Vol.Vol. 22 IssueIssue 99 December 1997 Gaming!Gaming! JetJet PilotPilot ReviewsReviews FlightFlight SimsSims

GamesGames onon thethe WebWeb ToolsTools 101101 Multimedia Down Under

InsideInside TheThe Plus: A Conversation NeverhoodNeverhood with Jerzy Kucia and Piotr Dumala Table of Contents December 1997 Vol. 2, . No. 9 4 Editor’s Notebook It’s getting to be time to pay attention...

5 Letters: [email protected]

GAMING!

7 Welcome To The Neverhood Doug TenNapel and Mike Dietz take us on a full tour of The Neverhood, a cutting-edge studio which uses claymation to create interactive games.

11 Plus: Mike Dietz explains The Neverhood’s unique stop-motion animation process in detail.

13 Multimedia Down Under Mark Morrison gives us the lowdown on the Australian multimedia world. Despite government support and eager talent, distance and distribution remain two challenges.

18 PlayStation:An Unassuming Jack Why is the Sony PlayStation becoming the most popular home gaming console? Joseph Szadkowski sheds light on their shrewd, and simple, business plan.

22 Tools of the Trade:What Do I Need to Create Interactive Games? Interactive producer Tim Samoff describes his favorite tools for making interactive games.

25 Online Gaming: From Avatars to Wizards Christopher Harz explains how to get started in the new world of cyberspace.

29 MIPCOM Meets MILIA MIPCOM consultant Frederique Doumic answers her most frequently asked questions regarding the merging of the gaming and animation industries.

34 Russia: Gaming for Everybody Natalya Loukinykh gives us an inside look at the potential of Russia’s digital future.

37 1997 Gaming Report:The Best of the Bunch Animation World Magazine’s picks for the top animated games of 1997.

SURVEYS 40 The Future of Gaming A panel of gaming experts look deep into their crystal balls to predict where the industry is headed.

OTHER ARTICLES

44 A Conversation With Piotr Dumala and Jerzy Kucia Melissa Chimovitz interviews Polish independent animators Jerzy Kucia and Piotr Dumala, with the help of oTTo Alder, at the Fantoche Film Festival.

THE STUDENT CORNER

51 How to Find a Job in Multimedia Pamela Kleibrink Thompson shares her expert advice on how to break into this burgeoning field.

FESTIVALS, EVENTS: December 1997 55 Cinanima:A Festival by the Sea Cinanima, Portugal’s international animated film festival, is reviewed by Sayoko Kinoshita.

© Animation World Network 1997. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 2 Table of Contents December 1997 Vol. 2, . No. 9 68 The SAS Conference in Utrecht Gunnar Strøm relates the papers and ideas of the 9th Society for Animation Studies Conference.

60 Sitges: Horror and Animation in Barcelona Independent animation superstar, Bill Plympton describes his time at Festival Int. De Cineme Fantastic De Sitges in Barcelona, Spain.

62 The 25th Annual Annie Awards ASIFA-Hollywood’s night to shine was a real winner!

REVIEWS:

Films:

64 Un Jour:A Woman’s Metaphorical Narrative Don Perro reviews Un Jour, Marie Paccou’s latest film about a woman who wakes up with a man in her belly.

Books:

66 Encyclopedia Simpsonica Joe Toledo reviews The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family which details every fact of Simpson trivia known to man - plus some!

Software:

68 Flight Simulators:A Bird’s Eye View Pilot Daniel Rein applies his knowledge from both the Air Force and the commercial airlines business, to his top flight simulator game picks.

HIDDEN TREASURES:

70 The Castle of Pastime: Kratochvile Edgar Dutka details one of his favorite places; the permanent exhibition of Czech animated film at the Kratochvile Castle.

NEWS

72 Animation World News Voice Actor Don Messick Dies, Wolfmill Pockets First WGA Deal, SGI Sizes Down, Liepzig and Cable Ace Winners and more.

DESERT ISLAND

79 On A Desert Island With....Gaming Gurus Theresa Duncan, Lorne Lanning and Doug TenNapel reveal their top ten animated films.

AWN COMICS

80 Dirdy Birdy by John Dilworth

81 Next Issue’s Highlights

Cover: Original cover art created by Joseph Sanabria at The Neverhood exclusively for Animation

December 1997 World Magazine.

© Animation World Network 1997. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 3 by Heather Kenyon Gaming: It’s getting to be time field grows in use and prevalence find an appropriate place for you to pay attention... in our daily lives. In this month’s sur- even if it isn’t listed as your exact vey, “The Future of Gaming,” some objective, so don’t worry about per- For the past several years, key players in the gaming biz offer haps missing out on work by being I’ve felt that I was just too busy to us their ideas on what lies ahead. focused. delve into the world of gaming. I would also like to draw I would also like to thank There is so much to do each and attention to this month’s Student Daniel Rein and his brother, Major every day, who has time to spend Corner article “How to Find a Job Mike Rein for their fascinating article blasting things away or dropping in Multimedia” by Pamela Kleibrink “Flight Simulators: A Bird’s Eye View.” little bricks into slots? Recently, how- Thompson. Even if you aren’t look- After speaking to everyone from our ever, I thought I could feel some- ing for a job specifically in multi- local air force base to the Pentagon, thing beginning to creep up on me, media, I suggest you read this arti- I came across Major Mike Rein in the that I could feel a shadow about to cle. Pamela offers a lot of solid Air Force Personnel Center in Texas. fall over me. Yes, it was gaming, advice to anyone looking for a job. He hooked me up with his brother, telling me that it was time to pay Furthermore, her and we sent attention. This issue forced me to words about port- them nearly a take a look at the games that are folios, resumés dozen flight out there, and was I surprised! The and demo reels simulator best of them are creative and fun. are right on the games. Now Gaming, is in fact a massive money, even for we, non-pilots, industry that I feel will begin to traditional anima- can hear from impact an animation artist’s life more tion job seekers. an expert and more. As graphics continue to When I was which flight evolve and consumers’ appetites reviewing portfo- simulator create a demand for more detailed lios at Hanna- games are plots, the talents of people from the Barbera, nothing most like flying traditional animation areas will be was more frustrat- the real thing. recruited into the world of interac- ing than opening Speaking with tive animation. I don’t think they will up a portfolio and them and edit- defect completely, but I can see a having it explode ing the article day when freelancing for an ani- on my desk into a surely proved mation studio and then going to flurry of loose to me that fly- freelance at a gaming company will paper. Plus, ing a small, be viewed as the norm. The upside when people at festivals would zippy jet is a world unto its own and is going to be more companies hand me CD-ROMs as portfolios, I’d indeed, a very complex and difficult added to the work-giving mix. In think, “Thanks, it proves that you are one. For those of us used to stand- fact, some studios are already there. really technologically savvy, but ing firmly on the ground, it is hard Jeff Fino of Wild Brain, whose when it is 6:00 p.m., and I have to to imagine situations where things Green Eggs and Ham just won the review all of the incoming portfo- are happening so fast one is hard- Annie Award for Outstanding lios...I don’t have time to take the ly aware of where the ground even Achievement in an Animated CD, go downstairs, print out the is! Interactive Production, recently told images for the producers who don’t This was a fun and an inter- us that they work on games and have CD-ROM players in their esting issue to put together. I hope their traditional animation projects offices, etc.” It is better to call and you find it just as intriguing. As side by side. get it right the first time so that always, we, welcome your com- All in all, this diversion into recruiters can truly, fairly evaluate ments and ideas at multimedia has bolstered my opin- the art work. The pet peeves of [email protected]. ion that perhaps the statement recruiters could go on and on and “Animation, the Art Form of the 21st on for pages. But a good recruiter Until next time... Century” is true, as the multimedia will look at your art and be able to Heather

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 4 [email protected] December 1997

AWM welcomes letters to the edi- demean Harvey Deneroff’s writing amassed a large amount of knowl- tor and encourages this to be used but I think it would have been wiser edge about the film, Anastasia, in as a forum for the discussion of on your part to think again before order to write The Art of Anastasia. ideas and feedback on issues raised asking somebody connected so While he did write the book, he was in prior Magazine editions. closely with the film to write a not directly involved with the pro- review of it. duction. We are confident that Anastasia “Review” Harvey would not have taken on I truly feel that Animation Sincerely, this assignment had he felt he World Magazine is the most intelli- Amid Amidi couldn’t have been objective. We gent and well-written publication felt Harvey was the perfect candi- out there. That is why I’m having date to complete this “review” as he trouble understanding the reason- could enlighten us with the histor- ing behind asking Harvey Deneroff First off, I have to say that I ical background of Russia and the to write the Anastasia review. How work for Disney and thus have a real-life story of Anastasia, the pro- can you be truly critical of a film bias. duction, and offer context on both when you’ve written a book autho- I looked forward to reading the historical and contemporary rized by Fox about the film. This is the review of Anastasia. Reading it, aspects of animated feature film. exactly like asking a music group’s I noticed that it seemed rather anti- These letters, however have manager to write a review of their Disney. That’s okay. Everyone has brought home a point to us. We latest album. Obviously he’s not their opinions on our work. often do not do “straight” reviews in going to say extremely negative But then I read at the bot- our “Review Section.” For instance, things about it. Now, I realize that tom that Mr. Deneroff wrote the remember how we had the Greek Harvey Deneroff had no part in the book The Art of Anastasia. How can scholar Dr. John Rundin review making of the film but he was I possibly respect any portion of the Hercules? We hope that these involved indirectly by writing The review? It is completely biased by approaches make the publication Art of ... book. For such a big film, someone involved with the pro- more interesting but from now on, I really would have liked to have a duction. perhaps we need to pay greater stronger viewpoint from a writer I can’t wait to see the movie, attention to the way we classify that would have given me some but I have to question your editori- these types of articles. insight into the film. Mark Kausler’s al judgment on choosing a review- review of Serious Business was an er. I hope you don’t show a similar Thanks for the feedback. utter beauty and told me more disservice to our films by having one about the book than all the other of our people write the review. Sincerely, countless reviews I’ve read about it. The Editors Tim Stocoak, “So, You Want To Mark Gilicinski Open An Animation Art Gallery!” in your current issue is another exam- ple of the critical and eye-opening Staying in Touch writing that I’ve come to expect Well, here’s what we were I would like to thank every- from your fine publication. thinking folks. We chose Harvey to one involved in producing the This is no way meant to write the review because he has Animation Flash newsletter for pro-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 5 viding a quality service that I have should prove to consumers that found to be of immeasurable value they need to locate reputable ani- in keeping up with the many mation art galleries before making changes in the industry. Since leav- any purchases. ing my position as Senior Production Engineer with Class6 Entertainment Sincerely, in Hollywood for the peace and The Editors ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK quiet of the Sierra, I felt I was losing 6525 Sunset Blvd., touch with the industry. Your ser- Garden Suite 10 Hollywood, CA 90028 vice brings me back into the fold Phone : 213.468.2554 without the negative consequences Supply And Demand Fax : 213.464.5914 (traffic, smog, etc.). Keep up the It would be nice to see an Email : [email protected] great work! article telling the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, about how Sincerely, animators were treated by the stu- Brian Woodard, dios in the early days. Let’s say some- ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE Partner, Toler Productions one like Virgil Ross, whom you did- [email protected] PUBLISHER n’t hear much about until roughly Ron Diamond, President 1991. Prior, there had only been a Dan Sarto, Chief Operating Officer few articles in In Toon magazine, or EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tim Stocoak Article perhaps a small article in Animato. Heather Kenyon ASSOCIATE EDITOR I am startled to find you I guess animators were not impor- Wendy Jackson endorsing the kind of hate-filled arti- tant back then. You know, like CONTRIBUTORS : cle that Tim Stocoak linked to your Oswald, the (stolen) Rabbit. Well, Melissa Chimovitz otherwise information filled and Virge got his fame and I hope Frédérique Doumic enjoyable newsletter. I myself am a money, but where was everyone Edgar Dutka one-time “Studio Store” gallery man- from 1950 to 1990? I would bet Mike Dietz ager, and now work with a rep- Fudge left some notes, or videos Christopher Harz Wendy Jackson utable, independent gallery. I have about that some where: that would Heather Kenyon seen the kind of things that Tim make a good article or book. Sayoko Kinoshita brings up, but they are not the rule, Natalya Loukinykh but rather the exception to it. I thank you for your time and you Mark Morrison Pessimism such as his will surely have a great magazine, Don Perro bring ruin down upon the anima- Joe J. DeLuca Bill Plympton tion art retail industry faster than Daniel Rein Tim Samoff any major studios mishandling of Gunnar Strøm the limited edition market. Joseph Szadkowski Thank you for your sugges- Pamela Kleibrink Thompson Anonymous tion. It is often the case that the Joe Toledo details of history get lost over time. OPERATIONS The people with firsthand knowl- Annick Teninge, General Manager edge of the early days are begin- Chris Kostrzak, Asst. Manager WEBMASTER Publication in AWM does not ning to pass away, and hence, it is Ged Bauer necessarily mean endorsement. We a crucial time to document such sto- DESIGN/LAYOUT : strive to show a number of conver- ries. Ged Bauer gent viewpoints and ideas. Thank ADVERTISING SALES you for your letter. This is the sort Sincerely, North America :Dan Sarto Germany :Thomas Basgier of feedback regarding the “state of The Editors UK: Alan Smith the industry” that we seek. It also

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 6 Welcome To

by Pamela Kleibrink Thompson n anonymous warehouse in and neon-colored walls striped with team put in many 100-hour weeks an Orange County industri- orange and green paint. Doug’s to deliver the game on time and Aal park is home to one of the 6’8” body is sprawled on a print sofa under budget to DreamWorks most creative people in the video as he contemplates a technical Interactive. They were in unchart- game industry. Just beyond a tidy problem with a Neverhood inhabi- ed territory, having no experience receptionist area is a large room tant, Mark Lorenzen, who has been in developing for PCs, working in which contains a melange of artis- a friend for 14 years. We’ll return puppet animation, or in doing a tic tools, from computers to anima- later to interview Doug, but first puzzle game, or even in working tion disks, clay, acrylic paint and Mike Dietz, “Ditch Digger” and lead together. It’s true that many of them even live animals. Slappy, a ham- animator, will show us the rest of had worked at Shiny Entertainment, ster, which appears in the latest the studio and explain how a group on Earthworm Jim, which was cre- video game from the inhabitants of of 13 friends came together to cre- ated by Doug, but Jim was a plat- this dorm-room like studio, happily ate Skullmonkeys out of clay, latex form game, done in traditional 2-D prowls his cage for food. A black and ingenuity. cel animation. The Neverhood was scorpion which failed to make an something altogether new, differ- appearance in Skullmonkeys occu- ent and exciting. Only Doug had pies another cage, much to Slappy’s worked in clay before. Mike admits relief. he was terrified, but that “the stop- This is the conference room motion animation community was of The Neverhood, a game devel- completely open with sharing infor- opment company founded by mation, which is 180 degrees dif- Doug TenNapel, who assembled a ferent from the video game indus- group of his friends and formed a try where everything is a matter of company where innovation is the national security.” name of the game. Informality is the Mike shows us how they rule here, and titles are unimportant built Klaymen’s body with latex as evidenced by the Neverhood’s A clay set in The Neverhood studio. © The around a brass armature. He Neverhood. business cards. As “mayor,” Doug demonstrates how to do surgery has the vision to make the using an exacto blade, slicing into Neverhood work. Studio Tour Time Klaymen’s body to reposition the Skullmonkeys is the second armature. A box of eyes and mouths “When you are creating zero puppet animated game for The backed by thumbtacks lend you aren’t adding anything to Neverhood. Their first title, The Klaymen an array of emotions. Like the world.” - Doug TenNapel Neverhood, introduced Klaymen, playing with a Mr. Potato Head, the character, to the video game Mike exchanges a mouth and eyes Orange love beads from the industry and most of the team to on Klaymen and suddenly, he looks ‘70s which resemble throat lozenges puppet animation. The Neverhood surprised. strung together festoon Doug’s was a puzzle adventure game Mike explains the controlled office door. A Persian rug seems sub- developed for the PC and released design process used in their games. dued under a wood-stained desk in December 1996. The Neverhood “Most of the interactive game ani-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 7 mation was done on paper first to farms. His guilelessness is real, but working and doing it wrong and help make all the hook-ups easier he is not naive. His integrity is para- haphazardly. This lead to my ability to pull off. With Doug’s movies [mini- mount. to break the rules. What I never lost sequences in between was speed. That’s a non-negotiable levels] we mostly only sto- Pamela K for me. ryboarded first, with only Thompson: What the more difficult scenes was your first job “We’re at the point where animated out on paper. I as an artist? filmmaking was in the 1920s.” - used a Panasonic digital Doug TenNapel AV mixer to flip between Doug TenNapel: I video of my drawings was a graphic and my puppet.” The Neverhood visionary, Doug designer at Sea PKT: Who were your biggest influ- TenNapel. Photo © The puppets were shot on Neverhood. World in San ences in animation? huge sets lit from over- Diego. I was a head against a green screen. Large mural artist. I designed costumes, DT: Mike Dietz and Harriman who sets were required because the cam- props, and did whatever they need- did Krazy Kat is a real inspiration to era could not be restricted. The ed me to do, menial tasks. I learned me. I admire people who did their most frustrating aspect of working stage lighting from Debbie own thing just like I am doing my with the puppets was that they had Rosengrandt which I use every day own thing. I was influenced by physical limitations, unlike hand- now in stop-motion animation. Warner Bros. cartoons because I drawn animation where anything watched so much of it, I must have was possible. Many puppets were PKT: How did you get involved in been affected by it. The Disney stuff broken in an extreme squash or animation? did not have as much impact for stretch. He shows us a can of Pepsi me. I can learn more from Warner covered with sculpey which DT: I loved cartoons when I was Bros. I can see it better. If it was the appeared in the “boiler room” of growing up. I started making flip 1940s, I’d be working for Warner their current game. “Whatever books when I was seven years-old. Bros. I would work for Clampett if I works,” Mike says as he concludes could work for anybody. the tour. Note: For a more detailed PKT: What are your favorite TV look at the production processes shows? used in animating The Neverhood’s stop-motion games, read Mike DT: Gilligan’s Island is the greatest Dietz’s accompanying article, which TV show ever made, like Laurel and includes a Quicktime movie of the Hardy with sound. What a great animator at work. premise. Currently the only TV show I watch is Siskel & Ebert because I Let the Interview Begin! tend to be home on Sundays. And Doug’s meeting with Mark I watch The X Files. My favorite Lorenzen is finally concluded, and movies are the darker comedies he drives us to Coco’s (a family-style from the Coen brothers, like Raising chain restaurant) for lunch, in his Arizona. wife’s unassuming sedan. Doug The Neverhood’s eponymous debut game wears a plaid shirt over his was released by DreamWorks Interactive PKT: And your favorite video Skullmonkeys T-shirt and a Kermit in 1996. © The Neverhood. games? watch. His thick glasses and beard I used text books because they are don’t hide his boyish enthusiasm. big and thick. I drew on the page DT: Robotron, the original version. Despite his success in Hollywood, edges, things like a man walking. I Myst, Mario 64, Command and he is unpretentious and candid. He was not a good animator. I was Conquer... grew up in the outskirts of Turlock, always impatient. My stuff looked California in Denair, raised around bad. My animations got better after PKT: Tell me about the early days.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 8 some puppet animation in that. We ourselves. DT: Angie and I were married in got to use a raptor puppet from the 1990 and I was making $4,000 a movie that cost 75K ($75,000 US). MD: Everyone at The Neverhood year doing freelance illustration in I can still remember how the arma- has one thing they are very good San Diego. I worked about an hour ture worked. I cold-called Steve at and many things they are good a day and played Ms. Pac Man at Crow at Virgin. at. Everyone has to wear a lot of the Laundromat. Our expenses hats. were about $400 a month. I was Mike Dietz: David Bishop called me desperate for work. Then AFT into his office to look at Doug’s port- DT: The team is well-balanced. (American Film Technologies) got a folio, which were these wonderful Everyone is confident enough to project called Attack of the Killer paintings of toasters done on paper defer to others and everyone has Tomatoes, a Saturday morning car- bags. their strengths and weaknesses. I’m toon show. They had to find 150 real interested in seeing the whole animators. I barely got team do well and hired, I’m not good on learn. I don’t want presentation. I learned to do the same job how to read a story- all the time. board and an x-sheet and got paid minimum PKT: What qualities wage. There were a lot do you look for in of mediocre talented an employee? people there including myself who were all DT: They have to be overwhelmed. I versatile, have a became the lead ani- sense humor, be mator and worked loving, friendly and from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 be fun to be with. p.m. Ron Brewer was I’m real selective in the director on Killer choosing an Tomatoes and translat- employee. I trust all ed Warner Bros. car- Animator Mike Dietz demonstrates how he animates puppets in a “green my employees to screen” set which will later be replaced by backgrounds in the computer. © toons to me, which The Neverhood. go above and changed my animation beyond the call of a lot. DT: You can’t always believe a port- duty. I expect more than what I can I did some freelance work for folio. People get caught up in pre- pay. I can’t ask that of people I don’t Real Time and Associates. Dave sentation. I don’t know if I’d hire know. I’ve picked up guys at every Warhol gave me a 486 [computer] myself. I’m not good at presenta- place I’ve worked. to work on at home. I did some free- tion but my content is very strong. lancing on Batman for Park Place. PKT: How did The Neverhood get The money I made freelancing was started? used to make a down payment on “Developers have to be our house. responsible with the team, DT: After I left Virgin, I went to Shiny I was desperate for work budgets and designs.” - Doug where we did Earthworm Jim. I and applied to Blue Sky Software, TenNapel decided to leave and start my own and was going to take a job for company and got a commitment $22,000 US, but then a bidding MD: Once content is there anyone from Mark and Ed Schofield. Two war happened between Blue Sky can do the polish. weeks after I left Shiny, I announced and Park Place and I ended up start- at E3 that I was starting my own ing at Blue Sky at 28K ($28,000 US). DT: Discipline is an underrated tal- company and DreamWorks offered I was the lead artist on Jurassic Park ent. And patience. We always us the best deal to do our game. [the game] for Genesis and we did admire in others what we lack in By the end of the summer we had

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 9 is people don’t deliver when they what they do best - to be inventive, say they will. Hit your deadlines. Be ingenious and to create something respectable and responsible to your unique. financial partners. Don’t break your promises. Hold up your end. I was For a more detailed look at the pro- disappointed that we were a month duction processes used in animat- late with Skullmonkeys. It doesn’t ing The Neverhood’s stop-motion matter if we were a day late or an games, read animator Mike Dietz’s hour late. If we didn’t hold up our accompanying article, which A scene from Skullmonkeys, Neverhood’s new game, for Sony PlayStation. © The end of the deal then how can we includes a Quicktime movie of the Neverhood. expect the people we are in busi- animator at work. ness [with] to hold up their end? I our team together and had fund- have expectations from them to Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is an ing. DreamWorks allowed us to sur- have autonomy, support, compe- independent recruiter. Her past vive. They wanted to break into the tence and timely payment. clients include Walt Disney game industry and needed some Developers have to be responsible Feature Animation, Fox Feature experts to help them. It was a good with the team, budgets and Animation, and Dream Quest combination. They took risks along designs. And deliver a quality prod- Images and Engineering with us. I admire that. They are not uct. Animation Inc. and interactive doing the same old thing that every- companies such as Raven one else is doing. When you are PKT: Do you have any advice for stu- Software, Hollywood On Line, creating zero you aren’t adding any- dents? Activision, and Adrenalin thing to the world. Entertainment. Thompson is also DT: Learn life drawing and a 3-D a consultant to colleges and uni- versities helping them design “I would be less scared going program like 3D Studio Max. Notice their animation training pro- to medical school than going I didn’t mention anything about grams. As manager of art at into 3D animation.” - Doug doing puppet animation in your Virgin Interactive Entertainment, TenNapel garage? she established the art depart- PKT: What’s next for The ment, recruiting, hiring and train- PKT: What do you like best about Neverhood? ing 24 artists, many with no pre- working in games? vious computer experience. Her DT: We’re not sure. We will do a animation production back- DT: The freedom. Where else in third game for DreamWorks but we ground includes features such as Hollywood can you get money to are not sure if that is going to be Bebe’s Kids, the Fox television write your own story, do produc- our next project. We may do some- series The Simpsons, and the orig- tion, do your own voices and not thing in another medium. We are inal Amazing Stories episode of have to work with a union? This is probably going to do something Family Dog. Thompson is a a business where you’re free to pio- with 3-D [computer animation] in founding member of Women in neer. The thing I love about it is that our next game and that scares me. Animation and active in ASIFA. it makes you think on your feet and I would be less scared going to Her articles on animation, busi- respond quickly. We’re at the point medical school than going into 3-D ness and management topics where filmmaking was in the 1920s. animation. But we have to try it. have appeared in over 40 periodi- Game animation still has a long way The best creative stuff happens cals. She is currently writing a to go. when serious limitations are book called The Animation Job imposed. Hunter’s Guide. PKT: What advice do you have for other game developers? Note: Readers may contact any At The Neverhood, whatever they Animation World Magazine con- do next, you can be sure that it will DT: Project-oriented hiring is bad for tributor by sending an email to be a new challenge to the team, games. It’s hard to find great peo- [email protected]. giving them an opportunity to do ple. The problem with the industry

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 10 Our Animation Process by Mike Dietz

How do you go from stop-motion puppet animation to CD-ROM com- puter graphics? Mike Dietz of The Neverhood details the animation process for us, using their project Skullmonkeys as an example.

he animation done for the Skullmonkeys game is broken Tdown into two groups: one is the interactive/gameplay animation and the other is the cinematic sequences.

Since every game session is dif- ferent, it is impossible to script out exactly what Klaymen and the other characters are going to be doing.

Mike Dietz of the Neverhood, animating puppets for the game Skullmonkeys. © The Interactive Animation Neverhood. The interactive animation etc., and design these sequences done. We then scanned these represents all of Klaymen’s actions so that they can flow smoothly from drawings into the computer and (Klaymen is the character that the one to the other in every conceiv- did a quick digital ink and paint job game player is controlling), and all able order. using AXA software. This allowed us of the actions of the characters that to take these digital pencil tests and Klaymen interacts with during put them into our game engine. gameplay. All of this animation was The animation was shot using We could then test the actions in done by two animators, Edward Sony DCR-VX1000 digital cam- actual gameplay before moving on Schofield and myself, using a sys- eras connected to Pentium to the stop-motion work. Any prob- tem that I developed during pro- PC’s via Sony DVBK-1000 Fire lems found at this stage were easi- duction of our PC game, The Wire Still Image Capture ly fixed by altering the pencil test Neverhood. Since every game ses- Boards.. drawings. sion is different, it is impossible to Once the animation was script out exactly what Klaymen and Pre-Production approved, we built our puppets the other characters are going to Our process of doing this for using traditional stop-motion tech- be doing. As a result, what we do Skullmonkeys was first to animate niques (clay, latex, wire armatures, is animate short sequences of all of these sequences out on paper ball and socket armatures, etc.) and actions such as runs, jumps, climbs, before any stop-motion work was shot them on green screen sets.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 11 sure sheet, which then wrote out a proprietary sequence file which could be read by our game engine, which again was written by Kenton, Tim Lorenzen and Brain Bellfield. Rather than having a programmer try to get it as close as he can, ToolX allows our animators to have com- plete control of how their anima- tion looks on screen.

