Table of Contents

AUGUST 2000 VOL.5 NO.5 5 Editor’s Notebook Go Web Young (Wo)Man, Go Web

7 Letters: [email protected]

InternetCOMIC BOOKS Animation

8 Your Move… Jacquie Kubin looks at how and why packaged gaming companies are adding on-line elements to their business plans.

12 Alter-Net-ive Worlds How would the world of animation be different if instead of being a new tool the Web was an old one? Get ready for some pretty wild “classics.” Martin “Dr. Toon” Goodman takes us theorizing…

16 The Aesthetics of Internet Animation Think Web tools are restrictive creatively? Think again! Chris Lanier, creator of Wildbrain’s Romanov, explains why, in the vein of comics, they are actually a source of freedom.

2000 20 Is There Life Beyond Flash? Flash is the leading tool for Internet animation, but there are a few other options for production and augmentation. Here industry leaders reveal their secrets from high tech 3D software to good, old-fashioned talent.

23 Getting Started On-Line So you want to get into this Internet game? Two of AtomStudios’ animators, Kwesi Ako Kennedy and James Dalby, not only tell you how, but offer tips for success.

ComputerADULT ANIMATION Animation

25 Vancouver’s Mainframe Entertainment Since their first 3D CGI television show, the groundbreaking Reboot, Mainframe Entertainment has been producing quality children’s television. Don Perro goes for a tour and finds they are working on more than television now.

29 Writing for CGI:A Talk With Ian Boothby

UGUST Ian Boothby, co-writer of Casper’s Haunted Christmas, gives us some insight on the pitfalls and joys of writing for CGI.

SIGGRAPHSIGGRAPH SPECIAL Special A 34 WAM!NET at SIGGRAPH 2000 Working on a production that is taking place on three different continents? Need to see that footage today? Need more rendering horsepower to boot? Then you need to meet WAM!NET, a real production service solution. Stephanie Argy explains.

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August20002 Table of Contents

AUGUST 2000 VOL.5 NO.5 37 Recruiting at SIGGRAPH 2000 Juniko Moody speaks with the major studios’ recruiters and relates what they had to say about their current hiring philosophies and needs.

42 Focus on SIGGRAPH: Eyetronics This year’s SIGGRAPH keynote address was given by scientist, inventor and visionary Ray Kurzweil, who discussed “The Human-Machine Merger: Why We Will Spend Most of Our Time in Virtual Reality in the 21st Century.” Sound farfetched? Then take a look at Eyetronics’ ShapeSnatcher demonstration.

FocusFOCUS On...ON…

45 Scandals, Smokescreens and a Golden Age?: Canadian Animation in the 21st Century Recently Canada has been at the center of controversy and mixed reports of success, scandals and damage control. Chris Robinson offers us an updated look at the animation scene.

OtherOTHER

53 Beyond Vital:British Festivals In 2000 With the demise of Cardiff ancient history, the U.K.’s animation crowd is springing back to life with

2000 a number of lively new events. Andrew Osmond takes a closer look at this year’s activity.

58 A Letter To A Master Giannalberto Bendazzi writes Giorgio “Max” Massimino-Garniér, who was not only a personal source of inspiration and learning, but one of the greatest figures in Italian, as well as interna- tional animation in the last 50 years. Available in English and Italian.

TheTHE STUDENTStudent CORNERCorner

66 Let’s Sketch on Location: The Thumbnail Sketch Just in time for summer trips, renowned drawing instructor Glenn Vilppu continues with his sec- ond installment discussing techniques for sketching on location.

InternetINTERNET CompanyCO. PROFILE Profile

73 Adventurous Action Abounds on Stanlee.net Pow! Take that. There’s a new superhero powered player in town! Lee Dannacher finds that there

UGUST is more behind Stan Lee Media than the man himself.

EventsEVENTS

A 80 Ray Harryhausen, A Celebration When Ray Harryhausen turned eighty Creative Planet was there for this star studded tribute to a true industry inspiration. Joe Fordham reports.

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August20003 Table of Contents

AUGUST 2000 VOL.5 NO.5 FilmsFILMS

84 Fresh From the Festivals Maureen Furniss once again offers a wonderful selection of films, complete with excellent com- mentary: Oil and Vinegar, Brahm’s Lullaby, Sheep in the Big City “Chapter 2: Sheep on the Lam,” Hello, Dolly! and Atlas Gets a Drink.

NewsNEWS

87 Cartoon d’Or’s Five Finalists, Fox Animation Phoenix Burns Out, Dr. Katz Co-Creator Inks Icebox Deal, Aardman’s Angry Kid Sets Net Record, Baby Blues Animates WB Friday Nights, Fox Kids Europe Invades More Turkish Homes, Voyager Producer Signs Deal To Create Next Trek Series and, of course, much, much more….

89 Next Issue’s Highlights

6 This Month’s Contributors

Cover: Romanov, a new series on Wildbrain.com. © Wildbrain.com 2000 UGUST A

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August20004 Editor’s Notebook by Heather Kenyon are lucky enough to be living at right now is how to make it all the right time and place to experi- produce money. Is the Internet a ence it. When I was at USC in guaranteed cash cow? Definitely 1993 there were a few computers not. Is it easy to run through tons in the library with this strange of venture capital and never earn “Internet” thing hooked up to a dime? For some, yes. But what is them, but I never actually saw not true is the statement that I them. They were very special. have heard quite often from Web Now, every student worldwide naysayers: “These companies don’t goes to school and automatically have solid business models.” The gets an email account. I can’t pay truth is: there isn’t a set business my bills, plan a trip or make a large model. We have become very purchase without it. Moreover the comfortable with the standard Go Web Young (Wo)Man, Go Web Internet as we know it is just the business models when it comes to beginning of how connected we feature film and television. While hen I left the comforts will be. Soon the Internet will be companies target different markets of Hanna-Barbera on our cell phones and watches and niches, the basic principles of WCartoons in May of all of the time – in some places it where like companies make their 1997 (has it been that long?) for already is. money is the same. This is not the the wild, wild Web world of The Web is here to stay and case with the Internet yet and Animation World Network, people we’d better start figuring out how companies that are bringing ani- thought I was crazy. They spoke to to best use it. I have found that mated series to the Net are all me in hushed tones of warn- people are coming to the Web approaching it from different direc- ing…and then started asking from many different areas and are tions. As the market matures a pat- questions: “What is it? A magazine bringing with them their native tern might emerge but for now it on the Internet? How does it terminology and business models. is indeed the wild, wild frontier work? So just any ol’ computer Therefore, the industry is becom- with people making predictions, can get it? You dial ‘up’? It’s free? ing a melting pot of ideas and doing great work, praying and That can’t work…” I reminded approaches, making for some bending the rules as the industry them that television was also free exciting companies. One of the changes and flexes at warp speed. and had seemed to catch on. They most prevalent trends that I’ve These are exciting times and call looked puzzled and wandered off, noticed is that the most innovative for true creative thinking. later telling other mutual friends Web-based entertainment compa- Speaking of creative think- and acquaintances that they nies are headed by pioneers from ing, I have just returned from SIG- feared I had made a serious mis- other arenas – not the traditional GRAPH – a conference I love for calculation with my career. media outlets. People with back- this very reason. I find SIGGRAPH Well, here we are a few grounds in gaming, CD-Roms, tremendously stimulating because years later and many of those technology, research, even military one can hear a lecture about how same people are working on applications of technology, are SGI hardware was used on Mission Webisodes instead of episodes. coming to the Internet and creat- to Mars and within fifteen minutes The Internet is an incredible phe- ing off the page and out of the hear highly theoretical predictions nomenon that has caught on box thinking companies. on the impact artificial intelligence unbelievably fast. Moreover, we One of the largest puzzles implants will have on human cul-

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August20005 ture. SIGGRAPH is where you real- with the Internet and other similar ize science-fiction is pretty tame systems. Like the Industrial compared to what the academi- Revolution, the Technological cians are cooking up in laborato- Revolution will bring with it many, ries all over the world. How excit- many changes of culture, lifestyle ing! I think SIGGRAPH was and being, some predicted and charged with a special energy this planned for, perhaps some radical year because of these very discus- and unexpected. The Internet as ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 600 sions. After a week at SIGGRAPH I we know it is just the tip of the ice- Los Angeles, CA 90036 want the future to be here now — berg – get ready for the next Phone : 323.634.3400 Fax : 323.634.3350 to see how it all turns out and to incredible developmental rush. Email : [email protected] be able to play with the gadgets about which I have just heard. Until Next Time, Indeed high technology will play a Heather larger role in our lives, converging [email protected]

PUBLISHERS Ron Diamond, President Dan Sarto, Chief Operating Officer

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Heather Kenyon

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rick DeMott

EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATOR Gregory Singer

CONTRIBUTORS Stephanie Argy Giannalberto Bendazzi James Dalby Lee Dannacher Rick DeMott Joe Fordham Maureen Furniss, Ph.D. Martin “Dr. Toon” Goodman Kwesi Ako Kennedy Heather Kenyon Jacquie Kubin Chris Lanier Juniko Moody Andrew Osmond Don Perro Chris Robinson Glenn Vilppu

OPERATIONS Annick Teninge, General Manager

DESIGN/LAYOUT Alex Binotapa

WEBMASTERS Jeremy Keller Alex Binotapa

ADVERTISING SALES Jay Stokes

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August20006 [email protected]

Edward Gorey Sincerely, Jewish. After a few witty shots of I share Derek Lamb’s senti- Jennifer Walford his butt crack (always gets a laugh ments on the artistry of the late right?) we are subjected to a one Edward Gorey (Lamb, 5.4). Toon In Feedback line finish which hardly comes Although I never had the opportu- across as the shot of the dog’s nity to work on his projects, my Editor’s Note: To accompany this penis practically goes unnoticed. wife Pat and I were always pas- issue, AWN recently launched sionate collectors of his work. Toon In, a weekly guide to Web Overall from me it gets one When we were dating Gorey was animation. The response has been star. I appreciate you reading this. one of the first things we shared in tremendous so here is a sampling common. Growing up an art stu- of the good, and the bad, regard- Jason dent in New York whenever you ing our new feature. went to a first night at ABT or the Metropolitan Opera you could I received the AWN Flash, always see Gorey in his full-length read it, learned a lot of important fur coat and hi-top tennis sneak- information and was psyched to ers, his beard groomed in the see that you mentioned the manner of a well manicured Rumpus/Eggels piece. Thanks so Edwardian aristocrat. For years much. We’re still reeling from Lee after we moved on, whenever we Dannacher’s “A Rumpus On The were in New York a holy obliga- Net” (Dannacher, 5.4) about us. It tion was always a stop into the was that good! You people at Gotham Book Mart on 47th to see AWN rock! if there were any new Gorey pub- lications. I mourn a great artist and Have fun! brilliant wit. Bravo Derek for your Stephanie @ rumpus.com article. If this is Rick who recom- Sincerely, mended the Exit 109 episode in Tom Sito AWN’s Toon In of July 25, 2000:

Turning to Japan Please refrain from applying I really liked the article your opinions to any cartoons in “Growing Pains” by Martin “Dr. the future. Toon” Goodman (Goodman, 5.4). I think that you hit the money on This short was hardly edgy the button why “adult” themes in or smart. For instance, the entire animation cannot make it in the opening of the dog being in the U.S. Many people associate car- car was wasteful. It had no bear- toons with only children here. I ing on the story as a whole, and think anime, i.e. Japanese anima- could have been done many tion, has handled adult themes other ways in about 3 seconds. the best, and that perhaps The rest of the short involved American filmmakers could learn a watching a dog in a walk cycle thing or two from them. and babbling on about being

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August20007 Your Move… by Jacquie Kubin A Look At How And Why the Internet has become a large Packaged Gaming Companies Are part of every day life. It continually Adding On-line Elements To Their changes consumer habits. It is a Business Plans communication, e-commerce and Leisure on-line games are proving to entertainment destination. be tough competition for the hard core n 1998, “think tankers” With these large numbers games that traditionally dominated the Forrester Research, Inc. report- of targeted users identified, it is no arena. © Electronic Arts. I ed that leisure table games, wonder that the gaming compa- and/or Sega. card, board and television game nies are seeking to increase the “Giving away the console is show games are becoming more loyalty of console game playing a small price to pay to be able to popular to on-line players than households while reading over to own the multiplayer games on- “hard core gamer” games such as the Internet family demographic line,” says Charles Bellfield, director Quake or Doom. This is not to say as a new revenue resource. of communications, Sega of that all those adolescent to young America from his San Francisco adult males who enjoy their first office. “Deploying SegaNet will person shooters suddenly took an Numbers at on-line allow us to build a community of interest in on-line bridge tourna- sites such as gamers that we will engage not ments. It means that today’s on- through the PC or desktop, but line game players are not just Pogo.com and through the living space. This bat- made up of teen age boys tle for the consumer will take place between the ages of 18-32. Uproar.com exceed on the living room sofa.” The card and board game three and four The Dreamcast, Sega’s audiences are potentially huge latest enhancement to console with more than 100 million active million registered gaming, was released to market members. Numbers at on-line sites this last spring and came such as Pogo.com and users. equipped with a 57K modem and Uproar.com exceed three and four a keyboard peripheral port, million registered users. Sega Goes On-Line though early adopters of the con- A key reason for game site First to market Sega of sole had no need for either. popularity increases is that visitors Japan, Inc. is baiting more than 28 Installing those unseen extras was to on-line game sites spend long million gaming customers with the a bit of forecasting on the part of periods of time not just playing, lure of a free Dreamcast console the hardware manufacturer who but also chatting with other when they sign-up for SegaNet will be deploying SegaNet this fall. gamers in community chat rooms (www.sega.com), a fee-based For those who have and message boards. Internet service provider and gam- already purchased a Dreamcast or Gamesville.com reports that the ing destination rolled into one that for those getting ready to make average visitor spends more than gives users a gateway to the the purchase, when making a two four hours per visit. World Wide Web through their PC year commitment ($21.95 per As impressive as having mil- lions of loyal registered users is, that number represents only a per- centage of the more than 40 mil- lion U.S. households that are on- line. At the turn of the millennium, © Access Communications.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August20008 mum game and community envi- ronment benefits, Star Trek Conquest On-line players will either purchase a boxed version of the game ($30) or download the game from the Internet Web site ($20). The advantage to the retail boxed version is that when regis- tering to play, the $10 registration fee is waved, downloading is easi- er, the player receives additional collectible characters and it comes packaged with a hard copy of the player’s manual. Once registered to play, additional booster packs of fifteen playing pieces can be pur- chased for $3 each on-line only. “Star Trek Conquest On-line provides an interesting experiment Screen shot from Star Trek Conquest On-line. © Activision. in bringing the collectible para- month) to the SegaNet ISP, they more social arena. digm to on-line gaming,” says will receive a rebate check (up to Holzhauer. “Players are able to pur- $199) for the cost of the Sega “I find on-line chase additional collectible playing Dreamcast gaming console. pieces, win them from other play- With the cost to acquire a gaming very ers or by competing in daily tour- new e-commerce customer rang- interesting and not naments to fine tune their playing ing as high as $600 each for finan- experience.” cial sites such as E-Trade and unlike entering a Fee players are given a averaging more in the $200 range starter group of 51 playing pieces for other sites, giving away the brave new world.” from within five different seg- $249 console, at retail, might be — Jeff Holzhauer ments: People, Items, Ships, an inexpensive way to forge brand loyalty within a hotly competitive market. Another Final Frontier “You will not need to be a Activision’s Star Trek part of the SegaNet ISP to play the Conquest On-line (www.conque- SegaNet games, but you will want ston-line.com) has successfully to be as it will be a faster network meshed on-line gaming into a that consistently delivers packets community environment with without latency,” Bellfield explains. their Star Trek franchise inspired “The person who wants perform- game. ance for enhanced interactive “I find on-line gaming very game play will want the edge that interesting and not unlike entering SegaNet technology will deliver.” a brave new world,” says Jeff Joining the on-line gaming Holzhauer, producer Star Trek revolution does not remove the Conquest On-line. “The jury is still requirement to buy the packaged out on its wide acceptance, but I game but it does allow Johnny in am excited about being a part of New Jersey to battle Kyle in Texas, this emerging genre of game moving the often solo activity of play.” Klingons are ready for battle! electronic game playing into a In order to achieve maxi- © Activision.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August20009 Events and one Q. The player is in the role of a “Q” — a race of supe- rior intelligence beings that use mortals as pawns in a race against other Q for control of the universe — manipulating playing pieces against other Internet players. The human “pawns,” or playing pieces, are characters rec- ognizable to Star Trek: The Next Generation fans. Upon registering for the on-line game, fee players can choose key characters such as Captain Jean-Luc Pickard, Ambassador Sarek, a Borg Queen, Counselor Deanna Troi and Lieutenant Worf. For Activision, the creation of an immersive, interactive gam- ing experience means that people are communicating with other Commercials will be diving into the gaming scene soon! © Electronic Arts people on-line creating their own the first step for the gaming com- paying a monthly $9.95 fee in Star Trek Conquest On-line experi- pany that plans to add more on- order to spend, on average, twen- ence. “Players will be able to add line gaming to their roster. ty hours a week within a medieval depth to the game based on their fantasy realm with other cyber own experience and community The company plans gamers. interactions with other players The company, which when they get together in the on developing an enjoys a large European presence, chat room outside of the game,” on-line network, plans on developing an on-line says Holhauzer. “We are looking network that would provide gam- forward to some heated, ‘My committing in ing experiences for everyone, Captain Pickard can beat your committing in excess of $200 mil- Number One any day,’ battles.” excess of $200 lion toward cyber space. Activision claims 9,000 reg- million toward “Our on-line rallying cry is istered Star Trek Conquest players, to create games that are as easy to though they do not, at this time, cyber space. play as television is to watch,” said have sell through numbers for the Jeff Brown, Senior Director of retail packaged game that Giants EA and AOL Corporate Communications. “This launched in June of this year. Electronic Arts has part- means that while we will create Star Trek Conquest is only nered with America On-line (AOL) challenging games, there will also in hopes of creating a family gam- be games for everyone. There are ing destination. By becoming a going to be deep game experi- member of the AOL family the ences for the more experienced group has ready access to their games, but also games that are twenty-three million subscriptions, easier to play for new and inter- which they feel represents 50 mil- mediate gamers.” lion on-line persons. The site, an enhanced ver-

Partnering with AOL, Electronic Arts The gaming company has sion of which will only be available is becoming a strong presence in the experienced certain success with to AOL subscribers, will be a sub- on-line gaming community. its game Ultima (www.uo.com), scription-based model with fees © Electronic Arts. claiming 180,000 players who are forecasted to be under $10 per

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200010 More screen shots from Star Trek Conquest On-line. © Activision. month. Non-AOL users will not will be delivering enhanced digital broadband strategy after the have access to free games and the graphics but for family use the sys- game ships on October 26, how- interface will be slightly different. tem is being designed to serve as ever industry reports state that The gaming company, a network platform that will allow sometime next year the company which still plans to treat packaged users to merge electronic media. will have an expansion unit that goods as their number one source Game players will be able to enjoy will ship with the hard drive allow- of revenue, predicts that on-line the look, feel, sound and cinema ing for a future network interface gaming will provide a good, sus- type experiences. and on-line gaming element. tainable business model for future The system will support growth with revenue streams, in audio CD and DVD video formats Jacquie Kubin, a Washington, addition to subscription fees, offering consumer’s music and DC-based freelance journalist, being realized from the sale of on- video entertainment options while enjoys writing about the screen or banner advertising, e- retaining the ability to play games electronic entertainment and commerce and, in the future, created for the original PlayStation edutainment mediums, including interspacial advertising. systems. the Internet. She is a frequent “Commercials within gam- With a phone connection, contributor to the Washington ing are going to be a reality,” says PlayStation2 will allow Internet- Times and Krause Publication Brown. “The only question is based electronic distribution of magazines. She has won the whether it will look like American digital content when used with an 1998 Certificate of Award grant- television with commercials inter- Ethernet connection to broad- ed by the Metropolitan Area spersed or British television with band networks (i.e., digital cable). Mass Media Committee of the commercials grouped at the end Users will be able to download American Association of of the broadcast hour.” data-intensive computer entertain- University Women. Rounding out the list of ment content to an accessory hard core gaming groups looking hard-disc drive through their Note: Readers may contact any to profit from soft gamers is PlayStation2. Additional connec- Animation World Magazine con- PlayStation2. The PlayStation2 tion ports on the PlayStation2 tributor by sending an e-mail to gaming console has been include a wide range of digital [email protected]. designed to merge movies, music and s-video outputs for televisions, and games heralding what the monitors and speaker systems. company claims is a “new world of Gamers will be able to attach two computer entertainment.” computer type joysticks and game play accessories. Don’t Rule Out… Players will be able to hear For gamers, PlayStation2 more about the gaming giant’s

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200011 Alter-Net-ive Worlds by Martin “Dr. Toon” Goodman (Note: The following is a fiction based on true events in animation history…)

Time: 21 August 2000 @ 1330 / Content: Lesson Plan 4B/Estimated Run Time (incl. variable factor questions.answers) 61 min 40 sec. Image enhancement and vocoder: default settings. Initialize sequence 3YA 76C “Pixelle” bandwith 6768Hz/system is activated —

ood afternoon, Fantasia…the greatest movie ever made? © Disney. class. Today we “Gcontinue with the “Well, if you’re talking and prodigies from across America early history of Internet animation about the early development of was one of the most impressive and its impact on the societal and computers, that’s the period in technological feats ever accom- global perception of the animated which the first breakthroughs in plished. The stage was set for the medium. Please open your text- magnetic-core memory and tran- silicon disk in 1920, the semicon- books to page 17 and have yes- sistors replaced the first models ductor in 1923, and the first mod- terday’s notes at hand. Simon that Atanasoff and Von Neumann ern operating systems with ultra- Banetta, can you tell me where designed. If you’re talking about large scale integration by 1926. By we left off?” the Internet, that was the period in the time Mussolini controlled Italy “Yes I can, Professor Pixelle. which Remington Rand started and Communism was well-estab- We were discussing the effects of working on integrated communi- lished in Russia, microprocessor World War I on computer devel- cation networks for the military.” technology allowed nearly every opment.” “Correct on both counts. American to own a personal com- “Quite correct. In 1912, it Wilson, anticipating entry into puter. This fueled one of the will be recalled, the United States WWI, gave the project top priority. biggest economic booms in our government discovered, and pro- Unfortunately, the modern com- history. Adam Curtis, perhaps you cured the services of, 12 year-old puter and the Internet could not can tell what happened next.” boy genius John V. Atanasoff. This be developed in time to help the “I can. The Department of prodigy, along with a talented Allied war effort or ‘make the Defense had ARPANET running by staff, worked on an all-electronic world safe for democracy.’ We 1928, realizing Wilson’s dream. computer for two years. With the were able to get no further than Within two years, thanks to the outbreak of World War I the proj- the concept of a stored program discovery of TCP/IP by Vint Cerf I, ect was given special impetus and the progenitors of languages we had the Internet by 1929. Of under Secretary of War Baker dur- such as FORTRAN and COBOL by course, the first animation software ing the Wilson Administration. the end of 1918. Still, this 24-hour had been used by then. I think it Who can tell me the importance of a day, intensive research effort was, uh, Real-Izer, developed at this undertaking? Elena Diaz?” involving the most brilliant minds the Fleischer studio in 1927.” ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200012 “Everyone has done the them on a contract basis. The first assignment, I see! Right again. The challenge to the system happened combination of Internet-ready sys- in 1932 when two independents, tems and animation software by Joe Oriolo and Seymour Reit, were 1930 turned a cel-based medium hired in at Paul Terry studios. While into one that could be down- working there, they hit it big with loaded worldwide through com- a Web-based toon of their own puter plug-in devices. Now, you called Casper the Jive-Jumpin’ mentioned the Fleischer studio; Ghost. Terry tried to claim that good starting point. Having long since Oriolo and Reit worked for been fascinated by technical him, Terry Studios automatically advancements, Max Fleischer was owned the rights. It took a court one of the first pioneers to take less than a month to decide in advantage of early CGI software. favor of the creators, and Oriolo The Real-Izer was a decent start, and Reit wound up millionaires. Betty, the biggest star of all. © King but had many problems generat- After that, creators dealt with stu- Features Syndicate/Fleischer Studios. ing 3D effects. When Max hired dios on their terms, and the suits had won that battle: the Fleischer Ub Iwerks away from the Disney were lucky to get 15% of any mer- Web site, with millions of hits and studios in 1931, this gifted techni- chandising rights. That’s got to be subscriptions, financed more cian was able to refine the soft- a major step, Professor Pixelle.” advances in software and resulted ware until Real-Izer 4.5 overcame “True enough, and your in better theater-based cartoons the technical problems involved in point is well taken. Perhaps Lin for their studio as well. Disney 3D rendering. Who can discuss Zhao can take the story from tried to counter by unveiling the next great advancement in there.” Mortimer Mouse in 1933, but by Web-based animation? Chad “Gladly, prof. The first 3D the end of the decade this rather Wright?” Web cartoon was Ko-Ko’s Diner, tame character was all but “In my opinion, professor, 1930. Fleischer and Walt Disney defunct. Disney’s last gasp came in the next advancement wasn’t Studios were pretty much neck 1937 when he attempted the first technical at all. It had to do with and neck through the early ‘30s, feature-length animated feature the creator’s rights battles of the but it was the Fleischers that took Snow White and the Seven 1930s.” advantage of the fact that the Dwarfs, but by then most of his “An interesting assessment, Web was not subject to regula- key animators such as Norm Mr. Wright. Say more.” tion, and that literally any content Ferguson, Bill Tytla and Grim could be broadcast without the Natwick had already signed with threat of censorship. Max and Fleischer or were freelancing at Dave began to produce two sets MGM, Warners or Van Beuren. of cartoons, one for public con- The film flopped, and the biggest sumption in movie theaters, and hit of the year turned out to be the another for the Fleischer Web site. Web short Betty’s Birthday Bash in Those that enjoyed more risqué, which caricatures of the biggest surreal, and in some cases graphic male stars in Hollywood Aah, how Casper might have been… content could download the erot- paid...um...tribute to Betty on her © Harvey Entertainment. ic adventures of Betty Boop. fourth anniversary as a star.” Disney chose not to go that route, “Yes, and that brings us to “Sure. After the Net devel- believing that what Americans today’s lecture. Class, please turn oped into the World Wide Web, really wanted was clean, whole- to page 41. With the Fleischers animators began independently some entertainment. His brother established as the premier anima- developing cartoons in their own Roy urged Walt to go a more mod- tion studio in America, a position small studios. The movie moguls ern, adult-oriented route but Walt they still hold today, a new trend and film producers wanted their wouldn’t play ball. began to take place. Fleischer and stuff, but were forced to deal with “By 1935, it was clear who other studios such as Terry, MGM

