Feature Films and Licensing & Merchandising
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Vol.Vol. 33 IssueIssue 88 NovemberNovember 1998 1998 Feature Films and Licensing & Merchandising A Bug’s Life John Lasseter’s Animated Life Iron Giant Innovations The Fox and the Hound Italy’s Lanterna Magica Pro-Social Programming Plus: MIPCOM, Ottawa and Cartoon Forum TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER 1998 VOL.3 NO.8 Table of Contents November 1998 Vol. 3, No. 8 4 Editor’s Notebook Disney, Disney, Disney... 5 Letters: [email protected] 7 Dig This! Millions of Disney Videos! Feature Films 9 Toon Story: John Lasseter’s Animated Life Just how does one become an animation pioneer? Mike Lyons profiles the man of the hour, John Las- seter, on the eve of Pixar’s Toy Story follow-up, A Bug’s Life. 12 Disney’s The Fox and The Hound:The Coming of the Next Generation Tom Sito discusses the turmoil at Disney Feature Animation around the time The Fox and the Hound was made, marking the transition between the Old Men of the Classic Era and the newcomers of today’s ani- 1998 mation industry. 16 Lanterna Magica:The Story of a Seagull and a Studio Who Learnt To Fly Helming the Italian animation Renaissance, Lanterna Magica and director Enzo D’Alò are putting the fin- ishing touches on their next feature film, Lucky and Zorba. Chiara Magri takes us there. 20 Director and After Effects: Storyboarding Innovations on The Iron Giant Brad Bird, director of Warner Bros. Feature Animation’s The Iron Giant, discusses the latest in storyboard- ing techniques and how he applied them to the film. Licensing & Merchandising 23 In the Belly of the Beast:The Advertising to Kids Conference Buzz Potamkin attended New York City’s first serious look at the increasingly complex and important world of taping into the kids’ market. He was pleasantly surprised by the insightful panels and discus- sion. 28 The 1998 Golden Marble Award Winners were announced at the event as well. 29 Also included is, Are Kids Following Little Bo-Peep’s Sheep?, a sidebar discussing the continuing ero- sion of audience numbers that will, in time, lead to a lag in advertising dollars... 30 The Tanglefoot Chronicles:A Case Study A little known Disney character, a clumsy but well-meaning horse named Tanglefoot, became a licensing sensation by not being in a film - twice! J.B. Kaufman explains. 34 The Ingredients of Prosocial,‘FCC Friendly’ Animation What elements does FCC friendly programming need to keep kids paying attention and tuning in for more? Jennifer Kotler outlines the musts. OVEMBER The Student Corner 38 Here’s A How de do Diary:August Barry Purves is nearing completion on his Channel 4 film about Gilbert and Sullivan. Follow along as N principal shooting almost comes to a close. © Animation World Network 1998. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE November 1998 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER 1998 VOL.3 NO.8 Festivals, Events 46 The 1998 Ottawa International Animation Festival:A Nice Mix of Films, Business and Fun Deborah Fallows relates her experiences at the 1998 Ottawa International Animation Festival, a well-run, well-organized event that managed to stay fit and trim in a crowded year on the festival circuit. 49 The Ottawa ‘98 Scrapbook features pictures sent in by Animation World Magazine readers of them- selves, animators and others enjoying the 1998 Ottawa International Animation Festival. 51 A Look Back at MIPCOM ‘98 Sony Wonder’s Loris Kramer relates her MIPCOM ‘98 experience by discussing market trends, the purpose of the event and what you should know before attending with a project. 53 The Cartoon Forum: More Advancements for Europe The 1998 Cartoon Forum, held in Greece, gave Europe a grand opportunity to put productions into motion. Marie Beardmore reports. Films 56 The Golden Cartoon 1998 Upon hearing the news that L’Enfant au Grelot/Charlie’s Christmas won the Cartoon d’Or, Animation World Magazine asked director Jacques-Rémy Girerd to share his thoughts. Available in English and French. 60 67 Aluminum Plates Oscar winner Jan Pinkava and a group of animators spontaneously collaborated to make a stop-motion animated film in one day during the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Wendy Jackson reports. Books 62 Principles of Three-Dimensional Computer Animation: Revised Edition Mark Christiansen reviews the next evolution of Principles of Three-Dimensional Computer Animation, an academic textbook on computer graphics that is worth the read. Hidden Treasures 64 A Frame By Frame Chronicle of a Unique Collection:Animation at the Cinémathèque Québé- coise Jean Hamel discusses the wide range of delights housed in Canada’s archive, The Cinémathèque Québé- coise. Available in English and French. News 70 Animation World News Tom Sito joins Warner Bros., Chung Designing For Samsung, Antz II Marching On, ASIFA-Hollywood’s Annie Noms and more... 102 On A Desert Island With....Cartoon Characters OVEMBER Speed Racer and the Pocket Dragons reveal their favorite animated films. 