Cinematic Sequences The cinematic sequences, which were all directed and nearly all animated by Doug TenNapel, were shot in a much more tradi- tional fashion. These are the short, non-interactive movies that a play- The Neverhood’s digital animation set-up includes a digital camera, a capture board, an Animation Toolworks Video Lunchbox, a digital video mixer, a monitor and a multi-giga- er gets to watch throughout the byte computer to store images. game. The only difference between Green screens were used so that mixer to flip between our live image these sequences and a typical stop- any given action only had to be of the puppet and our pencil test motion production was that Doug shot once and then later dropped drawings. This made it easier to used the same digital camera set- in, in front of the many different make sure all of our sequences up that Ed and I used on our green backgrounds in the game. hooked up properly, and allowed screen sets. Once Doug was done us to see if we were straying too far with his shots he loaded his sequen- Animation from our original drawings. tial images into Autodesk Animator The animation was shot Studio, where he edited them and using Sony DCR-VX1000 digital built .AVI files. These .AVI files were ToolX allows our animators to cameras connected to Pentium PC’s then compressed for playback on have complete control of how via Sony DVBK-1000 Fire Wire Still the PlayStation using the Sony their animation looks on Image Capture Boards. Using this PlayStation movie compressor. At screen. combination of camera and capture this point, the final soundtracks card allows us to capture the images were also mixed in as .WAV files. digitally and transfer them to the ToolX And that’s pretty much how computer without ever having to Once the animation was we produced all of the animation do an analog conversion. We also complete, we took the sequentially in the Skullmonkeys game. had a secondary video feed com- numbered bitmap files (that is the ing out of the camera hooked up output file format from the Sony Some people can make it to an Animation Toolworks Video Capture software) and loaded them sound so easy. Lunchbox and a monitor. This into Debabelizer Pro, where we allowed us to get instant feedback chroma-keyed out the greenscreen. while animating, as the Lunchbox is We then took these images and capable of storing and playing back built our sequences using our pro- Note: Readers may contact any 256 frames of animation. Also prietary animation scripting soft- Animation World Magazine con- patched into this monitor was a sec- ware, ToolX, which was written by tributor by sending an email to ond camera mounted on a copy one of our programmers, Kenton [email protected]. stand with pegbars, so that we Leach. Using this tool was similar to could use a Panasonic Digital AV entering the images into an expo-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 12 Multimedia Down Under

by Mark Morrison he problem with Australia has which offers support both in terms tion kiosks to intelligent toasters. To always been distance. It’s a fair of finances and resources. Australian narrow the focus, I’ll use examples Twhack from one side of the multimedia creators have the option from my favorite form: computer country to the other, games. Don’t make that face. Some and an even further of them are darn educational. whack to the rest of the world. No wonder The Australian Multimedia it was the ideal place Enterprise for the English to send In 1994 the then Prime their convicts in the Minister Paul Keating threw $84 mil- 18th century; the prob- lion Aust. into the multimedia buck- ability of seeing them et with his Creative Nation policy. back in England to Creative Nation was designed to steal another loaf of foster multimedia in Australia over bread (aghast!) was a three-year period, and provided next to nil. for the creation of the Australian The problem Multimedia Enterprise (AME), a body remains to this day (the which would oversee the invest- distance, not the con- ment of the lion’s share of money victs). As a conse- provided by the scheme. quence, Australians are, In Gott’s Treasure, a CD-ROM created by Australian game Under the byword of developer, Greg Zaritski, two characters roam the globe by and large, commu- looking for riches, not unlike Australian multimedia devel- “finance for the multimedia content nication junkies. We are opers trying to make it in the global marketplace. ©1997 industry,” the AME has since its world leaders in per GZ-Interactive inception invested $15.8 million in capita ownership of fax machines, of assistance from several funding 38 projects with total budgets of and not far behind with mobile bodies. Principal among these are $31.7 million, and funded 70 con- phones. The world is just as far the Australian Multimedia Enterprise cepts to a total of $3.3 million. AME away as it was in 1788, but at least (AME), the Australian Film investment is on a buy-back basis; now we can fax ‘em. Commission (AFC), and the the organization provides funds to The latest solution could be Multimedia 21 Fund. assist in development, on the under- multimedia. Multimedia applications standing that a sum equal to dou- offer smart methods of bridging Of Australia’s 18 million ble the advance will be repaid geographical isolation, and also inhabitants, 865,000 of them when the project attracts a pub- offer possibilities for taking Australian were watching their CD-ROM lisher or other investors. Until then, technology to the rest of the world drives spin as of 1995. the AME owns its share. (the ‘clever country’ is a phrase that Alfred Milgrom is on the gets a fair work-out here). Laudably, board of the AME. As manager of Federal and State governments One of the many difficulties Beam International, a company have hitched themselves firmly to in discussing multimedia is that it’s so with a 15-year history of producing the interactive bandwagon, and damn broad; the word covers any- computer games, he is one of created a unique infrastructure thing from touch screen informa- Australia’s longest-serving multime-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 13 dia professionals. The Australian Film The Multimedia 21 Fund Milgrom says, “There Commission It is no coincidence that the has been a history of The Australian Film head office of the AME was estab- pork barreling with Commission (AFC) was established lished in Melbourne, the capital of funding schemes for in 1975 to encourage the mak- Victoria. Of the State Governments, the arts in Australia. At ing, promotion, distribution and the Victorian Government has been its worst, projects broadcasting of Australian pro- the most pro-active in supporting would be launched grams. The AFC was quick to add multimedia. Alan Stockdale holds purely with a mind to New Media to the roster when the portfolio of Minister for attract funding, with Alan Stockdale the form emerged, with the brief Multimedia, a unique position in no real job at a multi- is Australia’s to assist “people exploring the cre- western politics. His interest guar- media company. ME Minister for ative uses of multimedia.” antees strong media coverage of Multimedia, a forced people to look unique govern- As such, the AFC has been any new development in multime- at commercial realities, ment position bold in supporting artistic projects. dia or information technology. and to have a proper created to This diversity can be seen in the Stockdale is no lightweight; his boost the coun- business plan.” try’s interactive AFC’s on-line New Media Gallery, other portfolio is State Treasurer. (He The strong industry. which showcases projects such also sports the finest set of eyebrows commercial models as Jon Cormack’s unsettling but in Australian politics.) advocated by the AME have ulti- undeniably beautiful Turbulence, Beyond the photo ops and mately led to a conflict of purpose: “an interactive museum of unnat- back at the coalface (office), the its industrial development brief, ver- ural history.” The AFC is also more Victorian Government has commit- sus its role as a venture capital than willing to back commercial pro- ted $15 million to Multimedia investment fund. This has resulted in jects, which has led to the odd Victoria 21. Cinemedia administers some degree of compromise. demarcation dispute between the the Multimedia 21 Fund, and will “Sometimes I think we should have it and the AME. continue to give creators $3 million planned to spend all the money in Kathy Mueller, director of a year for the next three years. This the first three years,” says Milgrom. Gameplay 21, was in the enviable is a major accomplishment for a It is now 1997. Government position of being offered funds by State government, and proof of a has changed hands since Keating both organizations to produce a commitment to both multimedia announced Creative Nation, and prototype of her game Galax-Arena, and to transforming government these days it’s even a bit of a faux an empowering adventure game through information technology. pas in political circles to use the for adolescents set in an oppressive words “nation” and “creative” in the futuristic circus. “The AFC was very The CD-ROM was completed same sentence. The AME was supportive, very innovative, and and delivered to Australian formed as a private company. The very understanding of the amount schools, collected an award government of the day subscribed of time it takes,” says Mueller. “The for Best Educational $45 million into the AME, and took AME saw that the project could be Multimedia Product in 1996, ownership of all the shares. Now very commercial, but the financial but has yet to have a com- the new government is looking to complexity didn’t allow as much cre- mercial release. sell. Martin Cooper, chair of the ative time. For me, the AFC was a AME, is adamant that there will be better initial investment, but if I can no changes in the running of the get overseas interest for part of it, I organization when it is privatized. can go back to the AME.” The Creators Speak A more pessimistic view is that the The AFC has also been pro- Strong infrastructure, gov- AME will continue, but will be more active in promoting Australian mul- ernment sponsorship, and an all stringent in placing venture capital timedia productions at MILIA and around brave new world vibe … into multimedia development, if it other markets, and maintains an sounds like just the thing to breed does at all. The point for now is online database listing more than a strong young industry. The vibe moot, as a new owner is yet to 500 current projects underway in is there, but the successes are not appear. the country. necessarily in tow. Many companies get the help they need to get up

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 14 and running, but fail at that old dis- tance hurdle. Overseas distribution is vital. Of Australia’s 18 million inhabitants, 865,000 of them were watching their CD-ROM drives spin as of 1995. Once again, not a bad per capita effort, but a single CD-ROM product with a budget of $1 million needs to shift 100,000 copies for any hope of getting the money back. Getting your print run into one in ten of Australian homes is a bit of an ask, especially as Australians are not necessarily patriotic about their purchasing. When a comput- er game I worked on came out in 1995, a friend was dissuaded from buying it by a shop assistant. When asked why, the assistant replied, “Well, you know … it’s Australian.” Brisbane company Auran has an international hit with Dark Reign, a real-time strategy game published worldwide by Activision. © Auran. Companies who are flinging themselves into the face of this at Ghost Mine, an adventure for 10- tion of animated stories based on adversity include Word Design 14 year-olds, with a story line that stereotypes about Russia, arranged Interactive, GZ-Interactive and SAI links the gold fields of Australia and in a simple game structure. Russian Media (formerly Show Ads California at the time of the U.S. Civil bears growl fearfully and cosmo- Interactive - that “i” word sure gets War. They have finished a promo- nauts look suitably lost in Zaritski’s around). tional CD-ROM, and are looking for hilarious lumbering animated a publisher or distributor attach- regime. Animals, Myths & Legends ment. “Both projects received con- His follow-up is the adven- Bob Smith and Mary cept development funding from the ture game Gott’s Treasure, in which Lancaster form Word Design Australian Multimedia Enterprise. he turns his satiric eye on the rest Interactive, based in Melbourne. We’ve found the Australian funding of the world. His characters Gott, a They are an ideal example of inde- infrastructure supportive for new goat, and Gunov, a minuscule Red pendent creators who have been projects, but not really helpful in Army soldier, roam the globe look- attracted by the possibilities of the finding publishers or distribution ing for Gott’s family riches, a race medium, and have benefited from deals. Our company has been in before Gott’s grandmother despairs the support structure. operation for about 5 years, but and floods the world with her tears. Their projects are both we’re still ‘unknown’ in the global Players guide the two through dif- games. Animals, Myths and industry and this makes it difficult ferent countries, looking for the Legends is an exploration fantasy to get a project into full production.” missing pieces of a map which for 7-12 year-olds. They have a shows the fabled location of the research web site which introduces Gott’s Treasure treasure. “I’ve found that if I had a the characters and plot and also fea- Greg Zaritski is the GZ in GZ- lot of fun during the creation of the tures some activities (www.oze- Interactive (http://www.gz-interac- project, it is usually fun for the audi- mail.com.au/~oban). “We’ve been tive.com.au). His story is similar, save ence as well,” he says. Both titles successful in capturing the attention for the funding body involved. He have received national and inter- of our target market. Kids love the is a Melbourne animator and national awards. “But more impor- three main characters and we’ve designer with an eye for the absurd. tantly, both projects were very well won several awards.” Zaritski’s first multimedia work was received by the audience,” he adds. Their other game is Mystery Totally REDiculous (1995), a collec- An extensive working proto-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 15 type was funded production bud- by the Australian get. The feed- Film Commission back from over- who, Zaritski says, seas is that there “have been great is a market for in supporting the Consumer project.” Education prod- Unfortunately, ucts and that a Gott and Gunov new title would have since been be welcome, stranded. “I am once the old currently looking one is released for a publisher, for sale.” She is and it is not easy. still waiting. A lot of my letters to the publishers Outside the are unanswered.” Infrastructure The The irony is distance gremlin that the may have kept Australian game Zaritski pegged companies kick- Smarty Pants, an educational multimedia division of Beam Software, received back after his head $900,000 from the AME to produce CD-ROMs such as Mike Teaches English. ©1997 ing the most start. He partially Smarty Pants goals in over- agrees. “I’ve met a lot of European covered the production budget, so seas markets are doing it largely out- multimedia artists who knew each SAI were able to complete the side of the infrastructure. Their tar- other really well because they all live whole game rather than just a pro- gets in sight are hard-core comput- relatively close together. With today’s totype. er gamers, a proven market. communication structure it should The result is a fine example Brisbane company Auran be easy, but I imagine the ways of of that most sly of genres: educa- has an international hit with Dark overseeing the work in progress tion by stealth. The player gets so Reign, a real-time strategy game would be a hurdle in the mind of a involved with the fun of a shopping published worldwide by Activision. potential partner.” spree in a virtual fantasy mall pop- Dark Reign follows the formula of ulated by both honest and shady market leading games such as Consumer Power vendors, that the solid tips on good Command & Conquer and Warcraft Until Gott finds that treasure, shopping sense get straight 2, and also adds features. For exam- Zaritski is working as a designer at through. Any game with money ple, opposing armies still wallop the SAI Media, a South Australian com- and talking rats at its heart is bound tar out of each other as they are pany with offices in Adelaide, to be of interest. (Why CP2, you ask? accustomed, but now they can do Melbourne and Sydney The original Consumer Power was it up and down hills. This may not (http://www.saimedia.com.au). a board game. Oh, and the talking sound like much, but the elevation They have produced 150 multime- rat? He is one of your choices as a from a 2-D playing surface is a sig- dia applications in the last three guide. Rats and malls; I can see the nificant advance. Dark Reign is rack- years, in a range of corporate and connection.) ing up a slew of 90% ratings in educational fields. The CD-ROM was complet- gaming reviews, and has firmly Sometimes these goals con- ed and delivered to Australian established the Queensland outfit verge in a game form. Consumer schools, collected an award for Best on the world scene. Not bad for a Power 2 was commissioned by the Educational Multimedia Product in company which, as founder Greg National Primary Schools Consumer 1996, but has yet to have a com- Lane expresses on the Auran web Education Project as a tool to teach mercial release. This is holding back site, “began as a new year’s resolu- smart consumer skills to children Gabrielle Kelly of SAI, who is eager tion.” aged 10-13. Government funds to do a sequel. “It is hard to find the Another success story is

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 16 Sydney outfit Strategic Studies with a different American partner, high expectations for the film and Group (SSG). Warlords 3, the latest and each with AME backing. Fellow television possibilities for Famous incarnation of their popular and harbour-siders Energee Faces. Judging by the interest devilishly addictive medieval strate- Entertainment have been financed shown by ILM staffers at SIGGRAPH gy game, has been published by to produce a CD-ROM game based this year, he could be right. Broderbund. SSG have not been in on their distinctly Australian anima- Beam has also spawned the business of applying for grants tion series, Crocadoo. Stromlo Smarty Pants, an educational multi- or “media showboating,” but have Entertainment have also set up in media division which received instead kept their heads down, pro- Australia with an eye to AME fund- $900,000 from the AME to produce ducing great games. ing, and have a publishing deal 11 CD-ROMS teaching language to with Electronic Arts. It all looks as if 5-7 year-olds. Hang on. Wasn’t The irony is that the the Australian barbarians are well Milgrom on the board of the AME? Australian game companies and truly storming the internation- “Yes, but I did not sit on the deci- kicking the most goals in al gates. sion to forward financing to Beam. overseas markets are doing it Another company that plays Besides, we still have to pay it back.” largely outside of the infra- the game both ways is Milgrom’s As the AME’s privatization structure. Beam International deadline drags on, Milgrom is opti- (http://www.beam.com.au). Beam mistic for the future of multimedia in Melbourne mob Tantalus have a 15-year history of indepen- Australia. “I think we have reached have been squirreling away, pro- dent computer game development a critical mass of companies here ducing straight conversions of over- for overseas publishers. Krush, Kill now, and feel that the AME helped seas designs from one platform to ‘n’ Destroy (KKND), the strategy to bring about that awareness. If another, such as Wipeout and Manx game with the title that makes no on-line growth performs as expect- TT Superbike for the Sega Saturn bones about its primary purpose, ed, the next three years should be home console machine. Perhaps was a worldwide hit distributed even better.” not as exciting as original creation, internationally by Electronic Arts in For Mueller, Lancaster, Smith, but it has kept the lights working 1996. Beam have just published Zaritski, Kelly and the hundreds of and the coders coding. Cricket ‘97 Ashes Tour Edition, the other multimedia workers in this Emergent Software in South latest in a popular series of sports country, let’s hope so. Australia are developing a cutting sims. (Which is fairly appropriate, as edge 3-D racing game which cricket is not unlike a simulation of attracted great interest at E3, the an actual sport. It’s an English thing. principal trade show for electronic Don’t blame us, we inherited it To his astonishment, Mark entertainment, held in Atlanta, last when they shipped those damn Morrison designs computer July. convicts over here.) games for a living. He was the One of the more interesting lead writer on The Dame Was projects is Cyberswine, produced Loaded, and script editor on the It all looks as if the Australian by Brilliant Digital Entertainment, in Galax-Arena prototype for barbarians are well and truly conjunction with Sega Australia. Gameplay 21. He currently storming the international Cyberswine is the porcine hero of works at Beam Software, and is gates. an Australian underground comic worried he might have gone too series. His electronic adventure will easy on them. be delivered via the web as a “mul- The degree of diversity at tipath movie,” with future episodes Beam borders on the ludicrous. available for downloading. Other projects include Splash, a Note: Readers may contact any new HTML editor; Motion Capture Animation World Magazine con- A Foot in Both Camps Magic, the only commercial motion- tributor by sending an email to The AME are by no means capture studio in Australia; and a [email protected]. out of this rowdy picture. Garner new facial motion-capture package McLennan in Sydney are develop- called Famous Faces which ports ing two high end 3-D games, each straight into Softimage. Milgrom has

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 17 PlayStation: An Unassuming Jack By Joseph Szadkowski he saga for video game plat- process com- form superiority is not unlike plex images at Tthe fairy tale of Jack and the a higher rate Giant Killer - the unassuming Jack allowing is able to topple the monster gamers to play through tenacity and quick wits. in virtual 3-D In this electronic version of space environ- the tale, there are two giants, Sega ments with of America with the Saturn video unrestrained gaming console and Nintendo with interactive the powerful N64 console. The movement. mightier monolith in this saga is The N64 also Nintendo whose N64 is the newest, carries with it only a year old, most powerful plat- the ability for form to reach the video game mar- real-time pro- ket. Featuring a 64 bit system, in cessing of comparison to the others 32 bit, audio, 2-D and Nintendo plugged the N64 as 3-D graphics, being the quantum leap in at-home anti-aliasing video gaming, promising better features which graphics, smoother game play and, remove jagged After his first self-titled game sold over 1.5 million units, the char- acter Crash Bandicoot has become something of a mascot for as gamers call it, increased eye- edges from Sony PlayStation. Now Crash is back in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex candy. screen images, Strikes Back. © Sony Computer Entertainment of America increased color of the overall market. Even though The Two Giants output, higher image resolution and now the Saturn is the lowest-selling All of this is possible because a faster coprocessor which allows platform, Sega of America was, due the N64 contains the ability to all of this to work. At least that’s what to the popularity of their 16 bit Nintendo said. Genesis system, the leader in gam- Gaming statistics ing consoles. show that at this writing there are 2.6 million N64 The Saturn, as many loyal consoles in gaming gamers will tell you, is truly households, which the better video console. equates to 31.71% of the overall market. The Saturn contains two The Saturn, a 32 bit main graphic processing units as game, has since its debut well as an SDP math-coprocessor in May, 1995 sold approx- that aids in polygon (image) ren- imately 1.6 million con- dering. Add to this their custom PlayStation, the gaming console dominating the U.S. soles to American sound processors that eliminate market. © Sony Computer Entertainment of America. gamers, which is 19.51% extraneous static, a whopping 16

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 18 million colors, and numerous other license game developers to create retailers (the mom and pop shops) technical aspects and the Saturn, as new games for the PlayStation. when first distributing the Saturn many loyal gamers will tell you, is Opening its licensing to multiple and have been dealing with the truly the better video console. Sega developers allowed for numerous backlash ever since. says the same thing, of course. advertising campaigns promoting Then in 1996 the price wars PlayStation product. Of course, started. Sony announced the Who is Jack? these advertising campaigns were PlayStation’s U.S. $200 price point The role of Jack in this tale is designed to entice gaming’s pri- to compete with the initial $249. played by the Sony N64 price point. Nintendo PlayStation, the first and Sega matched Sony. gaming system ever Then in the spring of 1997 produced by the multi- Sony pushed Sega and media conglomerate. Nintendo again, by reduc- The PlayStation has only ing the PlayStation’s price been on the market to $149.00. Of course, the since September, 1995, others matched the price but has a solid lead on but it was clear that Sony sales with over four mil- was the leader and the lion units in North others could only react. American homes. Dropping the retail The PlayStation’s cost of the console helped innards consist of a 32- a surge of new consumers bit R300A main proces- decide to purchase the sor which offers 33MHz Sony PlayStation. The nota- of speed with graphics tion of interest here is that resolution ranging from the cost to manufacture 256x224 to 640x480 the consoles does widely with a whopping 16.7 surpass their shelf-price; or

million color palate. Disney’s Hercules Action Game, a new PlayStation title developed and in other words, money is How did Jack do published by Virgin Interactive and Disney Interactive, using Sony’s lost on every console sold. it? The N64 is clearly the third-party software license. © Disney Interactive. The theory is, though, that better platform with if you have a huge library increased power, speed and graph- marily male, adolescent demo- of games, such as has been devel- ic ability. For Saturn fans, the mighty graphic with extreme visual flash oped for the PlayStation, those dol- 32 bit machine contains two graph- and the promise of previously un- lars lost can be made up elsewhere. ic processors that allow faster game experienced challenges and com- play while providing top-end graph- petition. Supplying the Gamers ics with over 32,000 colors and a The true key to any success brand name that offers immediate There is no doubt that in the video game market may be consumer recognition. Nintendo rushed the N64 to feeding the beast. A new gaming market last Christmas without system can only succeed if it has Jack’s Simple Plan putting enough thought into enough games to make it worth The Sony PlayStation’s lead is the fact that consumers, once buying. Looking at the number of due to its simple marketing and they had this very cool toy, games available for the three lead- planning. A strong foundation has would actually want to use it. ing platforms, Jack is becoming been built from the number of stronger than his foes all the time... games that have been released, In addition, Sony made sure, There is no doubt that combined with an aggressive mar- unlike its blustering competitors, to Nintendo rushed the N64 to market keting attack and smart business keep the retailers happy by keeping last Christmas without putting practices. the PlayStation on the shelf. Sega enough thought into the fact that Sony made it easier for ignored secondary electronic store consumers, once they had this very

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 19 library that eclipsed price point (Sony now offers a line Sega’s. of classic titles in the $20.00 US price To date there are range with many new titles avail- almost 200 Saturn able for under $40.00 US), which games on the retail means there are more games to rent shelf, almost as many and buy, it has to be the PlayStation. as the PlayStation, but the initial loss of momentum meant The Sony PlayStation’s lead is Sega lost customers it due to its simple marketing could never win back. and planning. Why buy two gaming systems? Top Game Picks Sony’s PlayStation Here’s five titles in PlayStation’s wide NFL Gameday ‘98. © Sony Computer Entertainment of America. continues to put out as selection that I consider to take full cool toy, would actually want to use many games as possi- advantage of the Sony technology. it. The system released with only ble, over 60 games in 1997 alone. two games, Pilotwings 64 and Compare this to only 27-30 for the NFL Gameday ‘98 (Sony Super Mario 64, on the shelf and, as N64 and 20 for Sega. The total list Entertainment, $39.95) Yes, it is of this writing, there are only 27 of PlayStation games encompasses hard-edged football at its prettiest, games on the market for the N64. over 220 games that cover a wide if that’s possible. Sony has spent a Nintendo is promising to release an spectrum of interest, including all lot of money in building the most additional three games for the 1997 manners of racing, sports, role play- realistic football simulation on the Christmas season. ing, and fighting games. In addi- market. The greatness of this game Another downfall for tion, the library contains games that revolves around how it looks and Nintendo is that they opted to use can be enjoyed by the car- the more expensive cartridge disk toon aficionado, the X- to house their N64 games, versus treme sports dude, the the CD-ROM that the Saturn and male adolescent or the PlayStation use. For the game devel- teenage girl. oper, the decision as to whether to For those develop- work within the parameters for ing their holiday buy list, Saturn and PlayStation, whose CD- it would seem obvious ROMS cost about $2.00 per disc to that the gaming console replicate, or the N64 cartridge that to buy would be the one carries a cost burden upward of that provides the most $30.00 per cartridge to reproduce, play options - the Sony left the N64 out in the cold. PlayStation. Technically, Sega, which had been the the system rivals the Saturn leader in 16 bit gaming consoles and only the very hard with the original Sega Genesis sys- core gamer is able to dis- cuss the merits embroiled tem, released the Saturn with only Final Fantasy VII. © Square Soft. three games to support the system. in the technical minutia An interesting point is that co-giant, anyway. reacts. All of the players on the field Sega of Japan, released the system What really matters is which use motion-capture technology and in Japan with the support of over system is going to provide the fam- are fully 3-D polygonal, meaning 25 games right from the start. By ily, from young sister through teen crisp numbers on jerseys and very the time Sega could get enough brother to mom and dad, the most fluid, individual movements. games in their library it was too late. gaming options. For no reason Gamers get a Total Control mode Sony PlayStation was out and other than its extensive library of that allows for diving over the top aggressively putting together a games and increasingly diminished of the pile, the pump fake or the

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 20 one hand catch. This is one of the players progress, they are offered a best of Sony’s sports line. variety of vehicles and ships in Oddworld:Abe’s Oddysee which to rampage. As a result, there (GT Interactive, $49.95) Mixes the are excellent full motion video YYourour AdAd cartoon absurdity of MTV’s Oddities sequences. with the shocking plot parallels of Final Fantasy VII (Square CouldCould BeBe Soylent Green, to create a techno- Soft, $59.99) Three immersive CD- logical marvel of gaming. Our hero, ROMs offer fantasy adventurers HerHere!e! Abe, discovers that his species, the more than 50 hours of game play. Mudokons, are being turned into One of the most popular role play- meat patties at his place of employ- ing series ever created, Final Fantasy For rate cards and ment and uses intelligence, rather tells the tale of mercenaries, heroes additional information than extreme violence, in an epic and scalawags in breathtaking envi- about struggle to set his people free. 2-D ronments giving players the ultimate various opportunities flip screen programming, loads of gaming experience. If you like to for exposure at detailed characters, crisp back- play video games and haven’t heard Animation World ground animation and a humor- about the merits of this title, where Network, ously flatulent hero make this a very have you been? contact our hip game. Los Angeles The Battle Continues office at Sony’s PlayStation continues to And so, the battle continues put out as many games as pos- for market share and product satu- 213.468.2554 sible... ration among Jack and his two rival giants. One thing is certain, how- or e-mail Tekken 2 (Namco, ever; this healthy competition is any of our sales $49.95) The warriors of the Iron Fist good news for consumers, as it representatives: Tournament return in a much grit- causes an increase in product and tier, much darker and much more a decrease in prices. With sinister slam fest. Considered one of PlayStation in the lead, Nintendo North America: the best 3D fighting games avail- and Sega will surely devise new able, the more than 15 characters ways to get attention, and may Dan Sarto are very unique because of their even imitate Sony’s clever develop- [email protected] multiple moves and limitless play ment strategy. Hey, this corporate value. The graphics are very detailed competition in and of itself sounds offering interesting worlds and are- like a great concept for a Europe: nas. The story may not be as inter- battle/combat/strategy game.... the esting as Star Gladiators but how only problem is, which company Thomas Basgier many times do you get to battle the should we pitch it to? [email protected] devil? Nuclear Strike (Electronic Arts, $49.95) In a sequel to last year’s Joseph Szadkowski writes on vari- Soviet Strike, players are plunged ous aspects of popular culture U.K. into the jungles of Southeast Asia in and is a columnist for The Alan Smith a struggle to stop a maniac. Gamers Washington Times. [email protected] complete 25 detailed missions with- in five levels of play, starting behind the controls of a Super Apache heli- copter. Various objectives include Note: Readers may contact any Other Location: rescuing civilians and hostages, Animation World Magazine con- replenishing supplies and blasting tributor by sending an email to [email protected] anything resembling the enemy. As [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 21 Tools of the Trade: What Do I Need to Create Interactive Games? by Tim Samoff he lights are dim and all I can to create the assets that will make an of digital art, but only a few are par- hear are the sporadic giggles idea reality. I’m talking about the art ticularly useful. These are Adobe Tof little Stevie playing Mario tools, the animation tools, and yes, Photoshop, Fractal Design Painter, Cart on the Nintendo 64. His gig- the authoring, or programming, and Debabelizer. Of course, you gles are hindered only by an intense tools. need to find what you are most concentration that I’ve never comfortable using, but before seen in a four year-old these are my three child. As his virtual go-cart favorites, and the favorites rounds the corner, Stevie of most digital artists. sways and tilts with the Each of these pro- motion, his entire body pos- grams have a powerful set sessed by the game. I’m of equally useful, but dif- amazed by the captivation ferent tools. The trick is to achieved with this simple rac- find which one will best suit ing game, and can only hope the needs of your project. that the next interactive title or Usually all of these pro- game that I produce will seize grams will find a place in this same kind of attention. your project, but it’s up to Already one month you to find your favorite. into our production cycle, I Powerful animation and authoring is combined in Here are a few of the ben- Macromedia Director. The Land Before Time™ MovieBook™ think back to the beginning: couldn’t have been created without it. © Sound Source efits of each of these pro- the process of writing the Interactive. grams: Design Doc, the scheduling of future asset creation, and the plan- The Art • Adobe Photoshop ning of what tools would be used The first thing that needs to Photoshop is best utilized in the to bring our new project into reali- be started in any visual project is creation of realistic images and ty. We would be stuck with these what’s going to be seen. We’re talk- is great for photo tools for the next six to twelve ing the art, the meat. What’s going enhancing/altering. There is a months. When speaking of tools in to keep the end-user looking at the strong set of “paint-like” tools, the interactive world, I mean every- screen? but nothing too organic. If you thing from Microsoft Excel to Adobe want an easy-to-use paint pro- Photoshop and everything in When speaking of tools in the gram where you can create between! When people ask me interactive world, I mean almost anything, then what programs I use, I usually just everything from Microsoft Photoshop is for you. respond, “Everything.” There’s no Excel to Adobe Photoshop and easy answer to the question. everything in between! • Fractal Design Painter Being that the Design Doc If you’re into organic, realistic is written and the schedule has How is this art going to be painting and drawing, then been made, we need to concen- created? There are lots of programs Painter is where it’s at. With trate on the tools that will be used out there designed for the creation everything from pencils with

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 22 multiple lead weights and vari- ous charcoals, to oil paints and water colors, Painter is the clos- est to real-life paint program I have ever used. There are even customizable paper textures! Although Painter is a little more complicated to learn than most other paint programs, it is well worth the patience.