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200013 and Mesmer began to offer bene- attempted to void the contract. His loose for the first time in 1938. fits packages and signing bonuses powerful legal department suc- Clampett and Tashlin turned out to to independents in order to pro- ceeded in shutting down be natural partners, creating a cure and keep their services. It was Waldman and Tendlar’s Web site risqué couple named Porky and a difficult path for the studios; until the decision was overturned Petunia Pig. The first cartoon in the many of these highly eccentric, in Appeals Court. At times the cre- series, Porky’s Hot-Cha Honey, restlessly creative mavericks either ators themselves were at odds, as established the studio as a comer. chafed at being under a produc- happened after Bill Hanna and Joe Fred Moore’s sensual 3D rendering tion system or would attempt to Barbera created the highly suc- contrasted brilliantly with Tashlin’s strike it big with an independently cessful Tom and Jerry series in rapidly paced direction and quick produced character they hoped 1940. Each claimed exclusive cred- cuts, not to mention Clampett’s would be their ticket to fame and it, and the situation was not twisted gags.” riches. At times this worked: wit- helped when producer Fred “What about the Jones- ness Jack Kinney’s independent Quimby, for reasons unknown, Avery-Kahl dispute, Professor?” revival of a then-forgotten charac- paid an exceedingly large bonus “Getting to it, Ms. Zhao. ter named Goofy following the to Bill Hanna. The legal battle, Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones and Milt failure of the first Disney studio in highlighted by the infamous ‘miss- Kahl came up with a rabbit named 1940. At other times it failed, as ing floppy disks’ controversy, Bugs Bunny who at first appeared with Isadore Klein’s attempt to ended with Hanna and Barbera only in theater-based productions. launch his Super Mouse — later never again working with one It remained for Tex Avery to add known as Mighty Mouse — series another. However, no case was the warped humor and tight pac- after his departure from Terry more convoluted than that of ing that made the hare the new Studios in 1941. Bugs Bunny at the Warner Bros. darling of the studio’s Web car- studio. toons. Unfortunately, this led to a “Independent producer dispute over the actual ownership Leon Schlesinger was, along with of the character, who existed in the Fleishers, the main beneficiary two distinct mediums. Jones of the collapse of the first Disney claimed exclusive credit for the Studio. Walt’s refusal to market a character’s creation, a story disput- wilder, more adult product for the ed by Kahl, who claimed that he World Wide Web sent former and Huemer developed a similar Disney animators such as Isadore rabbit named Max at Disney. “Friz” Freleng, Chuck Jones, Fred Jones’ story was supported by Moore and Milt Kahl over to Clampett, who stated that he was Schlesinger’s stable, and the crafty present at the early storyboard Could this plucky mouse have compared to the one we know today? © Disney. producer also signed such inde- and wireframe design sessions pendents as Robert Clampett, Tex before he and Tashlin left to work “The battles over creator’s Avery, Frank Tashlin and Dick on Web cartoons featuring the rights and studio properties never Huemer. After contracting with very popular (and now discontin- truly ended, however. One of the Warner Bros. for a distribution ued) sexpot Coal Black. Avery, for few mistakes Max Fleischer made deal, Schlesinger turned the team his part, claimed that Bugs Bunny was relinquishing the rights to a was his first effort at motion-cap- minor property. Dave Tendlar and ture and that he had the program Myron Waldman independently to prove it. The debate between produced a Web-based cartoon Avery and Jones developed ran- named Popeye The Sailor that corous overtones, and the two Fleischer had let go as part of a sadly remained at odds through- contract incentive for Waldman. out their respectively brilliant The old sea dog’s markedly violent careers. Avery eventually left stu- and steamy adventures were soon These frightened little pigs look a bit dio work altogether and remained the hit of the Web, and Max risqué themselves! © Disney. an independent until his death

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200014 despite tempting offers from Walter Lantz and Otto Mesmer. We’ll meet him again later in this course.” “Professor Pixelle, not to change the subject, but some- thing’s got me confused. Our e-les- son plan cites Fantasia as ‘the greatest animated film that was never made.’ I don’t get it.” “Actually, Eric, that fits in with our next topic. Roy Disney was determined to stay in business Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston are superstars, regardless of the times. despite his brother’s abandonment Photo by Karen Quincy Loberg. Courtesy of and © 1995 the Walt Disney Company. of the field for a career in urban All Rights Reserved. planning. Roy resurrected a dis- breaking the segments up into for hologram “Pixelle.” Save image carded idea for a film called convenient downloads. The most enhacement pathways and Fantasia that existed only as a famous segment was, of course, vocoder defaults. Deactivation series of notes from Walt. The film ‘Rooty Toot Toot.’ Though Roy table 4.009 in progress was intended to be an exercise in Disney’s Fantasia was ultimately 5..4..3..2..1..end program. the higher arts; Roy believed that a never made, the ‘New Wave’ market existed for adult cartoons ended up redesigning the entire that were sexy, yet more refined look of Web cartoons by minimiz- This column marks my first full than the raucous, edgy and often ing 3D sequences, eschewing spe- year with Animation World violent products that were finding cial effects and abandoning Magazine! I would like to thank their way to America’s PCs and lap- attempts at motion-capture. These my very first editor, Michelle Klein- tops. In 1942 Roy Disney estab- simple but stylish cartoons created Hass of the late, lamented lished the second Disney Studio a stir among the artistic communi- Animation Nerd’s Paradise Web and put the production of Fantasia ty and had the added advantage site for helping me to find a in the hands of two loyalists left of a fast download time.” home here, and also Dan Sarto over from Walt’s regime, Frank “Thanks, prof! I got it!” and Heather Kenyon of AWN for Thomas and Ollie Johnston. It was “This will be our stopping hosting me and allowing me to hoped that this lightly erotic film, point for today. Next week we will lend my voice to the animation set to classical music, would recap- examine how World War II affect- community. Lastly, thanks to my ture audiences and that the char- ed the World Wide Web and how readers, whose support, com- acters would spin off to the sub- the Internet became a powerful ments and cogent emails have scription Web site. tool for animated propaganda on been a joy to me over the past “Under Thomas and both sides. The effect of the ‘Tokio year. Thanks, one and all! Johnston the artistic renaissance Jokio’ virus as a weapon will be known as ‘Disney’s New Wave’ examined, and we will also see flourished, featuring artists and how government blackouts, fire- writers such as John Hubley, Dave walls, and discontinuation of local Hilberman, Bill Hurtz and Steve servers in the name of national Martin “Dr. Toon” Goodman is a Bosustow. They were soon joined security affected the history of ani- longtime student and fan of ani- by Chuck Jones who, tiring of mation. Your assignment is to read mation. He lives in Anderson, rowdy cartoons and personality pages 65-98, including the section Indiana. clashes, yearned for a more intel- ‘Hitler’s Hackers.’ Class is dismissed, lectual approach to animated and have a pleasant afternoon.” Note: Readers may contact any shorts. This crew began to experi- Animation World Magazine con- ment with Fantasia, replacing clas- Time: 21 August 2000 @1431/ tributor by sending an e-mail to sical music with jazz and finally Initiating shutdown sequence 3YB [email protected].

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200015 the burden of spectacle. In the middle of blockbuster season it’s TheAestheticsofTheAestheticsof impossible to avoid the conclusion that cinematic technology is in a InternetAnimationInternetAnimation headlong rush to overwhelm the senses. The unspoken assumption by Chris Lanier is that any movie could be improved if, instead of merely hearing and seeing it, we could also feel, smell and taste it. Whether, during a dinner scene, we should be tasting what’s on the hero’s plate, what’s on the love interest’s plate, or some combina- tion of the two (problematic if the hero’s tucking into his chocolate mousse while the love interest is still dallying with the Salmon fillet), is something best left to the aes- theticians of the future’s sensori- ums. As an audience member, it’s hard not to feel like a lab rat with an electrical wire inserted into your brain’s pleasure center. Culture has become a pornogra- phy of the senses. Wildbrain.com features the hit Web cartoon Romanov. © Wild Brain, Inc. The burden of intense sen- sory engagement is lifted simply he creation of art at the Every limitation implies its because, for now, on the Web, it’s limits of technical innova- own peculiar liberation. There is a technically unattainable. It’s a Ttion is bound to produce a point at which the effects of strange “cutting edge” that looks fair share of both epiphanies and Shakespeare’s sonnets are like a throwback to other, older headaches. You know you’re in achieved as a result of, and not technologies where “cutting deep when you start having diffi- despite, the form. Robert Frost edge” animation looks like sub-par culties telling the two apart. famously said that writing free Jay Ward-era Rocky and Bullwinkle I’ve just completed a three- verse was like playing tennis with- (or reaching even further back, month run of a cartoon made for out a net. There’s a huge differ- Colonel Bleep). For now, it is nov- the Internet. The weekly 2-3 ence between self-imposed aes- elty enough to find movement in minute animations were made in thetic constraints and technical your Web browser, it needn’t be Flash; because Flash allows for constraints, but it’s an attractive particularly smooth or robust. This modem-friendly transmission of operative metaphor. At times, mak- has the immediate effect of lower- graphics, it’s moved to become the ing Web ‘toons has been like play- ing the budget for animations; vanguard of Web animation soft- ing tennis with a net five stories they can be done quickly and ware. Despite its graphical efficien- tall, while using teaspoons for cheaply, because they can be cy, however, there are a number rackets. It makes for invigorating done crudely. This removes the of constraints the Flash animator and absurd sport. layers of bureaucracy that tradi- faces: issues of bandwidth, frame tional animation has had to con- rates and processor speeds. Limitations Equal Freedom tend with, allowing for wider free- I’ve tried to treat these obstacles The most profound “libera- dom of imagination. It also fore- as opportunities, as a spur tion” effected by the limitations of grounds the importance of good to creativity. Web animation is the removal of writing. And it provides opportuni-

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200016 ties for subtle effects of imaginative sound effects, and see the action is necessary to piece things into a transference. paced to your own rhythms. The narrative in both cases, and both story takes place inside your head the “gutter” and edit can be used The Comic Comparison and is more “real” because of it. to either extend or minimize the In this regard it’s helpful to For example, you don’t have to amount of closure. In a comic, think of comics, a communications worry about bad voice acting staying with my above example, medium that’s thrillingly low-tech. throwing a scene off as the char- you could insert another panel (I actually moved into animation acters aren’t actors, but projections between the first and the second, through an interest in comics.) of your own psyche. Animation showing the brick fused to the Comics are often considered an takes place on a screen, entirely cat’s forehead, in a moment of per- orphan form — the hapless urchin outside of you; comics starts on petual contact, throwing off a begging at the darkened periph- the page, but it ultimately “occurs” handful of frozen stars. In a film, eries of the movie palace. This is to half outside you, on the page, and you could have a 3D POV shot of misunderstand profoundly its half inside, in your mind. the brick leaving the mouse’s genius. Few reflect on its efficiency In short, the technical hand, tumbling through the air as a visual language: draw 200 “additions” to comics are actually and striking the cat. You could pictures in comics and you have a subtractions of imaginative have an x-ray shot of the cat’s skull book. In animation, you only have involvement. Comics are a pro- fracturing. The Dolby sound sys- 8 seconds. foundly collaborative medium. It tem could wallop your eardrums. There has been much press draws you into an imagined world You could even employ a friend to about comics migration to the through the efficacy of “closure.” It whack you over the head with a Web (some have even touted the presents you with a series of dis- two-by-four at the moment of Web as the savior of comics), but creet images or “moments,” and impact for complete authenticity. much of it seems misguided. Yes, you must piece them together in a However, to have a shot of the the Internet has provided a fertile narrative flow. mouse cocking his arm back, fol- arena for iconographic and “car- lowed by a shot of the cat lying toony” art, as navigation and A Different Interactivity supine, a welt on her forehead, design elements, but these are Take a crude example: first, etc., is far more suggestive. artifacts of style, not coherent we see a panel of an angry Instead of providing a sensory effects of a medium. In fact, as the mouse, his arm cocked back, a stimulus, you’ve presented a puz- display of these cartoonish draw- brick clutched in his hand. In the zle for the audience to solve. ings tends to be temporal, and not next panel, we see a cat, lying spatial, they’re no longer comics: prone on her back, a welt raised Abstracted Storytelling they’ve been cannibalized for ani- on her forehead and a cracked Of course, this brick-and- mation. The driving notion behind brick lying in halves at her feet. cranium example is crudely this is the same one that drives cin- The brick has certainly met up with mechanical. The extension of clo- ematic spectacle: the comic would the feline cranium (Heisenbergian sure becomes far more exciting improve if sensory information metaphysics left temporarily when, instead of being applied to were added to it, namely motion aside), but where has this meeting mechanical causalities, it is applied and sound. It’s considered an taken place? The quick answer is to ideas. Taking the notion of clo- improvement that we actually in the “gutter,” the white space sure from comics, where it is hear a gun going off, rather than between panels one and two. explicit, and applying it to cinema, reading the word “bang,” and that However, the truer answer is: where it is less obvious, we can all of these fantastic characters can within the reader’s head. push animation into the territory speak in their own voices. But to The “gutter” is spatial, but, of a lucid, complex picture-lan- date, this alchemy has not pro- applied temporally, it becomes an guage. In this manner, animation duced any better comics, just stilt- edit. Both the gutter and an edit can deliver us into a world where ed animation. mark out the boundaries between the differences between words A comic emits no sound, self-contained semantic units, the and shapes are blurred: a world of but it is not truly silent: when you panel for comics and the shot for motile (and perhaps even emotive) read it, you hear the voices and cinema. Some degree of “closure” hieroglyphics.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200017 In this regard, I pay more positions, comparisons and trans- their solutions in poetry. attention to the progression of formations, meaning is made. The images than I do to fluidity of aesthetic spark is not one of spec- Go on-line to see Romanov for movement. I try to articulate tacle, but of making connections; yourself at: sequences of imagistic compar- drawing information and images http://www.awn.com/mag/issue isons and contrasts, to render together into constellations of 5.05/5.05clips/romanov.mov abstract ideas into concrete forms, meaning. Of course, this causes and to nudge concrete forms into me to view the advent of broad- Chris Lanier is the creator of the the realm of abstraction. I utilize band with a degree of trepidation, Web cartoon Romanov, running text not to explain, but to suggest hoping that the pipeline won’t on www.wildbrain.com. — to begin a thought that the simply be a lab-rat wire, aimed audience must finish. directly at my helpless ganglia. In So finally, I’ve come to the meantime, I’m happy to culti- Note: Readers may contact any accept (or rationalize) the techni- vate an aesthetic approach that Animation World Magazine con- cal limitations of Web animation as draws viewers into a created tributor by sending an e-mail to a departure point for greater imag- world by appealing to their curios- [email protected]. inative investment. Through juxta- ity and to create puzzles that find

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200018

Is There Life Beyond Flash? by Heather Kenyon here is no doubt about it! new collage and mixed media ani- in on the Web — thereby lessen- Macromedia Flash is the mations in Flash. ing the technical burden on our Tindustry standard for viewers — and remains a very Internet animation, utilized by inexpensive platform for content over half a million Web authors development. It is difficult enough worldwide to create animated vec- ensuring that our audience has tor-based Web sites. But are there Flash 4 to enjoy our program- new tools out there that are being ming, let alone forcing them to incorporated into today’s cutting- download a foreign plug-in to edge Web animations? Flash is view it. We will evaluate up-and- king when it comes to delivering coming animation tools, such as action and adventure on a low- Pulse, once they reach a critical bandwidth, but are audiences Yo, everything’s up at JibJab. © JibJab. mass and approach the develop- already demanding more? Are ment costs that Flash offers. artists already beginning to push these freshly assigned limits? We ______asked several leading companies what they use on this quickly Darrell Van Citters David B.Williams paced and evolving frontier. Director, Renegade Animation Chairman & CEO, Visionary We find Flash to be an Media LLC ______excellent piece of software, fulfill- For the kind of high-end, ing virtually all of our Web anima- multiple episode animation proj- tion needs. We do, however, ects that are Visionary Media’s hall- employ a few useful plug-ins. One mark, 3D tools are playing a grow- enables your average, fumble-fin- ing role in our Flash production gered artist to produce drawings process. The creation of 3D mod- of startling beauty. It’s called TAL- els benefits us in two main ways: ENT. We use another utility, WIT, to 1) For props and/or back- © JibJab. inject moments of mirth into oth- grounds (and even characters) Gregg Spiridellis erwise lifeless scripts. In addition, that will play a large role over the CEO, JibJab Media Inc. we find that a finely-honed, wood- course of several episodes, 3D JibJab uses Flash exclusively encased graphite stick is an indis- models have a “create once and for all of its on-line animation pro- pensable aid in pre-visualization. use often” advantage. Once a 3D duction. We are hyper-focused on It’s also handy for filling out sur- model is created, multiple views creating content that is accessible veys. and sequences can be imported to the largest possible audience into Flash, saving our art staff valu- and Flash is the only technology ______able drawing time, and enhanc- that both works well in a low- ing the aesthetic continuity from bandwidth world and has a mas- Bruce Forman view to view. sive installed base for the plug-in. Co-Founder, ROMP.com 2) A sequence generated To add variety to our productions, We are meat and potatoes, with the aid of 3D tools can help we are hiring great artists that are heavy users of the Flash plug-in us to throttle up its overall “Wow!” pushing the technology to its limit, and have yet to develop anima- factor. In our example, the stages moving beyond straight vector tion on another platform. Why? It of a rocket entering orbit drop animation and producing exciting is about as ubiquitous as any plug- away toward Earth, but as they

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200020 The rocket launches! © Visionary Media LLC. fall, their orientations shift, subtly called b3d Studio and a Digital and entertainment are going on enhancing the realism of the shot. Projector for real-time 3D play- the Internet. This means forecast- To achieve these effects, we back. b3d Studio allows animators ing what technologies will utilize a variety of tools, including to import a variety of media types become prevalent. In addition to 3D Studio Max for modeling, and into a timeline and then “build” an Flash, we use LiveStage Pro to cre- Vecta and Swifty 3D for exporting interactive animation that may be ate QuickTime Wired Sprites. This 3D models to vector files ready for streamed in real-time. Brilliant technology allows us the flexibility Flash. Adobe Illustrator also plays Digital’s Superman and KISS to do some things that we cannot an important role in the layout of Immortals series on portals such as do as well in Flash, such as the various screens. Entertaindom and Yahoo are ability to handle multiple media Sound production plays a referred to as “Multipath Movies,” a types, and the ability to build 2D central role, especially since term used to describe interactive sprite games that have special Visionary produces all original movies that include user-selected effects like fire, or clouds. In addi- music for its programming. Sound subplots. Movies can be played in tion to QuickTime Wired Sprites, tools can also help to optimise dia- a pop-up Digital Projector that also we are also using Pulse 3D to cre- log tracks, keeping file sizes to a plays Flash, AVI, MPEG and HTML. ate interactive 3D content. For us, minimum while retaining clarity. Although Multipath Movies are the key advantage of Pulse 3D We employ a wide array of soft- Brilliant Digital’s most visible proj- over other 3D technologies ware, including: Digital Performer ects on the Web, the b3d platform designed for the Internet is its with Waves Shell for sequencing, is actually a pervasive 3D format character animation features. We Sound Edit 16 and Deck for splic- that can be used to deliver a wide ing and batch processing, Unity variety of interactive content. The DS1 for midi sample playback, compression and delivery engine Steinberg’s B.Box for groove cre- built into the b3d platform is very ation, Sound Foundries Acid for versatile and may be used to cre- music loop production and ate virtual shopping malls, educa- QBase. tional programming, waltk- throughs and other content. ______Without advanced programming or even scripting, content devel- Kevin Bermeister opers and artists who use 3D Ninjas spotted at Spot Box. President, Brilliant Digital Studio Max, Maya and Lightwave © Spot Box, Inc. Entertainment will be able to export their anima- Brilliant Digital tions for assembly in b3d Studio. Entertainment has created an introductory b3d toolset for creat- ______ing interactive 3D animation con- tent that may be streamed over Richard Fenton the Internet. Tools include a b3d CEO, Spot Box Inc. Exporter plug-in for 3D Studio One of the things that Max, Maya and Lightwave, two we’re doing here at Spot Box is try- Stellar new technology at Spot Box. versions of an authoring tool ing to anticipate where animation © Spot Box, Inc.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200021 are also investigating software that currently using we will try to models. Those models are then allows us to take these experiences import gifs from Photoshop and imported into Flash, through third- outside of the Internet browser. Illustrator. As for effects, we are party software which converts 3D One such development tool that sticking to traditional 2D anima- models into vector art. We’ll be has caught our attention is iShell. tion so they are mostly done with doing more exploration of this With iShell, we can create immer- drybrush, zips, etc. kind in the future to further our sive custom environments that experimenting with unusual looks exist outside of the standard and feels. Internet browser. We can also use iShell to do some things that ______would otherwise be difficult. In iShell, we can create our content Joel Kuwahara in any of several formats (Flash, Vice President of Production, QuickTime, Pulse3D, etc.), and © Funny Garbage. Icebox Inc. those media types can then com- At Icebox, in addition to municate with each other. For Flash we also use Photoshop, instance, we can have a Pulse 3D ______Illustrator, Premiere and Streamline. animated object communicate Veronique Brossier However, graphic software has with and control a QuickTime Flash Programmer and always supplemented the artists’ movie or vice versa. Animator, Funny Garbage tools in preparing design and art- Note: To see QuickTime Funny Garbage uses state- work for animation. And a majori- previews of Spot Box’s games, visit of-the-art technology to create its ty of the software mentioned the online version of this article at award-winning animation work. above has been used by artists for http://www.awn.com/mag/issue Other than Sound Edit 16 for a number of years, except 5.05/5.05pages/kenyonsurvey2.p sound design, Flash has become Streamline. The major change in hp3. our exclusive piece of software for the process that is significantly dif- animated content in an effort to ferent from traditional animation is ______streamline the creation and anima- the implementation of Flash soft- tion process. The key piece of ware. Flash allows for economical, Trevor Bentley hardware that enables us to create effecient animation to be done in- Director,Atomic Cartoons such high quality animation is the house. Other animation software For animation content Wacom tablet, which allows us to does exist on the market but I feel Atomic Cartoons has mostly relied trace hand-drawn art or draw that Flash is the strongest. Not on the traditional approach. We directly inside the Flash applica- only do 90% of Internet users do all the design with pencil and tion. New Funny Garbage anima- already have the Flash browser, paper and do the animation the tors, often familiar with graphic but its tool set is easy to use and old fashioned way, but we try to programs such as Illustrator, are applicable to 90% of what we cheat where we can in Flash. trained to draw directly into Flash. need to do. Occassionally we will Obviously Adobe Photoshop 5.0 is The learning process is usually very take our graphics and “treat” them a big help and has made out- fast and quite successful. in Illustrator or Photoshop before putting to the Web easier. We On occasion, we experi- we bring them in to Flash, but a often use Photoshop for color ment with 3D software to create majority of the effects we create styling and show treatment, but are done directly in Flash. Flash 4 is so easy to use that we have stuck with it for the majority Heather Kenyon is editor in chief of color. In fact I like coloring in of Animation World Magazine. Flash so much I have started only using Flash to color show treat- Note: Readers may contact any ments, which are then exported to Animation World Magazine con- Photoshop and Quark. I think tributor by sending an e-mail to once we exhaust the look we are Cats in outer space! ©Funny Garbage. [email protected].

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200022 Getting Started On-Line by Kwesi Ako Kennedy & James Dalby

watch your content while you sleep. The price of a workstation capable of Flash design has plum- meted in the last year. With the convenience of a monthly pay- ment option, a decent machine can be purchased for as little as US$50 per month. As far as Internet access is concerned, a DSL or cable modem connection is recommended, but not required. If Kwesi Ako Kennedy. you’re comfortable with drawing James Dalby. on a tablet, Flash offers specific set- raditional animators tings that register pen pressure for Geocities.com offers a free 15 Mb. rejoice! The Web industry is calligraphic painting. Web site, and free custom e-mail Thot and hungry for on-line addresses come at about a dime a content, and Flash makes it possi- dozen. ble for anyone with an idea to pro- duce an animated skit out of their The Tough Step own home successfully. I’ve seen The “how to” of making some great content come out of a your own animation shop out of studio the size of a closet. If you the home does not end at provid- have a mid-range PII PC or ing yourself with the proper equip- PowerPC Mac, scanner and ment and materials. Once you modem, then you’re prepared to have surrounded yourself with mark your name onto the Internet everything you need to create ani- walk of fame. Aardman Animations’ Angry Kid shows mation for the Internet, you that mixing media on the Web creates should also take the time to famil- Independent animation some funny effects. © and TM Aardman doesn’t necessarily need to end up Animations Ltd. 2000. iarize yourself with all of the differ- at a festival to be viewed by the ent things being done for the public. If you have a Web site, Flash 4 runs about $250.00 Internet as well. This should help your audience will have instant and is quite easy to learn. You you to determine the limits of the access to your work 24 hours a won’t lose any hours at work medium as well as how far you’re day worldwide. Millions of users because you can accomplish all capable of going with your own are logging on and exploring the that you need on your own free material. Net every second. With a few time. Flash can also import a slew For example, take time to carefully placed links on other sites of picture file formats, such as see how different Flash animated sending users to your content, hits Adobe Illustrator, Quicktime video, productions run on different to your Web site could reach thou- GIF, JPEG and more. Therefore, speed machines. Does a tweened sands in days. If you feel you’re using other programs to create pan of a gradient filled back- ready to take a step above the rest, your artwork is always an option. ground work well or are the submit it to a content distribution Audio software for voice and foley results you see in other people’s site such as Atomfilms.com. can be downloaded for free at any work telling you that this is a bad Afterward you can think about shareware distribution site (i.e. idea? Take what you find and use how many thousands of Netizens www.download.com). it to your advantage by either cor- ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200023 shapes is saved as a graphic ele- Chman On-line ment that is simply placed on the http://www.chman.com/ character’s head. This freed up our A European Flash site for anima- ability to edit the character on the tion and entertainment. It appears fly without worrying about the they intend to use the site to not effect it would have on the already only promote their own abilities completed lip sync. but to use their projects to pro- mote musical artist and games. A Some Help good variety of material. George Liquor was one of the first Flash Having trouble getting the toons to hit the Net. © Spumco. hang of certain techniques? There Mono*crafts recting the mistakes made by oth- are a good number of sites avail- http://www.yugop.com/ ers and improving on what you able to you that have step by step A Japanese design site dedicated have seen in your viewings. This tutorials as well as downloadable to “exploring new forms of expres- should help you to determine Flash files for you to dissect. sion in Networked situations.” what tricks and techniques will Utilizing as many different sources Fascinating, off beat, interface work the best with what you have of instruction and inspiration is the designs. planned. best way to build your skills and One of the biggest prob- stay ahead of all the competition Kwesi Ako Kennedy works with lems we have on dialog heavy out there. A few include: animation and character design productions is figuring out an effi- for AtomFilms out of AtomStudio. cient way to lip sync the charac- For tutorials and sample files: Prior to working at Atom, he ter’s mouths. We noticed in rival http://www.Flashzone.com/ worked as a freelance digital productions, while art and anima- http://www.shockfusion.com/ artist for Pixelwave Corporation. tion value was very high, lip sync http://www.Flashkit.com/ Kwesi attended Howard was either very poor or avoided. University and graduated with a This was due to limitations of the A couple of personal sites I like to degree in Fine Arts. Immediately software or the problems encoun- visit for ideas include: after Howard University, Kwesi tered with streaming a tight series attended the University of North of images over the Internet. The Secret Garden of Mutabor Carolina where he joined the To avoid such curses as http://www.yenz.com/menue/ga Industrial Design program. dropped frames or pauses in the rden/intro.html animation, our general rule of A designer’s personal site that Before becoming a senior anima- thumb was to animate the graph- makes use of cleaver interfaces tor at AtomFilms, James Dalby ic on the stage, frame by frame. and a unique story that relies on spent a year-and-a-half as the This proved to be effective but very searching for clues in order to graphics manager for the tedious in situations where the reach the end. Highlander, a student newspaper character made a lot of head at the University of California, movements or when simple Sarbakan Riverside. He attended two years changes needed to be made. Sure http://www.sarbakan.com/ of study at UCR, but gave it up to we were getting a highly accurate An on-line entertainment compa- focus his attention on work. Soon lip sync, but it was a pain to imple- ny whose strong visuals and music after, James spent most of his ment and edit. make for addictive and involving time as a freelance Flash anima- By playing around with on-line interactivity. The on-line tor for various Web sites, as well making the mouth shapes into a demos of Arcane, a gothic mys- as a full-time animator at separate movie clip, we found we tery, and Snoozeleberg are both Pixelwave Corporation. were able to do the sync in a sep- very well made Flash applications arate file away from the animated that require complete user input to Note: Readers may contact any character. Instead of having to move not just the actions of the Animation World Magazine con- manipulate different shapes on the characters but the stories that tributor by sending an e-mail to timeline, the correct sequence of unfold around them. [email protected].