103 Next Issue’s Highlights 8 This Month’s Contributors N 1 Cover: A Bug’s Life. © Disney Enterprises, Inc./Pixar Animation Studios. All Rights Reserved. © Animation World Network 1998. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. © Animation World Network 1998. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE November 1998 3 by Heather Kenyon Disney, Disney, Disney... ularity in comic strips Disney was too good It is true. One cannot dis- and books led to a at doing what they cuss animation without discussing licensing campaign do. By creating such Disney. From early marketing on a limited number profits, “everyone” plans to today’s newest animated of items in the 1930s. wanted a piece of the feature, Disney has played a major Jennifer Kotler also animated feature pie, role in our industry. While many offers kudos to Dis- and the resulting L&M may wrinkle their nose at the ney Television in her earnings. Eisner and monolith, one must admit that the article, “The Ingredi- Katzenberg’s rejuve- impact of this one man and his ents of Prosocial, nating approach was company is amazing. ‘FCC Friendly’ Anima- so well executed and In our Feature Animation tion.” defined that now Dis- section, Tom Sito discusses the tur- Furthermore, ney finds themselves moil at Disney Feature Animation in this month’s “Dig This!,” Zahra competing with the likes of in “Disney’s The Fox and the Dowlatabadi relates how power- DreamWorks (now helmed by Hound: The Coming of the Next ful the home video market really is. Katzenberg, of course), Fox and Generation.” The Fox and the Yes, we all know Disney sells a lot Warner Bros. Hound was a film made during of video tapes...but have you ever As late November and the transition between the Old stopped to think about how many December unfold we will have a Men of the Classic Era and the video tapes that really is? Think of better idea of whether or not Dis- newcomers of today’s animation the last household you entered ney will hold onto this title against industry. While the film was made with children. Didn’t they have a the onslaught. Perhaps one day during the doldrum years, it slew of Disney videos? Now, think we will remember the Eighties and helped spawn a generation of ani- of all the households worldwide early Nineties as when Disney mators that would reinvigorate with kids — that’s millions of reigned supreme, before other the field. We hear from two of households and millions upon mil- companies, like DreamWorks, these “young newcomers” who lions of Disney tapes. Zahra begins joined them in the secure posi- are now the grand poo-bahs of to put numbers and scope to this tions that the market has grown to animation. Brad Bird discusses thought and it is mind-blowing. support. Certainly, something will “Director and After Effects: Story- So almost all roads, surpris- always be special about Disney’s boarding Innovations on The Iron ingly, lead back to Disney in this well-crafted “brand.” Giant,” the film he is currently issue. I’d like to say I was very Another article well worth directing for Warner Bros. Feature clever and had planned this to reading this month is Buzz Animation. We have a very special show the long standing superiori- Potamkin’s review of the “Advertis- treat as Mike Lyons interviews A ty of Disney in the realm of this ing to Kids Conference.” Buzz Bug’s Life director in “Toon Story: issue’s two themes, Feature Anima- makes heads and tails about a cru- John Lasseter’s Animated Life.” tion and Licensing and Merchan- cial shift that is happening in tele- Concerning Licensing and dising. Instead, it is what they call vision viewing. Always insightful Merchandising, J.B. Kaufman has a happy accident that proves a and witty, Buzz’s article will be sure treated us to a very well- point — Disney has been the to prompt quite a few conversa- researched and interesting case absolute leader in feature anima- tions in coffee shops and confer- study in “The Tanglefoot Chroni- tion and licensing and merchan- ence rooms. cles: A Case Study.” He sheds light dising, pushing us toward the hey- on a relatively minor Disney side day we are currently experiencing. Until Next Time... character, Tanglefoot, whose pop- In fact, one could make a case that Heather ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE November 1998 4 [email protected] The Thief and the Cobbler the studio.