Usually all of these programs will find a place in your project, but it’s up to you to find your favorite.

• Debabelizer Ahhh...the interactive artist’s best A friendly alien is touched-up in Adobe Photoshop, a tool which was used extensive- ly in the creation of SSI’s new adventure game, The Abyss: Incident at Europa. © friend. Debabelizer is the “time- Sound Source Interactive. savingest” program ever invent- tion program from the very tion together and make it work ed. It’s not that this program has beginning (something a lot of according to your Design Doc. any useful “painting” tools, so-called animation programs There are a number of because it doesn’t, but when cannot boast), but it is the sim- authoring tools outside of C++, that you need to convert 2,000 files plest to use, and can export file- have been created for people that to 256-color, 1-inch by 1-inch types that most authoring envi- are not necessarily programmers, thumbnails, in BMP format, ronments can handle. Even if but have a knack for figuring out Debabelizer can’t go wrong. you can’t use your Director ani- technicalities. Of course, being a This is the coolest thing in batch mations in the final production programmer and knowing the prin- processing, and will save hours of your project, it is still a great ciples behind traditional program- upon hours of potentially way to test your artwork to see ming is a big help. tedious work. It may take some if it’s animating correctly. A couple of these authoring time to learn Debabelizer, but it programs include mFactory’s is a must have. mTropolis (pronounced “metropo- Not only is Director great for lis”) and Macromedia Director. Yes, The Animation animation, but it is also a very not only is Director great for ani- So, most of the artwork is powerful interactive authoring mation, but it is also a very power- complete, and now you need to tool. ful interactive authoring tool. I’ve make it move. You can’t just expect started to hear a lot of good things the thing to sit stationary on the about some other authoring tools screen do you? It’s got to have some The Programming (Or How To like Macromedia Authorware, but action. It’s got to compel the user Make The Thing Work!) I’ve mostly used the aforemen- to click on things and explore...and This is the toughest question tioned. This is really one of the most have fun. of all. Hopefully your team consists important decisions of a project (tak- of a programmer, or programmers, ing into account the schedule, what • Macromedia Director that is comfortable in one author- platforms the finished title will run I think the best program for any ing system or another, or maybe is on, what the end-system require- kind of digital animation is most at home in C++. Whatever the ments are, etc.), so this is a decision Macromedia Director. Not only case, something has to be done to best left up to your programmers. did Director begin as an anima- put all of your artwork and anima-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 23 interactive title or game. • C++ Now, I need to go back in Traditional and watch little Stevie finish Mario programming. A Cart. See what keeps him intrigued. programmer’s fan- See what drives his imagination. tasy and nightmare. Learn what I can to make my own Anything can be cool game. done in C++, be it Tim Samoff is a Producer at interactive titles, Sound Source Interactive, where strategy games like he has taken part in the creation Command and of over 20 licensed edutainment Conquer or action titles, screen savers, and games shooters like including, Babe™ Interactive Decent. It is a great MovieBook™ Free Willy 2 The Hercules & Xena™ Learning Adventure™ as seen from paradigm if you’re ™ within mTropolis, a simple, non-linear multimedia authoring Interactive MovieBook , The tool. © Sound Source Interactive. a great program- Hercules & Xena™ Learning • mFactory mTropolis mer. Adventure™, and the Babylon 5™ mTropolis is a great non-linear Limited Edition Entertainment authoring system that can be So there you have it, from Utility™. He is currently producing learned (on the surface, at least) the idea to the final stages: art, to a 3-D adventure game sequel to by most resourceful people, but animation, to programming. I’ve left the James Cameron film, The can never really be tapped into out things like creating the design Abyss. unless you have a good under- and the sound effects, music, and standing of traditional pro- video, just to name a few things, Note: Readers may contact any gramming. mTropolis is great for but a subject like this could go on Animation World Magazine con- most interactive projects and for years. Hopefully, this was tributor by sending an email to some simple games, but could enough to give an idea of what can [email protected]. never be used to program high- be used to create an interesting paced 3D action games like Quake or Tomb Raider. If you’re creating an activity center or an interactive kiosk, then this is most BonBonusus HTMLHTML FFeaeaturtureses likely a good choice for you.

Every online (HTML) issue of Animation World Magazine contains addi- Of course, being a program- tional features not found in the download or print Acrobat version, such as Quicktime movies, links to Animation World Network sites, extended arti- mer and knowing the princi- cles and special sections. Don’t miss the following highlights that are show- ples behind traditional pro- cased exclusively in this month’s Animation World Magazine HTML ver- gramming is a big help. sion: http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.9/2.9pages/2.9cover.html

• Macromedia Director • Welcome to the Neverhood Both our feature article on this innovative studio And back to Director... Again, and Mike Dietz’s article on their animation process, feature exclusive Quicktime this authoring environment is movies, taking you inside the studio and the upcoming game, Skullmonkeys. good for simple games and • A Conversation With Piotr Dumala and Jerzy Kucia Includes complete kiosk-type applications, but it is filmographies of both filmmakers, located in the Animation World Network Vault, as well as a Quicktime movie from Piotr Dumala’s film, Lycantrophy. not the greatest if you’re think- ing about a full-fledged game. • Un Jour: A Woman’s Metaphorical Narrative Includes a Quicktime The great thing about this pro- movie from the film, Un Jour by Marie Paccou. gram, is that your animations • Russia: Gaming for Everybody Includes a brief summary of Animatheka, the are right there, ready to use in Russian television series about animation. your interactive title.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 24 Online Gaming: From Avatars to Wizards by Christopher Harz

nline gaming is a huge and few solo (non-multiplayer) games er in detail and action, and put less rapidly growing business, visible, and a panel of venture cap- processing strain on the server and Oemploying thousands of ital executives stated flatly that they the network. animators and entertaining, and “would not even look at” games sometimes educating, millions the that were not playable online. Total gaming industry sales are world over. Gaming fans range estimated by Infotech to be from the true addict with zombie- Some Definitions over $15 billion in 1997, and a white skin to the white collar work- To understand the genre, large part of that involves er who sneaks an occasional game we should review a few basics. An games that can be played to relax. online game is one that allows a online... Proponents state that multi- gamer to be connected with oth- player games can challenge and ers playing the same game, either In a game, a player may be develop the imagination, teach his- via a LAN (local area network – represented by an animated, tory and culture, and develop team- many game stations such as the human or non-human figure called ing and leadership skills. Opponents Sony PlayStations permit this), by an “avatar,” a computer term claim games can be too violent and modems connected directly over a derived for the Hindu word for a lead to hermit-like unsociability. One phone line, or by a WAN (wide area god that appears on earth in thing that cannot be disputed is that network, such as the Internet). human or animal form (“ava,” online gaming is growing like wild- Game speeds vary from turn-based down, “tarati,” he travels). Game fig- fire. Total gaming industry sales are games (such as chess, where one ures such as orks, soldiers, dinosaurs estimated by Infotech to be over player makes a move and waits for and so on, that are not driven direct- $15 billion in 1997, and a large part the response) to real-time games ly by a player are called “bots.” They of that involves games that can be (such as Quake 2, which can have may be driven by AI or, “artificial played online, a market segment non-stop action). intelligence,” software that makes that Infotech calculates is growing Games may be Internet-only them respond unpredictably, “learn- at 70% per year. In fact, at the (playable only via the Internet), ing” or adapting as the game pro- recent E3 (Electronic Entertainment Internet-compatible (playable with gresses. A “wizard” is a term for soft- Expo) show in Atlanta, there were or without online connection) or ware that helps guide a player hybrid (involving mostly local through a game. [Although many storage and content with some games feature wizards of the Merlin interaction over the net). type, as well as knights, orcs, and Hybrid games have the advan- magical spells, since they are based tage that they already contain on the original D&D (Dungeons most of the game data stored and Dragons) game.] A primary on a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, problem in online game play is and it therefore does not have keeping new players or “newbies” to be downloaded; since some from being squashed by experi- games contain gigabytes of ter- enced, predatory “rogue” players. rain, rules and character data, Some of the types of games this can be a huge advantage. are strategic (such as Panzer Hybrid games tend to be rich- General or Warcraft, chess-type Quake II. © Activision.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 25 Game Sites. An increasing number of OGS sites Dedicated game sites such as TEN offer free gaming to users. Many (The Entertainment Network) or sites are supported by sponsorships, Mpath provide a web site where advertising in the form of banner gamers can log on, choose a game ads, merchandising and other pro- and a difficulty level, be assigned to motional tie-ins. Others are sup- a gaming area, and then go for it. ported by the manufacturers of a Joining such an OGS normally CD-ROM game, which offer the site involves a monthly or per-hour fee. to facilitate online play. Many OGSs provide a variety of • Promotional Web sites. games for you to download and Many sites go up each month to play, which may require scads of promote films, television shows, time and hard disk storage space. entertainment events, or the multi- Some games, especially hybrids, media firms that created them. Such require that you buy the game pack- sites offer a variety of free short age in a store. Although hybrids games or “gamelets” that are relat- cost money (typically U.S. $30-$50), ed to the entertainment they pro- Jedi Knight. © LucasArts. they offer high-resolution game play mote. For instance, the recent film games usually played from a bird’s- without permanently taking up Spawn has a 3-D game on its web eye view in 2-D or “2 1/2-D,” the site that lets a player roam the streets latter allowing some level of per- A panel of venture capital as the main character from the film, spective viewing), simulation or executives stated flatly that shooting secret agents and tackling “sim,” (such as WarBirds or Armored they “would not even look at” the evil Clown. Increasingly, such Fist 2, action games primarily games that were not playable sites are 3-D, use the new Java and focused on racing a high-resolution online. VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling vehicle such as a plane, tank or car), Language) programming tools, and RPG (Role Playing Game such as much hard drive space. require a very short download time, Oddworld or Mechwarrior, where • Free Online Gaming perhaps a minute or so. They also the player takes on a personality Service Sites. have very simple game rules, as with strengths and weaknesses and must confront a content-rich world demanding problem solving and possible combat), action (such as Doom, Quake or Duke Nukem, pri- marily fast combat games involving an avatar or simulated vehicle taking on all comers – sometimes referred to as a “twitch” game), adventure (such as 7th Guest or Under the Killing Moon, which involve exten- sive story lines and problem solv- ing), edutainment (such as SimCity, which has a strong educational component), as well as sports and adult games.

Game Environments There are several different game environments:

• Fee-Based Online Netstorm. © Activision. Gaming Services (OGSs) or

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 26 they are oriented toward the casu- rival groups, in vehicles or on ered flag over the Internet. al user rather than the hard-core foot. Up to 15 fans of this death- gamer. match genre can slug it out Time To Get Started • Military Gaming. together. What’s the best way to get The U.S. Armed Forces and its allies • Dark Reign: The Future of War, started in online gaming? Start slow- play huge war games with hun- from Activision, is a real-time ly, on a game with simple rules, and dreds of full-crew simulators repre- strategy game with 3-D terrain, practice against the computer until senting tanks, helicopters, aircraft gorgeous graphics and player- you’re comfortable before ventur- and other weapon platforms. controllable AI. It ing into a multiplayer Civilians cannot (legally) access this was designed world. The Online part of the Internet which is behind from the ground Gaming Starter Kit, avail- security barriers or “fire walls.” up for Internet able for about $30 from However, thousands of digital ani- multiplay, and is MacMillan Digital, is an mators/programmers work on such thus “native” inexpensive way to get online games as SIMNET (Simulation instead of merely started. It includes games Network), funded with billions of “repurposed.” such as Chess, Bridge, dollars from sources such as DARPA, • Quake II, also Trivial Pursuit, and the Defense Advanced Research from Activision, is Microsoft Golf, and allows Projects Agency, which invented the one of the most the user to try online Internet in the first place. famous of the games and services for a mad mayhem The Online Gaming Starter free, trial period. For the Kit, a book and CD-ROM Cool, Current Games games, rivaling by Ed Dille is available more action-oriented, the What are the hot games the infamous from Ventana Publishing. same company also has right now? Here are some of the Doom. It’s game engine is also the Netwarrior package for $30, hits from the E3 show: used in a similar Activision game, which permits fans of Quake, Duke Hexen II, which presents richly Nukem and Diablo to wage havoc • Dominion, by 7th Level, is a real- detailed ancient and medieval via the Internet against opponents time strategy game in a sci-fi set- settings in which to kill every- worldwide. This package has fully ting. Players are challenged by thing in sight. functioning editions of the famous over 40 missions on many plan- • Jedi Knight, by LucasArts, is an Air Warrior aircraft sim, and offers ets, with multiple vehicle and RPG that pits the player, light hundreds of dollars of free online combat unit types to choose saber in hand, against seven game play. from. dark Jedi who are trying to If you want to join a game • Monday Night Football ’98, by exploit the power of the Dark network, consider the Concentric ABC Interactive, is a sports game Side. This is an opportunity for Network, a huge online gaming ser- featuring real teams and players Star Wars fans to become Jedi vice that groups many smaller gam- with roster updates via the masters. ing networks together for billing Internet. You need a decent • Politika, by Red Storm and based convenience. It is available via computer and graphics card to on the Tom Clancy novel, pits www.gamegateway.com. Another render this game in its full glory. the player against factions like such megaservice, The Arena from • Links LS ‘98, from Access, is a the Russian military, secret police Earthlink Network, includes Kesmai game for the indoor golfer that and mafia. The player will learn and Engage Games Online, among features authentic grass and much about real-world facts and others. It is reachable at www.earth- sand textures and very realistic data as he negotiates through link.net/thearena/. Interactive Magic ball flight. Up to eight players the political intrigue of modern has started iMagic Online, a service can compete before heading to Russia. with chat rooms and classic multi- the club house. • F1 Racing Simulation, Ubisoft’s player games such as WarBirds (an • Redline, by Accolade, is an new racing sim, features 22 cars aircraft sim) and Planetary Raiders. action game where the player and 16 detailed race tracks. They are planning “lite” versions of joins an alliance (gamespeak for Eight players can scorch their detailed games such as Raider Wars “a gang”) and wages war on tires as they vie for the check- and Tank Wars. They’re at

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 27 the largest and fer the age before air-to-air missiles oldest of the gam- made combat “impersonal”), with ing services. It’s many levels of play so newbies can games include feel comfortable, and Asheron’s Call, Quake, Myth, and a popular RPG that can support Shadow Warriors, thousands of players at one time, and offers helpful services for form- A primary problem in online ing into teams, at game play is keeping new play- There are a growing number of web sites devoted to online www.ten.net. VR- ers or “newbies” from being gaming, such as www.ten.net, www.icigames.com, 1 offers VR-1 squashed by experienced, www.vr1.com and www.mpath.com. Crossroads, a predatory “rogue” players. www.icigames.com. Mpath is one Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) type of the best-known gaming sites, game that requires cooperation and at www.zone.com. with over 100,000 members. Their socializing between the players, If you are running these games include iM1A2 Abrams (one making it an alternative to the slash- games on a PC, make sure you have of the best combat tank games), and-burn Doom genre, at a good accelerator card, such as Monopoly and Star General. They www.vr1.com. Finally, the Internet the 3Dfx Voodoo, in order to avoid have virtual lobbies to lounge in Gaming Zone offers Microsoft muddy graphics, and a good joy- and helpful tools to get started at Fighter Ace, one of the popular stick controller, such as the www.mplayer.com. TEN (The WWII flight sim games (gamers pre- Thrustmaster Millennium 3D,as Entertainment Network) is one of many games will not work with just a mouse. Driving games are best played with steering wheel controls, and the Thrustmaster Force CAREERCAREER CONNECTIONSCONNECTIONS Feedback Racing Wheel is a joy to Animation World Network use for this, with instant feedback The Animation information hub on the Internet to your hands from cornering to is proud to launch the world's first and only "On-line acceleration or in case you hit Animation Job Fair" another car.

RECRUITERS! Good luck, and enjoy gaming in cyberspace! Don't waste your time with un-focused advertising on other job sites! Christopher Harz is a multimedia • Advertise employment opportunities at your company to the consultant in online simulation targeted AWN community… and gaming. He helped develop • Search the "Talent Pool" database of resumes of animation the military’s massive-scale online professionals… war games, and is now working on 3-D multiplayer web sites. ANIMATION PROFESSIONALS! Come to the place to see and be seen for the animation industry! • Search the "Jobs Database" for employment opportunities around the world… • Post your resume on-line to be seen by top recruiters… Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine con- Find it all at http://www.awn.com/career tributor by sending an email to Or, for information call AWN at (213) 468-2554 [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 28 Cartoons and Video Games: Let’s Do Business by Frédérique Doumic rédérique Doumic is MILIA’s These meetings, organized sual field were concerned, they special consultant in collabo- with the active support of the Reed were impressed by the creativeness Frative ventures between ani- Midem Organization, and more par- and modernity of the games pre- mation producers and interactive ticularly the MILIA staff, consisted of sented at these meetings. gaming companies. At MIPCOM ten private sessions between three ‘97, she organized “Informal major video game companies, Will any agreements be finalized Encounters” which was designed Ubisoft, Infogrames and BMG due to these meetings? specifically to promote joint projects Interactive; and cartoon producers, Two projects, Space Circus, between the two industries. Viewed including Nelvana, Ellipse, EVA, an action-adventure game pro- as a great success, these discussions Alliance, Pro Sieben, Cartoon and duced by Infogrames, and Roberto, will be continued in Cannes at MILIA Mattel. The aim of these meetings an educational game initiated by (The International Content Market was to find out whether these oper- BMG Interactive, were presented to For Interactive Media) from February ators wanted to work together and the cartoon companies over the 7-11, 1998. Lately, Frédérique has if so, how. course of these meetings. Most of been in demand, but she took time the cartoon producers were out to answer her most frequently extremely interested in Space Circus. Video game producers have asked questions for AWM. The game has a very powerful become financially just as pow- graphic world and plot framework. erful as the senior players in You organized meetings between In addition, following the presen- the audiovisual field. cartoon and video game pro- tation of Roberto, a licensing con- ducers at the last MIPCOM. tract is to be signed between BMG What form did these meetings What struck the operators in Interactive and a large Canadian take? both fields at these meetings? producer. Ubisoft took a stand at The video MIPCOM and thus, presented its game compa- projects separately. The animation nies were tests for Rayman and other Ubisoft struck by the properties also appear to have inter- degree of reg- ested a considerable number of ulatory and audiovisual producers and broad- editorial con- casters. straint imposed on producers In the direction of cartoon prop- of audiovisual erties becoming video games or materials, often vice versa? independently Only Ubisoft had come with of the wishes licensing in and licensing out in of the final con- mind. They made a number of sumer. As far interesting contacts with the idea Space Circus, an action-adventure game produced by Infogrames, was a big hit among producers shopping for multimedia properties as companies of turning existing cartoons into at MIPCOM ‘97. © Infogrames in the audiovi- games. But now there are video

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 29 game producers who have wanted to work in Are gaming and cartoon audiovisual for a long companies ready to work time. As far as cartoon more closely than just producers are con- selling one another cerned, it is only recently licenses? that they have been In my opinion, the attracted to the interac- key to success is the work tive field and I am afraid carried out upstream, the that video game compa- creation of worlds designed nies do not necessarily from the very start for both need them so much medias. To my great now. Video games have delight, the MIPCOM meet- made a lot of progress Kids playing Space Circus. Photo by Yves Coatsaliou. © Infogrames ings demonstrated that the since the appearance of account through tests carried out companies in both sectors CD-ROMs and 32-bit consoles. They during the production process. were interested in upstream collab- look increasingly like interactive car- oration. But appropriate collabora- toons and have more and more tive structures still remain unestab- detailed plots. Video game pro- The key to success is the work lished. The temptation for some ducers have become financially just carried out upstream, the cre- gaming or cartoon companies is to as powerful as the senior players in ation of worlds designed from do the job of the other sector on the audiovisual field. the very start for both medias. their own. Some major cartoon companies have already done so: Do video game companies want Is licensing a good way for these Disney, Warner, Viacom, among their products to be converted two sectors to work together? others. Not always very successful- into cartoons, or do animation It must be acknowledged ly mind you. The success of video studios want their properties to that licensing is rarely a success. The games largely depends on their be expanded into games? converted products are often rush gameplay. A good cartoon doesn’t We witnessed an embryon- jobs simply aimed at exploiting an necessarily turn into a good game. ic test of strength on the subject of existing property. As time goes by, It is perhaps easier to move from “which side will convert the other’s consumers are becoming wary and games to cartoons. The skill of sto- products.” some big licenses have been rytelling is older and therefore, more resounding flops. widespread than the skills involved Which sector,cartoons or video in properly programming video games, has the most eas- games. Some video ily converted worlds? game companies are in I think that increas- the process of setting ingly, we will see the video up animation studios. game worlds being exploit- They are already work- ed. These game worlds are ing with animators creative and modern, with from 2-D and 3-D car- a captive public. Gaming is toons and with fiction an area where authors can scriptwriters to con- give free rein to their imag- struct game worlds. ination. There is a lot less Now they feel properly censorship of video games. equipped to produce The sole judge in the end cartoons. However, not is the customer, whose In 1998, MILIA will invite companies to submit cartoon projects to all game companies judgment is taken into be presented to a panel of video game producers. Photo by Yves have taken this step Coatsaliou.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 30 yet, and it is time that those oper- uting programs that are video game For game companies, the ating in the cartoon sector set up spin-offs because they think that distribution of a cartoon creates or partnerships with them. video games in general are violent reinforces a game’s reputation and and stultifying. These are hasty judg- thus its profitability. It also makes it What do video game companies ments that need to be refined in easier to get access to the mer- need to have if they want to terms of the particular projects in become successful animation question. Likewise, some broad- On average, each game costs producers? casters do not like 3-D. Games are U.S. $2 million and the risk of They still need a “network” very often produced in full 3-D to poor sales is virtually 100% of enabling them to agree to large give players greater freedom of the cost of production, plus the (U.S. $10 million) financing plans movement. I think that children are cost of issuing it. quickly. However, they are fast learn- now completely used to 3-D, and ers! Some of them are successfully that what is needed to produce CGI chandising market, a market to positioning themselves in the young cartoons is scriptwriters who can which games have virtually no adult cartoon market. At the last use the third dimension properly. access at the moment. As far as the MIPCOM, Chaman, a new gaming Video game producers are, in my risks associated with cartoon pro- and animation company created by view, very well equipped to invent duction are concerned, they are Denis Friedman, the former chief stories in three-dimensional worlds. very limited compared with those executive of Psygnosis France, of developing or manufacturing attracted Asian partners and video What is the main reason pro- video games. That is why game producers for the direct-to-video pro- ducers in the cartoon sector companies are, in my view, in a bet- duction of Gaina, a 52-minute car- should make video games? ter position to start producing audio- toon adapted from a game which Video games are consider- visual materials. is still in production. ably more profitable than cartoons for companies in the cartoon sec- To what extent are game com- Which products are the easiest tor, except where it is a question of panies prepared to invest in car- to convert? worldwide merchandising rights. toons? Successful video games produce At the MIPCOM meetings, Successful video games pro- earnings that are ten, even a hun- the gaming companies expressed duce earnings that are ten, dred, times the initial outlay. Margins a wish to co-produce cartoons even a hundred, times the ini- for cartoons, on the other hand, are based on their games, at least to tial outlay. often a percentage of the cost of the extent of their rights. Video production. But the risks associated game producers are financially very Only a limited number of with the games sector are some- powerful companies. In my view, projects in either sector exist in both what frightening for producers of some of them are quite capable of media (one game in forty, according audiovisual materials. There are very having a very ambitious investment to Infogrames). Genuinely interna- few with large enough resources to strategy. What is more, Ubisoft tional-scale, action-adventure games carry the financial risks taken by intends to open animation studios and cartoons particularly lend them- gaming producers. On average, in China for the production of car- selves to this, but some products for each game costs U.S. $2 million, toons based on its video games. specifically targeted groups such as and the risk of poor sales is virtual- young children and young adults ly 100% of the cost of production, What are the main restraints on also deserve to be mentioned. plus the cost of issuing it. That is the production and distribution why producers of audiovisual mate- of combined video game/cartoon Aren’t the gaming worlds out of rials need to team up with special- products? line with the requirements of ists in the gaming field. There are still fairly major dif- cartoon broadcasters? ferences between the time it takes Some broadcasters appear And from the point of view of to put together, produce and dis- to have reservations about distrib- video game companies? tribute cartoons and video games.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 31 It is therefore quite hard to syn- help audiovisual producers find part- developments, as it connects online, chronize game and cartoon releas- ners in the interactive field. We will gaming and multimedia profes- es. Even if they are designed at the likewise be sionals with the latest technologies same time, a cartoon will take at organizing and converging industries, such as least one or two years longer than special meet- television cable, satellite and tele- a game to come onto the market. ing places for coms. With all this in mind, MILIA is However, there is a trend toward the two definitively the right place for the the production time of games media. With TV/PC convergence. lengthening and that of cartoons the fifth edi- shortening. tion of MILIA 1998 having

Do you plan to extend these the theme Frédérique Doumic. MIPCOM meetings through “Towards other actions? Convergence,” it will be the ideal My job is to establish collab- market for initiating partnerships of orative ventures between these two this type. Frédérique Doumic is MILIA’s spe- worlds so I am working on it every cial consultant in collaborative day. What is more, in cooperation MILIA,A Description ventures between animation pro- with Reed Midem, we are planning MILIA is the only interna- ducers and interactive, gaming to organize a major cartoon/video tional event dedicated to interactive companies. game event to encourage the cre- media content regardless of the plat- ation of partnerships between the form or technology. MILIA’s aim is to two media forms [MILIA]. Shortly, bring together, over a five-day peri- we will be inviting companies to od, key decision-makers and pro- submit projects. We will then select fessionals in the interactive media about ten cartoon projects to be industry to buy and sell rights, form Note: Readers may contact any presented to a panel of video game strategic alliances, develop online Animation World Magazine con- producers and to the MILIA public services, scout new talent and tributor by sending an email to under privileged conditions. The negotiate distribution agreements. [email protected]. aim of this “exchange floor” is to This year’s theme promises the right REGISTER with Animation World Network TODAY and

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ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 32 Next February the centre of the games universe shifts to Cannes as the Milia '98 content megashow opens for business.

milia’98 The name of the game is the future.