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200024 were practically the only studio Vancouver’s working in the field. They now have over three hundred employ- ees working in their Canadian stu- Mainframe Entertainment dio.

by Don Perro A Short History see their role in the animation Mainframe Entertainment’s industry as one of learning and origins began in the mid-1980’s in growth. Mainframe Entertainment, England when Ian Pearson and although their name may not be Gavin Blair animated the Dire well known yet, can certainly be Straits’ video, “Money for described as a pioneer in the field Nothing.” Although the animation of computer animation. Unlike the was slow and robot-like and the more popular theatrical CG pro- characters were constructed of ducers, Mainframe’s territory has rudimentary shapes, this was cut- been 3D character animation for ting-edge stuff and gave many television and until recently, they viewers their first look at 3D com-

Mainframers zap the animation industry with their pioneering spirit. © Mainframe Entertainment. f you had to name some ani- mation studios that were truly Ipioneers of the medium, which ones would you consider? Okay, besides Disney. There would be perhaps, companies such as the Fleischer Studio which brought an adult-oriented, urban atmosphere to its films; Warner Bros. which through the amazing genius of its directors — Avery, Clampett and Jones (among oth- ers) — perfected animation tim- ing; and of course, United Productions of America, which is still a major influence on anima- tion design, fifty years later. But there are also contem- porary pioneers, companies made up of people who strive to take animation to new heights; who Mainframe’s key players. © Mainframe Entertainment.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200025 puter animation of characters. on YTV in Canada and FoxKids in Pearson and Blair, along the U.S. as Beast Machines. with animator Phil Mitchell, began In 1998, Mainframe intro- to dream of creating the world’s duced a new series, with more first, fully computer animated tele- human-like characters called War vision series. They looked around Planets (again, to protect the inno- for a location where they could cent, the title in Canada was build their studio and decided that changed to Shadow Raiders). The Vancouver, Canada, already a film story focuses on one man’s quest Ghosts and goblins fill the screen and animation hub and close to unite four hostile planets in in Casper’s Haunted Christmas. enough to L.A., would be ideal. In order to defend themselves from © Harvey Entertainment 1994, the first season of Reboot the Beast Planet: a force intent on Going Long Form appeared on television screens in the annihilation of every lifeform it But with seven years of pro- Canada and the U.S. and immedi- encounters. duction experience behind them, ately captured the interest of a Mainframe is now ready to “trans- generation of young viewers. The Mainframe form” themselves into a feature first all-CGI television series preced- length production studio. They ed the first all-CGI feature-length Entertainment’s have three feature films in the film (Pixar’s Toy Story) by a year. works, to be produced for IMAX Reboot was a show, not origins began in screens, and this fall, audiences only animated with computers, the mid-1980’s will get to see Casper’s Haunted but which actually took place Christmas, the latest in the series of inside a computer. This was a solu- in England… classic Casper movies. Of course, tion based on the earlier restric- with Mainframe involved, it won’t tions of the medium, since com- be a mere copy of the ghosts of plex details, shadows and lighting The series, Weird-Ohs, Casper’s past; this version is the first required rendering time which the which aired last fall, was an Casper movie to be created exclu- schedules just didn’t have. But attempt to introduce the squash sively with computer animation. there was plenty of action, strong, and stretch of a Tex Avery cartoon I spoke with Mairi Welman, appealing characters and good into the world of 3D animation. Director of Communications, and stories. Reboot was a hit and, as The show introduced a group of Owen Hurley, the director of the first completely computer gen- suburban skateboarding kids, try- Casper’s Haunted Christmas to erated television series, resulted in ing to belong with the cool find out more about this direct-to- the induction of Mainframe crowd. “People said (the squash video release. Entertainment into the and stretch style) couldn’t be done Casper’s Haunted Christmas Smithsonian Institute in in 3D, so we had to prove them is Mainframe’s first “direct-to-video” Washington, D.C. wrong,” explains Director of production and their first collabo- Mainframe then went on to Communications Mairi Welman. ration with Harvey Entertainment, produce Beast Wars (renamed Action Man is Mainframe’s the company that brings us the Beasties due to the Canadian aver- latest venture into the sci-fi world classic characters Richie Rich, sion to the the word “war” in chil- of good versus evil. An extreme Wendy the Witch and Baby Huey. dren’s programming). The charac- sports superstar, Alex Mann discov- Haunted Christmas is also the first ters, with names such as Optimal ers he has unique powers, but is ever all CGI direct-to-video film Optimus and Megatron, are pursued by a renegade scientist based on the Casper The Friendly organic/mechanical Transformers who is out to capture him to use Ghost franchise. There have been (based on the Hasbro action toys Action Man’s powers to take over several other shows on television of the same name) battling for the the world. It is the first Mainframe and in theatres, the most memo- victory of either good or evil, show to involve motion-capture rable being Casper, which was according to which side they technology in a big way, and is produced by Steven Speilberg’s belong. This series has seen much currently showing on Fox Kids in Amblin Entertainment in 1995. success and continues this season the U.S. and on YTV in Canada. Mainframe’s Casper continues

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200026 along these lines, with the biggest difference being that there is no live-action; all the characters and locations were created digitally. Owen Hurley describes the plot: “Casper and his friends get banished to the town of Chris, Massachusetts, ‘the most Christmassy town in the world,’ where they have until Christmas day to get Casper to scare some- body. If he doesn’t do it, the group will be banished to the Dark. They bring in Casper’s cousin Spooky, dress him up as Casper and try to get him to get the job done, with hilarious results.” The show will be released on video and DVD this fall. The DVD version will have a wide-screen format option and a special, behind the scenes docu- The crew at Mainframe look like a fun and lively bunch. © Mainframe Entertainment mentary. Christmas was a “service job,” Hurley agrees that the proj- funded by Harvey Entertainment, ect was aimed at a wide audience: Mainframe had a lot of creative “We tried to put enough stuff in control over the project. “The there at various levels so that par- whole relationship with Harvey ents aren’t going to get bored was very good,” says Welman. with it. It’s kind of like Reboot in Hurley agrees, “On the cre- that it works on a lot of levels. ative side, there have never been There are references to things that any disagreements about any- kids may not quite understand, thing.” However, the biggest chal- but parents will get a kick out of, lenge in working with Harvey, was including a ‘Psycho-shower scene.’” Casper’s charming presence makes building the main characters, the challenge of creating him worth it. © Harvey Entertainment. because, “Harvey knows their The Artists ghosts and they’ve owned them For Owen Hurley, this was Casper was a challenge for for a long time,” states Hurley. “We an important “next step” in a com- Mainframe, which had to have a had the maquettes, the statues puter animation career spanning much more complex look than that Industrial Light & Magic had 10 years. He began his career in your average TV show. The com- made for the 1995 Casper and we Holland, working as a compositor pany went all out to make the modeled off them. They were and special effects supervisor on show look as good as it could, rejected immediately as being off commercials and music videos. since this is a new direction for character, so we then did a lot of Owen came to work for them. The crew consisted of twen- tweaking around with them. But Mainframe at the request of one of ty-six animators working under overall, in terms of the storyboards its founding members, Ian Hurley. Each animator produced and artwork, Harvey was very Pearson. Having directed various about twenty seconds of anima- accepting and it was a great rela- shows at Mainframe including tion per week and for Hurley, it tionship with a lot of mutual trust.” Reboot, Weird Oh’s and War was “a labour of love” which As for audience appeal, Planets, Owen had the right stuff required him to practically live at Mairi Welman advises that Casper for this project. He was also tired the studio during the production. is a film that, “You could take your of working on television commer- Although Casper’s Haunted grandma to see.” cials, which he left back in

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200027 their roots to reintroduce their 1994 “cyber-stars,” Bob, Dot and Enzo of Reboot. These well-known characters will return to the small screen in two, two-hour made-for- TV movies next year. And consid- ering that the studio has no plans to give up their successful leader- ship role in computer animated series work (they have recently announced a deal with Sony Pictures to produce up to 40 episodes of its new CG animated half-hour TV series Heavy Gear) the future looks great for one of the earliest pioneers of CGI.

Don Perro is a veteran animator and educator. He founded the Animation Department at Another shot of Mainframe artists, here, testing their gadgets. Capilano College in North © Mainframe Entertainment. Vancouver and co-ordinates their London: “You can sleep a lot more 2D or live-action. Mainframe two year, Commercial Animation easily at night when you make a avoided the temptation for photo- Program. He is currently spend- living by entertaining children realistic humans and went for a ing his summer vacation as an rather than selling them toxic real but stylized look. “I find it real- animation director for Studio B garbage,” he quips. “It’s a com- ly unpleasant and creepy when Productions in Vancouver, devel- pletely different form of directing. (photo-realistic) 3D humans are oping a new character-driven Directing commercials is compiling animated,” says Hurley. “At best, series for the Internet. pretty pictures for 30 seconds as they end up looking like dead peo- opposed to telling stories.” ple. Stunt doubles and crowd Note: Readers may contact any Another interesting thing scenes are a great use for realistic Animation World Magazine con- for Hurley, was working with two characters, but I just don’t buy into tributor by sending an e-mail to talented storyboard artists, Eddie this whole ‘cyber-actor’ thing. I [email protected]. Fitzgerald and Rich Arons, whose wanted the show to stay car- “boards were almost like flip- toony.” books.” Rich Arons was a Warner Pushing the envelope is Bros. director who worked on always Mainframe’s objective and Freakazoid and Animaniacs. Eddy Casper’s Haunted Christmas repre- Fitzgerald is one of the stars of sents the transition to a new chap- Spumco who worked on the early ter for them: feature films. As men- Ren & Stimpy shows with John tioned, Gulliver’s Travels is sched- Kricfalusi. uled to be released on Imax Designing the human screens later this year. In the pio- beings was one of the most fun neering spirit, which continues at parts of the production for Hurley. Mainframe, this will be “an all CGI The artists were given pretty much stereoscopic 3D motion picture in free reign to design them because the 15/70 format using the studio was breaking new Mainframe’s cutting-edge 3D com- ground: in all the previous Casper puter animation technology.” projects, the humans were either Mainframe will also reach back to

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200028 Writing for CGI: A Talk With Ian Boothby by Heather Kenyon tarting as a stand-up come- show and from that I got Casper. dian, Ian Boothby writes for Stelevision, radio and theater, HK: All things flow into one as well as comic books. For the another. past two years he has written for Bongo Entertainment’s Simpsons IB: I’ve got a pretty strong rule, Comics. He was also a contribut- which is I won’t do anything that ing writer on Homer Simpson’s isn’t funny, or doesn’t have the Guide to Being A Man (Harper potential to be funny. Sometimes Collins). For television, Ian has you drop the ball later, but it’s got written for Canvas Cat and Bongo to at least have a good chance. To Bat, Zero Avenue, Street Cents, me, the Casper movie was very Popular Mechanics for Kids and funny and so that was like, ‘Yeah, Skinnamarink TV, among many all right, I’d like to play with these others. He has also created two characters. I’d like to take these television shows, Channel 92 and toys out to the back yard and see The 11th Hour. For his efforts he Ian Boothby. Photo courtesy what we can do.’ has won many awards, including of Ian Boothby. the Gemini Award for Best like working on other projects that HK: How do you change your Children’s TV Program (1987) for I enjoy in the meantime to sort of sensibilities for these different Switchback, a show he both wrote finance my own personal work. mediums? What factors do you and performed in. His relationship Everything for me comes back to, take into consideration? with Mainframe Entertainment ‘How can I learn something that I started when he began writing for can put into my own films or tele- IB: It’s interesting ‘cause the line is Weird-Ohs. Recently, he and his vision programs?’ really blurred now. It used to be if partner Roger Fredericks, another you were doing live-action you Weird-Ohs’ alum, co-wrote the HK: So you’re creating your own were very limited to the amount of screenplay for the CGI feature, films, your own television shows, sets you could have and your Casper’s Haunted Christmas. and then taking television series budget. Any time you had any- Here Ian talks about work- work and other things to pay the thing slightly special effects-y — ing with Mainframe, writing for bills? see if that gets past your spell CGI, balancing a freelance lifestyle check — special effects-y, your and collaborating with a produc- IB: Yes, but not taking just any budget would go through the tion team… work. I only take work where I roof. But then in the world of car- either feel I can learn something or toons, you could have people Heather Kenyon: You write for I really enjoy the company that I’m falling off mountains and flying to television, radio, theater…you do working with. With Mainframe the moon, but you couldn’t do everything. Is this what it takes to that was the case. I was a big fan realism. You couldn’t do faces well. make a living as a freelance writer? of Reboot and always wanted to You couldn’t have small little ges- work with them on that show, but tures. At present you have to be Ian Boothby: Well I might be a lit- then, of course, it’s off the air. Then much more slapstick-y when you tle different in that my prime goal Weird-Ohs came along and I got do animation. You have to be is to work on my own projects. I the opportunity to work on that much more visual when you do ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200029 animation. But the line is blurring least at present, you can only do in live-action film — not a problem. and there will be a lot of crossover. animation, and that is, it can take In an animated film — yeah, it is a There’s a lot of live-action movies you to another world. What you problem. You’ve got to cast a new where the special effects are all really need is for the audience to voice and especially with comput- computer generated. What’s the be able to project themselves into er, you’ve got to generate it. And difference between that and CG that environment. I saw Dinosaur it’s so much work to do that. I can’t animation? It’s all mixing into one recently. You couldn’t do that any believe the amount of work they really interesting world where other way than computer anima- do on each of these characters. there are no limitations. As a writer tion. That’s something animation There’s so much depth and preci- that’s both scary and very fun. can do — take you to a complete- sion and so many little details. We ly different world that has its own were also a little bit limited in that HK: Sometimes I see stories that rules. But what has been done tra- once you built a set, say the are animated but there doesn’t ditionally, I think, is since you’ve house, you really have to use the seem to be any reason to use this got animation you feel weird house as much as possible special medium. What elements doing a small intimate story about because it took so much work to do you see are necessary for a just people and so you go, ‘We make. You’re limited by location successful animated story versus a better take them to the moon.’ when you’re dealing with CGI live-action story? You’re spending all this time draw- specifically. ing something. ‘I better do some- IB: That’s an interesting one. thing you can’t do in live-action.’ HK: What was it like working with Something like King of the Hill you So you get a whole bunch of big such a classic character? could almost see as being a live- action, big slapstick or eyes pop- action sitcom, whereas something ping out, things like that, but oth- IB: That was fun in that you get to like The Simpsons, there’s absolute- erwise you feel like, ‘Why don’t I put your own spin on him. Both ly no way. One, you’d never be just do this live-action?’ like you Roger and myself are big fans of able to do the timing correctly on were saying earlier. animation. So, it’s been a kick in the jokes. With animation, you can the last two years to actually do it. do all these quick little jokes and lit- HK: With Casper, did you run into It’s been a real thrill. In this, there’s tle behind the scenes things; you any specific challenges? a lot of homages to things like The can have multi-layered jokes. Grinch Who Stole Christmas, It’s A Whereas in a sitcom, you really IB: Yeah, in that we had a very Wonderful Life, Frosty the have to do, set up, punch line, set limited cast. Say I was doing a live- Snowman, things like that. We up, punch line. If there’s anything action movie. I go, ‘Okay, I want tried to say, ‘Okay, Casper’s a clas- in the background, it’ll probably the street to be full of extras.’ It’s a sic character. Let’s see what all be out of focus or take away from little pricey, but you can still get it these characters would be like if the live studio audience laughing. done. But if I say that to the peo- we put them in a Grinch Who The benefits of animation or what ple at Mainframe they go, ‘We’ve Stole Christmas environment.’ makes a difference from, say, got to generate each character That’s something that Roger and I Something About Mary, are the individually,’ and that takes a are known for, merging two gen- background elements and multi- whole heck of a lot of time. So to res together, two styles together, level jokes. overcome this, what we did was and seeing what comes out of the we went, ‘All right. We want a mix. But Casper was definitely fun. HK: What about the general ele- whole bunch of people — since it’s We got to play with a couple of ments of the story? It seems like a winter — in snow suits.’ So all the things that we always thought lot of the great animated films con- snow suits are the same, but a dif- were interesting in that Spooky tain elements of magic, fantasy or ferent color. That gives the illusion looks a lot like Casper but no one’s of looking at the world from a dif- that we’ve got a whole bunch of ever done something where ferent point of view. different people. That’s the only Spooky impersonates Casper. Plus, one real limitation is you can’t Spooky and Poyle have a real IB: You got a couple things you have a guest character come in or Burns and Allen vibe to them. We can do with animation that, at add more characters in later. In a had a lot of fun with that, writing

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200030 in the old Burns and Allen style for our strengths? Okay, let’s put them which we’re actually still doing, them, and a Three Stooges slap- together and see what we can do. called The 11th Hour. And in both stick-y style for the trio. Then we I think in this Casper film, we really of those, I wrote parts that were had a nice, not quite romance, both pushed our limitations. There exactly right for me. Then at times but we had a nice story between were a lot of times when they sent when the acting work isn’t coming Casper and Holly. You can always stuff to us and we went, ‘Oh man, in, the writing work covers it. And tug at the heartstrings with that’s tricky. I don’t know how we times when the writing work isn’t Casper. That gives the film just that can write that.’ But then we did. coming in, then the acting work little extra. To me, what makes a And we’d go to them and say, ‘We covers it. I also still do improv. In Christmas film good, is you can really want this scene.’ And they’d Canada, you pretty much have to have all the jokes in the world, but respond, ‘Oh, I don’t know how do at least five jobs to make a liv- then you have to have that little we’re going to animate that.’ But ing in the arts. Luckily, I can do moment where you really care then when we’d see it done, it about five things okay. about the characters. That’s what was gorgeous. we played with Casper and Holly. We’re at the start of a new HK: That leads perfectly into my And Casper’s kind of a sad charac- medium with CGI, in that in 2D next question. How do you han- ter at heart in that he really wants animation, a lot of stuff has been dle the precarious nature of being friends and he doesn’t have done. It’s tough to beat Disney a freelancer? friends. He scares everybody, you and Warner Bros. and all the clas- know? So when Casper actually sic stuff that’s been done. You look IB: I think the way you handle it is, finally gets a friend, it’s a big deal at shows now and you say, ‘I like you don’t put all your eggs in one and it’s nice. it, but you’re kind of repeating the basket. Do a whole bunch of dif- old Chuck Jones, you know, ferent things. It’s weird, because HK: You started as a stand-up Clampett, gags.’ But CGI, that’s the main rule about writing is they comic. How do you think this new. What are the visual jokes that say, ‘Write what you know.’ But helped your writing? you can do in a 3D environment? then you go, ‘I’m writing for Road You could just repeat — translate Runner. They’ve got explosives IB: I started off also doing improv- 2D jokes to 3D. That’s possible. But and a coyote chasing around.’ isation. Both Roger and I do there’s so much more that you This is a world of fantasy, but you improv. I think that’s more what could do. That’s what we’re on the know what you like. So write from we use in our writing than stand ground floor of, and it sure is fun. what you know in the real world up, per se, because improv is more I think that’s a mistake sometimes for live-action, but write from what communal. What you do is you people make when they go into you like when it comes to anima- make an offer on stage and the 3D. They say, ‘I just want to do tion. If I was writing for a genre other person responds and builds basically an old Chuck Jones or that I didn’t enjoy it would on that offer. That’s exactly what Bob Clampett cartoon, but 3D it become very obvious very fast. I we do with Mainframe. We go to up.’ It’s like, no! That was their think that’s why you get a lot of Mainframe and go, ‘All right, we medium. ’What’s yours? What can really mediocre animation. People want Casper to be on top of the you do?’ are just going for any job: ‘I’ve got Empire State Building.’ Then they to take any work that comes along show us what they can do with HK: How did you get your start in because anything is good. the animation, what their limita- writing? Anything will help me along.’ No, tions are and what they can do I don’t think so. I think you’ve got that really looks cool. We then IB: I got my start in writing to take only work that you enjoy. build on that and go, ‘If you can because I was also an actor and Then you’ll bring that joy and do that and that looks really cool, the best way to get a part for your- interest to the project. That’ll make well, heck, we’re going to write a self is to write a part that’s exactly a much better television program scene on that.’ Then they build on right for you. I’ve written for a cou- or film. That’s sort of how I go that, and we go back and forth. It’s ple of TV shows. I’ve done a sit- about things. I do multiple things. really a nice collaborative process. com called Channel 92. Roger and I do improv. I do my own stuff. I What are your strengths? What are I did a sketch comedy show, work freelance for good compa-

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200031 nies. Not a lot of people do that would be able to pop over. Plus, I month? It’s nice to have someone but that’s a real rule of mine. In knew a couple of the animators come in and say, ‘That’s good.’ doing that, you sort of dodge a lot on this because I also write for We’re going to see that, come of the freelance bullets. comic books and I knew a couple Christmas. The footage I’ve seen of them from the comic scene in so far, I was really, really pleased HK: You’re lucky that you can do town as well. So we already had a with. that, that you’re not starving, so little bit of a pre-existing relation- you can pick and choose. ship. They’re just all great guys HK: In animation, there’s a real and girls to hang around with. struggle, because there’s some stu- IB: Oh, I starved! I’ve had a few dios that are letting the ‘board years of that, but you make your HK: That’s good. I think when you artists almost write the whole choices and you stick with it. But have the writers and the artists entire thing. Then there’s other stu- I’ve had the hungry years as well. interacting that lends itself to a dios where the writers are writing Definitely. much more cohesive story and everything and then like you said, project at the end of the day. just getting a paycheck. It seems HK: Now, it seems like Casper like somewhere there has to be a wasn’t a case where you and IB: I’ve been in so many projects middle ground, but it’s really hard Roger just wrote a script and where you write a script, get a for animation studios to find that handed it to Harvey and then left. check, which is lovely, but then ground. It sounds like you were really Bob’s your uncle, you’re off. Then involved in the production with you watch the show months later IB: You’ve got the John Kricfalusi Mainframe. Is that the case? and go, ‘That was my name at the way, which is where the animators beginning? But a giraffe was the themselves do the writing, and IB: Yes it was. What had hap- police officer? What the…?’ I’ve sat then there’s also The Simpsons pened was we had been writing down with friends to watch a style, which is the writers write it on Weird-Ohs already, so about show and I say, ‘That was my joke,’ all and then the animators take once every two weeks we’d go sit about once every two minutes. over. There’s almost like animators with all the animators in a big first or writers first. Those are two room and jam on ideas. In that HK: It was a luxury then that you very distinctive styles, and there’s way we got to know them and got to work with Mainframe so some really hilarious Ren and they again told us what the limita- closely. Stimpy cartoons and there’s very tions were, and even more impor- hilarious Simpsons cartoons. Then tantly, we were asking them, ‘Well, IB: It was a luxury. It was also a there’s some studios that just want what do you guys want to ani- luxury working with a company — to turn around and make a buck mate? What’s fun for you to ani- it sounds like I’m kissing ass — but and so they buy a property and mate?’ We’d get a good vibe from that does such great work. We’d say, ‘We got our animation studio the room. If you have an animator write a scene and then a couple of that’s going to do it, great.’ And animating something that they months later, we’d go in and we’d then, ‘Who are the writers?’ ‘Well, like, they’re going to do a better see the scene and take our jaws these are some writers who have job. So we kept that relationship. off the floor, and go, ‘You guys are written animation with boards.’ We had meetings every once in a great! Oh my gosh!’ And that ‘Good! Them. Okay.’ And you’re while but then when they’re would so pump you up to write there in the business of selling the doing their thing we’d leave them more stuff because you’re going, toy or whatever it is. They’re mak- alone and let them work their ‘Did you see what they did? Okay, ing a buck. And fair enough. But magic, and then they’d leave us now we really have to write this.’ It something like Ren and Stimpy or alone and let us write our thing. would be so exciting. Of course, The Simpsons both work, because Harvey was very hands-on, and that’s encouraging to the anima- they’ve got a lot of heart to them. Mainframe was very hands-on. tors, too, ‘cause they’re working in Ren and Stimpy were Kricfalusi’s Both Roger and I live just a couple a big vacuum there. Who knows if creations and he really cared. And of blocks away from the the joke’s funny anymore after Matt Groening was very hands-on Mainframe animation offices so we you’ve been working on it for a with The Simpsons because he

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200032 really cared. You’ve got to have that we’ll be proud to show all our make it with Mainframe, was real- someone who gives a damn. I friends. Here’s the other thing that ly a great experience. think 80% of the projects out is really cool for both Roger and I. there, people don’t give a damn A Christmas special airs forever — and you can tell. But with Casper, just airs forever. It’s so nice to have Heather Kenyon is editor in chief luckily, it was obvious they really something that ten years from of Animation World Magazine. did care. And that was swell. now, they’ll probably be showing. It’s really important to make So much of your work is dispos- comedies as funny as possible. A able. It’s on for however long the Note: Readers may contact any lot of times something is called TV season is and then it’s done, Animation World Magazine con- comedy and it just — it is not unless Nick at Nite picks it up in tributor by sending an e-mail to funny. I think we’ve got something thirty years, but a Christmas special [email protected]. here that hopefully is funny and lives on for a long time. And to

