisons with overseas took place in Ireland, with 35 animators working ventures, allowing it to achieve successes and from Cartoon Saloon at the peak of production. failures all of its own. It will be up to the box Also unusual for the field, is the film’s rejection office to see whether this film becomes a stand- of CGI in favour of hand-drawn animation, alone achievement, or the future tactic of Irish allowing The Secret of Kells to adopt a highly- animated feature production. stylised and intricate look. In a 2007 report submitted to international Yet, The Secret of Kells’ Irish interest extends economic consultants Indecon by the Irish Film far beyond the nationality of the person putting Board, it was noted that, ‘The Irish animation pen to paper or the geography of its studios. sector has recently established itself as a credible Taking its inspiration from what is considered international player’.13 The report cites Magma Ireland’s greatest national treasure; The Secret of Films and Cartoon Saloon alongside other Irish Kells tells the story of Brendan, a 12 year-old producers of animated content Jam Media, boy living with his uncle, the Abbot (Brendan Monster, Boulder Media, Kavaleer and Brown Gleeson), who strives to protect his monastery Bag as the key practitioners of the form. The from Viking invaders by building an same report also noted that ‘There lies great impenetrable wall. Brendan’s life is turned potential to build a real “industry” in Irish upside down by the arrival of Brother Aidan animation’13 – an assessment that is borne out in (Mick Lally), a survivor of a Viking strike on ______Iona Island and the protector of the yet-to-be 12. Paul Wells, Animation: Genre and Authorship completed , a manuscript whose (London: Wallflower Press, 2002), p. 2 detailed beauty is a testament to a way of life 13. ‘Creating a Sustainable Irish Film and Television under attack. Sector: A review of Section 481 film relief’ by the It may be too much to see the film’s story of Irish Film Board, submitted to Indecon on June 29, safeguarding a fading national artform from 2007, http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/files/reports/IFB p. 32 [Retrieved on January 19, 2009] 191

the early promise of The Secret of Kells and Liam Burke is an IRCHSS scholar and PhD echoed by its producer Paul Young, ‘the talent student at the Huston School of Film & Digital and the will is here’.14 Perhaps sometime in the Media, NUI Galway. His PhD thesis is a study of near-future, the film representing Ireland at the the adaptation of comics to film. Liam’s first Academy Awards will come from drawing on a book, the Pocket Essential Superhero Movies national identity.15 was published in May 2008.

______14. From an interview with Secret of Kells producer Kells, above live-action features, as the 2008 and Cartoon Saloon founder Paul Young, January 19, Directors Finders Series Awards winner. The award 2009 sees the winning film given an industry screening in 15. The growing confidence in animation within the L.A., and is an important platform for securing US Irish film industry is further testified by the Screen distribution. Recent winners of the award include Director’s Guild of Ireland choosing The Secret of John Carney’s .