Milia '98 provides the perfect setting for announcements and new product Which is Cannes launches - with the world's media in mass attendance. It's the birthplace of new most glamourous festival? alliances, a unique industry-shaping global meeting point for over 8,000 prime If it's interactive, it's Milia '98! movers in digital media - top creatives, content providers and decisionmakers.

Check out new gaming talent - and the competition. milia '98 SWITCH ON CONTENT Meet the decisionmakers from converging industries which impact on yours - TV and animation, enabling technologies, on-line developers. Mix with top retailers PLUG IN BUSINESS and distributors at our second European Retailers Club. The International Content Market And compete for the prized Milia d'Or, which includes five gaming categories. for Interactive Media February 8-11 1998 Glitzy Milia '98 also stages a series of dazzling events with superstars to inform Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France. and entertain you - in an ambiance that's inimitably...Cannes. http://www.milia.com

For more information on Milia '98, contact Diana Butler (USA) : Tel.: 212 689 4220 - Fax: 212 689 4348 - Faxback: 1. 888. MIDEMUS - E-Mail: [email protected] Or Anne-Marie Parent: Tel: 33 (0)1 41 90 44 52 Fax: 33 (0)1 41 90 44 70 CompuServe: 100321.1310

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 33 Russia: Gaming for Everybody by Natalya Loukinykh he recent boom in interest in Virtual Worlds and so on. These interactive computer games publications dedicate many of Treached Russia unexpectedly their beautifully designed and and quite triumphantly. Nowadays, illustrated pages solely to gaming Russians are playing computer advertisements and propaganda. games in their spare time, from their Demonstrations and visuals are homes, offices and schools to every- also shown on special television where in between. programs which are targeted to both amateurs and computer spe- cialists such as Straight From The Meanwhile, year after year, the Moscow-based multimedia firm, New Media Horse’s Mouth (NTV Channel), Generation created Dr. Dudius on Earth, a Russian multimedia industry is Computer! (RTR TV channel) and CD-ROM game which takes kids on a journey increasing its production Virtual World (Moscow TV-CEN- around the world. © NMG. capacities and expanding its TER channel). products. However, they agree that thematic, artistic and creative we have a legal right to compete horizons. Challenges of Multimedia in the marketplace, and we should Meanwhile, year after year, not be ashamed of our imperfec- Technology Explosion the Russian multimedia industry is tions. Suddenly, all different types increasing its production capacities of computers, ranging from those and expanding its thematic, artistic However, the interactive games equipped to handle diverse game and creative horizons. The analysis industry is an increasingly applications, to the most old-fash- of the creative potential and the attractive and productive field ioned home computers, to the technical possibilities of Russian mul- for Russian programmers and animators. utmost in technology like high qual- timedia producers is part of the ity Macintosh and Silicon Graphics agenda of Moscow’s yearly inter- systems, have become a normal national ‘Anigraph’ festival of com- According to information detail in every day Russian life. While puter graphics and animation, gathered at the latest conferences classic, traditional animation has which has been celebrated for five and festivals of multimedia produc- become rare in our cinemas, com- years. The prestigious metropolitan tion, Russian computer games or puter animation, coming out of the exhibition, ‘Multimedia Expo’ in the game applications, suffer from either industrial multimedia world, is International Trade Center, also dis- an amateur graphic element per- becoming a recurrent attribute to cusses such issues. formance while having a very Russia’s contemporary virtual art. Naturally, this gives ground, decently made program, or, vice Of course, a major part of and not willingly, for the compari- versa, lack a good technical pro- the Russian multimedia market is son between other international gram performance, while the work games, and every kind of game industries and our own. According by the graphic artists is excellent. application of foreign origin is used. to many experts, Russian multimedia It is very sad to mention that Already popular are Russian peri- productions are lacking in many of the majority of evident insufficien- odicals dedicated to the computer the important components when cies in Russian multimedia produc- industry, such as Hard and Soft, compared to other international tion are due to a real lack of tech-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 34 nical possibilities and material the following titles: Cinderella, means. Very few Russian producers Pinocchio, The Thumbelins, Beauty can gather a highly qualified and and the Beast, Ali Baba and the 40 multifunctional staff, and some- Thieves, Sinbad the Sailor, The Snow times it is impossible to obtain the Queen, as well as some original legal rights to use materials such computer games such as, Sea as video, text, graphics or music. Legends, Escape from the Haunted The best, internationally known for- House, Alice in Wonderland, The eign multimedia productions are Tower of Knowledge, Dr. Dudius

backed-up, as a rule, by such Pinnochio, a CD-ROM adaptation of the clas- on Earth and others which are con- prominent companies as Disney, sic tale by New Media Generation. © NMG. stantly enriching R-Style’s assort- the BBC, Microsoft, etc. Many inter- and quality of its productions. Let ment. active games, animation and other us concentrate our attention on this instructive multimedia programs in company’s activities. R-Style propos- Animating Across Media Western countries traditionally fol- es to Russian and foreign end-users I am glad to report that not low in the footsteps of high-rated powerful computers that they cre- only literary professionals participate Hollywood films and television pro- ate, packaged together with sever- in the creation of multimedia games grams. Russian colleagues can only al kits of multimedia products such and interactive versions of animated dream of creating their own ana- as video game applications, enter- films, but also truly well-known ani- log multimedia versions of popular tainment and education programs mators who have been awarded at local television programs or favorite as well as, of course, the newest many international festivals work in films such as Plasticine Raven by games on cartridges and CDs this field. R-Style is creating interac- Alexander Tatarski or Fedor Khitruk’s There are almost two dozen tive animated films with the talents Winnie the Pooh. interactive cartoon films and com- of the celebrated young animators puter games in R-Style’s package. from Moscow: Dmitri Reztchikov According to many experts, They are created by the program- and Alexander Ratnovsky. Their Russian multimedia produc- modern animation shorts Acid Wine tions are lacking in many of the mers at the Russian companies, New Media Generation and Cyril and The Voices have been shown important components when extensively on the animation festi- compared to other interna- and Methodius, who work togeth- val circuit. tional products. er with famous Russian animation artists. One can find among these We can also note that R- products different types of CD-ROM Style’s animation production branch Nevertheless, notwithstand- encyclopedias on everything from can compete with the studio that is ing all the evident and inevitable cuisine to the Bible, but predomi- managed by the President of the restraints the Russian multimedia nately R-Style presents a rich collec- Russian Association of Animators, industry faces, the field’s home nov- tion of animated computer games the Dmitri Naumov Studio. elties are delighting to the eyes and and interactive animation films. Naumov’s long-standing partner, the spirit of professionals and the inces- R-Style’s interactive multime- santly increasing number of end dia versions of animated films are users. recorded on CD-ROM, and allow the famous literary plots to be easi- The Progress of R-Style ly stopped and the player to active- Widely known and accu- ly participate in choosing the steps mulating production power, the or the movement of the characters, Russian company R-Style is gather- playing versions of famous scenes ing the activity of various multime- and finding all kinds of surprises. In dia production companies togeth- the series of interactive films, The er, and is actively amplifying the field Magic Stories of Tootie, one can find Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. © NMG.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 35 artist, scriptwriter and co-producer who are working in the multimedia related to geometry rules and the Valentin Teleguine, is also part of industry. metric and weight system, and their staff. Their plasticine and cut- Gavrila, a game which uses cross- out films are widely known in inter- Other Companies Forge Ahead words to foster logical thinking in national and professional circles. However, the interactive children. About Mathvey Kuzmich was games industry is an increasingly The multimedia industry and awarded by the international ani- attractive and productive field for interactive animation in Russia is in mation film festival KROK ‘91, and Russian programmers and anima- a most inspiring and creative stage Kafka’s Landsurveyor’s Castle won tors. And, of course, R-Style isn’t the of development. This modern and the Silver Dove Award at the Leipzig only company in which one can fashionable field, is constantly being ‘95 International Festival and was participate in multimedia produc- joined by more and more new nominated to NIKA’s Russian Best tion. forces with creative ideas. However, Film. Moscow’s Pilot Studio and our producers need a direction, and The famous animation pro- Second Frog are production groups opportunities to maximize the entire ducer Alexei Karaev of Svredlovskaya which are well-known to both production process. Meanwhile, this Anima Studio is also participating in Russian and foreign animation film new technology needs to become Dmitri Naumov Studio’s multimedia fans. They too are producing games less expensive so that the majority of projects. His films Welcome!, The under the leadership of Alexander our population can benefit from it. Habitants of the Old House and As Tatarski. Pilot Media, partnering with You Like it have been awarded at game companies such as L-S and many international festivals. Games, is successfully entering mul- Many new and young ani- timedia production and the field of mators from Bielorussia, Ukraine interactive games. Pilot’s characters and other former Soviet republics are already ‘playing roles’ and live are joining the multimedia industry in a whole set of CD-ROMs. as well. Of course, the animation masters’ artistic level of self-realiza- The fact that the masters of tion while working in the multime- animation participate in the dia industry is incomparable to their creation of Russian multime- work using traditional animation dia, is adding a level of art to Natalya Loukinykh. techniques and forms. The fact, the entire home multimedia however, that the masters of ani- area mation participate in the creation Natalya Loukinykh, author and TV and industry of Russian multimedia, Also, the Nikita Company producer, graduated from the is adding a level of art to the entire has been placing on the market for Faculty of Journalism at Moscow home multimedia area and to inter- several years sets of multimedia State University. Since 1991 she active animation in particular. Of developmental computer games for has worked with the organizing course, one would like to hope the children under the name of Erudit group of the KROK International Animation Festival, as press- artists and the animation produc- and Wonderkind. The majority of attache and film selector. She is ers’ activity in this field of artistic cre- their interactive games are made for also director of Animatheka, a ation doesn’t represent the only way children older than 10 but of a basic documentary TV program about of realization in the modern market school age, and are directly con- animation. situation. Also, one would like to nected to general education sec- hope the public and the jury of ondary schools, gymnasiums and future professional animation festi- college programs. Some of their Note: Readers may contact any vals would like to see on the big titles are: Anatomic, a game-course Animation World Magazine con- screen the most recent films of all of anatomy; Journey to Europe, a tributor by sending an email to the mentioned Russian animators geography game, Vira, a game [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 36 1997 Gaming Report: The Best of the Bunch by Wendy Jackson his holiday sea- and WGBH Boston. Creative Capers’ son, a deluge of original property, Nightmare Ned Tnew game titles was simultaneously developed as a are being released. game and an animated series with The Interactive Digital Disney. Software Association (IDSA) has compiled With so many games to data from the NPD choose from, how is an anima- Group’s Interactive tion fan to make sense of them Entertainment all? Software Service, to report that sales of Oddworld:Abe’s Oddysee. © Oddworld Inhabitants With so many games to video game and PC entertainment From Screen to Machine choose from, how is an animation software this year have topped $1.5 Many titles being released fan to make sense of them all? In billion (January through this season hope to cash in on the preparation for our annual gaming September); already a 35 percent success of existing animated prop- issue, Animation World Magazine increase over 1996. With more than erties. Fox Interactive is following looked at more than 50 interactive 50 percent of total industry sales the tried-and-true Disney formula games that have been released usually taking place in the fourth with their Anastasia tie-in release, a throughout the year. One thing we quarter (holiday season), those “storybook” style game called learned is that you can’t judge a numbers are expected to increase Anastasia: Adventures With Pooka game by its cover. Actual game dramatically by the end of 1997. and Bartok. THQ’s PlayStation action graphics often pale in comparison IDSA President Douglas Lowenstein game, Ghost in the Shell is based to the pictures on packaging and said, “All signals are now pointing on the popular Japanese manga advertisements. When reviewing all to total entertainment software sales comic and anime feature film. titles, we looked mainly at the qual- breaking the $5 billion barrier.” Funnybone Interactive is While this estimate does lean releasing Animaniacs toward the optimistic, there is no Game Pack, a collection of question that games are increasing arcade-style games star- in popularity as more home users ring characters from purchase personal computers and Warner Bros.’ animated gaming consoles. television series. Broderbund’s Living Books division has released “All signals are now pointing to Arthur’s Birthday, another total entertainment software title in the Arthur line, sales breaking the $5 billion which started as a collec- barrier.” - IDSA President tion of children’s books Douglas Lowenstein and became a hit animat- ed series from Cinar Films Parappa the Rapper. © Sony Computer Entertainment

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 37 active creation designed by Rodney Greenblat, a New York-based artist who has been creating offbeat com- puter games, such as Dazzeloids, since the early days of interactive anima- tion. Parappa, which Interstate 76. © Activision. means “paper thin” in Jeremy Blake brings this lyrical story Japanese, describes the to life. game’s cartoony 2-D char- System: Windows or Macintosh acters which move in a 3- Publisher: Nicholson NY Riven. © Cyan. D world. In addition to this ity of the animation within the innovative animation technique, 5. Interstate 76 game, as well as the gameplay and Parappa the Rapper features a funky Quentin Tarantino meets story. musical score by Masaya Matsuura. The Dukes of Hazard in this “retro- This is a game that’s sure to be imi- action” game. 3-D characters and The Best of the Bunch tated. their souped-up cars speed through System: PlayStation the desert in search of revenge 1. Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee Publisher: Sony Computer against outlaws. The entire game, This outstandingly original Entertainment including backgrounds, is rendered adventure, features some of the best in 3-D animation, and can be graphics and animation we’ve ever 3. Riven viewed from multiple angles at any seen in a game. Abe’s Oddysee is The anticipated sequel to time. the first title in “The Oddworld Myst, the best-selling CD-ROM game System: Windows Quintology,” a five-part series in history, was well worth the wait. Publisher: Activision designed and created by Oddworld More of a free-form “exploratory Inhabitants, an innovative, young experience” than a game, Riven 6. Koala Lumpur: Journey to the game design firm based in Northern takes users on a journey through a Edge California. With its sophisticated fantasy world of highly realistic 3-D Developed by San Francisco- gameplay, this game is meant to be graphics. Animation is used mini- based (Colossal) Pictures, from an played over a long period of time, mally, but to stunning effect, with original concept by director Jamie so be sure to have a memory card incredibly smooth movement. Baker, this funny mystery game fea- installed. System: Windows/Macintosh tures 2-D character animation that System: PlayStation Publisher: Red Orb Entertainment rivals some Saturday morning car- Publisher: GT Interactive (a division of Broderbund) toons. The fact that the animation

2. Parappa the Rapper 4. Zero Zero The latest and greatest inter- Theresa Duncan, creator of Chop Suey and Smarty Pants, has designed another gem that kids may not even suspect is educa- tional. Described as a “fairy tale for the future,” Zero Zero depicts a spunky, young mademoiselle on her adventures in Paris during the turn of the century (1900, hence her name, “Zero Zero”). Limited, G-Police. © Psygnosis. Zero Zero © Nicholson NY. but charming 2-D animation by

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 38 was created traditional- ters are rendered in 3- Publisher: Fox Interactive ly, with drawings on D computer graphics, paper, is a refreshing and can do things 10. Nightmare Creatures testament to doing that even the shows’ With an NC-17 rating and things the “old fash- creators might have enough blood to make the average ioned way.” never dreamed up. A person squeamish, this game is part System: Windows menu of settings, if the “not for fans of the animated Publisher: Broderbund props, actions and storybook” genre. While the vio- Croc. © Fox Interactive sounds, keep this title lence may not be for everyone, the 7. G-Police interesting long after game does feature fluid 3-D ani- This space flight simulator many other games might have mation and complex rendered envi- shoot ‘em up game is set in a futur- worn out. ronments. In particular, it is the addi- istic world inspired by Blade Runner. System: Windows tion of mood-setting, animated, The intros feature some incredibly Publisher: Microsoft atmospheric effects such as fog and realistic 3-D animation of virtual falling leaves that caught our atten- humans, setting the story for the tion. rest of the game. While the game- One thing we learned is that System: PlayStation play animation is not as finely ren- you can’t judge a game by its Publisher: Activision dered as the intros, it does feature cover. detailed 3-D graphics in a full 360 degree environment. 9. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Wendy Jackson is Associate Editor System: PlayStation A cute fantasy game, with of Animation World Magazine. Publisher: Psygnosis great character design and refresh- ingly non-violent action. Developed 8. Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker by Argonaut Software, Croc features This creative title gives full 3-D character animation and Note: Readers may contact any Nicktoons fans a shot at creating environments, explored through the Animation World Magazine con- their own cartoons, with characters eyes of a roly-poly crocodile whose tributor by sending an email to from Ren & Stimpy, Aaahh!!! Real mission is to save the threatened civ- [email protected]. Monsters and Rocko’s Modern Life. ilization of the Gobbos. The difference is that these charac- System: PlayStation Animation World SStore http://www.awn.com/awnstore

Never before available!! Original Production cels from the Oscar nominated film The Big Snit by director Richard Condie

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 39 The Future of Gaming a survey compiled by Heather Kenyon hat does the future of nology breakthrough in the next tion of how the game looks, which gaming hold? We asked year or two, because if you follow is certainly important, but the qual- Wfive gaming honchos to the industry, you know that this is ity of the animation, the quality of reflect on the types of games we an industry where technology the sound. All of these things are will be playing in the future. advances usually occur every three part of the overall game experience. Douglas Lowenstein, Steve or four years, with the introduction More than anything else, what Dauterman, Scott Miller, Lorne of new hardware. Hardware, obvi- determines whether the game has Lanning and Mark Rowland ously is [already] on the market for a market is the quality of the game- answered the following questions: the next generation, and it has play. • What is the next large techno- been there for a couple of years logical step that will be taken now. What tends to happen is the HK: Now can I have you look five, and how will that influence the sophistication of the programmers ten years in the future... What do gaming industry? grows by leaps and bounds each you think games will be like? Do • What do you think gaming (that year as they have more depth at you think they’ll be predominately features interactive animation) maximizing the capability of the the same, just more sophisticated? will be like in the future? hardware. It’s less a question of any Or, do you think virtual reality will Douglas Lowenstein also new technological development really be here? explained current gaming trends than it is a question of the new that are sure to continue and influ- direction that the programmers can DL: I’m not as much a believer in ence the upcoming years. take the hardware.” virtual reality as I am a believer in advances in the use of artificial intel- Douglas HK: That’s going to ligence. I think certainly visually, Lowenstein, push people to be graphically and otherwise we will, President of the a lot more creative five years out, be looking at Interactive when producing machines that are more powerful, Digital Software games. faster, with all kinds of bells and Association whistles that create a visual experi- (IDSA) DL: Absolutely. ence even more stunning and real- istic than what we have today. Heather Kenyon: HK: They will need Beyond that, I think that the next What is the next to be in order to great leap forward is in the area of large technological keep consumers artificial intelligence; the creation of step that will be satisfied? products where users are interact- taken and how will this influence ing in almost human-like ways with the gaming industry? DL: This is an industry where the the characters. That’s the area for end user is an extremely sophisti- tremendous technological growth. Douglas Lowenstein: That is a real- cated buyer, and has extremely high There are games out there ly tough question to answer. We are standards. Programmers, develop- today that are artificially intelligent, just at the beginning of the tech- ers, animators, everybody involved a lot of the product out there relies nology curve for 3-D applications. in the creation of a product is con- on the basics of artificial intelligence On the console side, I think what stantly looking to push the creative to describe the gameplay. It’s a ques- you’re seeing, and what you will boundaries to meet the demand of tion of where that technology goes, continue to see, is less of a tech- the consumer. It’s not simply a ques- so that there’s a development of

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 40 characters and personality within important trend that will continue. sumers are using. This further the games that are having interac- A third trend, that’s pro- reflects a broadening of the market, tions with the user. This is several foundly important and gets right to to the extent that strategy and triv- steps beyond the kinds of interac- the bottom line, is the explosion of ia games are capturing a larger mar- tions that occur now. video game consoles. The next gen- ket share. I suggest that the user eration machines, we are project- base is older than it has historically HK: What are the major trends you ing they will be up from 6 million been. The younger users have grav- see today in the industry? at year-end 1996 to somewhere in itated most heavily towards the the neighborhood of 16 million by twitch, fast action games. I think year-end 1997, with every reason perhaps the most important trend “The next great leap forward is to believe that number will grow to watch in this business is what in the area of artificial intelli- up to as much as 30 million or more happens with online games. I think gence; the creation of products by year-end 1998. Which means that’s the $64,000 [big] question. where users are interacting in that we’ll be looking at next-gener- Certainly that segment has poten- almost human-like ways with ation video game consoles being in tial to alter dramatically the face of the characters.” - Douglas 30-40% of U.S. households, which this business. It’s like the wild west Lowenstein is getting pretty close to mass-mar- right now. There are a lot of sheriffs ket penetration. That kind of in town (laughs). growth, obviously, will power the One other thing I’d like to DL: Well, I think that there are sev- software side of the business. It mention…About a year ago, The eral that are noteworthy, that are means money flowing into the IDSA created the Academy of not so much technology-oriented business, more R&D money, a rather Interactive Arts and Sciences. It is an as they are business-oriented trends. historic trend. On the PC side, we academy of individuals, a separate I would say first is the continuing are also looking at projections of board, not run by the IDSA, focused consolidation in the marketplace. continued growth install bases of on creating a community of the cre- As we are in this almost ironic envi- high-end multimedia computers. ative segment of the business. It’ll ronment now where we are pro- That too will have a positive effect be doing its first awards event next jecting significant growth in the size on the PC games market. year. We believe it will be for our of the market, at the same time that One of the great challenges industry, what the other academies we are expecting the number of of the industry continues to be to are for the other entertainment software publishers servicing the broaden the market to a more mass- industries. Within the Academy are market to shrink. I think that’s fairly market base of users, beyond the a whole series of separate peer consistent with a maturing indus- hard-core gamers. And that’s starting groups for the various craft forms. try. It’s not surprising, but it is an to happen. We see growing evi- For example, we expect eventually important business trend that will dence that girls are coming into the to have a peer group that is focused have an impact on the shape and market more actively, and in fact, on animation, and have special profile of the business six months product being very specifically tar- awards chosen by people involved from now, and a year from now, let geted at them. We see well over in interactive animation, as to the alone five years from now. half of the console market now best products and achievements in Another very significant busi- being made up by people over the that segment of the industry. ness trend is the expansion of inter- age of 18, and over 75% of the PC national markets. We are part of a games market made up of people Steve Dauterman, Director of global business today, more so than over the age of 18. These are trends Development, LucasArts ever before. Companies in the that we think are very positive, very “The biggest technical United States are generating 50- important, in terms of broadening advance will be the widespread use 60% or more of their revenue from and deepening the user base. of accelerated 3-D graphics hard- foreign markets. Increasingly, they In terms of the other types ware that is now available for a rea- are recognizing that in both the of products that are showing sonable price to the home user. design of products and the mar- increased popularity, we certainly These cards are allowing us to make keting of products, they need to have some interesting changes in games with real-time 3-D graphics think global. I think that’s another terms of the types of products con- that are becoming more and more

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 41 Software, Ltd. inhabitants will become much more “I think the next large step is lifelike in terms of their emotional currently happening, and that’s the instabilities and basic attitude revolutionary advancement being responses. The combined increases brought about by specific 3-D in character communication, char- graphics hardware. If it weren’t for acter intelligence, character aware- this advancement, it would be sev- ness and dysfunctional character eral years before raw CPU power traits, are what will take the gam- would allow us to see the advance- ing experience to new heights. The ments in graphics now being seen emotional character will, if designed in games. I think that in a year or and executed properly, suck in the two we’ll see more than just games gameplayer’s emotional attention. use this hardware, we’ll see the web These types of qualities are largely (and browsers), Java applications, non-existent in today’s industry and educational products and other yet these are what we see as the Steve Dauterman, Director of non-gaming products use 3-D hard- next and most important steps. Development for Lucas Arts. ware to enhance their interaction, Once this kind of stuff is experi- realistic. In the next couple of years, appearance and usefulness. enced, the player will never look there will be machines with this “Five years ago, the com- back. hardware built-in, plus processor puter power we now have on our speeds exceeding 400mhz. This desk was not predicted to be “It’s probably only a few years type of hardware is allowing us to around until 2002. A new PC now away before we can do the ani- make huge leaps in what the gamer has more power than all the com- mations seen in Toy Story and will see on screen. bined computers in Silicon Valley 20 Jurassic Park in real-time.” - years ago. Obviously, as computing Scott Miller power increases, we’ll be able to “The biggest technical advance add more realism and detail to envi- “Future gaming is about will be the widespread use of ronments, characters and their ani- controlling what will appear to be accelerated 3D graphics hard- mations. It’s probably only a few actual living life forms, not just ware that is now available for a years away before we can do the pieces of animated artwork like we reasonable price to the home animations seen in Toy Story and do today. The evolved character will user.” - Steve Dauterman Jurassic Park in real-time. That’s excit- exist within situations and dilemmas ing to think about.” that you will grow to care about “I think gamers can expect and even hate. Games will feel more and more realistic animation Lorne Lanning, President of much more personal and you will of 3-D characters. With better Oddworld Inhabitants feel much more responsible for the motion capture techniques starting “The next level console sys- characters within the experience. to be implemented, we will be able tems (such as the SEGA DORAL or Whether you are murdering them, to capture thousands of animations 600mhz PCs) will allow us helping them, rather than just a few hundred that to make something really goofing around we currently see in most games. important take place. with them, or hav- Combining this with better artificial What will happen is that ing sex with them, intelligence, you will see characters your individual personali- you will be responding and “animating” to spe- ty will begin to reflect in seduced by the cific situations within gameplay. the characters you con- character’s charm in With games like Jedi Knight, we trol. This will occur the same way that have just scratched the surface on because you will have so we have been what we can do with real-time ani- many more abilities for Lorne Lanning. seduced by the mation.” basic communication and interac- charm of performers for thousands tions with the other inhabitants of years. Scott Miller, Head of Apogee within the virtual world. The co- “Video games today are the

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 42 metaphorical equivalent to the Mark Rowland, Director/Owner, broadcasters will be able to offer the 1920s peep show. As the peep Total Control Media next stage of television-delivered show grew up and became the “Our games to date have interactive games that will allow major motion pic- been produced thousands of individuals to play ture, so shall the for television and games at our quality at the same video game grow to are therefore time, either against themselves or become an experi- restricted to one, others and not just in their country ence unlike anything two or a maxi- of origin but around the world. ever encountered. mum of four play- We will be free from ers. Any more the moral constraints and it becomes “Give us 20 years, and the tastebuds of our mind will of the real world, yet A screen shot from one of U.K.-based unwatchable to feel our actions Total Control Media’s animated the millions who grow accustomed to the ampli- games which is played interactively explode around us in would soon fied virtual experience and the through a television. © Total Control rush that accompanies it.” - surround sound. The Media. switch over or experience will feel more and more off. Lorne Lanning like real life as we plunge deeper “By delivering to the broad- and deeper into the fantastic. Give caster and audience something “TCM has already developed us 20 years, and the tastebuds of unique - a 3-D adventure with a and tested fully automatic pro- our mind will grow accustomed to combination of game play, speed gramming using 3-D Real Time the amplified virtual experience and and video quality that cannot be Presenters, pre-produced and script- the rush that accompanies it. Then, delivered on home based systems - ed who control interaction 24 hours just as we love Super Nacho Doritos Total Control Media (TCM) has been a day. The programs are easily but spit out the all natural corn chip, able to lead the world in children’s updated to keep them fresh, giving we will reject the blandness of the interactive games. the appearance of being live, with- real world.” “The future is digital. Digital out the usual costs associated with live television. Learn Animation from an Industry Veteran! “The next stage is under development with technology devised by TCM, virtually complete that will allow home interactivity on a massive scale using our automat- ic system and programming via any set top box.”