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200033 WAM!!NET at SIGGRAPH 2000 by Stephanie Argy s visitors to SIGGRAPH Quicktime movie.” He said that 1999 may have learned, working via a network also accel- AWAM!NET offers a way for erates the post-production companies that create digital con- process, eliminating the need to tent to store, share, transmit and strike a tape, mail it to a director render their projects. “We try and on the other side of the world, remove a lot of the headaches of then wait for the reaction. With putting together a computing sys- WAM!NET, feedback is almost tem,” said Anne Wagner, the com- instantaneous — or, as Trosh said, pany’s manager of marketing pro- “It eliminates that five-day turn- Now networking... © WAM!NET grams. “WAM!NET takes on the around.” burden of putting together the The Mill and Mill Film were offered Trosh emphasized that one infrastructure.” a chance to beta-test a direct of the biggest changes in Founded in 1995, WAM!NET connection. “I guess it WAM!NET since its early days has WAM!NET began as a network was quite successful, because we been the improvement of a client’s enabling media-related businesses didn’t give it back,” Trosh said. ability to follow the progress of a to collaborate online. Today, the Trosh explained that the transmission. “WAM!NET enables a company has approximately 6,800 service is used extensively by both user to send a data file, go to the users who connect to the service the Mill, which does post-produc- Web site and see where that pack- via the Internet — usually T1 or tion work on commercials, and its age is,” Trosh said. “Since the infor- ISDN lines — and another 1,900 sister company, Mill Film, which mation is accessed through direct users who connect via “pur- specializes in effects for feature WAM!NET’s Web site, the customer ple boxes” provided by the com- films. “About 20% of the work we can track the package from any pany. The purple-box service pro- do at the Mill is for U.S. agencies,” vides a server, a router and a com- Trosh said. “We use it for that, for munications box that connects the our commercials.” company directly to the WAM!NET On the feature side, he network. said, the arrival of the WAM!NET WAM!NET has clients rang- connection coincided with a num- ing from newspaper publishers to ber of projects on which the direc- pre-press firms to 12 of the 20 tors wanted to stay in close con- largest retailers in the United tact with the facility as they States, but the company is also worked. building a strong presence in the On the movie Gladiator, for entertainment industry, especially example, director Ridley Scott shot in the visual effects and post-pro- at locations ranging from Malta to duction communities. Morocco, then went to Los Among the company’s early Angeles to edit the movie. By entertainment industry clients using WAM!NET, he was able to were the Mill and Mill Film in stay in touch with the London- London. “About two years ago, based visual effects team through- we were approached by someone out the process. “It just stops direc- we knew in a previous life who tors having to fly around the world had just started working at to see viewings,” Trosh said. WAM!NET worked with WAM!NET,” recalled Roy Trosh, “Everybody’s used to double-click- Mill Film on Gladiator. head of technology at the Mill. ing on their PCs and seeing a TM & © 2000 DreamWorks LLC. ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200034 computer, logging on from home approximately 30,000 to see if the file has actually been frames, which required delivered.” about 58,000 hours of While WAM!NET continues rendering time. to promote all of its various servic- “Rendering the whole film es, at SIGGRAPH 2000 its emphasis on one processor would was on ROD! and ROD! Lite, the certainly have been a company’s render-on-demand daunting task,” Stangl services. said. According to WAM!NET After examining estimates, a 100-frame sequence the various options avail- that would take about 16 and a able, Spin decided to use half days to render on a single WAM!NET. “The deciding desktop computer could be done factor was whether in about four hours using the WAM!NET had enough ROD! service. The render-on- processors on-site to man- demand services thus make it pos- age our job,” Stangl said. sible for both large companies and “They had the horsepow- boutiques to take on larger and er. They also had the more complicated projects. bandwidth to make it GOAT's Dixie tricks. © Goat.com. At SIGGRAPH 2000, the practical for us to send them approach,” Stangl explained. company unveiled ROD! Lite, an images to render (which) they WAM!NET also enables Internet-based rendering service could send back, rather than send- artists to collaborate with others expected to be available by the ing them back and forth on from around the world, even if end of this year. Providing access tapes.” they don’t have a single central to the company’s 350-computer The rendering process nev- headquarters. Another early cus- render farm, ROD! Lite initially will ertheless required a degree of tomer for the ROD! service was support Windows NT, with sup- faith. “It was quite a render task all GOAT (Gurus of Abstract port for additional platforms around, and to be doing it remote- Techniques), a design collective of scheduled for 2001. ly was quite daunting,” Stangl people working in different profes- Several companies that said. “We were also beta-siting sions. “Everybody does something encountered WAM!NET at SIG- WAM!NET, so we were in a very of a creative nature,” said Jake GRAPH 1999 have since taken risky position. We entered into this Morrison, one of the founders of advantage of ROD! Norm Stangl, knowing that in beta mode, you GOAT in London. CEO of Spin Productions, said that have to work through issues.” Morrison has since moved at last year’s gathering, his compa- WAM!NET technicians did their to San Francisco, while other ny had just agreed to generate best to resolve any problems. members of the group live in about 11 minutes of 3D work in “They responded well to our chal- places ranging from Sweden to Cyberworld, an animation show- lenges,” Stangl said. “It was a Hawaii. Although they continue to case for IMAX theaters. “We were good working process to get this work together on projects such as looking for render solutions,” up and running.” a recent music video for the Dixie Stangl said. Spin’s first renders went to Chicks, “Cowboy, Take Me Away,” Each computer-generated WAM!NET in February, and Stangl they lack some of the resources of Cyberworld frame had between estimated that at one point during a brick-and-mortar facility. 100 and 150 layers and required the process, there were 500 to “Because we don’t have an office an average of four hours to ren- 600 machines working on the per se, we don’t have a base of der. Furthermore, because this project. When Spin sent its shots machines,” Morrison said. was a 3D project, each frame was to WAM!NET for rendering, he At SIGGRAPH 1999, doubled — one frame for the right added, they were sent in multiple Morrison spoke with officials from eye, one frame for the left. As a layers. “The file sizes were so huge, WAM!NET and arranged for GOAT result, the project comprised it was the most practical to do some beta-testing. In addi-

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200035 ferent approaches.” an effects facility wants to bring in Accordingly, the an extra server for a heavy render price of WAM!NET job, the expense of license fees service also fluctu- may lift the cost out of the viable ates. “Cost varies range. WAM!NET, though, has based on a number already paid the relevant fees, so of variables,” its users can render images using Wagner said. “The programs from a range of compa- type of connection nies, including Alias|Wavefront, and whether the Softimage and Pixar. client wants to do According to Wagner, tests or an entire film WAM!NET’s mission is to free artists both influence the and other creative people from cost. We also some- having to spend too much time Sunspot by GOAT.© Goat.com. times have special thinking about their equipment. tion to the Dixie Chicks video, offers to coincide with trade “All the creative people need to GOAT used WAM!NET for two cor- shows and events.” worry about is hiring WAM!NET,” porate presentations — one for The underlying pay struc- she said. “We provide an end-to- Sun Microsystems and the other ture can even differ between com- end rendering solution.” Ironically, for sap.com. Morrison has seen panies. GOAT, for example, hires the company offers so many WAM!NET evolve over the course WAM!NET on a project-by-project options that the biggest problem of GOAT’s productions. “On our basis and is charged per hour of customers have, according to first job, we were literally telneting rendering. On Cyberworld, Spin Wagner, is choosing from among into their machines,” Morrison paid for rendering by the frame. them. “The most interesting issue said. Soon, though, WAM!NET “We knew roughly how many that I have found is that there are established an Internet gateway. frames we would have to pro- various opinions about the best “These were simpler FTP sites,” he duce,” Stangl said, “so early on we way to go,” Wagner said. “Ten continued. “They now have this negotiated a rate with WAM!NET people will want to take this whole Web-based system, which is that was sensible and workable to resource 10 different ways. pretty slick, I think. our budget. Obviously, a good Building a consensus is often the “The most important thing deal has to be a good deal for most difficult thing. It’s not a tech- for us was that WAM!NET were everyone.” nology barrier.” extremely responsive to our Although the Mill has not needs,” Morrison continued. “If we yet made use of WAM!NET’s ren- Republished from VFXPro, a fellow had a big render coming up, they dering capabilities, Trosh is confi- Creative Planet community Web would render a file frame and dent ROD! may prove itself a use- site, and on-line news resource for send it back to me so I could qual- ful tool in the near future. “We the visual effects community affili- ity-check the scene before we foresee a large demand for ren- ated with the Visual Effects started the full render. The only dering in our upcoming projects Society. delay for us was in downloading at the Mill,” Trosh said. “We’re rendered imagery at GOAT via our going through the numbers, so it’s Stephanie Argy is a regular con- DSL connection. The people at a purely financial consideration for tributor to VFXPro.com. WAM!NET were actually rendering us now.” faster than we could download.” Trosh noted that one Note: Readers may contact any WAM!NET’s rendering important financial question when Animation World Magazine con- options vary, depending on it comes to rendering is the issue tributor by sending an e-mail to clients’ needs. “Rendering is a flex- of additional license fees. While [email protected]. ible science,” WAM!NET’s Wagner some software manufacturers offer said. “Sometimes you want it com- use of their render engines for pleted in a certain period of time, free, others charge a hefty fee per other times you want to try out dif- render license. As a result, even if

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200036 Recruiting at SIGGRAPH 2000 by Juniko Moody amassing a supply of possible per- have a short-term and long-term project candidates for upcoming approach,” she said. “The short- projects. term objective is to fill immediate There are more schools positions, while the long-term goal dedicated to developing entertain- is to build relationships which may ment artists and technologists be fruitful in the future.” then ever before, and thus more With Shrek in full produc- candidates, but the common tion, only a couple of lighting and © SIGGRAPH lament remains that quality people effects positions remain unfilled at rom the West Coast to the are hard to find. Most studios enlist PDI. The company recently East Coast, the trend this their recruiters to advise universi- wrapped Robert Redford’s feature Fyear is “back to basics,” with ties and other training institutions The Legend of Bagger Vance, to most studios looking for well- on the education and set of skills be released in November. Looking rounded, experienced generalists necessary for potential employees, forward to its third animated fea- who have strengths in both tech- in the hopes of affecting curricula ture, Tusker, with the Imax version nology and art. Most facilities and creating an ideal employee of Shrek in the works, the longest- agree that while SIGGRAPH is a pool. Educational institutions lived digital effects studio is enjoy- great information-exchange forum change slowly, so the immediate ing an infusion of new business and meeting place, few candi- solution still is to rely on screening from current major stockholder dates are actually hired immediate- numerous candidates worldwide. DreamWorks. Friedman said, “Our ly after SIGGRAPH. With the indus- All studios have Web sites and planning has been enhanced by try’s everyday recruiting strategy internship programs, which makes knowing that there are several fea- utilizing referrals and Web sites, recruiting easier. ture films in the future, due to there is little dependence upon a DreamWorks.” concerted once-a-year recruiting There are a variety of open- effort. However, recruiting contin- ings to be filled over an extended ues because SIGGRAPH is so con- period of time. PDI generally looks ducive to building relationships for people with two to five years of and allowing both prospective production experience and focus- employers and employees to learn es on skills and education. Its digi- more about one another. tal artists must know UNIX and Among the following medi- © Pacific Data Images shell scripting. Friedman refrains um-to-large companies, the fore- Now that digital effects from using opposing titles such as cast includes more CGI animation, have been widely used for so “artists” and “technicians”; she more feature films and more digi- many years, there is a larger num- prefers to describe PDI employees tal effects, but this growth doesn’t ber of experienced practitioners as “people who create imagery necessarily translate into volume available. Evidence of digital and people who enable the cre- hiring. Most agree that it is quality, effects longevity is Pacific Data ation of imagery.” Artists and tech- not quantity, that is desired. Since Images, now celebrating its 20th nical directors are both essential to most studios have already staffed anniversary. This year’s SIGGRAPH the process. their main team of employees, was recruiting director Marilyn PDI seldom hires recent they now can concentrate on Friedman’s seventh with PDI. “We graduates, but currently it has sev- ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200037 eral entry-level positions open. PDI adults capable of working both so we have a broader base of does not offer internships or schol- independently and as a team.” experienced people to choose arships. Its Web site posts Finding someone who’s a from, and these people will bring announcements and job opportu- good fit means meeting well- their experience to us.” nities regularly. rounded people, Plotkin said. “We Plotkin defined DD’s core Digital Domain (DD) also is can add to the core team that will team as consisting primarily of enjoying a successful period while complement our ability to handle “brilliant-thinking problem solvers completing How the Grinch Stole complex projects.” Plotkin credited with traditional talents in painting, Christmas. “Our goal has been to two main factors for the broad- drawing or photography.” He also become our own production com- based search strategies used by said DD hoped to meet people pany, and we are moving toward Digital Domain and other studios: who want to work with them and our goal in significant ways,” said difficulty in predicting candidate to help students and professionals Laurence Plotkin, director of success on the job and competi- make good career decisions. human resources and recruitment tion among facilities. These factors Brad Reinke, senior at DD. cause each studio to seek out the recruiter for Cinesite, concurred Employees from each top two or three candidates and with Plotkin. Cinesite also is department staffed the DD booth: to be ever on the lookout for fresh involved in “specialized recruiting,” 2D, 3D, character animation, TD new talent and potential. selecting only the best TD candi- and software. They handed out “There are a huge number dates, those with three to five postcards with software, job and of schools and graduates,” Plotkin years of production experience. contact information, while show- said. “Experienced production He too keeps a lookout for “rising casing past work. They did not col- people and the cumulative years stars” or fresh new talent through lect reels or resumes but instead of experience are growing signifi- exhibitions like Electronic Theatre. presented an opportunity to meet cantly, but the reason we recruit “In the past there was a and talk. Reels and resumes can internationally is because talent need for senior-level personnel,” be sent directly to Digital Domain. exists everywhere, and it is my job Reinke said. “Then, as software The company recruits for two pur- to look everywhere. We hire inter- and pipelines improved, it was poses: to add to its core team of nationally because certain schools easier to bring in junior-level artists and to identify people with may consistently produce excellent artists, train them and put them in specific sets of skills who can be graduates due to their training, a solely artistic role. This resulted in called upon quickly when a new curriculum and access to technol- having less technical skill develop- project begins. “The number of ogy or admission process that ment. Now we’ve come back people we are looking for is actu- attracts ambitious and talented around full circle and need experi- ally a result of who we meet,” people. Also, many areas of the enced people with both skills.” Plotkin said. world focus on artistic develop- Reinke believes the greatest Asked to describe the ment and place a value on artistic damage has been done by the Digital Domain culture, Plotkin growth not always found in the numerous short trade programs responded, “We have a unique U.S.” that teach only software. The environment compared to other Judging candidates by longer two-year programs pro- studios. Because many of our staff their potential means evaluating duce students with superior tal- have been at Digital Domain since their base skill display, because ents, blending art, technology and the beginning, we have a casual, they do not yet have production software. He serves on advisory young, energetic yet relaxed experience. The criteria for evalu- boards but finds most learning atmosphere that is fraternal and ating experienced artists are differ- institutions and training facilities low-key. Our location also con- ent from those for newcomers. reluctant to lose the income gen- tributes to our culture. Many of “There is a direct correlation erated by the demand for brief, our most successful artists were between the longevity of certain concentrated software courses. groomed internally and gained software or techniques and the “I often get students who experience in a peer system that experience level of collective sea- say to me, ‘I know Maya inside takes time to teach and learn. Our soned candidates,” Plotkin said. and out,’” Reinke said, “but we artists are intense, self-managed “Some technology is 8 years old, only use 50% of Maya because

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200038 25% will not work in our pipeline Imageworks has become respect- wide variety of projects, including and 25% was rewritten to work in ed for is our work in creating digi- commercials and film. “Our our pipeline. That means that 50% tal characters and integrating employees might work on a com- of the student’s time was wasted those characters into live-action mercial one week, then a short learning software instead of environments. A large measure of film or television series develop- improving artistic skills. We’ve our success in creating those per- ment the next week,” Fino said. always looked for generalists with formances falls upon the shoul- “We work on various types of proj- strong, artistic style.” Reinke serves ders of our digital animation ects.” Top on Wildbrain’s list was as adviser on the board of team.” Levy also emphasized that Internet animation. “We started Gnomon School of Visual Effects. “talent knows no borders,” inviting modestly with 2D cartoons,” Fino “Gnomon is a good example of a applicants from the international said, “but we are aggressively pur- fine upcoming school,” he said. community. suing more 2D and 3D anima- “They integrate skills in the way Sony’s alliance with Sony tion.” they train, retrain and cross-train.” Pictures Digital Entertainment, a Fino said he has tended to Reinke described the new operating unit of Sony find more artists than producers Cinesite culture as being relaxed Pictures Entertainment, has broad- and production managers at SIG- and easy to work in without walls ened the horizons this year for GRAPH, and noted it’s sometimes or cubicles, large enough to Levy. “All of our broadband initia- difficult to attract people to the accommodate several big-budget, tives, our online activities at Sony Bay Area due to its high cost of liv- high-profile projects yet small and our gaming unit, Sony Online ing. Like other studios, Wildbrain enough to retain a “family” atmos- Entertainment — which includes recruits internationally, a task phere with free-flowing communi- EverQuest and the whole Verant made easier by the Internet, which cation. “Our environment tries to Organization, which we have has yielded a diverse workplace. create and nurture personalities now acquired — is represented in The company is selectively search- who want to be involved in every- our booth,” Levy said. “We will ing to fill two to five positions. “We thing,” he said. For Reinke, one of now be able to engage talent have a free-flowing environment the most important advantages to from a broader cross section of tal- with lots of creativity,” Fino said. working at Cinesite is “the ability to ent as broadband comes into play. “We are a corporation with dead- see the whole production process, The computer graphics opportuni- lines and clients, but a creative no matter what role you play.” ties are only going to grow, so we environment needs a little exemp- On the heels of Stuart Little, now have more opportunities.” tion from the norm.” Offering chal- the upcoming Hollow Man and Jeff Fino, co-founder and lenging work, Wildbrain also Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s executive producer of Wildbrain, rewards creativity. “Animation is a Stone, Don Levy of Sony Pictures said, “SIGGRAPH is not the best merit-based system,” Fino said. Imageworks welcomed keen inter- way to find people, but it is a great est from the SIGGRAPH communi- way to meet people.” He said he ty. “There are fewer than half a likes to impact careers by impart- dozen enormous projects in the ing advice, adding, “Information marketplace today. Imageworks is exchange is the most important lined up to work on three,” Levy aspect of SIGGRAPH.” said. “One of our priorities we’re interested in is meeting shader writers. A lot of the kind of work © Pixar Animation Studios we’re doing looks as good as it Another Bay Area compa- does because we develop propri- ny, Pixar Animation Studios, also is etary shaders that enable us to looking for the right blend of give our images the very special artists and technologists. Pixar reps kinds of look that we’re able to describe the ideal TD as having achieve. We’re also looking for © Wildbrain knowledge of UNIX program- technical directors and character Wildbrain is looking for ming/scripting and extensive 3D animators. One of the things generalists who like to work on a graphics experience in modeling,

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200039 lighting and shading using tripled in size, so it is moving to a The Walt Disney Co. was Alias|Wavefront and Softimage. new location. Already hired are represented at SIGGRAPH by Walt Also useful is an education in com- feature film editors, layout, visual Disney Feature Animation (WDFA), puter science, mathematics or development and storyboard staff, the Secret Lab (TSL), Go.com and engineering with an art back- managers, planners and program- Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI), ground and a thorough under- mers. They have written fresh ani- which presented their current and standing of physical motion, mation tools, proprietary render- upcoming projects. WDFA weight, balance, texture and ing software and production man- debuted artwork from The form. Pixar also is looking for agement and tracking tools. Emperor’s New Groove, Atlantis, graphics software engineers, ani- Treasure Planet, Sweating Bullets, mators and layout artists. Lilo & Stitch and John Henry. TSL In New York, the approach showcased Dinosaur and pre- is the same. Chuck Richardson of viewed work for 102 Dalmatians. Blue Sky Studios said, “We are fin- Go.com highlighted its Web ishing a major recruiting effort that attractions, and WDI presented its started at last year’s SIGGRAPH to work for the new DisneyQuest vir- staff up for feature production. We tual ride “Pirates of the Caribbean: increased our crew by about © Rhythm & Hues Battle for Buccaneer Gold.” 150%. We still have approximately Rhythm & Hues also had a TSL also made presenta- 10-15 TD and character-animator booth at SIGGRAPH where would- tions of its work on Dinosaur, positions open.” be employees could drop off Mission to Mars and Gone in 60 resumes and demo reels. “We are Seconds at the Alias|Wavefront, always looking for highly qualified SGI, Nothing Real and Steamboat and experienced personnel in all Software booths. All divisions were disciplines,” said David Weinberg, recruiting for a wide variety of job director of 3D production. “We opportunities and were accepting may add to our core group of reels and resumes. Job opportuni- employees if we meet appropriate ties are posted on the VFXPro.com candidates. Recently we have job listings. © Blue Sky Studios seen the talent pool mature. Andrew Millstein of the As to requirements, People with years of experience Secret Lab hoped to hire approxi- Richardson said, “Our antennae can now be found at SIGGRAPH. mately 30 new people, for both are always out for bright, talented, In the past, we often found people permanent and project positions, skilled, dedicated, spirited, deter- without much professional pro- primarily for feature animation mined, obsessive, imaginative indi- duction experience applying for technology. Secret Lab’s goals for viduals. Having strong softball skills positions at SIGGRAPH.” He said SIGGRAPH were threefold: present is a plus.” In addition to SIGGRAPH Rhythm & Hues has found it rarely a high-end presence, communi- recruiting — which for Blue Sky needs to hire internationally now, cate to candidates about upcom- usually results in an ocean of appli- as it did in the past. When the stu- ing projects and allow artists and cations, resumes and reels — the dio merged with VIFX a year and a technologists to demonstrate their studio also makes use of its Web half ago, the result was a larger work. In general, it seeks those site, paid advertisements and an and better company. “We have with backgrounds in computer sci- in-house recruiter, and offers hired many more free-lance peo- ence, visual arts, film business and bonuses for successful recruiting. ple in the past year than before,” Internet. Blue Sky recently trans- Weinberg said. Industrial Light & Magic formed itself from a commercial Working on commercial had a major presence at SIG- and high-end film and TV comput- and feature films, current Rhythm GRAPH and is looking for talented er-animation production facility & Hues projects include How the people to join its CG, digital tech- into a feature film studio specializ- Grinch Stole Christmas, The Sixth nology and art departments. ing in computer animation. The Day and Little Nicky. Several bids There is a lot of cutting-edge work change meant the company are out for 2001. expected on features such as

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200040 Jurassic Park 3, The Mummy ILM is accepting reels and Juniko Moody is a regular con- Returns, Pearl Harbor and Star resumes. tributor for VFXPro.com. Wars: Episode II. ILM also will be working on the highly anticipated Republished from VFXPro, a fellow Note: Readers may contact any A.I., a project begun by Stanley Creative Planet community Web Animation World Magazine con- Kubrick and currently in produc- site, and on-line news resource for tributor by sending an e-mail to tion at Warner Bros./DreamWorks, the visual effects community affili- [email protected]. directed by Steven Spielberg. A ated with the Visual Effects June 29 release is planned and Society.

Frederic BACK

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200041 Focus on SIGGRAPH: Eyetronics by Juniko Moody his year’s SIGGRAPH Because the projector and camera “snapped” her picture with the keynote address, “The were already set up, it only took video camera, deliberating slightly T Human-Machine Merger: 15 minutes for the photography. over the focus of the special Why We Will Spend Most of Our The software processing took 45 ShapeSnatcher grid slide projected Time in Virtual Reality in the 21st minutes, longer than usual, onto her face. After he was certain Century” will be given by scientist, because Tesi took time to explain she was in focus and in full view, inventor and visionary Ray each step. the rest of the process proceeded Kurzweil. According to Kurzweil, quickly. He took three pictures of by the 2020s virtual reality will no Lynn — frontal, left profile and longer be the crude depiction that right profile — then a shot of the we see today. Instead, it will be so calibration box, which she held in realistic that it will be difficult to dis- front of her face. There were not tinguish from our material world even any special lighting require- experience. ments, since illumination came Indeed, already neural or from the slide projector. other implants have been used to After that, it was a short counteract impairments caused by walk to the computer to down- Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclero- load the 640x480 images from the sis, deafness, blindness and paraly- floppy disk. The first step was to sis. The leap from life-assisting to create 3D spatial coordinates by life-enhancing and recreational using the image of the calibration applications no longer seems so box and ShapeSnatcher. The cali- far. Evidence for Kurzweil’s reason- bration box works on given refer- ing can be found in Eyetronics’ Lynn. © Eyetronics. ences, such as the planes being at ShapeSnatcher demonstration. The fact that all of these a 90-degree angle to each other The ability to render real-life components are available to con- and the distances between the cir- objects or people as virtual 3D sumers and that the software is cles printed on the box. This infor- objects in one hour or less surely is priced like any consumer electron- mation is used to calculate param- an essential part of Kurzweil’s high- ics equipment demonstrates that eters such as camera-to-object dis- ly evolved machine-system sce- high-end graphics can be tance and focal length. Once nario. achieved by anyone. Users don’t these parameters are established, The speed, economy and need any special skills or training object surface information can be simplicity with which Eyetronics to produce adequate results. This deduced from the deformation of representative Nick Tesi captured technology is a vast improvement the grid projected on the object’s the likeness of volunteer Lynn was over the days when artists chose surface. truly amazing. Using only a slide digital models by browsing Having established spatial projector, a consumer video cam- through a supplier’s catalog of references, the next step was to era with a 3.5-inch floppy output available objects. Those objects transform Lynn’s frontal portrait (Tesi used the SONY DCR-TRV900 were generic and might not be into a mesh map. After some antic- three-CCD digital video cam- exactly what the artist needed, so ipatory cleanup, Tesi was ready to corder), the ShapeSnatcher modifications had to be made. perform the same treatment to the calibration box and With ShapeSnatcher, if the object left and right profiles. Hair requires ShapeSnatcher/Matcher software exists, you can capture it. a special strategy, so if the artist is running on a PC, Tesi was able to The process appeared to be not prepared for that, it is best to render 640x480 resolution images quite simple. Tesi positioned Lynn remove data up to the hairline. of virtual Lynn in very little time. before the projector and Jagged edges also should be ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200042 other 3D packages, this kind of overall model reduction would have meant the loss of significant detail in convoluted areas. However, this mesh remained “adaptive:” there were more subdi- visions in convoluted areas, but no more than needed. The ratio of subdivisions between areas of greater and lesser detail remained proportional. Often there are greater extremes in mesh subdivision between more and less detailed areas, sometimes so much so that the mesh has to be “balanced” in a painstaking manual process. If the object were to be animated or morphed, this kind of subdivision disparity — extremely tiny grid size Calibration. © Eyetronics. and extremely large grid size on removed, because that makes grid lines on the virtual face. Since the same surface — would result merging different mesh surfaces the mesh map and the texture in holes or wrinkles. This software cleaner and easier. map are one image, it is easy to fil- is endowed with an intelligent sys- Object capture is limited to ter out the grid pattern on the sur- tem for decreasing geometric reso- the viewing angle of the camera face and smooth the texture. (It is lution. lens, so getting a 180-degree view also possible to turn off the grid This would be a great appli- of a head necessitates three view- projection and take pictures of cation to use in creating virtual points. Tesi could have used a separate textures. This technique objects for games, multimedia, wider lens but, as any portrait might give interesting animated Internet entertainment, e-com- photographer knows, the result is effects.) The original reason for merce or information systems. less than flattering and is not an recording the geometry and tex- Fast-loading, low-resolution mod- accurate representation of the ture map within the same image els that retain their character are subject. was to guarantee that there achievable. Blending the three wire- would be no “slippage” between The implications are wide- frame meshes with ShapeMatcher the two. spread. Archiving would take less was surprisingly easy. In a few Model data then could be digital storage space. Museum arti- minutes, Tesi had the completed output in several formats: OBJ facts, industrial or manufacturing facial mesh map. Even the areas of (Alias|Wavefront), 3DS (3D Studio prototypes or versions and archi- overlap were seamless. The entire Max), DXF (AutoCAD), HRC tectural elements could be stored map was displayed as a conform- (Softimage 3.7), IV (Open Inventor compactly. The camera is the only ing, rectangular grid, even in the 2.1), LWO (LightWave 3D Object), limitation. The better the camera, highly detailed areas such as the WRL (VRML 2.0) and, of course, and hence the image quality, the mouth, nose and eyes. SS3D (ShapeSnatcher 1.0). better the model will be. So high- Once the texture map was The main objective accom- quality, high-resolution models for applied to the geometry, the illu- plished, Tesi was free to experi- movies, science and medicine also sion was complete. The projected ment with various mesh map reso- are possible. grid lines disappeared. Both mesh lutions using ShapeReducer. Even Eyetronics recently expand- map and texture map were creat- at low resolutions, the images ed into the United States, opening ed from the same image, yet maintained detail in the critical an American office represented by when rendered, there were no mouth, nose and eye areas. In Nick Tesi. For more information on

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200043 Eyetronics products and services, visit the company’s Web site, or contact Tesi by phone at (800) 205-9808, or by e-mail at [email protected]. If out- side the U.S., call +32-16-29-83- 43, or e-mail [email protected].