Heather Kenyon is Editor-in-Chief Ken Southworth shares his 50 years of experience from DISNEY, of Animation World Magazine. LANTZ, MGM, and HANNA-BARBERA in this PBS quality entertaining and educational video package designed for the beginner. Available in both VHS, NTSC, & PAL video formats. $50.00 S&H, Tax Included

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ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 43 A Conversation With Piotr Dumala and Jerzy Kucia

September 11, 1997 Fantoche Animation Festival, Baden, Switzerland by Melissa Chimovitz f one were asked to follow a narrative in the clas- characterize Polish ani- sic sense. Reflections, also Imation, it would be a about a journey of sorts, fol- true challenge to identi- lows the laborious struggle fy in words that slippery of an insect hatching from thing that makes Polish its cocoon. No sooner than films so distinctively the insect wrests itself from Polish. Perhaps this is its shell does it become because the only thing involved in a life struggle that all animators of that with another insect. The origin have in common drama ends abruptly when (besides their nationali- both bugs are crushed ty) is the singularity of under a man’s shoe. Bleak

their own vision and the Jerzy Kucia, left, and Piotr Dumala, right. Photo by Ron Diamond. though the message may integrity of their individ- © Animation World Network. be, Kucia manages to draw ual styles. Or perhaps it is interest in the interplay between us once again into a singu- because to try to describe in words reality, memory, dream, and emo- lar, almost microscopic moment of the work of many Polish animators tion. In Return, although we are time that is at once dreamlike and would be a misdeed, since feelings, observing a rather static, uneventful poetic, yet grounded in grim reali- not words, are many of these artists’ moment in one man’s life (through- ty. primary motivation. out most of the film, we watch him Kucia’s most recent film, Certainly this is the case for looking out the window of a train as Across the Field (1992), is his longest two contemporary animators, Jerzy a country landscape rushes by), it and arguably his most complex film Kucia and Piotr Dumala. Although is clear that the real action is taking in terms of imagery. In it, he applies vastly different in both their stylistic place within the man’s (and our many of the various techniques he and thematic approaches to ani- own) mental landscape. The regu- has developed for his films over the mation, these filmmakers do share lar and rhythmic sound of the mov- years, the result being a rich collage that nearly unnamable attribute that ing train, together with the hypnotic of drawing, photographic images, creates a mood and an atmosphere night-time scenery sweeping by, and live-action film footage whose unique to Polish animation. enables the viewer to slip into his individual frames he has manipu- or her own dreamlike journey. lated. This complex technique exists, Profile: Jerzy Kucia In the 25 years since his first according to Kucia, only as a vehi- Jerzy Kucia (b.1942) was film, Kucia has revisited this motif cle to evoke the mood and emotion trained as a painter and graphic and perfected his unique visual lan- he wishes the audience to experi- artist at the Krakow Academy of Fine guage in eight more films, all but ence. This Impressionist approach Arts, where he is currently a profes- one of which utilize a very similar to filmmaking is no doubt what sor and the head of the animation abstract structure to present their inspired Marcin Gizycki to dub Kucia department. His first animated film, themes. The one exception is the “Bresson of Polish animated Return, was completed in 1972, Reflections (1979), which is Kucia’s film.” and demonstrates beautifully Kucia’s only film to date that attempts to

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 44 he stumbled upon his it is evident that all of the wolves animation technique are really men in wolf suits, a clever while studying sculp- way of presenting the innate con- ture at the Academy of tradictions and dangers of a totali- Fine Arts in Warsaw. tarian system. While working with Dumala’s more recent work plaster in his studio, he borrows from the surreal and fan- found that if he paint- tastic elements of 20th century ed and then scratched Eastern European literature. into a block of plaster Freedom of the Leg and Franz Kafka with sharp tools, he are very much influenced by the had a surface that he writings of Nikolai Gogol and, of could add to and sub- course, Franz Kafka. Currently, tract from to make his though, Dumala is at work adapt- Jerzy Kucia’s first film, Return. © Jerzy Kucia. drawings appear to ing a piece from his favorite author, Profile: Piotr Dumala move under the cam- Dostoyevsky. Crime and The films of Piotr Dumala, era. The mood of Dumala’s films can Punishment, his most ambitious pro- though much more straightforward vary according to the quality of his ject yet, will no doubt incorporate in their approach to storytelling than mark-making; his line quality ranges the poetic imagery and evocative Kucia’s, also leave the audience with from high-contrast, bold, scratchy mood that Dumala has mastered in a strong sense of mood and emo- and energetic to soft, dreamlike, his previous work. tion. Even his more comic films, like and rendered. Little Black Riding Hood (a twisted A Meeting of the Minds Piotr Dumala and Jerzy Kucia adaptation of the classic fairy tale in “After a few months I noticed met and became friends many years which the display of bloodlust on that I needed movement to ago at an international animation the part of the protagonist and a talk about reality, to talk about festival, but say that despite the fact brief moment of inter-species cop- my friends, about my situation that they live in the same country, ulation make it worthy of an R rat- in Poland.” - Jerzy Kucia ing) leave the viewer with a sense they only see each other at the fes- that there is something dark and tivals. At September’s Fantoche unexplainable within human Although Dumala claims Animation Festival in Baden, nature. that his films are not political, two of Switzerland, where both of their Here once again the artist’s his early films, Lycantrophy and complete works were being shown unique technical developments are Walls stand out as profound com- in a retrospective, I had the distinct responsible for the films’ evocative mentary on life in a totalitarian envi- honor of meeting them and inter- mood. Like Kucia, Dumala works ronment. In Walls, a tiny man viewing them together for the first primarily in black and white. Oddly, trapped and routinely observed time. Joining us for a light lunch within a small box responds to his and heavy questions were Fantoche situation at first with fear, madness, director oTTo Alder and Ron and finally lethargy. Diamond of Animation World Lycantrophy opens with a Magazine. pack of hungry wolves chasing a man across a barren landscape. “I must destroy every frame to After catching and devouring him, put in its place another one, the pack rests contentedly until one the next one, to have move- of the wolves pulls off his head to ment.” - Piotr Dumala reveal that he is a man in a wolf suit. The pack, eyeing him hungri- ly, turns against him and he soon Melissa Chimovitz: I have decided meets the same fate as the origi- that because this interview is not Jerzy Kucia’s Reflections. © Jerzy Kucia. nal man. This cycle continues until only an interview, but a meal as

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 45 well, that we would JK: The animation have a light course of process is important questions to start - the because I can create ‘appetizer’ questions, everything. My inspi- then move on to the ration is from reality, meatier, main course- but it is the process kind of questions... of creation that is for me very important Piotr Dumala: Maybe now. Maybe not in some drinks, after? the future, maybe not in the past, but MC: Sure. Some diges- at this moment, it’s tif questions, perhaps? very important. We’ll see… You have both found your way to oTTo Alder: Jerzy, do animation through dif- you understand ferent media. Piotr, you yourself as an ani- have a sculpture back- Piotr Dumala’s Franz Kafka. © Piotr Dumala. mation artist, or do ground, and Jerzy, you general, not only animation. The you think of your were a graphic artist and a painter. second thing that was important work as filmmaking, that it’s more I’m wondering what led you to ani- was that I always liked to tell stories. than animation? mation? Jerzy, you have even said So for me, animation is my way to that you are a filmmaker “by tell stories, with drawings and JK: It is the same. I don’t see the dif- chance…” movement together. ference between film and anima- tion. It is a problem only of what Jerzy Kucia: Yes, it really was by MC: What can animation accom- elements I will choose to use. chance. I didn’t want to be a film- plish that these other mediums that maker. I wanted to be a painter, and you’ve already worked in cannot? PD: For me, I know that there is I studied as a painter and a graph- something I want to show. It does- ic artist. I made a short [film] exercise PD: There is a magical moment n’t matter which way I do it. But ani- when I was a student, and I when you see your work in move- mation is the best way to show my thought that it was not for me. After ment. You expect something, but private, interior world. It is the way a few months I noticed that I need- you are not able to predict every- to discover my dreams, my desire, ed movement to talk about reality, thing. When I see my film on the all my feelings. I can show this to talk about my friends, about my screen for the first time, there is through animation because it is con- situation in Poland. It was easier to always something that surprises me, nected with drawing. I have no talk about reality using movement. and I very much like it. idea about using a live-action cam- So it was by chance in that way that era, so my way of telling stories is to I became a filmmaker. create everything, like Jerzy said. I “We need more markets, but like also this moment of [total] cre- PD: In my case it was a bit different in markets, not in market-like ation. With animation, this is possi- because I think I always wanted to film festivals.” - Jerzy Kucia ble. make animation from the first time I saw some film on the TV. I was a OA: Do you see a pure technical dif- kid, and I loved it from the first MC: Even now, after you’ve been ference between live-action, video, moment. making films for 15 years? or documentary on one side and animation on the other? Because if MC: Do you remember what it was? PD: Yes, even more than before, in you shoot a documentary or a live- a different way, but it’s a very strong action, you shoot with 24 frames PD: I don’t remember. It was prob- feeling when I see it. per second, but if you are an ani- ably Disney, but I loved just films in mator, you have access to every sin-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 46 gle frame. You have power over the PD: It depends upon my mood. ing. Now I would like to talk about single frame, and the material you Sometimes I see my films again and the new situation. I am not talking use and the technique you use - it’s again, not because of a retrospec- about social problems, but I am talk- different from reality . Filmmaking, tive, but because I show it to my ing about friends, and about peo- this 24 frames per second, it’s a total- friends at home, etc. In those cases, ple, and about their situation, and ly different technique. I don’t like it very much. I feel a bit about my situation, too. I’m one of ashamed. But it’s different when I these people, and because of this, JK: Yes, I agree with you. I see the see them with a big group of peo- the situation in Poland is very impor- difference between animation, live- ple, because I feel how people can tant. action, and documentary, but when appreciate [the films], what feelings I am making an animated film or a they cause. I like to feel again that PD: Me, I am different. I’m quite far documentary, I am a film- from the political and maker too. But I see a big social situation in Poland. difference, of course. I don’t feel like a partici- pant of the society. Of PD: But in a way, you are course, I have to a little, closer to documentary it’s not possible to not [be film than I am. You use in a part of it], but it’s not your animation real the point of my interest. things, real sequences - I’d rather show my own things, my own feelings. JK: Maybe this is so, but I Then, later, I can see think that is just a charac- how the films which I teristic of my work. It’s made in that time are documentary sometimes, connected to the situa- and it’s animation some- tion in Poland. times. MC: Lycantrophy, for Piotr Dumala’s Freedom of the Leg. © Piotr Dumala. PD: In my case, also, I can example.... say it’s documentary, but docu- these films are still alive, that they mentary of my interior. have some energy. Also, I am very PD: Yes, some people have told me concentrated on the past: my past that Lycantrophy is a very strong MC: How does it feel to see all of and the past in general. So, it’s inter- film against the Communist system. your films in retrospective? Does it esting for me to see the whole I was never conscious about it, but cause you to reflect on the changes process - the whole 15 years since now I can say yes, maybe. that have taken place in your work I started doing animation as one from your first film to the present? whole passage, and to see how I’ve OA: I have two questions. I realize changed. that it’s my personal point of view, JK: I don’t like to see my retrospec- but would you agree when I point tive! From time to time, when I look MC: Do the changes in your film- out that a good animation artist, for at the films, I would like to change making correspond to the changes example, Caroline Leaf, Yuri everything. During the projection, I in Poland? The social changes and Norstein, Norman McLaren or both am even thinking about how to political changes? of you, develop three things: his change the soundtrack! It is not own technique, his own style, and interesting to see my films again. JK: Yes, for me that was very impor- his own way of storytelling? Maybe it is more interesting for [the tant. It was changing reality. I was audience], but not for me. Right talking about common life. It is my JK: It is the film language that I am now, I am preparing a new film, so basic problem. My basic problem using that is important, because if I am thinking about the new film, isn’t fashion or style, only reality. And you want to talk about everything, not the last film. I had this problem last time when you must find the way to show your everything in Poland was chang- problems. Because of that, you must

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 47 close to such things like reli- is a good way to say it, yes. gion, psychotherapy, psy- choanalysis, etc., so my lan- OA: I have a special question for guage is very close to these you, Jerzy, because you try to take things. It’s close to the lan- your work out of the usual distrib- guage of dreams, and of ution system. It’s very difficult to get symbols, and universal a film on video from Jerzy Kucia. I’m things. This is the most sure people offer to distribute your important problem. In this films, but it’s very difficult to get a way, I am not so close to the video copy. It is also difficult to get [social and political] situation your prints. Can you tell me, is it a [in Poland] because I don’t kind of artistic policy to make the want to make any references viewings of your work very rare? Is “The animation process is important because I can to the situation. If it is there, it a kind of strategic move? create everything.” - Jerzy Kucia. Photo by Ron Diamond. © Animation World Network. it is not because I want it, have your own language. Of but it happened. I am just MC: I’ve heard you say that it should course, this language could like an instrument, just playing what be like a holiday to see your films... change. Maybe in my next film, my I want to play, and then I am sur- language will be different, but it was prised by what I see. Of course, it is JK: Yes, because it is impossible to very important to find my own lan- not so much completely improvisa- see my films every morning , it is guage. For me, technique is totally tion, but a big part of it is. This lan- not a good way. unimportant because I am telling guage I like is a very deep language my problems, maybe not stories, of symbols, of things from dreams. PD: (Laughing) Only every week... but problems, and technique only I think Jerzy is similar, but in a dif- helps me. ferent way. His is also a language JK: (Laughs) It is better every night! of symbols. (All laugh) But people must want to OA: But your technique is quite see them, and I would like to make unique! I can recognize Jerzy Kucia’s MC: I think you are similar in that films that people want to see sev- way of telling stories, and it is very you both deal with dream and real- eral times, not once only. On sev- different from Piotr Dumala’s way, ity. You both use your films as a vehi- eral occasions, but not every morn- or Caroline Leaf’s… cle to express your dreams, as well ing. as your realities. JK: Yes, yes, I agree with you, but OA: You’re doing an interview for language and the visual side must “But now, in this time of bigger Animation World Network, so that’s be recognized. Most important is freedom and when people have a new media, the Internet. What is how I can find a very simple way to different aims, like money, like your relationship with this new show this problem. I am always making their life better than media? You’re both still working looking for an easy technique, but before, where is the place for with this - how would you call it? - always it is very difficult. Language art, for culture?” - Piotr “old technique,” with this material, for me is most important, to look for Dumala film; you can feel it, you can scratch this contact with others. For me a on it, it has this material feeling. reel of film is not only film, it is this How about this new virtual media? interaction with the inside of the What is your relation to this new audience. PD: I agree. explosion?

PD: Each of us finds our own lan- OA: Thomas Basgier once said that JK: I think it is very interesting. I guage. I feel lucky that I found it. I ‘animation is the link between would like to make [films for the feel it is a part of myself, this lan- dream and reality.’ Do you agree? Internet]. Not today, but in the guage I use. I like to work, because future, I must be ready to do it. I’ve I like these tools. I like this style. This JK: Yes, and it even depends on the even started because I’ve made a is important, of course... I am very experience of the audience. But that short film for the Internet [for the

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 48 Absolut Panushka Online Animation people. So we need both of them, Festival] but I would like to make OA: Twenty years ago there were yes. films for the Internet. It must be dif- about maybe two or three festivals ferent than I’ve made before. just for animation. Meanwhile, we MC: What are some of the new have a growing number of festivals. obstacles that you face as an ani- PD: I agree with Jerzy, that it must What does it mean for you as mator after the fall of Communism be something different if I do this in artists? Is it a better situation now in Poland? the future. [The film] should be com- for the artists, or are you critical of pletely different than what I do now. this [phenomenon] that there are JK: Ah, it is not only my problem, it Of course, I think also about some- festivals in each country? is a problem for every artist, every thing which could work together, filmmaker probably in Poland. My [like] laser disc [CD-ROM] could be JK: It is not easy to answer, because problem was that I couldn’t find my just as good a place to create way to a new situation. First, I instead of [using] film. But I’m not must tell you that I work from real- sure if I will keep doing films. So if ity: from Polish situation, from I keep doing it, I will stay with film. Polish tradition, from traditional It’s traditional. Polish art. The new situation change was interesting for me, MC: Do you consider doing some- but I couldn’t find the answer to thing else? this very complicated situation. It is an emotional situation, it is PD: I think sometimes when I do a about people who live in the drawing in my film, I want to keep “I am just like an instrument, just playing what same time as me. But it is difficult it, but I must destroy it because this I want to play, and then I am surprised by what I for me to find the moments I is the technique I use. I must see.” - Piotr Dumala. Photo courtesy of and © could show. It is difficult for me to Krzysztof Miller. destroy every frame to put in its answer in words, but I would like place another one, the next one, to of course, for animation, I think it is to answer in my next film (laughs). have movement. This way, some- good that there are a lot of different times I think it is too much suffer- events. But I don’t like [that] some of PD: Yes, as Jerzy said, it’s an emo- ing, to destroy all the time what I the festivals became markets, not a tional situation. One problem is eco- am doing. I would like to do some show of art. Mainly I am talking nomical. How to make films, where paintings, some graphic drawings, about the big festivals, and for me to get money, etc. This may be a sculpture, writing. these festivals are not interesting. bigger problem not for us, but for They are good for my job as a mar- students, for younger people who MC: Is film not immortal enough? ket, but there is a big difference start. Another problem is mental, or between a market and a film festi- emotional: do people still need art PD: No, I don’t mean that. I mean val. Animation is a very large art, or not? Where is animation now? film, like Jerzy said, is a process. I and we have a lot of problems to Because before, it was a kind of way love that it is a process. It is only a show. We need more markets, but to say that we don’t agree, or that piece of time - when I work, and in markets, not in market-like film we have our own private world, or then when I see it. I am concen- festivals. something like this. But now, in this trated on movement in general, time of bigger freedom and when movement of personality, and every- PD: I feel the same, that there are people have different aims, like thing. Maybe it is kind of a philo- two different tasks of the festival. money, like making their life better sophical thing. When movement Some festivals are good because of than before, where is the place for seems so strong, when I feel the advertising, and to make people art, for culture? This is not in bal- movement so well in general, and interested in selling films, buying ance now. So maybe this a bigger [I will feel] a part of the movement, films. But some festivals, like this one problem than money. then maybe I will stop making film (Fantoche), are more for the artists because I will be film. It is difficult themselves. They are good as inspi- MC: You describe it as a problem in to explain. ration, as a point of meeting other terms of audience, but is it a prob-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 49 lem for you? You’ve already said that my work as an artist, so I do it. I start now! (Laughing) you don’t make films for political rea- learned how to be a producer, so sons, but do you find that you have now it’s okay. But as I told you, for PD: Me too! nothing now to push against? young people, it is not easy, but it is the future for them. JK: I might not want to make the PD: I’ve adapted quite well. I made same films... (All laugh) many more films during the last five MC: That’s true. You two have had years than during the previous ten to learn to adapt and survive, but MC: Interesting! That’s not the years. Now I’m doing at last, the you had something to fall back on, answer I expected. What is the pri- film of my dreams which I’ve want- which was your previous career. mary advice that you offer [your stu- ed to make since I graduated from Whereas, for new people coming dents]? school when I was 22. in, it’s almost as though they’re start- ing from the same point where JK: To try to recognize their film’s per- MC: Which is....? most young filmmakers are starting sonality. I would like to push their out. They have to face these obsta- personality. It is my most important “Of course, to learn how to cles the same way everyone else lesson because they must find their animate, how to shoot the film does. They have to find the money, own way. Of course, to learn how is very easy, but how to develop struggle, etc... to animate, how to shoot the film is the art is the most important very easy, but how to develop the thing.” - Jerzy Kucia PD: Yes, that’s true. Before, it was art is the most important thing. obvious. When I started, I just came to the studio, and they had money, Visit the Animation World Network PD: Crime and Punishment. So, I’m and they gave me money for my Vault to view the complete filmo- lucky with what happened. I’m still first, second and third film. graphies of Jerzy Kucia and Piotr doing films, still doing what I want, Dumala. but I think it’s more difficult for MC: Were you limited in any way, young people. then, in terms of your expression, due to their sponsorship? MC: Jerzy, do you feel the same Melissa Chimovitz is a freelance way? PD: No, not very much. Just if there writer with a predilection towards were some personal things, but run-on-sentences. Armed with a JK: Yes, the time in Poland during never with political issues. But I think degree in photography from the last few years has been very that these young student filmmak- Rhode Island School of Design, a interesting. Everything was chang- ers are different people than I was. portfolio of handmade puppets, a ing: mentality, economically, every- So, I hope they will manage, short animated film (Eat’m Up: A thing. It was very interesting to see because during their study, they Very Short Film About Love this, but it really was very difficult to learn how to be independent, and [1997]), and a determination to start production. With the young how to help themselves. They are become a great animator, she filmmakers, I spend a lot of time to probably better prepared to be film- will enter Cal Arts’ Masters help them because I’m a teacher, makers in this situation than I was. Program for Experimental and we organized an International Animation in September 1998. In Workshop (The Krakow Animated JK: Their situation could even be bet- the meantime, she lives happily in Film Workshop). It was a very impor- ter than ours was because they Brooklyn, New York, where she is tant problem, how to push young have more possibilities than we had. participating in Janie Geiser’s people, how to push their ideas. It soon-to-be-named puppetry lab was one generation who couldn’t PD: They go abroad. They see more and working on a new film. just start. But now I think they are films. They see more paintings. They better, some of them, not everyone, can learn languages. We could, but Note: Readers may contact any because they had to make this first with special pressure; we had to. Animation World Magazine con- step. I don’t want to be a producer! tributor by sending an email to But it was the best way to continue JK: I’d like to be young now, and to [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 50 How to Find a Job in Multimedia by Pamela Kleibrink Thompson efore I help you get a job in browsers has made the Internet develop multimedia products as multimedia, let’s first define much more popular among the part of your current job. Perhaps Bwhat this monster is. general public. your company needs a web site or Multimedia is the combination of You don’t have to move to a an interactive marketing piece? more than one medium, such as major metropolitan area to find A third way is to get a job at text, graphics, sound, animation work. To find out more about mul- a multimedia company. Research and video, in a digital format. Digital timedia in your the market, so you formats include game platforms, area, contact know what type of CD-ROMs, online systems (which your local library, company you want to include the web and Internet), inter- universities, com- pursue and which active television and kiosks. puter companies company in particular. Content must be created for and design stu- Working as an assis- a wide variety of applications includ- dios. Or look for tant or intern on a pro- ing reference, children’s products a local chapter of ject can get your foot (storybooks, learning and produc- the International in the door and a cred- tivity products), games, location- Interactive it on your resumé. based entertainment, virtual reali- Communications Working as a digital ty,* digital periodicals (such as Society (IICS), artist at a nominal Animation World), special interest other profession- wage can give you including museums, erotica, music, al organizations the required experi- performance, education, business, such as SIG- ence you need for the training, presentations, and mar- GRAPH or next job. keting and sales. Every industry is Women in Since there are so affected by the technologies and Animation. Almost all game designs start many directions to take with the basics: drawing on paper. techniques of multimedia including (Phone numbers This background design is for the in multimedia, you non-profits and government agen- follow this article interactive game, Oddworld:Abe’s need to make a plan. cies. to help you) Oddysee. © Oddworld Inhabitants. Your plan should All Rights Reserved. Opportunities are every- include identifying the where for the artist wanting to work How Do I Start? type of work you are suited for, posi- in the field of multimedia. The One of the ways to get into tioning and marketing yourself, find- development of technology and multimedia is to develop your own ing opportunities, approaching increased memory in game plat- web site and list it on your resumé. companies, qualifying companies forms and CD-ROMs, as well as the First, however, be sure that you fol- and accepting the job. explosion of the Internet, has cre- low the five steps in web design ated new opportunities for artists which are: Planning, Designing, Identify Your Interests because the capacity for graphics is Building, Refining, and Evolving There are many different jobs much larger. The Internet, a rela- (make sure you keep it up to date, in multimedia; from animators to tively new medium for artists, is a with your best work). You could also graphic designers to programmers vast network of computers devel- develop a multimedia title or an to web site developers. Other jobs oped by military and educational interactive portfolio on your own, include game designers, interface institutions. The development of the but these may be more involved. designers and web masters. You graphic interfaces and web Another way to get in, is to need to figure out what you like to

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 51 do, and at what you are really Resumé/Credit List Networking is one way to market good. Assess your skills. If you are Be sure your resumé posi- yourself for jobs that may never be interested in computer graphics, tions you for your next job. advertised. Build on these relation- understand that there are many Concentrate on what you want to ships. (A listing of these networking roles in this field including graphic do, not merely what you’ve done. sources follows this article.) design, icon design, web design, Emphasize the projects you have animation, lighting, modeling and worked on and what your role was. Finding Opportunities texture mapping. If it is unclear about what position People are making money you are looking for, include that in on the Internet through developing an objective near the top. Be sure web sites, online gaming or pro- Multimedia is the combination your name and phone number are viding web access. If you want a of more than one medium, easy to read. List the software pro- job at a web site developer, study such as text, graphics, sound, grams you know. the market. Check out web sites you animation and video, in a digi- like. Contact the people who devel- tal format. Portfolio oped them. Read online job post- For artists, a demo reel and ings. portfolio are more important than If you want to get into video What Do I Need To Get A Job In a resumé. If you have worked on games, go to the stores and study Multimedia? an interactive project and want to the boxes. Contact the game com- You need to be versatile and submit your portfolio in a digital panies that make the kind of games adaptable. You will be working as a media such as CD-ROM, call the you enjoy. Many companies post member of a team and strong com- company before you send it, to be openings on their web sites. Other munication skills are vital. In addi- sure they have the appropriate online sources for jobs could be bul- tion to strong traditional animation equipment to view it. Be sure to letin boards, gopher servers or chat and life drawing skills, many video include a breakdown of how each rooms. Trade resources such as game companies look for artists piece was done and the constraints Animation World Network’s Career with knowledge of software pack- of production. Your best bet is to Connections, and magazines such ages such as 3D Studio Max, send a print portfolio or a VHS cas- as this one, as well as Animation Lightwave, Alias, Softimage or sette. If you send a VHS cassette be Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter Photoshop. Web designers should sure it is labeled with your name and Daily Variety are also good know HTML, Photoshop and and phone number, contains only sources for want ads. Illustrator. Remember though, the your best work, shows variety, and willingness and ability to learn are is no longer than four minutes. Be more important than familiarity with sure to include a list of exactly what First, however, be sure that you any particular software package. you did on each segment and put follow the five steps in web the very best segment first. design which are: Planning, Marketing Yourself Designing, Building, Refining, Positioning is the strategy a Business Cards and Evolving... person uses to frame what others If you use these, be sure to think about him or her. Marketing include some information about Approaching Companies is the process of implementing that your software knowledge as well as Research a company and strategy. Position yourself so that your name, street address, phone find out who has hiring influence potential employers are attracted numbers (fax, pager) and email or authority. A contact person is usu- and impressed. Narrow the focus address. ally listed in job postings. Artists will of what you are looking for so the want to contact the art director, cre- producer can figure out where you Networking ative director or art manager. Ask would fit. Your marketing tools Whenever you attend an them what materials they would like include a resumé, portfolio and industry conference, trade show, to see and in what form. Follow demo reel. The purpose of these association meeting or software their instructions closely and pro- tools is to get you an interview with user group, make it a goal to meet vide them with the materials as someone who can hire you. at least five new people. quickly and as professionally as pos-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 52 sible. Include a letter is drawn up. The resumé/credit list difference between an whenever you sub- agent and a recruiter? mit to anyone. If you Agents are paid by the must have your talent (you) and work work returned, to find you a job. include a self- Recruiters are paid by addressed stamped the company, which container. Before means they are work- you apply to a com- ing to find them the pany, you should be best talent for their familiar with their needs. products. Be pre- pared when your What Impresses A outstanding portfo- Recruiter? lio gets you an inter- Drawings are translated into three dimensions in a computer.This wire- Be professional. view. Plus, remem- frame model was created in Alias/Wavefront. © Oddworld Inhabitants.All Know your strengths. Rights Reserved. ber, this is a two-way Be clear about your street. Make sure you find out goals and target market. Look for a career objective. Be open and enough about the company dur- company that is growing. If it is a direct. If you are unwilling to relo- ing the interview to decide if you publicly traded company, check it cate, make sure the recruiter knows really want to work there. out on the stock market report. this. If you send a resumé be sure to If you’ve determined that Larger companies will have public- enclose a note with salary require- you need to learn new skills, choose ity materials. Study their press releas- ments, geographical requirements a training program that provides es. Most importantly, look for oppor- and any other pertinent data. hands-on experience and select a tunities to learn from exceptional Be courteous. Be aware that course based on the teaching abil- people. the recruiter has a limited amount of ity of the instructor. Check out the time to spend on the phone, so equipment you will be working on Accepting The Job keep your conversations brief and and make sure there are enough Before you accept the job, to the point. Any time you use to computers so that everyone in the ask for an offer letter which should speak to the recruiter means that class will have their own machine. include a job description, your title, he or she doesn’t have that time to start date and salary information. It call clients and find out about job may also include term or duration of openings. Use email or voice mail Your plan should include iden- employment, performance bonus- tifying the type of work you are to communicate a full message to es of various kinds, medical, dental, the recruiter so a call back isn’t nec- suited for, positioning and mar- and life insurance plans, vacation, keting yourself, finding oppor- essary. Recruiters hate playing royalties, credit offers, education phone tag. tunities, approaching compa- allowance or reimbursement, retire- nies, qualifying companies and ment benefits, such as stock accepting the job. Conclusion options, stock purchase plans, 401K, What’s ahead? A lot of hard etc, relocation expenses, low or no- work. You must be passionate about Qualifying Companies interest loans, period payment of working in multimedia. If you are, If you are interested in a company-related expenses of vari- why not pursue a career in it? Once company, research their products ous kinds, luxury perks, contingency you land your first job, work hard to or services. Find out what their rep- clauses (golden parachutes), sever- be a productive member of the utation is. Look for people in respon- ance conditions, and contract-ter- team, meet all deadlines, consis- sible positions that you respect and mination conditions (for both tently produce top quality work, ask them what they think. Try to employer and employee). An agent maintain a can-do attitude and keep determine the long-range prospects or independent recruiter can help records of your jobs to build your of the company by looking at their you in negotiations before the offer resumé and your career.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 53 next convention, call: (312) 644- 6610. • Web Design And Development Conference, sponsored by Web Review: (415) 905-2414. • Women In Animation: (818) 759- 9596.

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is an independent recruiter. Her past clients include Walt Disney Feature Animation, Fox Feature Animation, and Dream Quest Images and Engineering Animation Inc. and interactive companies such as Raven Software, Hollywood On Line, Activision, and Adrenalin

The finished product: one of more than 500 fully-rendered color backgrounds used in Entertainment. Thompson is also the game Oddworld:Abe’s Oddysee. © Oddworld Inhabitants.All Rights Reserved. a consultant to colleges and uni- versities helping them design generated world. their animation training pro- Good luck out there in the expo- grams. As manager of art at nentially expanding world of multi- Contacts: Virgin Interactive Entertainment, media. • AIAS, Academy of Interactive Arts she established the art depart- and Sciences: (310) 441-2280. ment, recruiting, hiring and train- ing 24 artists, many with no pre- Be professional. Know your • CGDA, Computer Game vious computer experience. Her strengths. Be clear about your Developer’s Association: (415) animation production back- career objective. 321-CGD. The CGDA hosts the Computer ground includes features such as Game Developer’s Conference Bebe’s Kids, the Fox television which will be held May 4-8, series The Simpsons, and the orig- *Virtual reality, or VR, uses 1998. For more information call: inal Amazing Stories episode of CAD (computer-aided design) and (415) 905-2702. Family Dog. Thompson is a multimedia environment-building • IDSA, the Interactive Digital founding member of Women in techniques with hardware to Software Association which Animation and active in ASIFA. immerse the user in a digital envi- hosts E3, the Electronic Her articles on animation, busi- ronment and suspend disbelief. The Entertainment Expo: (202) 833- ness and management topics hardware includes such peripheral 4372. have appeared in over 40 periodi- devices as headmount displays or • IICS, International Interactive cals including Animation World data gloves and tracking devices. Communications Society: (503) Magazine on the Internet. She is The user “steps inside” the program 620-3604. writing a book called The and is represented in the environ- • ACM/SIGGRAPH, Association for Animation Job Hunter’s Guide. ment with full motion up/down, Computer Machinery/Special right/left, forward and back direc- Interest Group in Graphics: (212) tion in real-time. There is also the 626-0605. Their next interna- Note: Readers may contact any ability to pick up objects, move tional conference will be July 19- Animation World Magazine con- them and create the sensation of 24, 1998 in Orlando, Florida. tributor by sending an email to movement through a computer For more information on the [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 54 CINANIMA: A Festival by the Sea and ‘Home Town’ to Hiroshima by Sayoko Kinoshita Held from November 11-16, Lisbon after the Festival. Since then, in Espinho, Portugal, CINANIMA when we attend CINANIMA, it has (Festival Internacional de Cinema become our pleasure to bring sev- de Animação) celebrated its 21st eral Japanese comic books to Mr. anniversary this year which was Gaio as a small gift. Of course, by marked by a record number of high now, his daughter is married and quality films participating in both has children of her own but I imag- screenings and competition. ine that her house is nicely deco- Among screenings, competitions rated with her mother’s lacework. and an exhibition of Portuguese The Mermaid by Alexander Petrov, grand From that time on, Renzo works coupled with a debate hop- prize winner at Cinanima ‘97 and I were not only making ani- ing to foster Portuguese animation bank, and were at a loss when the mation films but were also trying to productions, CINANIMA also held officer told us that regrettably they create an international animation four retrospectives. One program could not exchange Yen in Espinho. festival in Japan in order to better brought attention to the fight Then a smiling gentleman came to our field. Thus, our experience of against racism while another was the counter, and while looking at participating in the heart-warming dedicated to Finland. Bob Godfrey the Japanese Yen bills with interest, Festival, held in such a nice town (U.K.), honorary festival chair, was said that he would privately like Espinho, greatly encouraged us also honored, as was Sayoko exchange the money, keeping the to realize our dream. At that time, I Kinoshita’s late husband, Renzo Yen bills for his collection! It was Mr. never thought that Mr. Gaio would Kinoshita (Japan). Ms. Kinoshita Gaio. Later, we came to know each be the future Festival Director, and relates for us the importance of this other more through his daughter he too, I suppose, did not imagine festival to her. A list of winners fol- who was working as a volunteer that we were going to actualize the lows this article. for the Festival. We were invited to Hiroshima festival after many years his house for a delicious dinner and of effort. henever I attend CINAN- also admired the beautiful lacework art made by Mrs. Gaio. Another IMA, on the last day of The auditorium is filled with thing we were surprised to see was Wthe Festival, I always feel their laughter and excited cries Mr. Gaio’s comic book collection of like I do not want to leave, and that and I always feel as if I am sit- the world. He showed us so many I cannot wait to come back again ting in the middle of a bull ring. in the near future. All of the Festival interesting Portuguese comic books staff members have always been that we even purchased some in very kind and charming through- out the event’s 21 year history. The CINANIMA’s Inspiration people welcome us warmly. So, In the past, we always whenever I come back, I always feel attended CINANIMA as filmmakers, glad and satisfied to be returning. taking our new film with us. Renzo passed away early this year, and I Our History with CINANIMA was very pleased when they kindly Renzo and I first met António held a retrospective of our films dur- Gaio, the Festival Director, in the CINANIMA festival director António ing CINANIMA ‘97. In the program, late ‘70s when he was still working Gaio (left) speaks with festival guests. I especially included Geba Geba at the city bank. We went to the Photo by Thomas Basgier. © Animation Show Time, a comical animation World Network.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 55 that is popular in Japan. I was that I can make Hiroshima feel the happy to see the audience laugh- same way for the animation people ing, children and adults alike. of the world. The Children’s Program at CINANIMA always plays to an audi- ence teeming with children. The Sayoko Kinoshita is director of the auditorium is filled with their laugh- Hiroshima International ter and excited cries and I always Animation Festival in Japan. feel as if I am sitting in the middle of Note: Readers may contact any a bull ring. I am sure that any film- Animation World Magazine con- maker would find it rewarding to tributor by sending an email to sit among them. [email protected]. CINANIMA ‘97 honorary festival chair, Whenever I attend CINANI- Bob Godfrey. Photo by Thomas Basgier. © CINANIMA ‘97 Winners Animation World Network. I believe it is because the orga- Lower Left Hand Corner of the Photograph by nizers and staff members of GRAND PRIZE CINANIMA ‘97: The Mermaid Robert Morgan (United Kingdom). CINANIMA really love the art by Alexander Petrov (Russia). Jury comment: “The Jury decided to award Honorable Mentions: of animation, and welcome the this prize, unanimous, for the beauty of the Cheri viens voir by Claire Fouquet (France). filmmakers warmly, with all film and the brilliant animation, but also for Dead End Town by Philippe Capart (Belgium). the career and work of the director.” their heart. CATEGORY H (Didactic and Information): CATEGORY A (less than 6 minutes): L’Homme Words by George Geertsen (Canada). MA, I recall the innocent feeling I aux Bras Ballants by Laurent Gorgiard (France). Honorable Mentions: had when we realized the first Gatofone by Pedro Serrazina (Portugal). Hiroshima Festival in 1985. I feel like CATEGORY B (between 6 and 13 minutes): Talking about Sex:A Guide for Families by Candy recovering my pure heart and atti- Death and the Mother by Ruth Lingford Kugel/Vincent Cafarelli (United States). (United Kingdom). tude. I believe it is because the orga- CATEGORY I (Title Sequences for TV and nizers and staff members of CINAN- CATEGORY C (between 13 and 26 minutes): Cinema): Love in a Bottle by Jane Hawes IMA really love the art of animation, Famous Fred by Joanna Quinn (United (Sweden). Kingdom). and welcome the filmmakers warm- CATEGORY J (Series) Gogs by Deiniol ly, with all their heart. In CINANIMA, CATEGORY D (between 26 and 52 minutes) Morris/Michael Mort (United Kingdom). all kinds of animation is appreciat- Honorable Mention: Flatworld by Daniel ed in the same forum: animation Greaves (United Kingdom). PRIZE OF THE CITY OF ESPINHO - JURY’S SPECIAL AWARD for children, commercial work, CATEGORY E (Feature Film): The Blue Arrow Jury comment:“For the quantity and excellent experimental fine art animation, etc. by Enzo D’ Alo (Italy). quality of the films presented in this edition, All are loved by the audience. Jury comment:“So that quality animation for the Jury decided to award this prize to the Royal College of Art.” I can say with confidence children continues to be made.” CATEGORY F (Publicity and PRIZE MIO JOS ABEL (Best European film - The competition programs are Institutional):Ottawa Signal Film by Marv animation quality): Newland (Canada). Deviant by Eoin Clarke (United Kingdom). full of the most recent works Spring by Silke Parzich (Germany). which I have never seen before. CATEGORY G (First Film): The Man in the PRIZE YOUNG PORTUGUESE DIRECTOR: that CINANIMA is one of the ideal Transformations by Andre Marques (Portugal). Festivals for me. The competition PRIZE ALVES COSTA (awarded by the jour- programs are full of the most recent nalists present at this festival): The Mermaid by works which I have never seen Alexander Petrov (Russia). before. In town, many nice restau- PRIZE RTP (awarded by the Portuguese State rants welcome us with delicious TV Channel): La vieille dame et les pigeons by wine and foods. There, we can eas- Sylvain Chomet (France). ily enjoy meeting with new friends. PUBLIC PRIZE OF THE AUDIENCE: Flatworld Espinho was one of the towns in CINANIMA ‘97 guests gather in the by Daniel Greaves (United Kingdom). lobby. Photo by Thomas Basgier. © which Renzo wanted to live. I hope Animation World Network.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 56 The SAS Conference in Utrecht by Gunnar Strøm he Society for of this national institute is tion control, but as animation, the Animation Studies to reinforce and broaden performance was a disappointment. T(SAS) held its 9th the infrastructure of ani- However, the reception afterwards conference in Utrecht in mation films in the was excellent! So was the confer- the Netherlands from the Netherlands. As such, they ence dinner party, and the ‘t Hoogt October 8-12. This was really demonstrated their Film Theater, where most meals the second time the con- qualifications and skills by were taken, was a great meeting ference was held in holding a very well orga- place. Europe and actually only nized conference. the third time it has been An International Retreat arranged outside of the U.S. For the Opening Night More than 100 participants SAS to become truly international, On the first night, the con- from 16 nations illustrates both the the conference in Utrecht was a ference was opened in the beauti- popularity and geographical variety major step to include more ful aula (main hall) of the Utrecht among the animation scholars. European scholars. Hopefully, it will University by Stevijn van Heusden, There were participants from come back to Europe in two or Head of the Arts Department in the Australia, Canada, Iran, Israel, three years time and maybe even Ministry for Education, Culture and Japan, the U.S. and several institutions in Australia, Asia or Latin- Science. This leading Dutch cultur- European countries, including America will be future SAS confer- al politician gave an informed and, Russia and Ukraine. Even though I ence organizers. it seemed, personally inspired met several translators the first day speech about animation and the of the festival, I never heard them For the SAS to become really state of the art. Apart from the work. The conference was open to international, the conference in French Cultural Minister Jacques papers presented in both French Utrecht was a major step to Lang, who spoke about animation and German, but only Philippe include more European schol- in Annecy some years ago, I have Moins (Belgium) presented his ars. never heard a politician on such a paper in French, and all of us had high level speak about our art form written English translations for his Utrecht was in many ways from such a personally involved presentation. The only French pan- an ideal site for the conference. The viewpoint. Unfortunately, the fol- elist, Pierre Floquet, chose to pre- beautiful city dates back to a Roman low up presentation that was prob- sent his paper on Tex Avery in fluent settlement in the year 48 A.D.. In ably meant to be a highlight of the English. I believe our SAS associa- the Middle Ages, Utrecht was a conference, did not live up to its tion has a very long way to go major Dutch city. With its canals, old expectations. Professor Nadia before it becomes bilingual. Maybe impressive churches and beautiful Thalmann was introduced as the it never will, but I believe that if we small streets, a walk around the world expert on the development want to attract our French speak- ancient town center is a really inter- of computer animation. She took us ing colleagues, it probably has to. esting and pleasant cultural experi- through an “Overview of the State ence. As an university town, Utrecht of the Art in Human Figure More than 100 participants is the oldest in the Netherlands. Modeling Animation.” She showed from 16 nations illustrates both Utrecht University is the largest in examples of the work from her stu- the popularity and geographi- the country with 25,000 students. dio/laboratory in Geneva, but nei- cal variety among the anima- Both Utrecht University and Vrije ther Marilyn Monroe or the other tion scholars. Univeriteit Amsterdam were coor- clips she showed particularly dinators of the SAS event, but the impressed me. A virtual tennis principal SAS contact and the main match between two players - one organizers were Ton Crone and his placed in Geneva, the other in U.S. Papers colleagues at the Nederlands Zürich - was a fascinating technical The papers presented a Institute for Animation Film. The aim experiment of real-time motion cap- broad spectrum of animation stud-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 57 ies. The central subjects to be strong comic strip tradition in Toccafondo and the Brothers Quay. addressed were: “The Influence of Belgium. Mette Peters (The A quite unusual study for SAS con- the European Animated Film,” and Netherlands) spoke about and ferences was Masao Yokota’s empir- “Animation and New Media.” showed the Dutch silhouette film ical paper on “Face Preference of Papers on other topics were accept- De Moord van Raamsdonk (Murder Animation Characters by Japanese ed as usual. Also as usual, papers in Raamsdonk, 1933-36), Boris University Students.” on American animation history were Pavlov (Russia) presented Russian To me perhaps the two most very present representing 10 out of animation from the 1920s and ‘30s interesting approaches to the study 28 papers. Sybil DelGaudio (U.S.) and I, Gunnar Strøm (Norway), dis- of animated film were presented by presented “Animation and cussed Norwegian cinema com- Edwin Carels (Belgium) and Anonymity: The Uncredited Work of mercials from the 1930s made by Bernadette Kester (The John and Faith Hubley,” and European producers Desider Gross Netherlands). Priit Pärn’s homage to Maureen Furniss (U.S.) spoke about and Gaspar Color. Nikolai Izvolov 100 years of cinema, 1895 (Estonia, “Stars and Stripes: Animation in (Russia) discussed “The Idea of 1995), had been screened at the American Advertising,” focusing on Artificial Sound in Russian conference cinema on the confer- Leonard Glasser and the quite Animation,” while Sergiy Trymbach ence’s second day. In the morning unknown American animation pro- (Ukraine) presented the animation the day after, Edwin Carels pre- duction company Stars and Stripes of his country. All of us were con- sented a very solid lecture called Forever Productions. Mark Langer cerned with animation history in “1895: Animation, History and the (Canada) analyzed the Disney tele- our respective countries. A special Metafilm” where he discussed Priit film Man in Space (1955) and relat- mention goes to Marty McNamara Pärn’s film in relation to Godard and ed it to the Cold War, the Swede (U.S.) who looked at “Patterns of other modernist filmmakers, and to Gunilla Muhr discussed “Modernist Social Metaphor in New German new historiography in the tradition Traits in the Silly Symphonies” and Animation.” Japanese anime was of Hayden White and Robert A. Kevin Sandler (U.S.) looked in detail discussed in a Jungian perspective Rosenstone. In the same panel at “Looney Tunes and Merry by Edward Gamarra (U.S.), while Bernadette Kester presented her Metonyms: Disneyfication, Identity veteran John Lent (U.S.), and a newly started research on Politics, and the Corporatizing of young Turkish doctorate student Asli “Emancipating from Realism?: Bugs Bunny” where he compared Tunc, took us through the history Historical Representation in the old Bugs Bunny films with Space of Turkish animation, an experience Animation Film.” Her starting point Jam. As usual the U.K. SAS veterans new to all of us. was an animated historical film from Robin Allen and David Williams World War I, On les aura!. Her sum- were among the highlights of the mary states: “The fact that the film- conference. This time Robin Allen To me perhaps the two most makers used animation instead of presented his main argument about interesting approaches to the constructing realistic looking fakes, European artists influence on the study of animated film were brought me to the question if per- Disney films through the animation presented by Edwin Carels haps animation films are aptly suit- art collection of Disney engineer (Belgium) and Bernadette ed to grasp certain historical events and puppeteer Bob Jones. Through Kester (The Netherlands). which are beyond mere realistic rep- a new video lecture, David Williams resentations. From this the idea nat- presented “Sons of the Drawing New Theoretical Angles urally followed that animation film Board: Laurel and Hardy as Cartoon A more theoretical approach might be also an intellectual inspir- Characters.” was taken by Anatoly Prokhorov ing and stimulating medium for (Russia) in his “Space as a Screen, developing a critical view on the Animation Histories Perception as an Illusion, Culture as constructed images of the past.” Because of the European Sorcery” and by Suzanne Buchan Bernadette Kester apologized to the focus of the conference and the (Switzerland). She discussed the audience for being new to anima- large presence of European schol- influence of James Joyce on mod- tion and asked the audience for ars, different national animation cin- ernist cinema and related that to help to find relevant film titles for emas were discussed. Philippe Betty Boop and Felix the Cat, as well her further research. The audience Moins’ paper was on Belgian ani- as to animated films by Cathy Joritz, was glad she asked. Obviously her mation and its relationship to the Emile Cohl, Caroline Leaf, Giannluigi research in this field is just begin-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 58 ning, but I found her and Edwin presented by Dan McLaughlin Petty and Robert Darroll. German Carels’ historiographical approach (U.S.). With the help of a laser disc film historian Jean Paul Goergen to be a new way of thinking in the player and some statistical comput- introduced a solid program of car- field of animation studies, and I sug- er software, McLaughlin had coded toons by the completely unknown gest that for a coming SAS confer- and counted every shot in eight filmmaker Paul Peroff. Peroff found- ence this should be one of the sub- classic animation films. Among his ed his own animation company jects asked for in the call for papers. results was the fact that the aver- Peroff Pictures Inc. in New York in age length of the surveyed 1927 and he worked both in the No Time to Talk European film was 140 frames or U.S. and in Germany until the early A problem with conferences 5.8 seconds while the length of the 1960’s. like this, is that because the orga- American films were 177 frames or Unfortunately, I had to leave nizers want to include as many 8.5 seconds. The professor was early on the last day of the confer- papers as possible, time for discus- heavily attacked by the audience ence. Therefore, I missed an excit- sions and participation from the which claimed that his choice of ing-looking film program from the audience is too short. Our Russian- films was not representative Nederlands Film Museum and a American colleague Michael enough, the number of films was Laterna Magica show at the Gurevitch tried several times to raise too small, etc. And how do you Christiaan Huygens Theater. I’m sure philosophical topics to be discussed actually define a shot in an animat- this made a most successful end to by the audience and the panels, but ed film? Not much came out of the an interesting and very well-orga- long sessions and time shortages discussion, but I believe that Dan nized event. The Utrecht conference usually put an end to that. Some McLaughlin got his point through: managed in a most pleasant way papers did evoke both emotions This kind of empirical study has no to make us participants feel good, to and reactions though. This time, position in the field of animation inspire and provoke us, to give us Richard Leskosky discussed “The studies today; this is not what mod- the opportunity to meet old friends Quest for Depth: Mechanics and ern scholars find interesting. But, I and introduce us to new col- Aesthetics of the American Cartoon,” believe that on a bigger, more rep- leagues. As an animation scholar and there were obviously different resentative scale such material and from a small country, it is paradise to ideas in the audience on how the empirical studies can give us basic be able to discuss my subject with multiplane camera actually worked. knowledge for further research. colleagues who have the same ref- The young Americans Chandra Plus, Dan McLaughlin definitely erences and a similar background. Mukerji and Tarleton Gillespie got managed to provoke us all. I do hope I’ll be able to attend again the audience going after their paper in California next year! on “Recognizable Ambiguity: Visit the Society for Cartoon Imagery and American The Utrecht conference man- Animation Studies web site in Childhood in Animaniacs.” Two aged in a most pleasant way to Animation World Network’s make us participants feel good, other youngsters also provoked the Animation Village: to inspire and provoke us, to audience. Dutch dramaturgs http://www.awn.com/sas give us the opportunity to Arnoud Rijken and Bas Brinkman meet old friends and introduce Gunnar Strøm is Associate had, fresh from University, started us to new colleagues. Professor at Volda College in their own animation dramaturgy Norway, where he is head of the consultant business offering to help animation department. He has filmmakers and other professional published a number of books on animation communicators to Plus, Film Screenings animation and music videos. He improve their scripts and focus their Fortunately, the 9th SAS is president of ASIFA Norway, and ideas. They presented quite a Conference did not forget the film a board member and former sec- schematic method as background screenings! As always William Moritz retary general of ASIFA for the way they were working, and (U.S.) was an inspiring lecturer. His International. this obviously seemed too simple thoroughly illustrated presentation for the older scholars in the audi- of “Absolute Film: The Next Note: Readers may contact any ence. Generation” included abstract films Animation World Magazine con- But the most provocative from filmmakers like Bärbel tributor by sending an email to study was probably “It’s About Time,” Neubauer, Michael Scroggins, Sara [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 59 Sitges: Horror and Animation in Barcelona by Bill Plympton ay One I woke up as the quite inde- plane descended over the pendent. I Dbeautiful Barcelona Harbor. attended the After a 20-minute chauffeured ride festival two south, along the Mediterranean years ago and Coast, I arrived at Sitges: a quaint, met Robert sun-drenched, white-stuccoed fish- Wise (The ing village, which is now a Sound of European gay resort town. As I Music, The entered the Gran Sitges Hotel, Day the Earth headquarters for the film festival, I Stood Still), saw, basking by the pool, that great Ray Canadian animator, Marv Newland. Harryhausen Being a judge, he said, only and the

required two hours a day of his Brothers Left to right: Mark Dippe, director of the live-action feature Spawn; time, which explained why he was Quay. Carolina Lopez Cabrillo, animation supervisor for the Sitges festival; in such a tropical mind-set. After four Tonight’s fea- and Bill Plympton. Photo courtesy of and © Bill Plympton. hours of catch-up sleep, I joined ture was erated concept of nudity than the Marv and his lovely companion Lawn Dogs by John Duigan (Sirens, U.S. Thank god! Marci, for a tour of the tapas restau- Flirting): a nice, suburban, magic, rants in town. Gothic story starring Christopher The Sitges Sci-fi and Fantasy McDonald which will be released Sitges has a wonderful anima- Film Festival is 30 years-old. in a couple of months. tion section, organized by Although it’s in Spain, the people of Angel Sala and Carolina Lopez Sitges consider themselves to Day Two Cabrillo. belong to a region called Catalunya, My radio inexplicably began which has its own language and is blaring at noon and woke me up. Sitges has a wonderful ani- The hotel sent a repair- mation section, organized by Angel man, but it was a Sala and Carolina Lopez Cabrillo. beautiful day and I The evening’s highlights were: wanted to explore the Coatimundi by Great Britain’s Danny harbor and beach. I Capozzi, which is a wonderful pup- met a number of film- pet animation about a boy and a makers and actors for dog, with a very surreal look; Shock an excellent seafood by Zlatin Radev of Bulgaria, which lunch at the hotel features an excellent use of live- restaurant. Then, I action and animation fused into a went swimming with frantic love battle between 2-D and a group from New 3-D; DNA, a masterly pencil anima- Zealand and Australia tion about evolution, by Giorgio and checked out the Valentini of Italy who worked on A still from Bill Plympton’s live-action feature film, Guns on naked bodies. Spain many Bozzetto films; Ferrailks by the Clackamas. © Bill Plympton. has a much more lib-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 60 Day Three and eating. As each award was pre- I had a two o’ sented, the winner joined the din- clock lunch with ers on stage. The trophy was a Tyronwonderful two-foot statue of the Montgomery female robot from Fritz Lang’s (Quest), another Metropolis. judge, and Piper The award for the best ani- Laurie (Hustler, mated short went to Giorgio Carrie). The pool Valentini for DNA. Then, we were all area was mobbed treated to Chris Penn in his fractured with policia to Spanish, introducing his new fea- guard Martin ture film Liars, which is a low-bud- Sheen from his get Usual Suspects. Afterwards, we I Married a Strange Person. © Bill Plympton. fans. Martin, who assembled at the restaurant for a Laurent Pouvant of France, which was there to present his film Spawn, paella feast and drinks. Then down- depicts nuts, bolts and gears fight- joked and wrestled with the press. stairs we discoed to a Spanish band ing off the intrusion of nature; and He’s a real charmer. I stayed on the playing, “I Will Survive” (more U.S. Supernova Unleaded, a film by beach another three hours, then cultural hegemony). I tried to talk Belgium’s Manu Roig which uses arrived at the Prado to introduce to Chris Penn, but he was a bit great character design and superb my animated feature I Married a drunk and quite surly. colors in a 3D animated story of an Strange Person. The print had just Sitges ranks as one of my interplanetary gas station. arrived from the Hamburg Film favorite festivals, because it’s a lot Another animated film being Festival, where critics said, “It makes like Cannes (films, beaches and screened was the excellent feature Beavis and Butt-head look like babes), but much more relaxed, from Turner Feature Animation, Cats Hansel and Gretel.” My second and with more emphasis on fanta- Don’t Dance by Mark Dindal. I saw screening of the festival got anoth- sy and animation; which is only nat- this witty film in the brief two days er great reaction! Later, I met fans ural in the land that produced it appeared in theaters in the U.S. in a bar to sell my merchandise. Gaudi, Picasso, Dali, and Buñuel. and was disappointed with the lack of publicity and commitment to its Sitges ranks as one of my release. favorite festivals, because it’s a I rushed to the Prado Theatre lot like Cannes (films, beaches for the screening of my live-action and babes), but much more comedy Guns on the Clackamas. It relaxed... Bill Plympton is an award-winning was a full house, I think due to my independent animator based in appearances on MTV. The crowd The late show included New York. His new feature film, I loved it and afterwards, I sold my Flatworld, a very nice multimedia Married A Strange Person, is cur- videos and Sleazy Cartoons books. film by Daniel Greaves, and the rently touring the festival circuit, (Hey, I’ve got to finance my films much-anticipated feature Pacific and was shown most recently at somehow!) Blue by Sadayuki Murai, assisted by the Sitges Festival. Bill Plympton’s Katsuhiro Otamo. Pacific Blue web site can be seen in AWN’s looked nice, but it was all dialogue Animation Village at with very little visual magic. http://www.awn.com/plymp- toons Day Four On my last day in Sitges, I spent six hours on the beach. Then we all gathered for the closing night Note: Readers may contact any ceremonies which were held in an Animation World Magazine con- I Married a Strange Person. © Bill elegant restaurant. All of the judges tributor by sending an email to Plympton. were revealed on a stage, drinking [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 61 The 25th Annual Annie Awards