Republished from VFXPro, a fellow Creative Planet community Web site, and on-line news resource for the visual effects community affili- ated with the Visual Effects Society.

Juniko Moody is a regular con- tributor to VFXPro.com.

Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine con- tributor by sending an e-mail to Render. © Eyetronics. [email protected]. Bonus HTML Features Every on-line (HTML) issue of Animation World Magazine contains additional features not found in the download or print Acrobat version, such as QuickTime movies, links to Animation World Network sites, extended articles and special sections. Don’t miss the following highlights that are showcased exclusively in this month’s Animation World Magazine HTML version: • The Aesthetics of Internet Animation Chris Lanier, creator of Wildbrain.com’s Romanov, explains the liberation of animating for the Internet. View aQuickTime clip of Romanov at: http://www.awn.com/mag/issue5.05/5.05pages/lanieraesthetics.php3

• Ray Harryhausen, A Celebration Join in the fun of a star-studded celebration in honor of Ray Harryhausen’s 80th birthday, with a QuickTime movie of one of the evening’s tributes, from Phil Tippett Studios. http://www.awn.com/mag/issue5.05/5.05pages/fordhamharryhausen.php3

• Fresh from the Festivals: August 2000’s Film Reviews Maureen Furniss offers a glimpse into a selection of five wonderful films: Oil and Vinegar, Brahm’s Lullaby, Sheep in the Big City “Chapter 2: Sheep on the Lam,” Hello, Dolly! and Atlas Gets a Drink. Now see the QuickTime clips at: http://www.awn.com/mag/issue5.05/5.05pages/5.05festival.php3

• Is there Life Beyond Flash? Gain insight into the alternative tools and software being used to create animated content for the Internet. Includes QuickTime previews of two of Spot Box’s online games. http://www.awn.com/mag/issue5.05/5.05pages/kenyonsurvey.php3

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200044 Scandals, Smokescreens and a Golden Age?: Canadian Animation in the 21st Century by Chris Robinson Helen: Hey Pop, do you know where you are right now? Pop: Uh-uh. Helen: Tell me where you are. P: Any...anywhere. H: Anywhere? P: Uh huh.

— From Helen Hill’s film Mouseholes (1999)

his union of letters, words, sentences and pages is a Tsequel to an article I wrote a couple of years ago entitled, “Whose Golden Age? The State of Canadian Animation.” I had first encountered this dreadful phrase in an editorial of the animation Caroline Leaf’s use of light and color in her paintings is fuel for the imagination. issue of the Canadian magazine, © Caroline Leaf. Take One, and subsequently read way? Well apparently it was in the sociologist Ian Angus’ definition of about it in a variety of newspa- slick corporate kiosks of Nelvana, social identity as “the feeling of pers. I was surprised because from Cinar, Funbag, Walt Disney belonging to a group, and of hav- my wide exposure to Canadian Canada, Sheridan College, ing this feeling in common with animation, I saw state cuts to all Vancouver Film School and any- other members of that group” or branches of cultural funding where else where animation is Max Weber’s concept of the nation including festivals, filmmakers and viewed merely as a means to has a human group that feels itself studios like the National Film exploit the nostalgic sentimentali- a unity to an external organiza- Board of Canada. At the same ties of a generation fed on Sesame tion, then Canadian animation time, the quality of Canadian films Street, MTV, and other immortal, certainly doesn’t subscribe was in serious decline; hindered cute, big-eyed animals who sing smoothly to the concept of nation- by low budgets, naivete, political the songs of the muses without al identity. Like the country itself, correctness and an overall lack of ever taking a shit. Canada’s animation communities fresh, innovative ideas. At the Two years have passed and are spread out far and wide across close of the 20th century, a great deal has changed. the Canadian landscape. Canadian animation, despite what Attempting to define Canadian animation is best traditionalists like Hiroshima and Canada, let alone Canadian ani- defined as a patchwork of differ- Annecy would have you believe, mation, is like trying to explain ing voices struggling to be heard seemed far removed from the hockey to an American: frustrating through the shouts from the innovative years of Norman and complicated with a tendency south. McLaren, Rene Jodoin, Ryan Larkin to simplify (“You try to get the and Caroline Leaf and unlikely to black round thing in the net”). Just Yesterday and Today rise again. So with this in mind, what the hell is Canadian any- Prior to the mid-1980s where was this Golden Age any- way? If we are to accept Canadian defining Canadian animation was ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200045 As such, Canadian animation has shifted from the production of government funded personal or propaganda films to a market driv- en industry that exists primarily to feed the global entertainment machine. Attempting to define Canada, let alone Canadian ani- mation, is like trying to explain hockey to an American like Nelvana and Cinar who have Citizen Harold (1971) by animator Hugh Fouldes. © National Film Board of Canada. established themselves as leaders fairly straightforward. The National was quietly producing anti-indus- in the mass production of chil- Film Board of Canada (NFB) was trial films while Marv Newland was dren’s television productions. the calling card of Canadian ani- just opening up his studio, While there are a variety of inno- mation, merging propaganda International Rocketship. Beyond vative commercial studios (Cuppa with artistic innovation to create that there were few opportunities Coffee Animation, Head Gear, some of the world’s finest anima- for animators. While opportunities Mainframe Entertainment), soft- tion. In those days, there was little for government funding were ware companies (Alias|Wavefront, activity beyond the NFB. As early more plentiful in those days unless Softimage, Side Effects) and special as the 1940s there were commer- you were one of the privileged effects companies (C.O.R.E cial houses like Graphic Visuals few able to find work with the Digital), the animation landscape owned by former NFB animators, NFB, there was little opportunity is dominated by a plentitude of Jim McKay and George Dunning. for animators in Canada. service studios like Ottawa’s In the 1960s and 1970s a variety This has all changed in the Funbag Animation and of service studios existed in last 10-15 years. Animation has Dynomight Cartoons and Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto to emerged from the margins of cul- Vancouver’s Bardel Animation, provide work for the graduates of tural expression into an accepted Natterjack and Studio B to name a Canada’s new animation school, form of cultural and economic few. With the expansion of the Sheridan College which opened in capital that has found a popular market for animation, many serv- 1967. In the late 1970s, Toronto’s audience. In particular ‘classical’ ice studios have turned toward Nelvana Studios and Montreal’s American cel animation (Disney, original productions. Unfortunately Cinar were small, but fledgling Warner) has established itself as with few exceptions (eg. Angela companies. In Vancouver, Al Sens the norm in mainstream culture. Anaconda, Rolie Polie Olie, Ed,

Adam Shahen, one of the founders of Cuppa Coffee. © Cuppa Coffee.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200046 able opportunities to those who America’s largest animation festi- cannot or do not want to attend val, the Ottawa International costly post-secondary institutions. Animation Festival which, despite At the same time, QAS and AFC heavy government cuts, has man- have produced a strong body of aged to remain a primary support- work that is increasingly being er of independent animation acknowledged by festivals around while carving out a place for the the world. Beyond institutions, a industry. In recent years, festivals scattered array of artists like Marv have started in Vancouver, Halifax Newland, Richard Reeves, Helen and another in Ottawa devoted to Hill, Stephen Arthur, Gail Noonan, student and emerging animators. and even 79 year-old NFB pioneer Until recently two favourite René Jodoin, continue to struggle topics of the Canadian media Chris Landreth’s The End is an example along producing their own per- were the low Canadian dollar and of Canada’s technological prowess. sonal visions for a modest viewing the so-called ‘Brain Drain’ which © Alias|Wavefront. audience. has seen Canadian professionals Edd ‘n’ Eddy) these productions from hockey players (Wayne merely attempt to emulate the The Issues Gretzky) and actors (Jim Carrey) to American norm. While the Canada Council writers and doctors lured by On the heels of the success has re-emerged as a strong sup- increased opportunities and a of Oakville’s Sheridan College, the porter of Canadian artists, the higher dollar to the U.S. Animation premiere classical training school government on the whole has in particular has been affected. in the world, various animation shown more interest in backing Virtually every American studio schools have sprung up all across industrial projects. In 1997, the houses Canadians. Some of the the country. Vancouver Film Ontario government gave more prominent emigres include School, Seneca College, VanArts, Sheridan College a $12 million John Kricfalusi (Ren and Stimpy) Capilano College, College-Interdec grant to open a New Technology and Steve Williams (the digital and Algonquin College have Centre. This move was made to guru behind Jurassic Park). found success with their anima- benefit the Ontario industry, but Aggravating the situation is the tion or visual arts programmes and arguably most of the students will low Canadian dollar. When Walt have become major recruiting travel to the U.S. to find more Disney announced they were sources for the likes of Nelvana lucrative work. More disturbing still opening studios in Vancouver and and Cinar and most of the is the government’s tax subsidy for Toronto in 1995, they said it was American majors. the creation of Walt Disney’s stu- because of the legendary reputa- The emergence of anima- dios in Toronto and Vancouver tion of Canadian animators. While tion into the global marketplace (both studios recently closed). A there is some truth in that state- has not been as kind to the art tax credit system was introduced ment, the reality is that in addition community, but there remains a by the Ontario provincial govern- to tax subsidies, Disney was set- strong core of independent ani- ment, but it encourages only the ting up shop to take advantage of mation production. Educational production of computer animation the Canadian dollar. In essence, institutions like Emily Carr School or special effects. Canada was serving as a Korean- of Design (Vancouver) and The major problem for like ‘sweatshop.’ The Canadian Concordia University (Montreal) Canadian animators remains that dollar is a precarious situation encourage students to produce of distribution. Despite the emer- because if the dollar rises to par more personal orientated work. gence of an animation channel with the U.S., we will likely see Outside the traditional realm of (Teletoon) and new opportunities that despite our reputation for pro- education, non-profit associations in home video and the Internet, ducing quality animators, most like Calgary’s Quickdraw the festival circuit remains the lead- Canadian studios will be out of Animation Society (QAS) and ing source for viewing non-main- work. At the same time, as long as Halifax’s Atlantic Filmmakers stream animation. Since 1976, the dollar is low Canadian studios Cooperative (AFC) provide afford- Canada has been home to North will continue to primarily offer

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200047 service work to American compa- board’s knowledge. The controver- nies, but at least there is the sies resulted in Cinar stock drop- opportunity to produce original ping some 70% in one day, the productions. removal of Cinar from the stock market, and the resignation of the Big Scandals company’s blissfully married The past year in Canadian founders Micheline Charest and animation has been fraught with Ronald Weinberg. turmoil. First, Walt Disney The first scandal appeared announced that they were closing last fall when a Canadian politician their studios in Vancouver and accused Cinar of falsely crediting Toronto. Some 400 plus people Canadians for the work of were layed off. The official word Americans in order to receive gov- came in March 2000, but insiders ernment subsidies. We’re not talk- had known since late summer ing chicken feed either: over a five- 1999. Publicly, Disney said that Franklin. © Nelvana. year period in the mid-1990s, they no longer felt pressure to in Hollywood, I agree with him. Cinar received over $50 million in meet production deadlines. In the For too long, we have heard tax benefits. It was eventually end, no one cared. Nelvana and about the wonders of the anima- determined that Charest’s sister, other studios picked up the jobless tion industry. It has become akin to Helene, was listed on over 100 and Disney walked away with the Klondike Gold Rush of the episodes she didn’t write. Given minimal damage thanks to a tax 1800s when desperate men from that there are many loud whispers break that eased any possible across the continent traveled to that this is common practice one financial pains. Everyone won the far reaches of cold Northern would think that a less obvious except the Canadian taxpayer. Canada in the hopes of finding name could have been invented. On May 29, 2000, gold. Some did, most didn’t. In At times, the absolute idiocy and Canada’s national newspaper, The animation, the rush is very much arrogance of power and wealth is Globe and Mail, published a biting over, but schools continue to truly astonishing. Since this time, portrait of Vancouver’s animation churn out ‘factory workers;’ where the federal funding organization, industry. As if scripted from they go nobody knows. One thing Telefilm Canada has stopped all Dickens, an anonymous animator is for certain, they are not going to transactions with Cinar (strangely told of the long hours, mundane animation studios. Animation one of the Cinar board members is work and the fear of losing one’s schools continue to boast about from Telefilm Canada!) and Cinar is job. “Work is so desperate that their high job placement rates, but still dealing with the federal tax people will do anything to stay on. these kids are working briefly on a department to negotiate a repay- People are working themselves to project before donning the blue ment of misused funds. death.” In typical Canadian fashion fat guy bib and greeting prospec- The second scandal arose there wasn’t a whole lot of reac- tive consumers at the doors of Wal less than six months later when it tion to this article (the hockey play- Mart. The animation industry, at was determined that there was offs were on), but one animator least in Canada, has become a dis- improper use of company funds. did say: “It’s possible that the illusioned illusion of prosperity, Initially the stories reported that industry’s in a slump at the diversity and opportunity. Senior Executive Vice-President, moment, but why make it look so But wait, things get worse. Hasanain Panju had made off- awful and smell so bad?” Another The biggest scandal since Canada shore dealings without board responded that this was the first held off the U.S. attacks of 1812 knowledge, but the scapegoat time the media had portrayed the occurred when it was learned that tune soon changed when it was industry in a negative light and Cinar Animation was not only discovered that Weinberg had that it was about time truths be fudging their credits to gain feder- actually signed some of the trans- told. And despite threatening this al tax credits, but that some $122 fers. This internal scandal has person with a banana tree while million was invested in a Bahamas evolved into an intricate web of sipping some god awful herbal tea investment fund without the lawsuits and accusations that has

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200048 low. With the exception of CineGroupe, Montreal studios are not hiring. Montreal is now losing a lot of talent to competitors like Nelvana and Funbag.

Big Time Business Despite these minor annoy- ances, this is probably one of the most successful periods in Canadian animation history. Cinar is expected to rise from this crisis stronger then before and it seems unlikely that the rest of the indus- try will suffer too much because of the actions of one company. The industrial reality remains that Nelvana, and Cinar continue to Martin Rose's Trawna Tuh Belvul. © National Film Board of Canada. lead the pack and produce a bar- seen Cinar banned from the “With all the cuts to other public rage of successful international Toronto Stock Exchange. Needless sectors — health, education, wel- children’s entertainment, while to say, private investors are think- fare, etc. — there is a public outcry Ottawa’s Funbag Animation ing long and hard before investing over funding large wealthy com- Studios, which recently expanded in the animation industry. As one panies. The film funding institu- their operations to Halifax, is grow- observer tells it: “What if the pro- tions are having an even harder ing by the day and will likely rival duction I invest in doesn’t even get time justifying funding film pro- Nelvana and Cinar in the near their funding because they don’t duction, when there are so many future. qualify for government subsidies? more popular worthy causes Canada remains a pioneer My investment will have crashed demanding attention.” and leader in computer anima- without ever having left the Right wingers were not tion. Softimage, Side Effects, ground.” alone in their complaints; in the C.O.R.E. Digital, Alias|Wavefront, For our purposes, the U.S., members of the Motion and most recently, Nelvana have alleged misuse of tax credits is the Picture Screen Cartoonists Union all established themselves as bigger story. The Cinar scandal went out in full force this spring to prominent players in the digital erupted during another govern- complain about jobs being lost to animation and special effects ment department screw-up and Canadian companies because of industry. In Montreal, a flurry of f/x opposition politicians began generous tax subsidies. It’s always companies have started including accusing the government of lazy interesting to hear complaints Hybride Technologies, Tube tax policies. Fueling matters was from people within a culture that Images, Big Bang F/X Animation, not only the presence of a Telefilm has generally numbed and over- Buzz Image Group and Voodoo Canada executive on Cinar’s board taken most of the world with its Arts. While most of the work is but also Cinar’s close relationship crass disposable culture which has service orientated, Toronto’s with the governing Liberals. The thrived off cheap labour and Alias|Wavefront, thanks in part to scandal re-opened the whole issue exploitation. So a few American Chris Landreth, has turned their of cultural funding and tax incen- animators are out of work; wel- tools toward the production of a tives to business and brought the come to the world the rest of us pair of test shorts, The End (1996) loud, ugly voices of the right wing have been living in for decades. and Bingo (1998), which became to the forefront again calling for a Montreal in particular has award winning films. Landreth’s dismantling of tax subsidies to the been hit hard by the scandal. work combines stylish computer Canadian film and television Cinar has laid off many employees graphics with an intelligent, absur- industry. As one insider points out: and studio morale is at an all time dist point-of-view to create two

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200049 masterpieces of self-referential cin- talk that the computer age is (The People Collector, Something ema. Landreth is one of the few bringing with it the freedom for Extraordinary), Sonia Bridge (The computer animators to take the anyone to create their own works Day Stashi Ran Out of Honey) and medium beyond technical experi- of art, we rarely see these expres- Jakub Pistecky whose film Little ments and into challenging, sions of freedom and when we do Milosh recently won the Best thoughtful critiques of human exis- they aren’t particularly good. Canadian Student Film at the tence. In April 2000, Landreth However in 1999, far from the 1999 Ottawa International moved on to Nelvana where he swank, trendy office suites of Student Animation Festival. now heads up a new computer Toronto animators, 79 year-old Ironically, Milosh is a beautifully animation division. René Jodoin, who retired from the designed and well-told story, but is There are also a number of NFB in 1984, sat in his decidedly mainstream in the goth- companies expanding their ani- Beaconsfield, Quebec basement ic tradition of Tim Burton and mated possibilities with a low-end and made Between Time and Vincent Price. Concordia has pro- multi-media approach. The pio- Place. This short experimental film duced a number of independent neer of this new trend is undoubt- expands on Jodoin’s life long fasci- orientated films over the years, but edly Toronto’s Cuppa Coffee nation with all things geometrical these films are rarely shown Animation. Founded in 1992 by and explores the nature of time because of the school’s inability or Adam Shaheen and Bruce Alcock, and space between musical notes. apathy when it comes to self-pro- Cuppa Coffee has set the industry Remarkably, Between Time and motion. Most recently, Anouck standard by selling bold, experi- Place was made using an old Prefontaine generated enthusiasm mental graphics to advertisers and Amiga program without any cor- for her NFB inspired film, Oh Lord. broadcasters. In just eight years, porate or government funding. Outside of Emily Carr, Canadian Cuppa Coffee has produced some student animation is not particu- landmark work for Canada’s MTV, larly inspiring. Many new schools Coca-Cola, Mazda, the Ottawa ‘98 have started animation depart- Festival Trailer film, and two partic- ments simply to cash in on the suc- ularly creative children’s shows cess of Sheridan and Vancouver Crashbox and Clever Trevor. Film School. Like a pack of starving Another Toronto-based company, lap dogs lunging at leftover Head Gear was formed in 1997 by entrails, schools are mass produc- former Cuppa Coffee directors, ing students to learn a single way Julian Grey and Steve Angel. Head Transfigured. © National Film Board of animation so they can find of Canada. Gear specializes in the production immediate jobs in the midst of the of mixed media techniques and Gettin’ Learned… animation explosion. But if the has already produced a handful of On the educational front, industry ever collapses, these stu- inspired spots for The Sundance there has been much debate dents will be without work and Channel, Nestle, and three very about the direction of educational the proper training to evolve on funny condom ads. C.O.R.E institutions. Some criticize training their own. The government must Digital, primarily a computer schools like Sheridan College, assume the brunt of the blame. effects service house, recently ven- Algonquin College and Vancouver Their systematic dismantling of tured into proprietary production Film School among others for sim- funding for education has forced by co-producing the series Angela ply mass producing parts for the schools to find new avenues of Anaconda. The show is a striking Disney empire. At the same time, funding and more often than not stylistic departure for television ani- the most cutting edge schools like this involves corporate sponsor- mation. Using a two-dimensional Emily Carr and Concordia are pro- ship and with that an industrial collage style with scanned photos, ducing work that is interesting, make over of the institution’s aims. Angela Anaconda is the portrait of but not risk taking by any stretch As long as the students are finding Angela and her not so perfect life of the imagination. Some of the jobs and are content to accept a with family, friends, teachers and most promising Emily Carr gradu- variety of unimaginative positions arch enemy, Natette Manoir. ates include Ryan Schweitzer it is doubtful that the quality of ani- While we constantly hear (Dog, 2bit Facial), Paula McBride mation education will improve in

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200050 the years to come. ception of women’s beauty. Noonan’s latest film, Lost and The Independent Plight Found, is a tale about two chil- Another area of concern, as dren who encounter ‘homeless’ it is perpetually throughout the people. Stephen Arthur has a very world, is the state of independent diverse background that includes animation. With government feature film scriptwriting and neu- funding in decline, the NFB robiology. He has been making absorbing two decades of cuts, experimental films since 1969. In and the industry booming, it has recent years he has turned more become increasingly difficult for Alexander Petrov painting one of the toward surrealistic exploratory independent animators to get approximately 29,000 images to create works. Transfigured (1998) their films made, let alone seen his 22-minute animated adaptation of brought movement and interac- Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and outside of a festival. Oddly the Sea. © Pascal Blais Productions, Inc.; tion to Canadian painter Jack enough, Canadian independent Imagica Corp. Shadbolt’s work, while his latest animation has arguably never While Halifax’s AFC is not anima- film, Vision Point (1999) is a jour- been stronger. Thanks to commit- tion specific, a small group of ani- ney through Western Canada as if ted associations like Quickdraw mators has emerged from on a liberated roller coaster. Animation Society (QAS) and Canada’s Mecca of the East most Since the NFB left in the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative notably Helen Hill, a former 1960s, the Ottawa animation (AFC) among others, a modest but California Institute of the Arts stu- scene, with the exception of a few consistent body of independent dent who now teaches courses at service studios and the Ottawa fes- work is being produced outside of the AFC and the Nova Scotia tival, has been relatively quiet. the traditional confines of the NFB. College of Art and Design. Hill has However, an independent scene is Cooperatives throughout Canada fashioned a deceptively primitive slowly emerging. In 1999, the have been a key developer of body of work that is best described Ottawa festival joined with the Canadian film talent. By providing as quirky and unpretentious por- Ottawa Independent Filmmakers equipment and training for rea- traits of highly personal journeys Co-operative (IFCO) to purchase sonable rates, many aspiring artists into lands foreign and exotic, yet an animation stand. IFCO anima- are turning toward cooperatives strangely familiar. Hill’s most recent tor Brian McPhail has produced as an alternative to the increasing film, Mouseholes is a moving, two poorly animated, but deliri- costs of post-secondary education. comic-poetic tribute to her grand- ously demented films called Stiffy Additionally while film schools father that merges cut-out and (which toured with Spike and Mike tend to provide industrial training, live-action with actual interviews and is now being turned into a TV co-ops afford an environment con- between Helen and her grandfa- series) and most recently, Down a ducive to independent artists. QAS ther along with snippets of dia- Dark Chimney. Calvin Climie is cur- was founded in 1984 and is a logue from the funeral. rently at work on a stop-motion non-profit, artist run centre that is Beyond cooperatives, a film, and Dan Sokolowski, a noted committed to any type of anima- number of independent animators experimental filmmaker in Ottawa, tion. The co-op has nurtured the have furnished independent continues to merge elements of likes of animators Richard Reeves careers primarily on their own animation and live-action into his (Linear Dreams), Wayne Traudt with minimal government sup- picturesque landscape films. In late (Movements of the Body), Carol port. Gail Noonan has been mak- 2000, former NFB animator, Ryan Beecher (Ask Me), Kevin Kurytnik ing films in British Columbia since Larkin (director of the Oscar nomi- (Abandon Bob Hope, All Ye Who 1989, but has found festival suc- nated Walking and a protégé of Enter) and Don Best (Raw), and cess with recent films Your Name Norman McLaren) will work on his has emerged as a leading produc- In Cellulite and The Menopause first animated film in over twenty er of ‘alternative’ animation in Song. While Menopause lightly years. Canada. In addition, QAS offers celebrates the joys of menstrua- Dynomight Cartoons animation classes and scholarships tion, Your Name is a damning employees Tavis Silbernagel and to any and all aspiring animators. comment of the mass media’s per- Nick Cross have started their own