The film also won for its very year, the Hollywood songs by Randy Newman animation industry gath- in the category, Music in Eers together for the an Animated Annie Awards, a professional Feature/Home Video awards show organized by Production. But, in the ASIFA-Hollywood. Over the end, Disney took home years, the Annies, as they are the most bronze zoetropes affectionately referred to, have with a total of five awards grown in scope and ambition between their Home to include 20 competition cat- Video and Feature egories for outstanding Animation divisions. achievement, as well as the Following close behind historical Winsor McCay and was Film Roman with four June Foray Awards. awards for The Simpsons. The 1997 Annie Hanna-Barbera and Wild Awards ceremony took place Brain each took home two on Sunday, November 16 in awards, and Nickelodeon, the elegant Civic Auditorium Spumco, Warner Bros. in Pasadena, California. This, Television Animation and the 25th annual, was ASIFA- Warner Bros. Feature Hollywood’s most organized, Animation each took and punctual show to date. home one award. Starting at 2:00 p.m. with a Always looking to the champagne reception, guests This year’s program cover was designed by Will Ryan. future, ASIFA-Hollywood had ample time to meet and president Antran greet on the patio outside the produced two hours of Owens’ Manoogian hopes to see theater. The show itself, hosted by witty remarks and character voices, the Annies televised one day, much voice actor Gary Owens, was a well- nominee footage, acceptance like the Clios or even The Oscars. speeches, and introductions by He says, “It has always been the presenters such as Bill Kroyer, goal to get the Annie Awards on Nick Bosustow, June Foray and television, and, if all goes as Jerry Beck. planned, hopefully this will be the There were even a few sur- case for next year.” prises, such as the announce- ment of Turner Feature The 1997 Annie Award winners Animation’s Cats Don’t Dance are: as the Animated Theatrical ASIFA-Hollywood president Antran Manoogian Feature winner. It is the first Outstanding Achievement (right) and announcer Michael Mallory at the post-show reception. non-Disney winner since the Awards: category was added in 1994. • Animated Theatrical Feature:

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 62 Clements and Cow and Chicken. John Musker for Hercules. • Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated • Directing in Television Production: June an Animated Foray as Granny in The Sylvester Television & Tweety Mysteries. Production: Mike B. Anderson for • Voice Acting by a Male “Homer’s Phobia,” Performer in an Animated an episode of The Television Production: Rob Simpsons. Paulsen as Pinky in Steven Left to right: Sheila MacMullan (Warner Bros.), Sharon Spielberg presents Pinky & The Bridgeman (HBO Animation),Annie Award winner Nora • Effects Brain. Johnson (Hanna-Barbera), and Alexandra Kube (Warner Animation: Mauro Bros.). Photo by Heather Kenyon. © Animation World Network. Maressa for • Writing in an Animated Hercules. Television Production: Jason Cats Don’t Dance (Turner Butler Rote and Paul Rudish for Feature Animation). • Music in an Animated “The Beard to be Feared,” an Feature/Home Video episode of Dexter’s Laboratory. • Animated Television Program: Production: Randy Newman The Simpsons (Animation (songs) for Cats Don’t Dance. • Technical Achievement in the Production by Films Roman, A Field of Animation: Space Jam Gracie Film Production in asso- • Music in an Animated Television (Warner Bros. Feature ciation with Twentieth Century Production: Alf Clausen (under- Animation). Fox Television). score) for The Simpsons. Other Awards: • Animated Home Video • Producing in an Animated Production: Aladdin and the Feature Production: Alice • June Foray Award: Phyllis Craig King of Thieves (Disney). Dewey, Ron Clements and John (posthumously). Musker for Hercules. • Animated Interactive Production: • Winsor McCay Awards: Willis Green Eggs and Ham (Wild • Producing in an Animated O’Brien, Myron Waldman and Brain). Television Production: Al Jean Paul Winchell. and Michael Reiss for “The • Animated Promotional Springfield Files,” an episode of Production: Coca Cola, Super The Simpsons. Mom (Wild Brain) • Production Design in an • Animated Short Subject: Bjork, Animated Television “I Miss You” music video Production: Mitch (Spümco). Schauer, Executive Producer for “Born to Be Outstanding Individual Beavers,” an episode of Achievement Awards: Angry Beavers. • Character Animation: Nik Ranieri • Storyboarding in an for Hades in Hercules. Animated Television Annie Award winner Mike B.Anderson (Film Roman), Production: Nora center, with Celia Mercer (UCLA Animation • Directing in an Animated Johnson for “Orthodontic Workshop), left, and Animation World Magazine Editor- Feature Production: Ron in-Chief, Heather Kenyon, right. Photo © Animation Police,” an episode of World Network.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 63 Un Jour: A Woman’s Metaphorical Narrative a film review by Don Perro “One day, a man entered my belly.” fellow can poke his front and back ends “The next day, since he was still out. At meal time, there, I realized that I would have the two sip their to get used to him.” soup from bowls on two separate tables, Our Story one above, one hat is the subtitled English text below. While in the that begins Marie Paccou’s bathtub, the little Tshort film, Un Jour. There’s man (still attached to nothing like grabbing your atten- his host) wears a tion right at the start! As the cam- swim mask and era trucks out, sure enough, there breaths through a is a short little guy sticking out of snorkel. the lady’s stomach with his legs and The co-exis- feet protruding from her back. The tence of the couple woman does get used to her visi- is peaceful and even tor, and so begins this film about harmonious; tired their relationship. from carrying the The new arrangement groceries home and requires some adjustments and the half way up the spi- Un Jour. © 2001. woman calmly cuts a couple of ral staircase, the gone. A large round hole where the wide holes in her dress so the little woman stops for a breath. The little little man used to be is all that is left. man gives her a hand by picking up the two bags for “One day, a man entered my the rest of the climb belly.” to her apartment. The relation- Style and Technology ship between the Un Jour is just over three two is a silent one. and a half minutes of animation but No words are spo- seems shorter because it moves ken, but as the along so nicely. It is animated in woman begins to stark black and white; there are no feel comfortable gray tones. The film has the look with the situation and feel of being made in the paint- and to even count on-glass style such as those of herself lucky, she Wendy Tilby or Caroline Leaf. It is discovers the man not paint on glass however, but is no longer a part The protagonist’s neighbor also has a man in her belly, a crass computer assisted animation, mak- of her; he has and ungrateful character. © 2001. ing use of ToonBoom Technologies’

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 64 when a relationship ends? Are boyfriends just “little men” trying to remain in the womb? About half way through the film we meet another woman across the hall who has a more boisterous womb-mate: that guy drinks too much and has a terrible temper. Our lady of the perpendicular man sees the couple and thinks that perhaps her rela- tionship is not so bad. Is this a case of someone learning to live with her less-than-perfect partner?

The situation is a metaphor, but for what? In the end, the woman is alone, with a hole in her belly where the man had been. © 2001. Tic Tac Toon animation system. esting way in which the story is told: Moreover, the film has a sort Tic Tac Toon is a digital ani- the black material of a dress and of resignedness to it...a man comes, mation package developed for use later, the dark circle of an umbrella stays, then leaves. We wake up one with Silicon Graphics workstations. envelops the screen momentarily day and, unexpectedly, someone This package allows the animator before it pulls back to reveal the next enters our life. We cannot help but to create animation by scanning in scene. The music is simple and slow. invite them in. We change to drawings or animating directly on a accommodate them and then, graphics tablet. The technology when they are gone, we are left allows the filmmaker to create tra- It is animated in stark black with a void, wondering what we ditional looking films and indeed, and white; there are no gray did the day before they came. The Marie Paccou’s Un Jour has a look tones. film chronicles this cycle in a mat- which seems to have been inspired ter-of-fact way, so simply that as we more by a woodcut than a com- gaze through our character to the puter. The Metaphor window that she is standing in front The animation is well exe- As with most films that are of, we cannot help but feel her sad- cuted and descriptive; the drawing produced with great attention to ness. is strong and the high contrast design, Un Jour is an easy film to design of the film effectively con- watch — there is a certain amount Don Perro is an animator and veys a gloomy overtone. The tran- of humor regarding a little guy stick- designer currently coordinating sitions of the film add to the inter- ing out of someone’s belly — but the Commercial Animation what does it mean? Program at Capilano College in The situation is a North Vancouver, Canada. He metaphor, but for has made one experimental film what? Perhaps a clue in his life: a frame by frame tour is given during the of his 1977 KZ 650 motorcycle end credits when the using a macro lens, one inch woman informs us from the bike. It was never that later, other men shown to anyone. entered her belly but were either too fat, too thin, too tall or Note: Readers may contact any too short. Is the hole Animation World Magazine con- representative of the tributor by sending an email to only for quicktimew-online version void that remains [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 65 The Encyclopedia Simpsonica

book review by Joe Toledo een dying for a tell-all com- a collection of synopses from all the know.) Then we get into the meat prehensive look at The episodes of The Simpsons. In fact, of the information. For those of us BSimpsons? Well, your prayers each episode receives its own page, who want to know every detail have been answered with The but the book ends up being so about each episode, about 70 per- Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our much more. In his introduction to cent of every page is dedicated to Favorite Family. the book, Matt Groening refers to information not readily available: I’ve been watching The the best quotes from characters, Simpsons since it premiered on Fox details you never noticed before, back in 1989. I used to watch and things you would never them on The Tracey Ullman Show. observe such as inside jokes and I watched the Christmas Special other production information. For when it premiered. Heck, I even example, ever wonder why watch the reruns in syndication Michael Jackson was never credit- and I’ve bought the videotapes. ed for performing the voice of The way I saw it, I knew everything Leon Kompowsky? It’s in the book! there was to know about The You can find Bart’s chalkboard Simpsons. That was until The quotes, lyrics to songs, and cool Simpsons: A Complete Guide to images from the episodes. Our Favorite Family was published. An episode’s primary guest Published by character is introduced in a side- HarperPerrenial, The Simpsons: A bar with a short bio. They cover Complete Guide to Our Favorite everyone from Mindy Simmons to Family provides more Simpsons the Bumblebee Man to Mr. Sparkle. information than you can shake an In addition to the character info, inanimate carbon rod at. With syn- the compendium as the the bio provides production notes. opses, secret plot elements, and Encyclopedia Simpsonica, and he For example, every character has character bios, The Simpsons Guide isn’t too far off the mark. the celebrity name who provided contains nearly everything you the guest voice for him/her. need to know about Springfield, I applaud Groening and Ray USA. I know I spent hours brows- Richmond for putting together Tell Me Something I Don’t Know ing it and laughing out loud over a Simpsons book actually wor- Even if you aren’t interested all the great moments from episodes thy of being published. in information about the episodes, past, before realizing that I still had the book provides even more to write this review. For every episode, there is a Simpsons knowledge. Ever wanted brief, three-paragraph plot descrip- a list of all the times Homer has said Episode By Episode tion. Thank the maker they are brief. “D’oh!” or “Mmmm?” Have you ever In layman’s terms, The We all know what the episodes are needed a list of all the couch gags Simpsons Guide is a compendium, about. (Don’t lie, you know you the Simpsons performed during the

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 66 opening credits? Or did you ever ested in finding facts about a par- magic. It captures it by letting you want to know who voices your ticular episode, a rather detailed relive all the great moments from favorite characters? All that infor- index is provided in back to point the show that you’ve forgotten and mation is in there on special insert you in the right direction. all the subtle ones you missed. In pages. Several lists compile all the addition, with the insertion of facts and figures that couldn’t fit into What’d I Think? episode production notes, it gives episode synopses, including the Judging from the number of us die-hard fans a little insight into never before published “Itchy and Internet web sites dedicated to how the show is made. Scratchy” filmography. Simpsons information, a quality compendium is something fans If you love The Simpsons,you Previous attempts at Simpsons have been wanting for a long time. are really going to enjoy the books were often polluted by I applaud Groening and Ray book. half-hearted attempts to recre- Richmond for putting together a ate the humor and magic of Simpsons book actually worthy of The Simpsons: A Complete the television show. being published. Guide to Our Favorite Family is a Previous attempts at celebration of the show and the Simpsons books were often pollut- years of enjoyment it has brought The book is built perfectly for ed by half-hearted attempts to recre- me as well as fans worldwide. So browsing. You can just breeze ate the humor and magic of the pick yourself up a copy. Flip through through page by page. If some- television show. Well, The Simpsons it and relive some good laughs. thing catches your eye, you stop, isn’t a book. It is a television show Quiz your friends. Note all the take a look, then keep on rolling. and it’s about time Matt Groening things you’ve missed even after five You don’t have to worry about read- and the rest of the folks at The viewings of your favorite episodes. ing it straight through. It’s a refer- Simpsons realized this. The Simpsons If you love The Simpsons, you are ence book. Plus, if you’re just inter- Guide doesn’t try to recreate the really going to enjoy the book. Don’t miss it.

The Simpsons: A Complete Guide Animation to Our Favorite Family, created by Matt Groening, edited by Ray orld tore Richmond and Antonia Coffman. W SS HarperPerennial, 1997. 249 pages, http://www.awn.com/awnstore illustrated. Paperback, $15.95; ISBN: 0-06-095252-0.

Joe Toledo is a project manager for the Jamison/Gold Interactive Agency and was recently named Resident Simpsons Expert to the Animation World Staff. He spends his free time not unlike The Classic Limited Editions Limited Editions signed by your favorite athletes. Simpsons’ Comic Book Guy, but at a lot fewer Dr. Who Available on-line Marathons. exclusively at the ANIMATION WORLD Note: Readers may contact any STORE Animation World Magazine con- tributor by sending an email to Original Animation Art [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 67 Flight Simulators: A Bird’s Eye View by Daniel Rein When considering anima- only considered flight characteris- the games. The total novice needs tion in flight simulation games, tics and not how well it cycled to plan on spending some time Animation World Magazine won- through weapons systems or actu- though. dered how the games ally fired weapons. compared to the real Some Cooperation Perhaps? thing. As a result, the Use A Joy Stick It would be nice if the indus- following software The best way to play all the try could standardize its controls. was evaluated by games is with a joy stick. For example, on several games, the Daniel Rein, who is While you can fly all the sys- space bar fires the weapon and F1 currently a Super 80 Flight Simulator ‘98. © tems using the keyboard gives you a frontal view for flying. Microsoft. pilot flying domestic, directional arrows, it is impos- However, to increase thrust, each U.S. routes with American Airlines. sible to get the real feel of flying by game uses a different key to He has been flying with American typing on a keyboard and watch- increase and decrease speed. While based in Dallas, Texas since 1990 ing the screen respond. The best I understand the companies com- and is a 1982 graduate of the way is to use a joy stick because for United States Air Force Academy. the programs which are excellent, He is currently a major in the Air you can really get a sense of flying Force reserves. He graduated from an aircraft. Air Force pilot training in 1983 and has flown in the service for a total of Not for the Faint-Hearted 13 years, eight years on active duty Only serious game players and five years with the Texas Air who are interested in flying should National Guard in San Antonio. buy these games. If you are looking During this time he has clocked up for a product to plop into the CD- a number of hours in various dif- ROM and let the kids play for a few Jane’s Fighter Anthology. © Electronic Arts. ferent fighter aircraft. He has 800 hours, these systems are not for flight hours in the F-16 A and C you. In order to gain a working pete against each other, there could model Fighting Falcon, 600 hours knowledge of each system, in-depth be some industry standards estab- in the F-15C Eagle and 155 hours in reading of instructions and memo- lished for the basic functions of fly- the F-5E Tiger II. rization of the key- ing aircraft. board is required. This efore I evalu- must be done in The best way to play all the ate some of order to get the most games is with a joy stick. Bthe best indi- out of the games. But vidual software those avid lovers of packages, I had flight who are willing some impressions to donate 10-20 Review Of Products on the software hours to reading, I reviewed Microsoft’s Flight genre overall. memorization and Simulator ‘98; Jane’s Fighter After learning the then practicing to Anthology; Eidos Interactive’s Joint basics of each become proficient will Strike Fighter and Digital Image The HUD in Flight Simulator ‘98. © game’s flight, I Microsoft. be rewarded with Design’s EF 2000. spent about 20 some great flying and minutes flying each program and a better understanding of flight. Microsoft’s Flight Simulator ‘98 putting the various simulations Obviously, the more a person This is a very tough package through their paces. I played the knows about flying or has flown to play off the keyboard, and the basic games of each package and before, the quicker they will pick up use of a joy stick is mandatory. The

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 68 aspect is you are able to set the stick should have this feature. Also, the for constant high G turns (quick HUD was very realistic. This is a very turns). The graphics are great, and good game which anyone would when flying with a joy stick, it does enjoy flying after taking the time to have the feel of truly flying. Ground learn the instructions and memo- targets and terrain were not the best rizing the keyboard. viewed, but were adequate for tar- geting. The numerous different It would be nice if the industry views you are able to see while fly- could standardize its controls. Joint Strike Fighter. © Eidos Interactive. ing really helps in letting the pilot know where he is in relationship to reason is the number of cross checks his surroundings. It also turns in Digital Image Design EF 2000 (checking two gauges to make sure increments which is more realistic This is the best software they are working correctly simulta- to flying fighters. Again, it’s not a package of the four with a very real- neously) a person has to do while game you can put in and start play- istic, basic HUD, great graphics and learning how to fly. The simulation ing. Reading the in-depth instruc- flying sound effects. There are also is good, but the gauges on the tions is needed before, and along very realistic rates of turn, climb and dash board are small and hard to acceleration. The software reacts like read. This would not be a big deal a fighter aircraft. It is not over sen- to a novice, but an experienced flyer sitive and the different views out of would find it irritating and like big- your aircraft allow you to get a true ger gauges. The system is also over- sense of where you are in relation- sensitive to the joy stick and key- ship to your surroundings. board commands. When you pitch Everything about it feels like a fight- the aircraft up or down, there is no er. Definitely not for those who feel to the movement and it’s hard aren’t into flying because again, to to measure. It would help if you learn the game will take a few hours could set the yoke (the “steering Digital Image Design’s EF 2000. © Ocean of reading the instructions and wheel”). A bigger help would be if of America. memorizing the keyboard. For true you had a yoke pictured so that you aviation enthusiasts who want an could get feedback as you turned. with, memorizing the keyboard to authentic test of their abilities, this is Once a person gets used to the sen- get the most out of the game. Most the game for them. sitivities and learns the gauges pilots would enjoy flying this simu- Daniel Rein is currently a Super though, it flies pretty well. lation package. 80 pilot flying domestic, U.S. routes with American Airlines. He Eidos Interactive’s Joint Strike has 800 flight hours in the F-16 A Only serious game players who Fighter and C model Fighting Falcon, are interested in flying should This is a pretty good pack- 600 hours in the F-15C Eagle and buy these games. age, but not as good as the EF 155 hours in the F-5E Tiger II. 2000 or Jane’s Anthology. The Daniel Rein is currently a Super graphics are not as crisp, but there 80 pilot flying domestic, U.S. Jane’s Fighter Anthology are more ground features than you routes with American Airlines. He This is a very good flight sim- find in other software. The flying has 800 flight hours in the F-16 A ulation package. It has good simu- was realistic except there was a lit- and C model Fighting Falcon, lation, a good heads up display (or tle buffeting and jittering when con- 600 hours in the F-15C Eagle and HUD: in fighter planes key pieces ducting turns, which don’t exist in 155 hours in the F-5E Tiger II. of information are readily available real flight. The turn rate also seemed Thanks to Major Mike Rein, who in the HUD which is located in front to be a little slow compared to nor- also contributed to this report. mal flight, but acceleration was fine. of the pilot’s face, versus scattered Note: Readers may contact any The best feature was the full screen around gauges in the cockpit) and Animation World Magazine con- HUD view which is the optimum for good reactions for its turn rate, air- tributor by sending an email to flying these games. All games speed, climb and descent. The best [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 69 The Castle of Pastime: Kratochvile by Edgar Dutka orty million tourists have visited stylistically, this film the capitol of the Czech began what was FRepublic, Prague, in the last to become char- year. However, only twenty thou- acteristic of all sand of these visitors know where Trnka films: a new the Castle of Pastime is and why it and fresh artistic is worth the day trip from Prague design, quite dif- to enjoy it. The Kratochvile Castle ferent from all oth- (the Czech name “kratochvile” ers, lyricism, means ‘pastime’) was built by the instead of gags, Italian master architect Baltasar and beautiful Maggi in 1583. It is the most beau- music. tiful example of Renaissance archi- In 1947 the The Museum at night. Photo courtesy of and © the Kratochvile tecture in all of Bohemia. The Castle, Animation Museum group was divid- surrounded by three fortification ed between a stu- War a little studio of animated film walls and a water moat, was com- dio of cartoons and Trnka’s studio was established in Prague. A group pleted in six years, but the owner of puppet film. Just as American ani- of young animators asked Jiri Trnka Vilem from the house of Rozemberk, mated cartoons originated from to be their artistic boss. He was just soon died, and the Castle was inher- newspaper comic strips, the Czechs a few years older but already ited by his brother, the last of the have a long and deep tradition in famous for his children’s book illus- family, Petr Vok. Petr was famous puppet theater. I can remember as trations and scenography. He had for his many mistresses but he was a child attending many puppet the- no prior experience in film but they already old and sick and he sold the ater performances with one meter finished four animated films under Castle in 1601. So on and so on the tall marionettes. It wasn’t until the Trnka’s direction in one year’s time. long, and rather uneventful, histo- mid-Fifties that television broad- With the animated fairy tale Zviratka ry goes. We, animation folks, are casting began in Czechoslovakia. a Petrovsti (Animals and Robbers), interested in the year 1976 when Trnka’s puppet films were even more Trnka won the International Cartoon the permanent exhibition of Czech successful than his first cartoons and Film Prize at the first international animated films was established at formed a long string of interna- film festival in Cannes after the war. the Kratochvile Castle. For the first time a Walt Disney film was defeated in Just as American animated car- the festival competition by an toons originated from newspa- unknown director from an per comic strips, the Czechs unknown studio. Young have a long and deep tradition Bretislav Pojar, Jiri Brdecka, in puppet theater. Vaclav Bedrich, Stanislav Latal, who have all become prestigious names in Czech Trnka,the Father animation, were Trnka’s ani- Czech animated film was a mators. While Animals and An installation of puppets from the Trnka studio, cultural phenomenon for nearly inside the Kratochvile Animation Museum. Photo Robbers was not so different forty years. After the Second World courtesy of and © Wendy Jackson. from Disney in animation technique,

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 70 tionally acclaimed ber Pojar’s famous information. But first, and foremost, achievements. His feats films A Drop Too this Castle, with its two floors of ani- include feature puppet Much or The Lion and mation history, is interesting to peo- films The Czech Year a Song, the first win- ple involved in animation, profes- and The Ceasare’s New ner at the festival in sionals. It is always useful to look Dress, based on the Annecy. There is also back in order to see ahead better. Hans Christian the Oscar winning For those who are blind and deaf to Andersen tale, The American director animation there is still the interior of Novel based on Gene Deitch who a renaissance castle, with original Chekhov, The Song of came to Prague in the ceiling frescos and marvelous views the Prairie, The Good Fifties to marry a to enjoy. The Castle windows reveal Soldier Sweik and the Czech producer and the surrounding green meadows, fairy tale Bajaja. Two of to teach Czech ani- ponds and oak woods. The Castle is his other landmark films mators to be a little open starting in April every Saturday are the amazing adap- more dynamic in their and Sunday. From May until tation of Shakespeare’s animation drawing. I October the museum is open daily A puppet from Jiri Bocek’s Midsummer’s Night Three Etudes for an could mention a except on Mondays. A manager Dream and his last film Animator. Photo courtesy younger generation lives there through the winter. The Hand, a strong of and © the Kratochvile such as Jan Animation Museum. metaphor about an Svankmajer, or even It is always useful to look back artist’s situation in a totalitarian soci- younger artists and directors, such in order to see ahead better. ety which, after his death in 1969, as Jiri Barta and his amazing pup- was banned from screening for pet films, or Michaela Pavlatova, an The Kratochvile Castle is sit- twenty years. Oscar nominee for her film Words, uated by the little town of Netolice Words, Words I also did not men- which is known for breeding race Today’s Talents tion the Karel Zeman and Hermina horses. It is one hundred kilometers But Czech animated film is Tyrlova films created at the former south of Prague. Yes, it is in the not only Trnka. Perhaps you remem- Bata/s Studio in Zlin. Have you seen region of the capitol of Southern his adaptation of the Jules Verne Bohemia Ceske Budejovice or novel The Invention of Destruction Budweiss in German. Why do I or The Stolen Airship? You can see mention it? When you are tired of all entire scenes and sets, drawings, that animation art and history, of puppets and artistic designs from all Renaissance castles, of green mead- of the films I have mentioned, plus ows and muddy ponds, you can much more, in the permanent taste, or better drink down, a few Museum of Czech Animated Film in pints of original Budweiser straight the Kratochvile Castle. from Budweiss.