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200051 animator Alexander Petrov to cre- Research Assistant: Heidi Blohme. ate a 22-minute IMAX animation film based on Ernest Hemingway’s Thanks to the following: Leslie The Old Man and The Sea. Aside Bishko, Eric Roy, Carol Beecher, from a variety of awards including Rene Jodoin, Gail Noonan, Helen the Oscar, Petrov’s adaptation has Hill, James McSwain and Tom attracted thousands of spectators McSorley for letting me poach his to see this ‘independent’ anima- hockey analogy. tion film. In Ottawa, Dynomight Cartoons recently co-produced a The Old Man and the Sea. © Pascal Blais humourous homage to Ingmar Productions, Inc.; Imagica Corp. Bergman called Tea for Two by studios, Joy Lab Pictures and Do It newcomer Nick Cross. Whether For Me Productions, respectively. studio sponsored short films Their goal is to self-finance a film proves to be an adequate venue per month until they have a viable for independent animators show reel. The animators have remains to be seen, but it does had early success with their provide an interesting option. delightfully shocking odes to Terry “Where is here?” Canadian Toons, Fruit, Juice! Protein? and literary critic, Northrop Frye once Der Unterseefraulein. noted is a question that pervades South of Ottawa, in a town Canadian culture. It can also to be called Toronto, the animation applied to Canadian animation, Chris Robinson. Photo:Timo Viljakainen. scene remains primarily industry but unlike other facets of dominated, but thanks to the Canadian culture (literature, efforts of Patrick Jenkins, among music, painting), and very much Chris Robinson is executive direc- others, there seems to be a revival like hockey, there was once a tor of the Ottawa International in animation production through sense of where here was: before Animation Festival and the the re-formation of the Toronto 1972 and the historic series with founder and director of SAFO, Animated Image Society. Most the Russians, hockey was a the International Student recently, veteran animator Arnie Canadian game. Before the Animation Festival of Ottawa. In Lipsey had his film Almonds and 1980s, Canadian animation was his spare time, Robinson is vice Wine screened at the World the National Film Board of president of ASIFA-Canada. Animation Celebration. Canada. Just as hockey is now Robinson has curated film pro- In an attempt to bridge the flourishing as an international and grams (AnimExpo, Images Festival gap between commercial and increasingly Americanized busi- and Olympia Film Festival), independent animators a few ness, so too is animation. Where served on juries (AnimExpo, companies have turned toward there was once certainty, there World Animation Celebration), the production of independent were also limitations. Where there and written articles on animation short films. Montreal’s Pascal Blais is now uncertainty and fragmenta- for Animation World Magazine, Productions, a commercial studio, tion, there are also possibilities. FPS, and Take One. which has worked with the likes of Like hockey which “is re-invented Caroline Leaf and Cordell Barker at the drop of every puck,” Note: Readers may contact any (The Cat Came Back), co-produced Canadian animation is re-born Animation World Magazine con- the short film, The Old Lady and with every drawing, print out, tributor by sending an e-mail to The Pigeons by Sylvain Chomet. scan, cut out, scratch, or with [email protected]. The film was met with resounding whatever tools are out there. success at festivals around the Canada, perhaps the first post- world and brought a new respect modern country, is a constantly for the Blais studios. Most recently, shifting space where here is also Blais partnered up with Russian out there, anywhere.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200052 Society and Film Arts Norwich (FAN), which specialize in screen- Beyond Vital: ing diverse short films, including animation. FAN is preparing a fes- tival for this October (there’s more British Festivals In 2000 information below). by Andrew Osmond Animated Exeter One participant in the BAA t the start of 1999, Irene venues including Bristol’s ‘Public Choice’ voting was Kotlarz concluded her Watershed and Cardiff’s Chapter Animated Exeter. This was a brand- Areport “Animation cinema. The winning films have new, five-day festival in southwest Festivals: A Year of Proliferation embarked on a countrywide tour England, held between the 18th and Change” on the world festival till September, and are also going and 22nd of February. As an scene — with special attention to abroad. organiser explained, “Exeter City Vital’s failure — with the comment, Council was looking to extend the “It seems unlikely Britain will see calendar of arts events to raise the another broad-based international city’s cultural profile. Cardiff’s animation festival any time soon.” demise presented an opportunity, Her claim has borne out. Certainly, and we thought there might be there hasn’t been any British event an opportunity to build on Exeter’s on a comparable scale since Vital media activities, using the centrally crashed and burned, to the tune located venues for screenings and of perhaps a hundred thousand production activities. pounds-worth in debts. Yet festival activity stays lively, and there’s a Richard Golszowski receiving one of his strong sense of rebuilding. Britain trio of awards for the very popular Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire. may not be able to produce any- Photo courtesy of BAA. thing in Annecy’s league for the moment, but there’s plenty going Meanwhile, independent on. and foreign animation is playing in One recent big event was local cinemas. For example, the the British Animation Awards Welsh-Russian film The Miracle (BAA). The third edition of these Maker had a limited theatrical out- biannual ceremonies, it was held ing this spring, while London’s Kingston University student Kunyi Chen in London’s National Film Theatre, Institute of Contemporary Arts has wins the Mari Kuttna Award for Best Student Film. Photo courtesy of BAA. and like its predecessors was com- recently run retrospectives of pletely sold out. Three of the Osamu Tezuka and Jan “The size of our media awards were in ‘Public Choice’ cat- Svankmajer. There are also clubs economy didn’t warrant an indus- egories, voted for in nine cities at such as London’s Halloween try-oriented festival, but the

© Animated Exeter.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200053 strength of our arts and educa- the problem of who or what leads tional base suggested an anima- their agenda. Inevitably, you must tion week combining screenings, ground the festival in a local audi- production workshops and inter- ence, as well as a relevance to the active shows. We focused on chil- industry. However, without a core dren and young people, with audience of regular festival-goers, workshops and screenings rang- the event is unstable. It’s important ing from those for the very young to develop local audiences that through to the club scene and stu- will buy into the art and become dents. The event was held in the Future animators at Interact, an event of regulars.” February half-term holiday.” the Animated Encounters festival. Photo The question of how to bal- The resulting programme courtesy of Animated Encounters. ance public and industry appeal is consisted of the three BAA ‘Public try works.’) Then there were especially relevant in Britain, given Vote’ sessions, along with a collec- ‘Interactivities’ (‘Workshops in Club that many people think Vital went tion of ‘Children’s Animation Film Technology’) for those wanting to wrong in this area. The Cardiff from the South West.’ This local play with Web animation or video, event seemed committed to big showcase included representatives sound and digital mixing. studio recruitment, an attitude from Honeycomb Animation, a Early reports suggest that backfired when the majors festival backer, together with A for Animated Exeter was a success, didn’t turn up. There were also Animation, Bumper Films, Alison and looks certain to become an allegations of anti-Cardiff feeling DeVere Animation and King Rollo. annual event. The Interactivities among Vital organisers, which in A sister strand, ‘Prize drew the highest numbers (about turn are said to have led to an Winning European Children’s 1300) but the Children’s unfriendly festival unsupported by Animation,’ focused on the Workshops were also fully booked. the town. Belgian animator An Vrombaut Public Choice screenings had bet- (Little Wolf, When I Grow Up I ter attendance than Bristol, Cardiff Animated Encounters Want To Be A Tiger). It included or Cambridge, and the total num- Post mortems aside, there’s the first public screening of ber of people attending at some a strange feeling that what was Vrombaut’s new film, 64 Zoo Lane. point was “toward three thou- the Cardiff festival has now come There was also an intriguing range sand.” My contact notes, “We home. For the first time in a of feature animation, from The need to develop a public audience decade, Bristol’s Watershed Centre Iron Giant and the Bakshi-animat- for the long-term future of such a has hosted its own convention, ed Lord of the Rings, through to festival. There has to be local rele- Animated Encounters, a three-day the anime horror Perfect Blue and vance, building on the existing event from the 19th to the 21st of the South Park movie. infrastructure and distinct talents May. Like the Exeter festival, it was On the event side, work- in the region.” However, she definitely orientated to the public, shops were aimed at carefully added, “I’d hope this emphasis with the emphasis nearly all on defined age groups. There was a does not exclude scope for the screenings. The only ‘workshop’ as ‘hands-on’ session for youngsters, industry sector to develop in an such was a laid-back ‘Interact’ using zoetropes, plasticine and equally relevant and distinctive event on Sunday, where one scratch animation, while slightly way.” could chat to reps from Aardman older visitors attended a digital ani- The Animated Exeter event and Fictitious Egg and play with mation workshop using Mac com- is a fledgling cousin to another Web animation. puters, software and cameras. British annual, the Bradford Animated Encounters grew Meanwhile there was an Animation Festival (BAF!). out of the Watershed’s Brief ‘Interactive Animation’ session to Operating continuously since Encounters short film festivals, and show the process from storyboard- 1994, this festival runs for five or was undoubtedly boosted by a ing to production, and a newcom- six days a year (most recently in certain poultry-themed Aardman er-friendly ‘Meet the Industry’ 1999). Organiser Bill Lawrence has movie. According to a local report, panel. (‘Your chance to find out similar sentiments to those above. DreamWorks donated £10,000 to how the film and television indus- In his view, “Festivals always face the event. Nonetheless, the chick-

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200054 Baker’s Oscar-nominated Jolly Roger, the UK premiere of Sandra Ensby’s two-timing romance Fast Spin Fling and Tracy Spottiswoode’s very sharp Codename: Corgi (described as ‘A tragi-comic tale of sex, spies and laverbread’). A more acquired taste was Aardman’s unlovely Web-star Angry Kid, who popped up all through the screenings. This writer confesses a strange sympathy with the ginger-haired troll, but I could- n’t help wondering why Aardman selected foul-mouthed episodes when there were kids in the audi- ence. Though the said episodes were very funny… Two international pro- grammes encompassed an admirable range of styles. A pair of films from opposite ends of the spectrum were especially well- received. These were Konstantin Bronzit’s hilarious French At the Ends of the Earth, about an unsta- ble house, and the German film The Periwig-Maker (director Stefen

Animated Encounters, a three-day convention in Bristol’s Watershed Centre. © Animated Encounters. en presence was modest, amount- applaud (or not). Among the pro- ing only to a whimsical opening grammes were a children’s section programme of bird-brained films (including The Wombles and The (Henpecked Duck, Norman Powerpuff Girls) and an airing of McLaren’s La Poulette Grise), cli- the recently announced BAA win- maxing with the first ten minutes ners. Bristol, meanwhile, got a col- of that movie. A nice bonus, lection of its own. Most of the titles though, was the presence of exec. were familiar (War Story, Little producer Michael Rose and one of Dark Poet) but one intriguing rep- the Aardman animators, participat- resentative was The Audition, a ing in a short but informative Q&A 1980 cel film directed by Bill session. Mather using the ‘real-life conver- Another bonus of the sation’ device more familiar in Bristol screenings were that plenty model animation. Despite appearances, the programmes of the filmmakers were in the audi- A wider British programme were sold out to near or full attendance. ence, so one knew who to featured several witty titles: Mark Photo courtesy of Animated Encounters.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200055 Animated Encounters was another success. The screening-rooms were packed and everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. The organisers fully intend the event to be the first in a series. If all goes well in Exeter, there may be two new regular strands for British animation-lovers to enjoy. And more may follow. The Welsh Animation Group (WAG) is pressing for a more local- friendly Welsh event to make up for Vital. Over in Norwich, FAN plans an International Short Film & Animation Festival from October A comfortable and colorful future for animation festivals in Britain. 26th to 29th. This promises to Photo courtesy of Animated Encounters. showcase animations from Britain Schaffler), a beautifully-rendered is in the happy position of having and overseas, with competitions in model animation set in plague- an IMAX cinema located just both live-action and animated cat- infested London. There was also a behind it, and on Sunday morning egories. late-night airing of ‘outrageous attendees could see a special There are, of course, still animation,’ including favourites screening of The Old Man and the questions about where British festi- such as Bambi Meets Godzilla and Sea, Aleksandr Petrov’s Oscar-win- vals should head, and how to The Clinton Out-Takes. This bene- ning painting-on-glass. The other avoid the over-reaching hubris of fited from being preceded by a showing was Fantasia/2000, Vital. But such worries are for the gross-out live cabaret, featuring oddly in normal cinema-sized for- future. For now, British festival ani- the self-mutilating Incredible Blood mat rather than another IMAX spe- mation is enjoying a new lease of Brothers. cial. Nonetheless, Disney’s musical life. It’s a great position from which All of these were near or update still looked good. to make a new start. full sell-outs, but the greatest A more unorthodox item enthusiasm was reserved for the was ‘Desert Island Flicks.’ where Andrew Osmond is a freelance ‘Watch With Mother ‘70s Classics’ comedian Phil Jupitus selected his writer specializing in fantasy on Saturday night. This might favourite toons in a version of the media and animation. sound like another children’s radio staple Desert Island Discs. It screening, but don’t be fooled. sounded a recipe for disaster, but Note: Readers may contact any The audience was packed with Jupitus, for all his self-deprecation, Animation World Magazine con- twenty- and thirtysomethings, star- plainly knew his stuff. He was tributor by sending an e-mail to ing enraptured at child icons soon in earnest discussion of the [email protected]. embedded deep into their psyche; relative merits of Avery, Jones and The Clangers, Ivor the Engine, Mr. Clampett, and his love for the Benn... Even for non-nostalgia medium was obvious. (For the freaks, the vision of these (mostly record, Jupitus rated “Rabbit of model) series can’t be denied, and Seville” well above “What’s Opera, their charm is untarnished. Among Doc?”) His British picks, mean- the names on these ‘70s produc- while, included the BAA-winning tions were Peter Lord, David Big Knights series and Aardman’s Sproxton and Bob Godfrey. Rex the Runt. To round things off, there were also two feature screenings, What Next? one quite a coup. The Watershed There’s little doubt that

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: I CASTELLI ANIMATI - PHONE: +39.06.93955108 FAX: +39.06.9391577 E-MAIL: [email protected] - WWW.CASTELLIANIMATI.IT A Letter To A Master by Giannalberto Bendazzi Dear Max, Cavandoli, and many others I’m not writing you just seized the opportunity to make because it’s been almost fifteen that 90-seconds into so many little years since you passed away, nor series with such delightful recur- because of your degree in mathe- rent characters. You and Paul matical physics from one of the made Toto and Tata, Angelino, hardest universities in the world Pupa and Bob-Bob, Snacker and (the college at Pisa), though I © Art Today. several others. For some 15 years wouldn’t miss the opportunity to you. To see how, despite every- you were among the most fertile note that mathematics is every- thing, you were successful. But and rich producers of Italian ani- thing except outlines and rigidity. let’s go in the proper order. mation. In 1954 you founded Paul Then Paul Film dissolved, Film in Modena, together with and you went to Rome to coordi- Paolo (Paul) Campani. He would nate, for Corona Films, The Tales make designs, you would write of Europe project: more than 40 plots and scripts. You enlarged the short films, each one a traditional business, and made a fortune story for children from a European when the government television country, made by an animator station RAI invented the advertis- from the country of origin in co- You were born in Turin on ing formula called Carousel: a production with an Italian. In 1976 October 7, 1924, as Giorgio minute and a half of pure enter- Ezio Gagliardo, the heart and soul Massimino-Garniér (note the tainment with a 30-second tail of Corona, and your direct con- accent, which should require one containing an advertising mes- tact, died. You left the company to pronounce it “Garnierrrr,” but sage. It was then, from 1957 on, but remained in Rome, founding a everybody mistakes it for the that the little Italian animation film company with the producer French pronunciation “Garnyea” industry was really born, because Aldo Raparelli and the painter/ani- — and you never bothered to cor- animation became the king of mator Manfredo Manfredi. rect them. As for the name you Carousel, and you from Paul Film, Then came the damned were baptized with, George, you then Bozzetto, Gamma Film, cancer. You would always say to allowed it to be relegated to offi- Pagot, DeMas, Piccardo, Biassoni, me, joking (but not too much): cial documents, and turned your- “Sick? When someone’s sick, I don’t self universally into Max). You go to see them, don’t telephone, devoted the best of yourself to don’t write, move to another Paul Film in Modena. You died in town...” or “Dying? It’s only a prob- Rome on December 21, 1985. ability based on the incontestable Why am I writing you, fact that in the end all humans are then? Because you were one of mortal. But what if I’m the blessed the greatest figures in Italian, as exception?” well as international, animation You would joke in order to during the last 50 years. And with seem cowardly, or was it rather, the century and the millennium ironically, in order to show how drawing to a close, I want the courageous you were? But from young people of your and my youth on you practiced fencing, world (animation to be precise) to and in 1952 you qualified for the know about you and not forget final selection for the Olympic

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200058 yourself familiar with so that you held an original (fresh, not banal) viewpoint. However, please note, you weren’t an author. Even though your surviving files are few, and locked away in cabinets. You were a scenarist, or rather, as you taught Brdecka to say in Czech, a dramaturg. You knew how to tell stories. And you told them better, much better, aloud than in writ- ing. In conversations you had no equal in the world, and a story team at Helsinki. You were intrinsi- No festival has shown the 14 told by you, person to person, was cally a fighter. Death never had a minute-long mini-films you made a gift of the Gods. Especially when harder adversary to subdue. You with Paul Campani, four in 1968 they involved anecdotes about never gave up going to festivals, and 10 in 1973: aphorisms, gags, mathematicians with superior but participating in conferences, jok- striking and sarcastic lyrics, bril- disorderly minds, like Albert ing, and being (not just seeming!) liant, excellent — and forgotten. Einstein, Evariste Galois or Blaise serene. During times you spent in You, Max, were a true Pascal. the hospital you would proselytize genius. One of the most intelligent for animation even among the and creative people I have ever medical workers; each time your x- met in my whole life. You knew rays were developed, you would how to inspire, correct, stimulate, hold them up, saying, “Here’s your make flower, teach and encour- storyboard, doctor.” age; you knew how to free the minds who listened to you from preconceptions that had festered in them for years. You knew how to introduce Italy to post-Disney animation, from UPA to the art of McLaren and Alexeieff. You were the charismatic mainstay of the scrawniest group that admired and promoted in our country those innovative and subversive ideas on the level of style, length You did story and script for and technique, so that the per- highly prized advertising films that sonal animation of the ‘60s and are lost and gone astray now. In ‘70s developed to world-class your European Tales you became level. You were the mainstay of the a kind of itinerant artistic supervi- best festival of Italian animation sor, giving lots of guidance, but ever organized: at Abano Terme You could make people lis- rarely getting credit as a single cre- (1970-1971), then partially moved ten, too. Once you met Osvaldo ator. Metamorpheus (1970), the to Lucca to combine with a comics Cavandoli in the square in front of short on which you collaborated convention. You were so cultured the cathedral in Milan, at 10 in the with Czech animator Jiri Brdecka, that any encyclopedist of any era morning. Osvaldo was in a hurry, and which was a powerful emo- would have envied you. There a business appointment. By 3 in tional hymn to artistic freedom, was no subject, scientific or the afternoon, he still hadn’t got- hasn’t been screened for decades. humanistic, that you did not make ten to the subway — he was still

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200059 Subjected to scrutiny and verifica- tion, your own memories more than once proved inexact. But you, Max, were an author of fic- tion, and nothing in the world could have made you give up changing a story with your imagi- nation if the change would make it more entertaining than the truth. transfixed, hanging on your every to friendship only with heroes and word. Another time at a festival demi-gods, esteemed you as per- you started telling some paradoxi- haps no other. cal legal anecdotes at 5 in the For all these people, in afternoon. We ate dinner togeth- greater and lesser degrees, you er, had coffee, sat in the lobby of were a stimulus, an example, a the hotel. At one o’clock that point of reference. For me you night, I admitted to myself: “I’m 22 were also a friend, a teacher — years younger than he, I can’t give along with two other of the great up before he does!” At 5 am, I departed (quite different from interrupted you while you were you), the illustrator and pin-screen explaining to me the differences animator Alexandre Alexeieff, and between Picasso and Braque, and the professor from Chicago Robert wrenched myself off to bed, fully Edmonds. As happens with father and clothed. When you realized that ani- son, professor and student (as You spoke French and mation had entered my blood Freud teaches), so happened to us English (with an awful accent, it (and it got me quite quickly), you who were in opposition. Italian must be said). You came from a did everything, with absolute dis- animation flourished, requiring mixed marriage, half-Catholic, half- cretion but without the least hesi- the creation of an ASIFA Italy. You Protestant. And all that gave you a tation, to make sure that it never were the Italian representative to broad perspective and natural tol- left me again. You escorted me the ASIFA Board, but you deferred erance rare in your generation. into ASIFA. You counseled me to the group who organized the For me, born after the war, it was freely and articulately about what Lucca Festival, so Bozzetto, much easier to follow in your foot- to read (not just related to anima- Cavandoli, Giannini, Luzzati and steps. Animators were your family: tion; you placed Umberto Eco into Manuli didn’t feel represented. I Alexandre Alexeieff, Norman my hands...), and feigning to ask met you in Milan during one of McLaren, Lotte Reiniger, John and my opinion, you would manage your lightning visits, and pleaded Faith Hubley, Jiri Trnka, Jiri to correct my inexperience. You with you to be our representative, Brdecka, Yoji Kuri, Ion Popescu- introduced me to dozens of film- and speak on our behalf. You con- Gopo, George Dunning, all of the makers so that I could interview sidered it for a few weeks, then artists of the Zagreb school but in them. And at every festival, confer- said that you felt it would be particular Zelemir Matko, Jan ence, discussion group or cocktail unfair. So at Zagreb in 1980 it was Lenica, Peter Földes, Ernst and party you would take me to one you and I (as I was the delegate Gisèle Ansorge, Paul Grimault, all side and talk, talk, talk... Thus offer- for ASIFA Italy), who collaborated the Italians. Your favorites were the ing me another great lesson: You on the selection of an internation- American Bill Littlejohn and the must doubt whether it is a histori- al director. There were days of dis- British-Hungarian John Halas — cal truth when it comes from the pute and bickering, luckily none your colleagues for decades on anecdotal memory of a creative between you and I. Finally both of the ASIFA International administra- artist, even the best one, whether us were elected, and the first thing tion. Halas, who would concede a filmmaker, or even yourself. that you did was to unfold a little

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200060 trick of a meeting of the board. We good humor and didn’t seem to the 1988 version to your memory. were on opposite sides, but noth- me to look bad. But I didn’t. I was still too timid, ing had changed between us. Two weeks later you and confused. This letter also aims phoned me, begging me to come to remedy that. to you since you had books and graphics you wanted to give me. I Giannalberto Bendazzi is a Milan- knew perfectly what you wanted based film historian and critic to say, but health problems (my whose history of animation, own), family matters and work Cartoons: One Hundred Years of forced me to decline. I’ll regret that Cinema Animation, is published forever. in the U.S. by Indiana University When you died in Press and in the U.K. by John December, I was doing a residen- Libbey. His other books on ani- cy in Berlin. That was when I had mation include Topoline e poi The last time I saw you, you just begun writing furiously on my (1978), Due voite l’oceana (1983) were in Rome, in September history of animation, which would and Il movimento creato (1993, 1985, when I came to do some appear in 1988 under the title with Guido Michelone) . work that had nothing to do with Cartoons, then in French in 1991 animation. You came with me to and English in 1994, enlarged and Note: Readers may contact any Fiumicino airport when I returned corrected. I dedicated the English Animation World Magazine con- to Milan. Above Fiumicino rum- edition to my teacher Robert tributor by sending an e-mail to bled an awful storm; you were in Edmonds. I wanted to dedicate [email protected].

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200061 Lettera A Un Maestro di Giannalberto Bendazzi Caro Max, so piacevolissimi. Tu e Paul faceste Non ti scrivo approfittando Toto e Tata, Angelino, Pupa e Bob dell’occasione di un tuo cinquan- Bob, il Merendero e non so piu tenario, centenario, compleanno: quanti altri. Per una quindicina non l’avresti desiderato tu per d’anni foste tra i piu fertili e ricchi primo, che eri si laureato in fisica produttori italiani d’animazione. matematica (e in una delle univer- Poi la Paul si sfasciò e tu site piu severe del mondo, la © Art Today. andasti a Roma per coordinare, Normale di Pisa) ma non perdevi ordine. per la Corona Cinematografica, il occasione per dire che la matem- Nel 1954 fondasti a progetto delle Favole d’Europa: atica e tutto salvo che schemi e Modena, assieme a Paolo (Paul) oltre 40 cortometraggi, ognuno rigidita. Campani, la Paul Film. Lui diseg- un racconto tradizionale per bam- nava, tu scrivevi testi e trame. Vi bini di un Paese d’Europa, realizza- ingrandiste e faceste fortuna to da un cineaste del Paese stesso quando la Televisione di Stato, la in co-produzione con l’Italia. Nel RAI, invento la formula pubblici- 1976 mori Ezio Gagliardo, capo e taria detta “Carosello”: un minuto anima della Corona, e tuo inter- e mezzo di puro spettacolo piu 30 locutore diretto. Tu lasciasti la soci- secondi di “coda” pubblicitaria. Fu età ma rimanesti a Roma, fondan- allora, dal 1957 in poi, che vera- do la Cineteam con il produttore Nascesti a Torino Il 7 otto- mente nacque la piccola industria Aldo Raparelli e il pittore-animatore bre 1924 como Giorgio dell’animazione italiana: perchè il Manfredo Manfredi. Massimino-Garnier (attenzione disegno animato divento il re di Infine arrivò il maledetto all’accento: occorreva dire “Carosello”, e voi della Paul, e poi melanoma. Tu mi avevi sempre Garnierrnrr, ma tutti equivocavano Bozzetto, la Gamma Film, la detto, scherzando ma non troppo: la pronunzia francofona e dice- Pagot, De Mas, Piccardo, Biassoni, “Malattie? Se so che qualcuno si vano Garnie; senza che tu perdessi Cavandoli e tanti altri coglieste ammala non lo vado a trovare, tempo a correggerli; quanto al l’occasione di quel minuto e non gil telefono, non gli scrivo. norme di battesimo, Giorgio fu mezzo per fare tante piccole serie Cambio città!; oppure: “Morire? subito relegato sui documenti uffi- con tanti piccoli personaggi spes- E’solo una probabilità, basata sul ciali e fu diventasti universalmente fatto, incontestabile, che finora Max). Desti il meglio di te a tutti gli umani sono morti. Ma io Modena, alla Paul Film. Moristi a posso benissimo essere l’ec- Roma il 21 dicembre 1985. cezione.” Perche ti scrivo? Perche sei Giocavi a fare il codardo, o stato una delle piu grandi figure piuttosto eri troppo ironico per dell’animazione italiana e anche mostrare che eri coraggioso. Ma internazionale degli ultimi da giovane avevi praticato la cinquant’anni. E mentre il secolo e scherma, e nel 1952 eri stato a un il millennio stanno per finire passo dall’essere selezionato per le desidero che i giovani del tuo e Olimpiadi di Helsinki. Eri, intrinse- mio mondo (l’animazione, appun- camente, un combattente. La to) lo sappiano e non ti dimen- morte non ha mai trovato un tichino. Come invece sta succe- avversario più duro di te da pie- dendo, perche…Ma andiamo con gare. Non rinunciavi a venire ai

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200062 Però-attenzione-non eri un autore. Anche per questo i tuoi film rimasti sono pochi, e chiusi nei cassetti. Eri uno sceneggiatore, o piuttosto, come ti aveva insegnato a dire Brdecka in boemo, un dra- maturg. Sapevi raccontare le storie. E per di piu le sapevi rac- contare meglio, molto meglio, a voce che per iscritto. Nella conver- sazione non avevi uguali al mondo e una storia ascoltata da te, a tu per tu, era un regalo degno degli déi. In particolare festival, partecipavi ai convegni, 1973: aforismi, gag, lampi lirici o quando inanellavi aneddoti di scherzavi ed eri (non sembravi) sarcastici. Brillanti, eccellenti. E matematici dalla mente superiore sereno. Nei periodi in cui soggior- dimenticati. e sregolata, come Albert Einstein, navi in ospedale facevi proselit- Tu, Max, eri un genio Evariste Galois, Blaise Pascal. ismo a favore dell’animazione pres- davvero. Una delle persone più so medici e intermieri, e ogni volta intelligenti e creative che lo abbia che la tua cartella di radiografie incontrato in tutta la mia vita. era pronta, te la porgevano riden- Sapevi inspirare, correggere, sti- do: “Ecco il suo story-board, dot- molare, far sbocciare, istruire, tore”. incoraggiare: sapevi liberare la mente di chi ti ascoltava da pre- concetti incancreniti dagli anni; sapesti portare in Italia l’ani- mazione post-disneiana della Upa e quella d’arte di McLaren e di Alexeieff. Fosti il capo carismatico dello sparutissimo gruppo che lodò e diffuse nel nostro provin- ciale Paese lo idee innovative ed eversive, sui piano dello stile, della durata e della tecnica, che l’ani- Avevi scritto e sceneggiato mazione d’autore degil anni film pubblicitari, premiastissimi ma Sessanta-Settanta sviluppava nei presto introvabili e dispersi. Delle resto del mondo. Fosti il perno del Favole d’Europa eri stato una sorta miglior festival italiano d’ani- di supervisore artistico itinerante, mazione mai organizzato, quello dai molti consigli ma dalla scarsa di Abano Terme (1970-1971), poi Non si poteva fare a meno impronta come creatore singolo. in parte trasbordato a Lucca in di ascoltarti. Una volta incontrasti Metamorpheus (1970), il cortome- concomitanza con quello sui Osvaldo Cavandoli in piazza traggio per il quale collaborasti comics. Avevi una cultura che Duomo, a Milano, alle 10 del mat- con il céco Jiri Brdecka e che fu un qualunque enciclopedista di tino. Osvaldo aveva fretta, un potente, emozionante inno alla qualunque epoca ti avrebbe invidi- appuntamento di lavoro. Alle 3 del liberta dell’arte, non viene proietta- ato. Non c’era materia, scientifica pomeriggio non si era ancora to da decenni. Nessun festival proi- o umanistica, che non ti fosse spostato di un metro, era ancora li etta nemmeno i 14 minifilm di un familiare e su cui non avessi un a pendere dalle tue labbra. minuto che realizzasti con Paul punto di vista inedito e non Un’altra volta, a un festival, comin- Campani, 4 nei 1966 e 10 nel banale. ciasti a raccontarmi episodi, giudizi

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200063 modifica fosse stata più divertente e attraente della verità. Come accade ai padri e ai figli, ai maestri e agli allievi (Freud docet) anche fra noi ci fu una con- trapposizione. L’animazione ital- iana stava crescendo, voleva le fondazione di un’ASIFA-Italia. Tu eri il rappresentante italiano all’inter- no del direttivo internazionale, ma facevi riferimento al gruppo di e paradossi alle 5 del pomeriggio; maggiore o minore, fosti uno sti- organizzatori del festival di Lucca, cenammo assieme, prendemmo il molo, un esempio, un punto di da cui i Bozzetto, i Cavandoli, i caffe, ci sedemmo nel salottino riferimento. Per me fosti, oltre che Gianini & Luzzati, I Manuli non si dell’albergo, all’una di notte mi un amico, un maestro. Al pari di sentivano rappresentati. Ti incon- sfidai: “Ho 22 anni meno di lui, due altri grandi scomparsi, trai a Milano durante una tua visi- non posso cedere per primo.” Alle diverssimi fra loro e da te, l’ac- talampo e ti pregai di passare dalla 5 del mattino ti interruppi mentre quafortista e cineasta dello “scher- nostra parte, di essere il nostro mi spiegavi la differenze tra Picasso mo di spilli” Alexandre Alexeieff e il capo. Ci pensasti su un paio di set- e Braque, e andai a schiantarmi professore chicagoano Robert timane poi dicesti che ti sarebbe vestito sul mio letto. Edmonds. sembrato sleale. Così a Zagabria, Parlavi (con una pronuncia Quando capisti che l’ani- nel 1980, sia tu sia io (io delagato orrenda, va detto) fancese e mazione mi era entrata nel sangue da ASIFA-Italia) concorremmo alle inglese, eri nato da un matrimonio (e mi entro subito) facesti di tutto, elezioni per il direttivo inter- misto, protestante e cattolico: e con discrezione assoluta ma senza nazionale, Furono giorni di litigi e tutto questo ti aveva dato il minimo tentennamento, perché battibecchi, per fortuna mai fra te un’ampiezza di vedute e una non ne uscisse plù. Mi coinvolgesti e me. E alla fine risultammo eletti tolleranza naturale che erano rare nell’ASIFA; mi consigliasti libri e arti- entrambi, e la prima cosa che tu nella tua generazione. Per me, coli da leggere, non necessaria- facesti fu di spiegarmi i piccoli truc- nato nel dopoguerra, fu molto piu mente collegati con l’animazione chi delle riunioni del board. facile accompagnarti su questa (Umberto Eco me lo mettesti in Eravamo su posizioni diverse, ma via. Gli animatori erano la tua mano tu): facendo finta di fra noi non era cambiato nulla. familglia. Alexandre Alexeieff, chiedere la mia opinione cor- Norman McLaren, Lotte Reiniger, reggesti in ogni modo le mie ines- John e Faith Hubley, Jiri Trnka, Jiri perienze, mi presentasti decine e Brdecka, Yoji Kuri, Ion Popescu- decine di cineasti perché li intervis- Gopo, George Dunning, tutti gli tassi. E a ogni festival, convegno, uomini della Scuola di Zagabria e dibattito, cocktail mi prendesti da in particolare il produttore Zelimir parte e mi parlasti, parlasti, par- Matko, Jan Lenica, Peter Földes, lasti…offrendomi cosi un’altra Ernest e Gisèle Ansorge, Paul grande lezione: dubitare, se si e Grimault, tutti gli italiani. I piu cari uno storico vero, delle memorie ti furono l’americano Bill Littlejohn personali delle persone creative, e l’ungherese-britannico John anche delle migliori, come sono Halas, tuoi colleghi per decenni appunto i cineasti e come eri tu. nel direttivo dell’ASIFA Passati al vaglio del controllo, i tuoi Internazionale. Halas, che con- ricordi si dimostrarono più di una L’ultima volta che ti vidi fu a cedeva la propria amicizia solo a volta inesatti. Ma tu eri un dra- Roma, nei settembre del 1985, eroi e semidei, stimava te come maturg, e per nulla al mondo quando venni per un lavoro che forse nessun altro. avresti rinunciato a modificare una non aveva nulla a che fare con Per tutti costoro, in misura storia con la tua fantasia, se la l’animazione. Tu mi accompanasti

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200064 perfettament che cosa volevi dire, Questa lettera ha lo scopo ma problemi di salute (mia), di anche di rimediare a questo. famiglia e di lavoro mi obbligarono a rinunciare. Questo lo Giannalberto Bendazzi is a Milan- rimpiangerò per sempre. based film historian and critic Quando moristi, in dicem- whose history of animation, bre, io stavo facendo uno etage a Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Berlino. Fu allora che comincai a Cinema Animation, is published scrivere furiosamente la mia storia in the U.S. by Indiana University del cinema d’animazione, che uscì Press and in the U.K. by John all’aeroporto di Fiumicino per il nel 1988 con il titolo di Cartoons e Libbey. His other books on ani- mio ritorno a Milano. Su Fiumicino che ebbe poi le edizioni francese mation include Topoline e poi scrosciava un temporale spaven- (1991) e angloamericana (1994), (1978), Due voite l’oceana (1983) toso, tu eri di buon umore e non corrette e ampliate. and Il movimento creato (1993, mi parve che avessi un cattivo Dedicai l’edizione in lingua with Guido Michelone) . aspetto. inglese all’altro mio maestro, Due settimane dopo mi Robert Edmonds. Avrei voluto Note: Readers may contact any telefonasti chiedendomi di rag- dedicare quella del 1988 alla tua Animation World Magazine con- giungerti, perche avevi del libri e memoria. Non lo feci. Ero ancora tributor by sending an e-mail to dei disegni da regalarmi. I lo capii troppo timido e troppo confuso. [email protected].

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200065 Let’s Sketch on Location: The Thumbnail Sketch

by Glenn Vilppu Glenn Vilppu. his is the second in a new opposite of the previous lesson. series of bi-monthly articles Instead of starting from a part and Tabout sketching on loca- building outward, we are starting tion. The articles are based on my with the total and going to the Sketching on Location Manual. parts. The manual was developed as a series of lessons that I use on my guided sketching tours of Europe, and that I use as material in my regular drawing classes. As such the lessons can be part of a regu- lar course or can be used by indi- vidual students as a practical learn- ing guide. If you have not seen the previous lesson starting in the

June 2000 issue of Animation All drawings in this article are by and World Magazine, it is recommend- © Glenn Vilppu. ed that you do. The lessons are your hands with thumbs extended progressive and expand on basic creates a frame. With practice you ideas. It is suggested that you start learn to establish your picture lim- from the beginning for a better its easily without any external understanding of my approach. If guides. you really want to begin at the Doing a series of simple beginning start with the lessons “thumbnail sketches” to try out based on the Vilppu Drawing your ideas gives you the opportu- Manual. nity to see what your sketch will look like before committing a lot of Moving On… effort. The thumbnail sketch also In the last lesson we used a brings into play the idea of “draw- point to point method of drawing. ing-as-thinking.” You make choices The main purpose was to reduce and selections, not just copy an your subject to a series of two- arbitrary view. dimensional observations starting There are many ways to from a single point. This lesson is establish a beginning context for To Begin similar; now the main thing is to your drawing; in other words, to Start by making a frame out be able to see your subject in sim- set the outside limits or framework of the borders of your paper about ple two-dimensional shapes, only that you are going to be working 1 inch deep by 2 inches long. The this time in the context of the total within. Two right angle paper cor- proportions, of course, can be any picture. ners with a paper clip holding you wish to make. Now in looking The first step is to decide them together is a simple method. at your subject, select two or three the limits of your drawing; in this A small clear plastic rectangle also simplified major lines in your sub- sense we are doing the exact works well; likewise, putting up ject. Ignore any detail and, as in

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200066 Lesson One, pay particular atten- tion to the basic angles and lengths of these elements. Look at the examples and notice that you can get a general sense of what the picture will look like, yet there is no detail. These thumbnail sketches can be done in any medi- um, from a carpenter’s pencil to paint. All of these drawings are reproduced actual size. In the drawings on the left you will notice simple diagrams that I did trying to think out the formal ele- ments of the composition, primari- ly dealing with visual balance. The paintings on the next page are also reproduced actual size, though the originals were in color. These were done directly without any preliminary drawing, yet were done as thumbnails, drawing the simple shapes directly with water- color.

The above drawing was done with a fountain pen; the wash was added by bleeding the ink with water. This, again, is reproduced actual size.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200067 This drawing of the piazza of Orvieto with the duomo on the right combines both a thumbnail and a detail of the thumbnail. The drawing below is of the local citizens later arguing politics on the steps of the duomo. In doing the drawing of the detail above and the figures below, I used the approach discussed in Chapter One.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200068 Now, in these thumbnail sketches, I have employed many of the elements we will be discussing in the following chapters. A strong component in the drawings is the light and dark pattern. In fact, some of these draw- ings were done with brush and wash where the only thing drawn was the pattern of the darks. Look at the variety of materials used: pencil, pen, as well as watercolor.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200069 Take Note Drawing.” His drawing manuals Glenn Vilppu teaches figure Sometimes to aid the mem- and video tapes may be pur- drawing at the American ory, it is useful to write information chased in the Animation World Animation Institute, the Masters about the colors, textures and Store.http://www.awn.com/awns program of the UCLA Animation materials that you see. This page is tore/ Dept., Walt Disney Feature a general visual exploration of a Animation and Warner Bros. location which includes drawings Feature Animation, and has been of detail, compositional possibili- sent to teach artists at Disney TV ties, and notations. These draw- studios in Japan, Canada and the ings were used while painting in Philippines. Vilppu has also the studio months later. worked in the animation industry The camera, of course, for 18 years as a layout, story- becomes a great aid in recording board and presentation artist. His detail. Yet drawing from the sub- drawing manual and video tapes ject itself is still the best way to get are being used worldwide as the sense of what you are looking course materials for animation at. students.

Glenn Vilppu first wrote for Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine in the Animation World Magazine con- June 1997 issue, “Never tributor by sending an e-mail to Underestimate the Power of Life [email protected].

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200070 ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200071 ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200072 Adventurous Action Abounds on Stanlee.net by Lee Dannacher n a new and novel on-line domain, the legendary comics Icreator Stan ‘The Man’ Lee is gleefully at work launching a com- manding cache of super-hero worlds. Go quickly to stanlee.net. Be ready for a lot of visually com- pelling, action-adventure magic — timeless in appeal and timely in presentation to a whole new world of Netizens hungry for engaging episodic fare. Go for the adventures, the laughs, the games, the community…and other evolving “bits” that Lee’s band of digital revolutionaries are developing into the most compre- hensive, individually branded site on the Web today.

The Man Over almost six decades with Marvel Comics, Stan Lee co- created a wealth of comic book icons including such super hits as Spider-Man, X-Men, The Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk…a host of classic characters who con- tinue to roil across the 21st centu- ry’s printed pages, television and feature screens. The international scope of these properties is extraordinary. More than 2 billion comic books bearing Lee’s name have been published in close to Stan Lee with many of his creations. © Stan Lee Media. 100 countries in over 25 lan- Time For a New Horizon media innovator, producer and guages. More than 27 animated After serving as creator, edi- long time friend Peter Paul, Lee series based on his work are cur- tor and finally publisher of Marvel was able to negotiate a far more rently in worldwide syndication Enterprises, Stan Lee was freed limited role in Marvel’s future, while a plethora of live-action films from his lifetime contract when the where he remains as Chairman are in development, production or beleaguered company was reor- Emeritus of Marvel Media. Freshly release by a selection of major the- ganizing its way out of bankruptcy armed with the rights to his own atrical studios. in 1998. Aided by the forces of name, likeness and “brand,” he

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200073 and Paul then co-founded Stan Iwerks’ ride simulations, theme onboard as Exec VP, Internet Lee Media as an Internet based, park attractions and giant screen Strategy, after spending the past multi-media company. Lee began destinations. Additional alliances three years fashioning Disney immediately focusing the lion’s have been forged with Next Online production. share of his attention on creating Planet Over for on-line retailing his first new characters in 25 years. and distribution of comic books, Paul, meanwhile, set about strate- eCommerical for direct marketing gizing unique pathways across all campaigns and other outsourcing new and traditional media for the deals with WhatsHotNow.com, production, marketing and licens- Cyberworld and PentaFour ing of Lee’s recognized brand of Software — all working in tandem entertainment. They’ve both been as Stan Lee Media establishes itself very busy, indeed. as an international leader in today’s original entertainment space.

Yeah, But Who Wants To Work With Us? SLM now boasts over 160 top-notch industry players and cre-

atives, all fueling its forward jour- Ken Williams. Courtesy of ney. Peter Paul explains it well, say- Stan Lee Media. ing, “Stan has attracted the best array of talent ever assembled for And Just What Is This Super Peter Paul. Courtesy of Stan Lee Media. the Internet because he’s Stan Lee Hero Stuff? and he’s had an impact on most of Showcasing Lee’s signature Let’s Set The Stage the people in the creative commu- style — encompassing irresistible Paralleling the fast-expand- nity today.” Paul describes their elements of conflict, suspense, ing universe of their action packed company as “a true ‘convergence heroism and humanity — the stu- programming, Stan Lee Media studio’ with people representing dio’s first two Flash produced (SLM) made its trading debut on each disciplined media talent. So series 7th Portal and Accuser Wall Street in August of 1999. A it’s truly a mixture of cultures — launched in February and May of medley of partnerships and from analog and digital to this year, respectively. The alliances ensued: Warner Bros.’ Internet, from television and films response has been overwhelming Acme City site began offering free to Flash.” To name but a few of as both series (with new 20 megabyte homepages to every their team: Ken Williams, 18 year Webisodes biweekly) attract mil- Stan Lee fan worldwide; veteran of Sony Pictures lions of devoted fans each month. Macromedia acquired a $5 million Entertainment, is now President And Hollywood is taking quick equity stake in the fledging com- and CEO; Stephen Brain, recog- notice, as well. Working in pany and arranged exclusive distri- nized as establishing the Fox “Internet time,” it was mere weeks bution for five original series to Animation Studios, is now Exec VP after its Net debut that 7th Portal premiere on its heavily trafficked of Production, charged with con- was marked by industry heavy- shockwave.com; IBM stepped up verging SLM’s diverse media tal- weight Mark Canton for a big- to sponsor SLM’s Encino, California ents; George Hamilton, well- budget theatrical co-production state-of-the-art studios — outfitting known actor and businessman, deal. the burgeoning facility with its signed on as President of Global Their third original series, a high-end Intellistations for creation Branded Entertainment, a new dramatic techno-punk styled prop- of all new digital works; and division responsible for signing erty The Drifter, is soon to make its Iwerks Entertainment signed on to internationally recognized talent on-line debut — and, garnering a pioneer the application of Lee’s as well as other innovative lot of advance heat, is the compa- new super hero franchises to endeavors; and Jamie Wilkinson is ny’s new franchise called

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200074 master Gene Roddenberry’s unpublished Starship material. Clearly, plans for all SLM projects encompass strategies for spreading out from their Net ‘worlds’ (filled with Flash anima- tion, puzzles, games, trivia and community) to any and all multi- platforms of traditional TV, video, features, print and merchandising. Paul is confident SLM has the chops for these mega-endeavors, stating, “We actually have the abil- ity to create fresh properties, understand brand, and to attract other best-of-breed partners from each niche market of the global popular culture — to continue to enhance our brand and build our audience as an amalgamation of all these other audiences for differ- ent entertainment genres.” With the power of creative and techni- cal partnerships across the world, he is secure Stan Lee Media will soon be “the largest independent aggregators of globally branded entertainment content deployed The 7th Portal heroes. © Stan Lee Media. on the Internet.” Backstreet Project. In a team effort a short animated video that is play- with music phenom the Backstreet ing to terrific response before So,Who’s Making All This Fly? Boys, SLM has co-created an ani- Blige’s live concert audiences — Tapped to creatively spear- mated Web series and elaborate and can be previewed now up on head Stan Lee’s Web-launched comic book line starring alter-ego stanlee.net. productions are three of the top super heroes based on the Other co-branded ventures animation action-genre producers tremendously popular teen-throb currently positioned to get Stan of our times. A major coup for the band. With a major $15 million Lee’s personal treatment are a company’s roster came in January Burger King promotion set to roll, futuristic extension of the long- when producer, director, writer the premiere will be Webcast live running TV series Cops, some- and artist Will Meugniot joined on August 27th from the Hard thing wild with the Wu Tu Clan, a forces as Executive Vice President Rock in Orlando, Florida. IBM will new franchise based on the of Creative Production and power the on-line event to a recently acquired and highly suc- Development. His vast credits worldwide audience. Then, mix- cessful Conan, The Barbarian char- include numerous animated series ing in another music genre prop- acter — and, in the science fiction including The X-Men, Exosquad erty, SLM also recently announced sphere, a property based on sci-fi and the current Spider-Man a partnership with Mary J. Blige to co-venture a Super Heroine fran- chise based on the “Queen of Hip- Hop Soul,” herself. Preceding the Webisodes’ launch (expected sometime this fall), SLM produced Stan Lee working with the Backstreet Boys? © Stan Lee Media. ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200075 sometime later this month. “It’s very streamlined,” he says. “It has a consistent global navigation sys- tem at the top of every page and it’s just graphically compelling. It’ll be very different from what any- body else is doing at the moment.” Additionally, they will be adding more features with original animation including short car- toons and character “specials,” together with fresh and inventive series themed games. “We’re really straining to make sure that every day you go up to stanlee.net, there’s some fresh content for you to see.”

A scene from Stan Lee Media’s first Web series, The 7th Portal. © Stan Lee Media. Unlimited. Meugniot garnered and the production of Webisodes early acclaim as a comic book as well as developing innovative artist, best known for his own content for overall Web site expan- long-running co-creation sion. “Our first initiative, even DNAgents franchise. Long a fore- before I got to the company,” he runner on the animation front, he explains, “was to try to get on the has won numerous industry most high-end programs that awards including the 1999 were possible. And now that Monitor for best director, a Genesis we’ve learned how to do that, our Award and double Emmy nomina- new commitment is to find ways tions for episodes of Captain to make those programs more Planet and The Real Ghostbusters. user friendly.” Designing stunning, It’s characters like Conjure Man that Having crossed paths with Stan visually stimulating stories within drive the Webisodes at Stan Lee Media. Lee many times in the past, the realities of limited bandwidth, © Stan Lee Media. Meugniot’s uncontrollable excite- Meugniot admits, is an ongoing When considering some of ment about working with him challenge. “What I found when I the new aspects of creating for the again is infectious and he’s keyed was producing The Drifter Internet, Meugniot states, “I’d say up by the overall level of expertise episodes was that it’s almost like the number one thing now is that, at his new home. “Across the filmmaking but not quite. It is its as I’m looking at our new slate of board, the hiring of this company own medium and it requires a little development, it is the interactivity has been phenomenal.” different thought process to maxi- issue. It’s like: how can we get the Collaborating with Peter Paul for mize the entertainment value in audience involved, give them the first time, Meugniot enthuses, relation to the download time.” He something that functions as an “Peter’s business plans and vision goes on, “I think in time, the entertainment with a linear story for the company are just amaz- Webisodes — the whole Flash ani- but still gives them the opportuni- ing.” In a very short time, he pre- mation thing — will develop its ty to be involved in the story in a dicts, “This place will be an aston- own aesthetic.” way that they can’t in a TV show.” ishing company.” Meugniot has also been He readily believes that focusing Meugniot’s responsibilities working eagerly with SLM’s Web on story and strong characters are similar to an editor-in-chief — site team on the radical re-design remains the classic bottom line; supervising script development of their site, scheduled to unveil but notes that with Web produc-

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200076 tion, the focal point is now communicate his well honed enhanced with the challenge of action-adventure sensibilities. figuring out “what are the needs Once the tricky issues of of this medium and how do we “downloadability” and “playability” make it work in our favor instead are tackled by Houston and the of against us.” Flash animators, the Webisode is Another big-time industry locked in to its desired length. recruit, Larry Houston, has worked Lush sound effects and full music with Stan Lee on and off for over tracks are produced using tradi- 20 years, beginning in the 1980s tional methods of production and on Marvel’s syndicated Spiderman final sound mixes take place at the series. His distinguished action- nearby studio, Image Resources. adventure career spans dozens of From there — marking a cool animated projects. In multiple advantage to working in the digi- roles as director, storyboard and tal realm — a dedicated Internet artist, Houston has worked on a site is used for electronic transfers range of series like The Fantastic of the final Webisodes to SLM and Four, The Incredible Hulk, The X- Stan Lee isn’t just a figurehead. He’s an shockwave, or anywhere else they Men, HBO’s Spawn, Disney’s active member of the creative team on may need to go. TailSpin and Batman for the all of the productions. © Stan Lee Media. Although the schedules Warner Bros. shop. He has also work out the little nuances of remain hectic, Houston is loving spent time in the traditional comic what he wants in the shows.” every minute in his new job with books field, drawing such titles as Artwork and storyboard follow. mentor Stan Lee. “It’s pretty much All-Star Squadron for DC Comics, While layouts are being completed an open type of environment here DNAgents for Eclipse and his own in-house, traditional actor records where ideas are out on the table. creation, The Vanguards. Before take place outside, with six to nine Anybody can have input and Stan making art and animation his pri- 3-minute episodes recorded per has an open-door policy for peo- ority, Houston worked as a sys- session. “Instead of now shipping ple with ideas. If you have some- tems analyst and technician for overseas,” Houston explains, thing, come pitch it to him and he several major computer compa- “when you finish your pre-produc- will consider it.” nies. Now at SLM, the melding of tion, you hand it off to the digital Tom McLaughlin is a further his animation expertise with his department which is only a cubi- powerhouse addition to the “distant past in computers,” he cle away.” Scanning, computer- Encino team, brought on in laughingly points out, “has generated coloring and lighting February of this year to help drive seemed like the perfect example of take place there. “Once that’s SLM’s high-end goals. As a creative professional convergence.” done, it’s then moved on electron- producer/director/designer, When he got the call last ically to the next department McLaughlin’s extensive back- October, Houston didn’t hesitate which is digital animation.” A ground in action adventure for a millisecond to jump over to major departure from usual proce- includes work on such successful SLM’s nascent studio. “You know, if dure happens at this stage. “In tra- titles as X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Stan Lee calls, this is the guy I grew ditional animation, we have nice Spider-Man, Batman, Gargoyles up with. It’s like, ‘Yes — I’m there!’” exposure sheets done so that, and Silver Surfer. While studying at Houston describes the process down to the frame, you know New York’s School of Visual Arts, they’ve adapted for Flash episodic exactly what you’re doing. NYU and Pratt University, production as very similar to the Producing for the Internet, it’s not McLaughlin picked up day jobs in standard steps of 2D series forma- as precise. Not yet, at least.” What animation which eventually led to tion. Each Webisode starts with Houston does, then, is shoot a his creative involvement in dozens the writing department (headed rough animatic of the storyboard of award-winning commercials for by well-known story editor Mark to give the computer animators clients like McDonalds and MTV. As Evanier) which operates “directly direction on overall pacing and director and designer on the with Stan to create the scripts and timing of scenes, thereby able to acclaimed Pee Wee’s Playhouse,

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200077 mercial background does tremen- dously help with the Flash stuff where you have to streamline your thinking,” he says. Instead of feel- ing frustrated by the creative limi- tations in this new medium (e.g. less dramatic use of special effects and heavy action sequences), McLaughlin feels, “If you’re a good producer or director, I think that’s where you show how clever you are. You give me four minutes in Flash? We’re going to roll up our sleeves and see how good we are. That’s the whole attitude.”