The Castle windows reveal the surrounding green meadows, Edgar Dutka is a scriptwriter, ani- ponds and oak woods. mation historian and professor at The Academy of Performing Arts Something For Everyone in Prague. Who ought to visit the Castle? Children. The little ones look at the lovely little original scenes inhabited by puppets. The older Note: Readers may contact any Original production artwork from Jan children can learn how to animate Animation World Magazine con- Svankmajer’s Et Cetera. Photo courtesy of and © Wendy Jackson. a puppet or a traditional film. For tributor by sending an email to film historians, it is a rich source of [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 71 by Wendy Jackson Business a laboratory for new animation techniques enables Film Roman to Nelvana Gets Wind in Their tap into a new market. The time is Sales. Toronto-based Nelvana right to augment what we do well Entertainment has signed a deal by taking advantage of emerging worth over $2 million, to acquire technologies.” Pritchard added that Minneapolis, Minnesota-based 3-D the new division will be able to uti- computer animation house, lize much of the existing equipment Windlight Studios. The two com- and staff already in place. “[We are] panies have been working togeth- a traditional cel animation studio er for several years, and Nelvana and we have no plans to move has already made a significant away from that successful part of investment in Windlight, with a our production.” June 1995 purchase of an interest stake in the company in exchange Time For 11:55 Media. Three

for $350,000 of growth capital Rolie Polie Olie, a computer animated Swedish companies have teamed money. Earlier this month, Nelvana series produced by Nelvana. © Nelvana. up to form Media 11:55, a new, announced their new 3-D anima- joint company focused on produc- studio in Minneapolis and continue tion division, headed by supervis- ing interactive media as well as pro- to service Windlight’s commercial ing producer Pamela Slavin. They jects combining live-action and ani- client base. are already in production, with mation. The founding partners are Windlight, on Rolie Polie Olie, an all Stockholm-based animation studio Film Roman Launching Into CGI. CG series to air next year on The Filmteckarna F. Animation AB, Film Roman, the North Hollywood- Disney Channel. “The 3-D business Gothenberg-based computer ani- based company that produces The will become a major area of devel- mation and motion-control studio Simpsons and King of the Hill, is opment for us over the next sever- Motion FX, and freelance director launching a full scale computer ani- al years,” said Patrick Loubert, co- Hanski Norgren. “The company will mation division. David Niles White, CEO of Nelvana, “by acquiring have a different approach to the most recently producer of Comedy Windlight and combining them interactive world,” says Central’s computer-created series, with our own in-house talent, we Filmteckarna’s Lars Ohlson, “we will South Park, has been hired to start will create a leading edge 3-D oper- use more classical film narrative up the studio’s computer animation ation at the lowest cost and with techniques when working with CD- efforts. Initially, White will produce minimum entry risk.” Nelvana plans ROM and other interactive media.” several animated shorts that can be to invest over one million dollars in used as pitch vehicles for larger pro- software and hardware, and to Werner For Sale. Achterbahn, the jects. Already on the development house the expansion by adding a German company which owns the slate is a pilot called Ed the Alien, new 10,000 square foot facility adja- rights to the animation property created by Film Roman’s executive cent to their existing Toronto studio. Werner, went public on the Berlin director of creative affairs and devel- If all goes as planned with the clos- stock market last month Through opment, Guy Vasilovich. Through ing of the deal, the new CGI studio this initial public offering, the com- their existing development depart- should be fully operational by early pany aims to raise over $11 million ment, Film Roman will also look at 1998. Over the next 6-18 months, in funds for the cartoon star’s next outside computer animation project several Windlight executives and animated feature. Werner’s first two pitches. Film Roman president and artists will relocate to Toronto, while animated features, animated by CEO David Pritchard said, “Creating the remaining staff will stay at the Hamburg-based Trickompany, have

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 72 SGI Sizes Down. Silicon Included in his new slate of respon- Graphics Inc., maker of high- sibilities will be the oversight of the end computer graphics new Nickelodeon animation studio hardware and software, being built in Burbank, and devel- announced that it will imple- opment of theatrical feature films ment a dramatic restructur- such as The Rugrats Movie, which is ing program in December. now in production and slated for a This dramatic move will November 1998 release. . . . The include a reduction in work international children’s entertain- force that is expected to ment and marketing company eliminate 700 to 1,000 Bohbot Entertainment has Silicon Graphics jobs world- appointed William Stauffer to the wide, including contractors. position of chief financial officer The company says the (CFO). In this role, he will head One of Headbone Interactive’s original characters. restructuring moves will efforts to strengthen the company’s © Headbone Interactive. enable it to operate more presence in the financial communi- done very well in Germany, out-sell- efficiently and profitably, while ty. Stauffer was previously vice pres- ing Disney features at the domestic increasing investment in next-gen- ident and CFO of Proginet box office. eration research and development. Corporation. . . . Laura Harkcom Silicon Graphics expects the restruc- has been promoted to director of Headbone Moves Into TV. Seattle- turing to reduce operating expens- creative affairs at Warner Bros. based Headbone Interactive has es in the future, but admits that the Feature Animation. She has been a announced the formation of a new costs of the restructuring will incur digital animation division to focus a loss of approximately $50 million on children’s television animation for the company. Coinciding with development and production. The the restructuring is the resignation company’s main claim to fame is of two top executives in the com- their World Wide Web property, pany: CEO Ed McCracken and Gary “The Headbone Zone,” a kids’ web L. Lauer who was executive vice site which is also a co-branded president of Worldwide Field newspaper strip syndicated with Operations and president of the more than 80 newspapers in North company’s World Trade Corporation. America. “We feel that television is a Robert Ewald, executive vice presi- promising means of exploiting the dent of Computer Systems, will franchise we’ve built,” said serve as acting chief operating offi- Headbone Founder and President cer during this transition period for Susan Lammers, “we hope to fol- SGI. low a growth path similar to prop- erties such as The Simpsons.” People Rob Sorcher. Photo © Cartoon Network. Lammers and her team are currently pitching Headbone characters “Iz,” Hollywood Shuffle. creative executive with the compa- “Auggie,” and “Elroy” to various stu- Nickelodeon has promoted Albie ny, working on the development of dios and networks. Hecht to president of film and TV such films as “Quest for Camelot” For background information entertainment. He is replacing and “Iron Giant”. . . .Rob Sorcher, on Headbone Interactive, see “Listen Debby Beece, who is leaving her formerly senior vice president and Up, It’s Playtime,” an article about post as president of Nickelodeon general manager of Cartoon Headbone in the September 1996 Movies but will continue to work Network U.S., has been promoted issue of Animation World Magazine. with Nick as an independent pro- to executive vice president of the http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1. ducer. Hecht was most recently company. In the new role, Sorcher 6/articles/shane1.6.html senior vice president of worldwide will oversee day to day operations production and development. for the Atlanta-based cable network,

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 73 and will report to Betty Cohen, pres- moving out of Fox. Meanwhile, it drops and Trident gum. In addition ident of Cartoon Network seems Cronin will have plenty of to several commercial projects, Stuhr Worldwide. . . . Robyn Miller has time to move himself and his fami- was starting production on a new been promoted to Senior Vice ly to Los Angeles for the new Fox independent film called, Motor President of Worldwide Marketing job, as a stipulation in his contract Creeps. The fan web site Animation at Buena Vista Home Video. . . . with Nick prevents him from work- Nerd’s Paradise (ANP) has created Liddane Sanders, formerly of ing for a competitor before July an extensive tribute to Fred Stuhr, Hanna-Barbera, has been named 1998. which includes images from his vice president of international work and a condolences guest finance for MGM’s TV Finance & In Passing.... book. For more information, visit Administration department. . . . http://www.2cowherd.net/cats- David Plant, former film commis- Voice Actor Don Messick Dies. eye/anp/stuhr-gallery.html sioner for the Toronto Film and Voice actor Donald Messick died last Television office, has joined Silicon week, of natural causes, at the age Places Graphics as market development of 71. In his 50 year career in the manager, Entertainment. In this industry, Messick voiced characters Bugs Bunny In Tokyo. Warner newly created position, Plant will for more than 100 cartoon series, Bros. Studio Stores opened its flag- work with artists and organizations as well as television and radio com- ship location in Tokyo on November in the entertainment industry to mercials. Some of his most famous 1. The new store occupies 17,000 develop technology solutions to voices include Scooby Doo, Bamm square feet on three-floors of a nine- their needs. . . . The Ink Tank has Bamm (The Flintstones), Papa Smurf story building that Warner Bros. signed French designer Laurent (The Smurfs) and Muttley the snick- recently acquired in the prestigious Cilluffo as associate creative direc- ering hound from Dastardly and Ginza shopping district of Tokyo. tor. Laurent has already worked with Muttley. In 1988, Messick was hon- The store features a large animation the New York-based commercial ored by the Motion Picture Screen art gallery and an entire Cartoon production company on several pro- Cartoonists Union (MPSC) for his Network floor, with a computer sta- jects. contributions to the animation tion where “kids can pretend to industry. Memorial contributions paint an animation cel.” Cronin Makes a Move. Rich may be made to the Alzheimer’s Cronin, former president of Nick at Association, 2700 Garden Road, Films Nite’s TV Land, has been named Monterey, CA, 98940 U.S.A. President of Fox Kids Network (FKN) Kroon’s New Film in and their recently acquired cable Animation World Magazine wel- T.R.A.N.S.I.T. T.R.A.N.S.I.T., a new subsidiary, The Family Channel. MTV comes letters in remembrance and short film from director Piet Kroon Networks, Nick/TV Land’s parent appreciation of Messick’s career in (DaDa,) premiered recently at the company, terminated Cronin’s animation. Please write to edi- Netherlands Film Festival, and will employment last week, since it was [email protected]. be screened November 8 and 11 discovered he had made the agree- at the London Film Festival in the ment with Fox Kids while still under Fred Stuhr. Stop-motion animator section “Best of British Animation.” their contract. MTV Networks has Fred Stuhr died last month in a car The 12-minute film was simultane- also filed a lawsuit against FKN, (a accident. The 30 year-old, Los ously created in the Netherlands, joint venture between News Corp. Angeles-based director was recog- the U.K. and the U.S., with the con- and Saban Entertainment), request- nized for his grunge-inspired pup- tributions of animators Jeroen van ing damages. Further restructuring pet animation music videos such as Blaaderen, Valerie Carmona (I Love is likely to take place at Fox in the “Sober” and “Prison Sex” for the You, My Cerise), Michael Dudok de coming months. The FKN chairman band Tool. His credits also include Wit (The Monk and the Fish), and CEO position that Cronin is animation for music videos such as Nicolette van Gendt (Daumier’s moving in to was previously occu- Boingo’s “Insanity,” Danzig’s “Can’t Law), Andrew Higgins (Gourmand), pied by Margaret Loesch, who was Speak” and Green Jello’s “Three Little Keiko Masuda, An Vrombaut (Little assigned to the post of vice chair- Pigs,” as well as commercials for Wolf) and Arjan Wilschut. The film man in September, and is allegedly Converse sneakers, Halls cough depicts an animated mystery of a

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 74 fatal love affair, in seven ed approach is the answer they’ve episodes, each in a different been looking for,” said Hirsch. style inspired by the 1920s Art Deco period. T.R.A.N.S.I.T. Hola, Arthur! Cinar Films, the was funded by grants from Montreal, Canada-based company The Dutch Film Fund, which produces the animated series Channel 4 (U.K.), and The Arts Arthur with WGBH Boston, has Council of England National signed a deal with Mexican TV pro- Lottery Film Scheme, and was grammer Inglés Individual Network, co-produced by Iain Harvey to air the Arthur series as an English and Cecile Wijne. teaching aide for Mexican children. For more information Also included in the deal is Cinar’s and credits on the film, visit educational puppet and live-action the T.R.A.N.S.I.T. web site on series, Wimzie’s House. Both shows Animation World Network. will be broadcast in English through http://www.awn.com/transit MVS Multivision’s pay TV service For an inside look at which includes Inglés Individual the international production Network, a channel dedicated to of T.R.A.N.S.I.T., look up Piet teaching English. MVS Multivision Kroon’s article, “Don’t Quit Your Piet Kroon’s T.R.A.N.S.I.T. © 1997 will also air both series on their fam- Day Job, Work the Night ily cable network, ZAZ. Nelvana Kids Klub, a program block Shift,” in the February 1997 issue of of Nelvana’s animated series. The Animation World Magazine. Wolfmill Pockets First WGA block will be made available to http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1. Deal. Wolfmill Entertainment, cre- international broadcasters on the 11/articles/kroon1.11.html ators of the animated series Pocket barter program distribution model Dragon Adventures, has signed a which has become an established Lion Director on Mouse Feature. deal with Bohbot Entertainment for way of doing business in the U.S. And by “Mouse,” we don’t mean TV syndication mar- Disney. Columbia Pictures has ket. This barter sys- begun pre-production on a combi- tem will offer nation animation and live-action fea- Nelvana Kidz Klub ture film based on E.B. White’s clas- to select interna- sic Stuart Little children’s books. Rob tional territories in Minkoff, who co-directed Disney’s blocks of 1-2 hours 1994 animated feature The Lion for daily broadcast, King, is slated to direct the film for or a 3-4 hour week- Columbia. In addition, Doug Wick is end block, in attached as Producer, and Jeff exchange for Franklin and Steve Waterman will advertising time be Executive Producers. No release rather than money. date has been set for the film, which Nelvana co-CEO tells the story of a mouse adopted The animated series, Babar is one of the offerings available in Michael Hirsch says by human parents. Nelvana’s new Kids Klub international syndication package. © that this will be an Nelvana. important new distribution channel Television 52 episodes of the show. This is the for the company, which has 28 ani- first collective bargaining agreement mated series to offer. “For many ter- Nelvana Creates Kidz Klub. negotiated by the Writer’s Guild of ritories who are actively seeking Toronto-based Nelvana Limited is America (WGA) specifically for ani- quality kids programming but can- teaming up with Chicago-based dis- mation writers, since the 1994 for- not make it work on a cash basis, tributor MediaVentures International mation of The Animation Writer’s MediaVentures’ advertiser-support- to package and distribute The Caucus, a division of WGA West,

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 75 California. Wolfmill also delves into “adult animation” with recently acquired the Corky Quackenbush and Bill rights to develop Plympton, as well as British anima- ElfQuest, an indepen- tors Stuart Hilton, Sarah Cox and dently published comic Phil Mulloy. Each program is fol- book, for animation pro- lowed by a selection of films high- jects. lighted in the show.

Dope Sheet Premieres Home Video On Ch. 4. Channel 4 in the U.K. premiered a new CPM Gives Us a “Private Psycho series in November, Lesson.” What? The world of psy- Colossal’s Frankenguy & the Professor for The Disney exploring the art of ani- chology meets ancient eroticism in Channel. © Colossal Pictures. mation with interviews, Central Park Media’s new release which now boasts over 250 mem- profiles, and animated films. Dope from the Anime 18 series, Private bers. The agreement covers all writ- Sheet, named after the animation Psycho Lesson, released on video ing services on the series and pro- timing device, is hosted by a digi- November 4. The subtitled, 74 vides for minimum compensation, tally created character named Eric, minute Japanese film is available on reuse fees, credits, grievance and described as a cross between Franz video for $29.95. Also released in arbitration, and pension and health Kafka and Dean Martin. Each November are three action titles fund contributions. “Animation writ- episode of the five part series will from CPM: Voltage Fighter ers have been struggling for this for feature a different title sequence cre- Gowcaizer: Round 2 for $19.95, a long time,” said Craig Miller, who ated by a young student director. Black Jack-Clinical Chart 4 for is a partner in Wolfmill The first episode, which premiered $19.95 and Machine Robo-Revenge Entertainment with Marv Wolfman. on November 7, includes interviews of the Cronos, Volume 2 for $24.95 Pocket Dragon Adventures will with Candy Guard, John Callahan For an inside look at the debut in Fall 1998 through the syn- and Alison De Vere, as well as an Japanese home video market, dicated program block, Bohbot Kids exploration of animation on the including many titles which are Network. The property is based on Internet, including a look at imported into the U.S., be sure to the artwork of Real Musgrave, and Spumco’s new web cartoons, and visit anime expert Fred Patten’s arti- is being animated by DIC yours truly, Animation World cle in the November issue of Entertainment in Burbank, Network. The second episode Animation World Magazine: “The World’s Biggest Animation Home Video Market?” http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2. 8/2.8pages/2.8pattenhomev- ideo.html

Commercials

Spotlight San Francisco-based (Colossal) Pictures created a series of eight one-minute interstitial cartoons called Frankenguy and the Professor, for the Disney Channel. Aimed at young kids, the shorts depict simple letters, symbols and shapes. Directed by George Evelyn, they combine live-action with 2-D Filmtekarna’s campaign for Cartoon Network. © Cartoon Network. animation created on a Macintosh,

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 76 in Colossal’s trademark “Blendo” combining live-action with animat- style. The spots will air between ed graphics and text, for the cable Disney Channel programs starting network HBO. . . . Curious in mid-November. . . . .Stockholm, Pictures’ San Francisco studio cre- Sweden-based F.Animation creat- ated a 30-second commercial called ed animated open and close Theories for Valley Health Care sequences for Cartoon Network, System, through Katsin/Loeb illustrating the network’s new catch- Advertising. The spot, directed by phrase, “the Cartoon Network thing Denis Morella, uses cut-out and cel to do.” Directed by Jonas Odell, the animation to depict scenes from Bay Blue’s Clues. © Nickelodeon. spots utilize a dimensional cut-out area cities serviced by the local Humongous Entertainment, has technique that can best be health care provider . . . . Curious signed an exclusive, five-year world- described as ‘2 and 1/2 D’ . . . . Pictures’ New York studio created wide deal with Nickelodeon to cre- Curious Pictures’ New York studio open and close animation for two ate CD-ROMs based on Blue’s Clues, used stop-motion animation to cre- live-action 30-second spots pro- Nick Jr.’s preschool live-action/ani- ate the illusion of time-lapse for a duced by N Ur Eye Films. Titled Mall mation series. This is the first time spot called Choosing Sides, adver- Madness and Dream Phone, the that Humongous will be working tising Reckitt & Colmans’ cleaning spots advertise Milton Bradley on a property created by another product, Love My Carpet. Director games for girls. . . . Atlantic company. However, it makes sense Steve Oakes used half-scale models Motion Pictures created animation for the them to forge a working rela- with internal armatures to bring two for a series of programming preview tionship with Nickelodeon, as they vacuum cleaners and a roomful of bumpers for The Movie Channel. begin to develop their popular orig- furniture to life . . . . AMPnyc Produced with Pomposello inal game characters such as “Putt- Animation (pronounced “amp Productions, the spots feature com- Putt,” “Freddi Fish” and “Pajama N.Y.C.”) created a 2-D animated puter animated 3-D balls embla- Sam” for television animation. commercial for Primestar Satellite zoned with The Movie Channel “Blue’s Clues required a worldwide Television, promoting the broadcast logo . . . . . software partner who shared our service’s new “Kids Remote Controls” sensibilities and understanding of product. The spot began airing Music how preschoolers ‘play to learn’ –- November 3. AMPnyc is now start- the Nick. Jr. Philosophy,” said Tom ing production on its fourth Science Aeon Flux Tunes and Tones. Tone Ascheim, Nickelodeon’s vice presi- Fact! spot for MTV’s Cartoon Sushi Casualties, the music label division dent of business development, pub- special series . . . Boston-based of Klasky Csupo, released today a 2- lishing and multimedia, Viewpoint Studios created a series CD compilation of music from the “Humongous Entertainment was of segment title animations for MTV animated series, Aeon Flux. the best choice because of their rec- ESPN’s SportsCenter show. The eight The electronic music from the show ognized experience and success spots combine 3D computer ani- was composed by Drew Neumann. with strong character development, mation with live-action . . . Loconte The CD, titled Eye Spy, Ears Only: high-quality animation and interac- Goldman Design created a design Confidential includes original cover tive design that empowers kids.” and animation package for PBS’ art by series creator, Peter Chung, The first of five Blue’s Clues CD- news/documentary series, and is available in stores for $15.99. ROMs is slated for a Fall 1998 Frontline. Directed by Daniel release. Paterna, the spots feature animat- Interactive & Internet ed text, logos and graphic ele- Technology ments. Loconte Goldman also cre- See also: Animation World ated a program titles package for Magazine’s 1997 Gaming Report in 3D Studiomax R2, the latest Unapix Entertainment’s live-action this issue. upgrade of the widely-used 3-D series E.S.P.U., which will air on computer animation software was Discovery Network’s Animal Planet Blue’s Humongous Clues. released last week by Kinetix. The cable channel. . . . . Telezign cre- Woodinville, Washington-based chil- upgrade has more than 1,000 new ated a series of eight station ids dren’s software company, features including enhanced NURBS

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 77 modeling, and several features for gory of Writing in a Children’s game designers such as baycentric Special or Series, Rugrats writers Jon morphing and the ability to assign Cooksey, Ali Marie Matheson, J. interactive RGB data per vertex. David Stern, Mark Palmer and David More than 30 third-party plug-ins N. Weiss were recognized for their are available for 3D StudioMax, and episode, “Mother’s Day” this upgrade includes a Software (Nickelodeon). Developer’s Kit to ensure that more Out of 84 categories, 3 of such plug-ins will be developed included animated productions as by experienced users. 3D StudioMax nominees. The winners and nomi- R2 is available for Windows NT and nees are: DOS systems, priced at U.S. $3,495 for a new, single-user license, with Daniel Greaves’ Flatworld won the audi- • Children’s Special or Series - 8 ence prize at the International Leipzig upgrades from previous versions Festival for Documentary and Animated and Younger: The winner is ranging from $795 to $3,000, Film. © Tandem Films. HBO’s Mother Goose: A Rappin’ depending upon which platform selected three main winners in the and Rhymin’ Special.. and version is being upgraded. animated films and videos catego- Among the other animated ry: nominees were Nickelodeon’s Events Blues Clues, and Nickelodeon’s • The Golden Dove Award (cash Little Bear. Warner Digital Close-Out Sale. prize DM6,000): Roshdestwo by • Animated Programming Special In a public auction last month in Mikhail Aldashin (Russia). or Series: The winner is Comedy Burbank, California, Dove Brothers Central’s South Park. auctioneers are liquidating the entire • The Silver Dove Award (cash Additional nominees included contents of Warner Digital, the prize DM4,000): Pink Doll by Comedy Central’s Dr. Katz: effects studio that closed for good in Walentin Olschwang (Russia). Professional Therapist, Cartoon July. Millions of dollars worth of Network’s Johnny Bravo, computers, film and video equip- • Prize of Sparkasse Leipzig (cash Nickelodeon’s Kablam!, and ment, and office furniture from the prize DM3,000): How Wings are Cartoon Network’s Steven one year-old studio were sold, Attached to the Backs of Angels Spielberg Presents Freakazoid! including Silicon Graphics systems, by Craig Welch (Canada). • Fictional Short-Form motion control camera systems, Programming Special or Series: 35mm cameras, Apple computers, • Mephisto 97, Audience Prize , The winner is Lifetime Women’s an AVID Medi Composer and more. decided by audience votes: Festival: Undertaker, a live-action Appropriately, and perhaps sadly for Flatworld by Daniel Greaves special from Lifetime, but ani- some, the close-out took place at (Great Britain) mated nominees for this cate- the former site of Warner Digital gory included Nickelodeon’s The Studios, 1935 Buena Vista Street in • Honorary Mention: The Girl With Her Head Coming Off, Burbank. Mermaid by Alexander Petrov and Nickelodeon’s Short Films (Russia). by Short People: The Adventures Awards of Sam Digital in the 21st Cable Ace Nominees and Century. Annie Awards. See our coverage Winners. The nominees for the of the ASIFA-Hollywood’s 25th annu- 19th Annual National CableACE Please note that some categories al Annie Awards in this issue. Awards were announced in may also contain live-action nomi- October, and the winners were nees, which were not listed here. Liepzig. The 40th International announced in a non-televised cer- Leipzig Festival for Documentary emony on November 14. and Animated Film took place In the Craft and International Wendy Jackson is Associate Editor October 28-November 2 in Leipzig, Categories, winners include one of Animation World Magazine. Germany. An international jury animated production. In the cate-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 78 compiled by Wendy Jackson On a Desert Island With....Gaming Gurus This month, we asked the creators of our favorite animated games to imagine what ten films they would want with them on a desert island. Coincidentally, three films were selected by more than one person: Mad Monster Party by Rankin/Bass, Akira by Katsuhiro Otamo, and Fritz the Cat by Ralph Bakshi. Theresa Duncan is the creator of animated CD-ROM games for kids, including Zero Zero, Smarty Pants and Chop Suey. Lorne Lanning is the creator ofOddworld Quintology, a new series of animated 3-D role play- ing games.Doug TenNapel is founder of The Neverhood and creator of Skullmonkeys, a game for Sony PlayStation, coming in 1998. Theresa Duncan’s Favorite Films: 1. Mad Monster Party (Rankin/Bass). 2. That Girl In Wonderland (Rankin/Bass). 3. Dreams of A Rarebit Fiend by Winsor McCay. 4. The Company of Wolves by Neil Jordan. 5. Fritz the Cat by Ralph Bakshi. 6. Betty Boop’s Halloween Party by Max Fleischer. 7. James and the Giant Peach by Tim Burton/Henry Selick. 8. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles Shultz. Theresa Duncan and production partner, 9. Zero Zero CD-ROM animated by Jeremy Blake. Jeremy Blake. 10. Alice by Jan Svankmajer. Lorne Lanning’s Picks: “To truthfully answer these questions I must first consider our most basic human needs. The good news is that many of these needs can be substituted with a theatrical experience. I know this to be true because they taught me about it in art school. So, (drum roll please) here are the ten animated movies that I would want with me if I were Gilligan.”

1. Xmas in South Park by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. To give me hope... and get through my darkest Oddworld’s Lorne Lanning moments. and his creation,Abe. © Oddworld Inhabitants. 2. Fantasia (Disney). I know everyone loves this film, and I know that it is one of the greatest animated movies of all time. But I would bring it along to help me get some sleep. 3. Dumbo (Disney). For when I thought about how lonely I was, at least there would be someone I could make fun of. 4. Ghost in the Shell by Mamoru Oshii. So that when I got really mad thinking about why my family left me on this island... I could watch someone else being hurt. 5. They’re Back! (Amblimation) I’ve always loved the animation, but the story has been proven to have adverse affects on dysfunction- al people. So this film would be for when I desperately needed a laxative. 6. The Secret of Nimh by Don Bluth. I always had a soft spot for rats as they continually gave me comfort through the low points in my childhood. (Please don’t laugh. It’s true.) 7. Ninja Scrolls by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Because I would need at least one exercise video and my supernatural shadow crawl still needs a little work. 8. All Dogs go to Heaven (MGM). Because sometimes I would feel like biting someone too. 9. Fritz the Cat by Ralph Bakshi. To remind me that things could have been worse. 10. Akira by Katsuhiro Otamo. Because I would finally have the time to figure out the story. Doug TenNapel’s top ten: 6. Peter Pan (Disney). 1. The Lion King (Disney). 7. Pinocchio (Disney). 2. The Wrong Trousers by Nick Park. 8. Akira by Katsuhiro Otamo. 3. The Little Mermaid (Disney). 9. James and the Giant Peach by 4. Aladdin (Disney). Henry Selick. 5. The Thief and the Cobbler by Richard Williams. Doug TenNapel. Photo by Wendy 10. Mad Monster Party Jackson. (Rankin/Bass). ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 79 TheThe DirtyDirty BirdyBirdy

By John Dilworth

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 80 Producing Results, January 1998

This issue aims to help our readers see their animated projects pitched, made, finished and distributed. It is a long, rough road indeed. Julie Pesusich will discuss how she and her partners began Liquid Light Studios while Jorge Ramirez-Suarez, who is currently working with Liquid Light on the Mexican Film Institute’s first CGI production, will discuss his path to growing success. Nelvana’s co-CEO Michael Hirsch will explain the workings of international co-productions while Dominic Schreiber will interview the pros to find out how they work the large animation markets. Attorney Charles Kramer will give us insight into the mysterious rules and regulations of developing projects based on existing properties. The history of distribu- tion outlets will be explained by Karl Cohen and the California Summer School for the Arts will be profiled when John Roslyn interviews Christine Panushka. Other articles will detail a writing for visual effects seminar, and Candy Kugel will take us back in time as she chronicles her directing experience in “The Creation of an Icon: MTV.” Our Hidden Treasures column will profile Ton Crone’s Nederlands Instituut voor Animatiefilm and The Student Corner will interview a number of prestigious graduates and professors who will discuss the virtues of making either an experimental or narrative senior thesis film. Event reviews will include the Cartoombria International Film Festival by Chiara Magri and John Parazette-Tillar will review The Digital Video Conference and Exposition which was held in Burbank, California.

Animation World Magazine 1998 Calendar

Producing Results (January)

Motion Capture and Stop Motion (February)

The Art of Pre-Production (March)

Animation in Unexpected Places (April)

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE December 1997 81