The Future Is Now Peter Paul considers the biggest challenge SLM faces now is keeping up with the growth in The Accuser pits a crippled lawyer against the criminals he helped put back on the the multiple directions they’re streets. © Stan Lee Media. going. “While we’re aggregating McLaughlin treasures that early winter, while still on a project with more entertainment franchises experience at Broadcast Arts another studio, McLaughlin was than anybody in history, we’re also because he found himself not only handpicked to freelance an ani- building a company dealing with responsible for content and mated commercial to showcase all the financial issues of a public design, but as a “sometimes” ani- SLM’s gala launch party of early company and then doing all the mator and cameraman, as well. “It this year. Coming into the studio partnerships around the world was the greatest learning experi- shortly thereafter, he worked on and coming up with technologies ence of my life because it was the Backstreet Project promo and that advance our content.” And soup-to-nuts, you learned every- just last month completed the their expansion is occurring at thing.” highly praised Mary J. Blige video. super-speeds. On the international McLaughlin feels as excited He loves working on these special front, SLM announced in June a about working at Stan Lee Media projects, stating, “We want to put strategic alliance with FOX Latin as he was in those heady days on the level up for everybody to get America to both create original the New York show. “It’s the same excited about the content that programming and localize existing kind of atmosphere,” he says, we’re doing. We want people to Stan Lee content for cross-platform “with an innovative spirit that’s just look at us and say, ‘What is Stan distribution throughout the Latin pure adrenaline!” Having Lee doing next?’” American region. New plans will “bumped into” Stan throughout SLM’s Webisodes have been also be announced this month his production career, McLaughlin McLaughlin’s first foray into full-out regarding SLM associations with remains super-impressed with Lee’s Flash Internet production. He’s the leaders of anime and manga creative output. “Stan is still in been happily riding the learning in Japan. These alliances, Paul there, a 77 year-old, ready to curve with design and direction states, “..will demonstrate our swing it out with anybody.” He on The Drifter, Accuser and a new commitment to the global popular describes the new studio as “like a series entitled Stoneman. He culture in partnering with these bomb ready to explode with all believes making the transition other regional genres to help kinds of stuff. It’s one of the most from 20-minute 2D broadcast them establish infrastructures that exciting places I’ve ever worked series to the short Web produc- will be competitive on a global because of all the different appli- tions has been facilitated by his level with American productions.” cations we want to go into.” Last early career back East. “My com- On the technology side,

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200078 50,000 square foot, “media-genic” studio — Paul is having fun. “Being in the middle of one of the most creative enterprises to be established on the Internet today and being at the helm of the com- pany as it navigates uncharted waters in establishing a new medi- um of entertainment and commu- nication…and joined with the unsurpassed storyteller to kids of all time in that voyage — what’s better than that?” © Stan Lee Media. Paul is stimulated by their recent amortized over every media plat- Lee Dannacher, currently based partnering with USAnimation in form that it’s applied in.” Since Stan in New York, is a Supervising propelling its vector-based Toon Lee Media’s intention from the Producer and Sound Track Boom software which will permit starting gate has been to provide Director of over 350 half hours of animators to create programming their branded, Web-based enter- television animated series, along that can be easily exported to tainment in all platforms imagina- with numerous home video and Flash (also vector-based) and/or ble, technology advances like film productions. converted between all Internet, these will play heavily in their television and film mediums. He future. As Tom McLaughlin says, Note: Readers may contact any feels it will revolutionize content “We’re prepped and ready to fly!” Animation World Magazine con- because, “..there will be one pro- In his work positioning Stan tributor by sending an e-mail to duction that will be portable and Lee Media’s velocity — out of their [email protected].

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200079 RayHarryhausen, ACelebration by Joe Fordham t 7 p.m. on July 13, cars began to line the streets Aoutside the home of British Consul General and Mrs. Paul Dimond in Los Angeles. A band was set up in the consul general’s garden, situated west of the Wilshire Country Club in the residential district of Hancock Park, along with cocktail bars, a buffet dinner and attendant security, and a large screen and video projec- tion system which loomed over the swimming pool. Approximately an hour later, guests and band were silenced, and the guest of honor arrived. Welcome ceremony. (L to R) Ray Harryhausen, Paul Dimond, Carolyn Dimond. Tom Atkin, executive director of Photo by Adam Timrod © Lee Salem Photography Inc. Courtesy of VES. the Visual Effects Society (VES), Ralston, president of Sony Pictures just knocked out. I saw the most had gathered members of the Imageworks, who took the micro- amazing things I had ever seen — international filmmaking and visu- phone and set the tone for the a Cyclops chasing these guys and al effects community to spring a events to follow. stomping them with a tree trunk, surprise on visual effects designer the two-headed Roc, a fire-breath- and stop-motion animator Ray ing dragon and these amazing Harryhausen, in celebration of his skeletons in a sword fight — and I 80th birthday. was never the same. It was brilliant “I’m just so grateful that, work and brilliantly directed. I when I was growing up and look- walked out of that theater and I ing at motion pictures, I wasn’t wanted to be a visual effects guy. I influenced by Little Caesar,” didn’t even know what that meant Harryhausen said later in the at the time, but I wanted to create evening. “I could have been ‘The that kind of magic. It was such an Godfather’ tonight!” Speeches. (L to R) Ken Ralston, Ray inspiration to me. I know your Both Harryhausen’s con- Harryhausen,Tom Atkin.Photo by Adam movies have done the same for so temporaries and representatives of Timrod © Lee Salem Photography Inc. many people here who are in the Courtesy of VES. present practitioners of the art — business now,” Ralston told including filmmakers, creature When I was a boy, I went Harryhausen. “We will always look effects artists, animators and stop- to see The Seventh Voyage of up to you and try to emulate your motion and digital effects artists — Sinbad. I got my popcorn and my work. We never can, of course, greeted the maestro as he made JuJy Fruits, came into the theater, but we keep trying!” his way to the center table. As twi- sat down, the lights went down, Ralston listed Harryhausen’s light fell, Atkin introduced Ken and when the movie started, I was 1949 collaboration with Willis

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200080 ing an invitation to Harryhausen’s birthday. Reaching the observa- tion deck, Kong came across a dancing Kermit the Frog, remote- controlled by an animatronic ape from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to croak his own birthday wishes. The creature effects theme contin- ued with an earnest plea from prosthetic and animatronic design- er Rick Baker, who chastised Harryhausen, deadpan, for brand- ing him an outcast as a child by instilling a desire to walk on tiptoe with his shoulders back and roar Harryhausen and peers. (L to R) Jon Berg, Phil Tippett,Ray Harryhausen, Ken Ralston. at everything in sight. Photo by Adam Timrod © Lee Salem Photography Inc. Courtesy of VES. Filmmakers John Landis, O’Brien as a point of reference. “I the years and to wish you a very Joe Dante, Steven Spielberg, just saw the nightclub sequence happy birthday.” George Lucas, Frank Darabont from Mighty Joe Young on TV the A 30-minute video presen- and James Cameron added their other day, and I thought, ‘Man, tation, to the accompaniment of voices to the list, recalling their Ray was out of his mind!’” Ralston Bernard Herrmann’s score from personal encounters and child- said. “This giant ape was tearing The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, fol- hood reminiscences with down the side of a nightclub and lowed, kicking off proceedings Harryhausen’s creations. Spielberg it was all stop-motion — with no with a computer-generated cited his childhood efforts to digital!” Bringing laughter and parade of very familiar-looking model his own versions of more applause, Ralston nominat- skeletons by Pyros Pictures. One Harryhausen’s creatures in clay ed the rhedosaurus from skeleton, with a smiley face and their encounter in 1992 when Harryhausen’s first solo feature, instead of a battle insignia on his Harryhausen critiqued early wire- The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms gladiator shield, stumbled into his frame tests for the dinosaurs in (1953), as another highlight, pals and caused a pileup of bones Jurassic Park. Dennis Muren and along with the classic skeleton atop a giant birthday cake. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) pres- fight from Jason and the Video greetings followed ident Jim Morris added salutations Argonauts (1963) — which from novelist Ray Bradbury, author and introduced a screening room brought whistles and applause — of “The Fog Horn,” the short story full of their crew with a giant and Harryhausen’s 1961 adapta- upon which The Beast From “Happy Birthday, Ray” banner. tion of Jules Verne’s Mysterious 20,000 Fathoms was based. Island. Harryhausen later recalled that he “That has always been one and Bradbury first met at a science of my favorites,” Ralston said of fiction club in Los Angeles in 1936 Island. “I love that movie. But there and have been friends since then. are so many, and it was all just Bradbury celebrated the friendship amazing work, Ray, for all those in his short story “Tyrannosaurus years. It’s hard to describe what Rex,” which described the plight of those films mean to me and to a struggling stop-motion artist and everyone here. You created these a recalcitrant producer and characters, basically by yourself, appeared in his 1964 collection, which was a huge undertaking, The Machineries of Joy. and it was always brilliantly done. Next, King Kong was seen Harryhausen speaks. (L to R) Nathan Juran, John Landis, Ray Harryhausen. So I just wanted to thank you for scaling the Empire State Building, Photo by Adam Timrod © Lee Salem all the magic you’ve given me over peering into windows and clutch- Photography Inc. Courtesy of VES.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200081 time machine into foggy London to reveal a stop-motion Harryhausen inside. A death match ensued between Harryhausen and two mean-spirited but extremely clum- sy skeletons, which both met gris- ly ends. Harryhausen later received his own puppet facsimile encased in Plexiglas, presented by representatives of the MTV Animation team. Rolf Giesen and members of the Berlin Film Museum (Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek) introduced themselves to camera in front of their museum, where Celebrity lineup. (L to R) Marc Lougee, Jon Berg, Doug Beswick, Steve Jaworsky, Ray Harryhausen, Phil Tippett,Ken Ralston. Photo by Adam Timrod © Lee Salem they have been preparing a per- Photography Inc. Courtesy of VES. manent exhibition housing all of Ralston and the crew from Sony mating eight seconds a day. “Ray Harryhausen’s work. Giesen also Pictures Imageworks staged a sim- said if we do good, he’ll put us in introduced a special guest from ilar mass ovation. ILM also flew five a Spin Bad movie,” one slow-wit- Harryhausen’s past, Paul Christian of its lead animators down from ted skeleton said, just as a back- Hubschmid, star of The Beast the studio in San Rafael to join the ground column fell flat, revealing From 20,000 Fathoms. The actor, celebration. an apple box and C-stand. now in his 90s and partially dis- Other noted speakers Peeved, one headless performer abled, gave one of the most spirit- included Wah Chang, Richard L. stormed off, fumbling for its head, ed greetings of the entire assem- Bare and Nathan Juran, alumni only to find a cube-shaped Earth bly, saying, “From one dinosaur to from Harryhausen’s days as an ani- instead, which signaled the ani- another.” Other personal greetings mator at George Pal’s Puppetoons mated antics were courtesy of Flat included a message from Diana in the early 1950s; Jean Picker Earth Productions. Harryhausen, Ray’s wife, who Firstenberg, director and CEO of One of the most elaborate teased her husband that she was the American Film Institute; and pranks came from MTV not going to flatter him in public; Robert Rehme, president of the Animation’s Celebrity Death Match and one from a group of young Academy of Motion Picture Arts team, who dropped a Jules Verne women all wearing false noses and Sciences. Aardman Animations’ Nick Park and Peter Lord added a jubilant greeting, posing in front of an enormous English country manor. Matte artists Syd Dutton and Bill Taylor also sent greetings from in front of a giant Harryhausen-esque paint- ing at Illusion Arts, while VFX artist Jon Berg added a moving reminis- cence from stop-motion artist David Allen, who died recently. A re-creation of the original Argonauts skeleton fight was next interrupted as animated skeletons griped about the punishment their MTV Animation and friends. Photo by Adam Timrod animator was giving them, ani- © Lee Salem Photography Inc. Courtesy of VES.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200082 and glasses, one of whom was Vanessa Harryhausen, Ray’s daughter. Atkin concluded the 30- minute presentation, recalling Harryhausen’s appearance at the VES Festival of Visual Effects 1999, where Muren introduced Harryhausen to the crowd, which rose to its feet in a standing ova- tion. “I asked Ray, ‘Does this hap- pen everywhere you go?’” Atkin said. “Without missing a beat and with no ego at all, he said, ‘Everywhere.’ Ray is definitely a standard bearer for all the people in this room and most of the peo- ple in this industry.” VFX designer Phil Tippett Happy Birthday, Ray! Photo by Adam Timrod recited a breathless recap of © Lee Salem Photography Inc. Courtesy of VES. Harryhausen’s 16 movie titles, fol- lowed by a swaggering barber- tion. I’ll never forget it.” dio, visit on-line: shop chorus of seven computer- Atkin finally delivered a con- http://www.awn.com/mag/issue animated skeletons who wailed gratulatory card from Washington, 5.05/5.05clips/harryhausen.mov. “Happy Birthday to You” until they D.C., signed by President Clinton exploded upon hitting a high and the First Lady. Clearly moved Republished from VFXPro, a fellow note, falling into a pile of bones and thrilled, Harryhausen Creative Planet community Web that spelled out Tippett Studios’ remarked amid loud applause, site, and on-line news resource for greeting. “And I didn’t even vote for them!” the visual effects community affili- After an official cake-cut- ated with the Visual Effects ting, festivities continued until Society. after midnight, proving the Harryhausen legacy endures, as noted in the video tribute from the Joe Fordham is the editor of Secret Lab, Disney Feature VFXPro.com. Animation and the Walt Disney Co. Modifying an excerpt from Note: Readers may contact any Phil Tippett was just one of the many who created filmed tributes for the their remake of Mighty Joe Young Animation World Magazine con- evening. © VES and Phil Tippett Studios, — where a modern-day rendition tributor by sending an e-mail to used with permission of Harryhausen’s giant ape shone [email protected]. Harryhausen replied, “I’m a searchlight into clouds to reveal so grateful that we were able to a birthday greeting — Charlize make films that inspired people. It’s Theron’s final voiceover from the a little worrying what some of the film stated: “The people here are films do to young people today. I saying the sacred guardian has don’t want to get on a soapbox returned to protect the mountains. about that, but I’m glad that every- Other people say this is just a leg- body found a little more in our end. Legends live forever.” films than a few hours of enter- tainment. Thank you so much for To see the tribute to Ray this wonderful, wonderful celebra- Harryhausen from Phil Tippett’s stu-

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200083 Fresh from the Festivals: August 2000’s Film Reviews by Maureen Furniss ithin the world of ani- [email protected]. software, providing some of them mation, most experi- Atlas Gets a Drink (1999), 3.5 with opportunities for advance- Wmentation occurs min., directed by Michael ment. Among the applications within short format productions, Overbeck, USA. Info: Michael used were Maya for layout, mod- whether they be high budgeted Overbeck, 39 Evergreen St., eling and animation and commercials, low budgeted inde- Providence, RI 02906, USA. Tel: 1- Renderman for shading, in addi- pendent shorts, or something in 401-421-6529. E-mail: mikeover- tion to proprietary products. between. The growing number of [email protected]. Using an all-volunteer crew, short film festivals around the the production was completed in world attest to the vitality of these nine months — and only because works, but there are few other Blum found ways of streamlining venues for exhibition of them or the work. For example, he reused even written reviews. As a result, backgrounds from his previous distribution tends to be difficult directorial effort, Salad Bowl . . . A and irregular. On a regular basis, Carrot’s Tale (1998), which also Animation World Magazine will Oil and Vinegar. © Mike Blum. took place in a kitchen. Because highlight some of the most inter- the volunteers tended to shift in esting with short descriptive Oil and Vinegar and out of the crew, Blum was overviews. Oil & Vinegar tells a tragic compelled to create a very tightly tale of love between two condi- storyboarded project that Oil and Vinegar (1999), 3 min., ments: oil and vinegar. The story changed little while it was in pro- directed by Mike Blum, USA. Info: itself is filled with hyperbole, as duction. In order to train tradition- Mike Blum, Pipsqueak Films, 5711 director Mike Blum parodies al effects animators on a computer Vesper Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91411, Hollywood clichés of romance on in a short amount of time, he USA. Tel: 1-818-526-3670. Fax: 1- screen. A libretto, composed by architected a special system, 425-944-6225. E-mail: mike@pip- Seve Kutay and sung in Italian, which he presented at SIGGRAPH squeakfilms.com. Web: adds to the dramatic flourish of this year in a session entitled http://www.pipsqueakfilms.com . the 3-minute computer-animated “Timing Chart: Timing Animation Brahm’s Lullaby, 2 min., directed film. via Traditional Methods.” by Maciek Albrecht, USA. Info: The The project was created as Ink Tank, 2 West 47th Street, New an ‘after hours’ animated short at York, NY 10036, USA. Tel: 1-212- Walt Disney Feature Animation, 869-1630. Fax: 1-212-764-4169. where Blum currently works as Sheep in the Big City “Chapter 2: Senior Development Software Sheep on the Lam,” 7 min., direct- Engineer. Though not officially ed by Mo Willems, USA. Info: sanctioned by Disney, the project Curious Pictures, 440 Lafayette St., functioned as an opportunity for New York, NY 10003, USA. Tel: 1- not only software research and Brahm's Lullaby. © The Ink Tank. 212-674-1400. Fax: 1-212-674- development, but also employee 0081. Web: http://www.curious- training. Blum explains that a Brahm’s Lullaby pictures.com. number of relatively inexperienced This lovely, soothing work Hello, Dolly!, 3 min., directed by artists at the company volunteered of animation is not only ideal for Mariko Hoshi, USA. Info: mariko- to assist so they could learn the young audiences, but also beauti- ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200084 ful to behold for older viewers — it have her wool ready on time), is is no surprise that its director, taken out to dinner and applies Polish animator Maciek Albrecht, lipstick at the table. It seems this won an Emmy for its animation series holds a lot of promise and design. Working with mixed undoubtedly will make a great media, including cut-outs, clay addition to the list of ‘winners’ and traditional animation, Albrecht already produced by The Cartoon created this film and others for the Network. Home Box Office (HBO) cable net- Sheep in the Big City. work. He also has produced ani- © Cartoon Network. mated productions and commer- extensive list of productions to his cials for Children’s Television credit, including more than 60 ani- Workshop, PBS, and others, and mated and live-action shorts, his illustrations have appeared in a which have appeared on MTV, variety of publications, including HBO, Sesame Street (the latter The Atlantic Monthly, GQ and winning him two Emmy Awards Rolling Stone. Since 1983, for writing) and elsewhere. Hello, Dolly! © Mariko Hoshi. Albrecht has worked at The Ink Sheep in the Big City tells Tank in New York, which is direct- the story of a runaway farm ani- Hello, Dolly! ed by renowned illustrator and mal that is being tracked by the Another tale of sheep with director R.O. Blechman. Top Secret Military Organization. a past comes from student anima- In a way it is hard to Each half-hour episode includes a tor Mariko Hoshi. Ever wonder describe what makes Albrecht’s series of chapters with cliffhanger what animals think about being film work so well. Certainly, the endings, held together by English- the subjects of scientific experi- singing of Aaron Neville, which is language narration, satirical skits mentation? This film provides a in English, adds significantly to its and mock advertisements in the glimpse, with an ending that success. But the placid expressions tradition of Rocky & Bullwinkle. I probably PETA (People for the of a lady bug, a little snail, a fami- was also reminded of the work of Ethical Treatment of Animals) ly of raccoons, and other small Ernie Pintoff as I watched this 7- would approve of. creatures and the continual meta- minute chapter, “Sheep on the Hoshi has created many morphosis from one to another Lam.” The animation style and nice effects in this film, which also add to the total effect. I could- humor is typical of a number of opens with a silhouette of a man n’t help but smile as I watched this the original series being aired on preparing for sleep. The character film over and over again. It’s a The Cartoon Network, which becomes three-dimensional after wonderful example of the visuali- often have a ‘retro’ look drawn we enter the room and see him zation of music and altogether from popular animation of the tossing and turning in bed. delightful. I hope this is the uni- 1950s and 1960s, such as UPA Cinematic effects are used verse my children inhabit each (Columbia) animation and Jay throughout the telling of the story, night as they drift off to sleep. Ward Productions. While the ani- with a variety of angles and fram- mation style of Sheep in the Big ing sizes used to reveal the man’s Sheep in the Big City “Chapter City is limited, it is stylized — more work and his state of mind. 2: Sheep on the Lam” complex than most of those early Included is a great black and white The Cartoon Network has examples. Its content is also updat- dream sequence, which establish- created a number of popular orig- ed, as Sheep takes refuge in the es the man as a Frankenstein-like inal animated series over the last big city, finding work as a telemar- creator who is cloning sheep. The several years. In November 2000, keter and obtaining his green food ending shot, too, where we see Mo Willems’ Sheep in the Big City from a ready teller machine (US the sheep’s revenge, is also nicely will join them; currently, there are dollars). I really liked a segment done. Overall, it is apparent that 13 episodes in production at where Sheep, somehow mistaken Hoshi has a strong sense of how Curious Pictures, where he is a for a lovely woman (she’s wearing visuals can tell a story; no dialogue director. Willems already has an a dress because the cleaner didn’t is used in this very well-structured

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200085 3-minute film. English-language soundtrack adds Hello, Dolly!, which to the asynchronous feel of screened at SIGGRAPH this year, Overbeck’s new world. The 3.5- among other festivals, was created minute film was created with entirely on SGI machines. drawn animation, along with Softimage was the main software Flash Three and Premiere, which used for animation and modeling, was used for editing. while Composer and Pandemonium were used for edit- Atlas Gets a Drink. © Michael Overbeck. Visit the on-line version of this arti- ing, compositing, and some of the cle to see QuickTime movie clips visual effects. Sound was two fish decide to get out of the of all the films discussed here. processed using ProTool on a sea and walk on earth. Chaos Simply go to: Macintosh computer. ensues as other animals follow http://www.awn.com/mag/issue suit. A shark rings a doorbell and 5.05/5.05pages/5.05festival.php3 Atlas Gets a Drink gobbles up the inhabitant and a From the Rhode Island killer whale rings a doorbell Maureen Furniss, Ph.D. is School of Design comes another (“Who’s there?” “Killer Whale”) and Assistant Professor and Program student work, Atlas Gets a Drink, is true to his name. One of the Director of Film Studies at directed by Michael Overbeck as a most inventive portions of the film Chapman University in Orange, junior-level film. This young direc- is when a cow, grazing peacefully, California. She is the founding tor is attracting attention with his eyes the two fish and then eats editor of Animation Journal and work, which already has screened the little bunny sitting next to him, the author of Art in Motion: in several festivals and won first along with a person. Ever seen the Animation Aesthetics (John prize in the student category of inside of a cow’s stomach or won- Libbey, 1998). the ASIFA-East competition this dered how regurgitation feels? year. Here’s your chance. But this is not Note: Readers may contact any Basically, the film is about a sick and twisted adventure — it Animation World Magazine con- the complete dissolution of ration- all makes sense in this wonderfully tributor by sending an e-mail to al order on earth. It all starts when absurd environment. A minimal [email protected]. Animation World SStore http://www.awn.com/awnstore/vilppu Never before available!!!

Glenn Vilppu’s drawing techniques manual and video tapes, used worldwide as course material for animation students.

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200086 Animation World News Compiled and written by Rick DeMott

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Awards Films l AtomFilms Flash.Beat Finalists Announced l Dinosaur Walks Over The International Box Office l Cartoon d’Or’s Five Finalists l X-cellent Opening For Mutant Men 4 http://www2.awn.com/mag/news.php3?item=Awards l Harry Potter Conjures Up CGI Supervisor l Prince Of Egypt Director Set To Take Time Machine Business l Mrs. Doubtfire Scribe To Pen DreamWorks Toon l Daredevil Swings From Columbia To New Regency l Animation Stock Ticker For Tuesday, July 18, 2000. l Mission 2, Gladiator and 60 Seconds Rule Global BO l DIC & Korea’s Ameko Ink Co-Production Deal l The U.S. Box Office Gets Scary l Imax Might Sell Out, Disney Style l Slacker Director Starts His Rotoscope Feature l Animation Stock Ticker For Tuesday, July 11, 2000 l July 4th Holiday Perfect For Storm l Fox, Compaq Deal Makes Blue Sky Top 3D Studio l Chicken Run Rules The U.K. l Cartoonists’ Union Rolls Out Net Contract l Gladiator Gains Japan, Mission Out Maneuvers Dinosaur l Mainframe Releases Stellar 2000 Results 4http://www2.awn.com/mag/news.php3?item=Films l Avid Acquires 3D Software Company Motion Factory l Infogrames Gains Paradigm l Animation Stock Ticker For Wednesday, July 5, 2000. Internet and Interactive l Fox Animation Phoenix Burns Out l Top Rap Artist Eminem Gets Animated On The Net l Animation Stock Ticker For Tuesday, June 27, 2000 l Heavy Metal 2000 Co-Creator Comes To Threshold 4 http://www2.awn.com/mag/news.php3?item=Business l Cartoon Network On-line Gains Curious Web Shorts l R&B Superstar & Stan Lee Team Up To Create Hip-Hop Hero Call for Entries l Urban Entertainment Taps House Party-Helmer For New Series l Chicken Run Opening On The Net l TOKYOPOP.com’s AnimeOnline Fest Moves To September l Disney Creates Interactive Web Channel 4 http://www2.awn.com/mag/news.php3?item=Call%for%Entries l Tom Snyder Saddles 3 New Net Toons At Cartoonnetwork.com l Dr. Katz Co-Creator Inks Icebox Deal Events l Aardman’s Angry Kid Sets Net Record l Oskar Fischinger Tribute Comes To LA, Harvard and l Mattel To Bring Robotech To Gamers l Washington D.C. 4http://www2.awn.com/magt/news.php3?item=Internet%and%Interactive l Crested Butte Reel Festival Honors The Short Form l Hiroshima Festival Works The Stings On Puppet Animation People l Edinburgh Multimedia & Animation Festival Overflowing l ITV’s Children’s Entertainment Gets New Head l With Industry Eyes l DotComix Adds Doonesbury Creator To Exec Ranks l Chicago Underground Film Fest Gets Defiant l Sony Digital Pres Becomes Stan Lee Media CEO l Simpsons Stage Show Comes To Britain l Fox Family, Fox Kids Name 2 New VPs 4http://www2.awn.com/mag/news.php3?item=Events 4http://www2.awn.com/mag/news.php3?item=People

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200087 People Television l ITV’s Children’s Entertainment Gets New Head l Fox Kids Europe Invades More Turkish Home l DotComix Adds Doonesbury Creator To Exec Ranks l Voyager Producer Signs Deal To Create Next Trek Series l Sony Digital Pres Becomes Stan Lee Media CEO l Award-Winning Net Short, Ruth Truth, Makes TV Nod l Fox Family, Fox Kids Name 2 New VPs l Dinosaurs Will Walk Again On Discovery, BBC l Heavy.com Farms Out Net Series To USA 4http://www2.awn.com/mag/news.php3?item=People l Baby Blues Animates WB Friday Nights 4 Places http://www2.awn.com/mag/news.php3?item=Television l Disney Family Gives Funds To Restore Laugh-O-Gram Birthplace 4http://www2.awn.com/mag/news.php3?item=Places

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ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200088 Next Issue’s Highlights Feature Films & Education and Training September 2000

nother full issue is coming to Animation World this September. For feature films we are going to present an interview with Mark Dindal, director of Disney’s fall release, The AEmperor’s New Groove. We are also going to take a look at the aesthetics of animat- ed properties coming to the big screen. Gerard Raiti is going to tell us why some work and others don’t. Amid Amidi is profiling feature films that have been released outside of the big studios’ theatrical machine. If you are about to embark on producing your own feature, read this article first. For a look into the Japanese feature film market, resident expert Fred Patten is going to outline the lay of the land of the rising sun. We are also going to look at Pink Floyd’s The Wall. For education and training, we are going to hear about the tools recruiters are using to find new talent. We are also going to offer a checklist to help you find animation workshops and organizations in your area. Need help selling your original concept? Want to know how to pitch, put together a series bible and obtain an agent? If so, you won’t want to miss this issue. In other articles we have a feature on Vancouver’s Atomic Cartoons, a focus on Israel’s animation community and a profile of Adaboy, which uses patented Targeted Message Technology (TMT) to put ads into the texture, or face, of on-line games.

Upcoming Editorial Calendar

Feature Films September 2000 Licensing and Merchandising October 2000 Television November 2000 Location-based Entertainment December 2000

ANIMATIONWORLDMAGAZINE August200089