ENTERTAINMENTpage 9 Technique • Friday, June 14, 2002 • 9 What to do tonight? Tech of the North Check out the abundance of concerts Try the crossword puzzle themed ENTERTAINMENT (including some free ones) coming to around our northern counterpart and Atlanta over the next month. Page 11 created by master Joey Katzen. Page 11 Technique • Friday, June 14, 2001 Disney’s Lilo and Stitch breaks the fairy tale stereotype Film bypasses conformity as animators revert back to watercolor and creators focus on imperfect characters By Kimberly Rieck without directing experience and Focus Editor only had some storyboarding expe- rience. Disney also let Clark Spen- At first the idea of Disney pro- cer, formerly the senior vice president ducing an animated film about a of Walt Disney Animation in Flor- Hawaiian girl (Lilo, voiced by Dav- ida, try his hand at producing for eigh Chase) adopting an evil genet- the first time. ic experiment from outer space One would think that first time (Stitch, voiced by Chris Sanders) directors and producers would want does not quite fit right. But there is to play their cards as safe as possible. nothing about Lilo and Stitch that But the production team decided fits the traditional blueprint for an to forgo convention and use water- animated feature, and that is what color backgrounds. makes it another Disney classic. “We felt like we didn’t have any The film originated from a char- rules to follow because we didn’t acter that Sanders, director/screen- know the rules. We were already writer, had drawn back in 1985. breaking convention anyway in terms Sanders had of the story and played around the music,” said with his Stitch Spencer. “That character for “We felt like we didn’t allowed us to years. The origi- have any rules to push the idea of nal Stitch is a cross using watercol- between a vicious follow because we or because no- tiger and a bat. didn’t know the rules.” body felt like it © Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Over the years, he was a medium Lilo and Stitch, Disney’s newest animated feature, was created with watercolor backgrounds, forgoing the went back and Clark Spencer we couldn’t current trend of computer animation. The last animated film to use watercolor backgrounds was Dumbo in 1940. fiddled around Producer do.” with his creation. Watercolor enormous amounts of changes as it and David are done by Tia Carrere by A*Teens and Wynonna because Sanders, in the backgrounds progressed, more than any other and Jason Scott Lee, native Hawai- Lilo has an obsession with Elvis. “I meantime, also have not ap- movie I can remember working on ians, who gave the directors feed- was absolutely thrilled to be a part worked on an impressive array of peared in an animation film since in years,” said Roy Disney. back on the dialogue and helped it of this. Number one it’s for my Disney films from The Rescuers Down Dumbo in 1940. It is a painstaking One major change was the loca- sound more Hawaiian. children, and the fact that I’m part Under to Mulan. process because if there is one tiny tion of the film, which changed from The co-directors wanted to cre- of a legacy, who wouldn’t want to In 1997, Thomas Schumacher, mistake, the entire background has Kansas to Hawaii. Sanders made ate a story that began where most of do that?” said Wynonna. president of Walt Disney Feature to be redone. the switch after taking a vacation to the other Disney movies ended. “It’s “The coolest thing of all is to see Animation, decided to ask Sanders The background artists at first Hawaii and realizing that it was the going to be [Stitch’s] redemption people with that character,” said if he had any ideas for a new film. were worried because none of them perfect setting. story. We start with him at his worst, Sanders. “People have been buying Sanders mentioned that he had a had a lot of experience painting in The production team made ev- and he’s going to become his best. him and the movie isn’t quite out character that he was playing around watercolors. So, they took a crash ery effort to portray the island of We wanted to create a cast of these yet and that’s really exciting because with and later showed Schumacher course in watercolor painting and Kauii with as much authenticity as gray zone characters with its many we wanted to make a movie that his ideas. Schumacher said he loved even received advice from Maurice possible. They recruited hula-danc- moments of nobility and many people would embrace and I think it, and he immediately put Sanders Noble, who had worked on Snow ing experts, used animators who moments of irresponsibility and bad that’s an expression of that.” in touch with Dean DeBlois, who White. The result is the most visual- surfed, used a Hawaiian children’s behavior,” said DeBlois. had worked on Mulan. ly impressive animation film that choir, and made several trips to the Do not expect to hear a tradi- Kimberly visited Orlando for a sneak Next Disney entrusted the two has come out since The Lion King. island. The animators even studied tional musical soundtrack either. peak of Lilo and Stitch, where she animators to storyboard, write, and The making of the film was as the moves of world champion surf- The soundtrack has only Elvis songs spoke with the film’s makers. Lilo direct a film, although they were chaotic as the story line. “We made er Kelly Slater. The voices of Nani and two covers of Elvis songs done and Stich is due in theaters June 21. Festival awards independent filmmakers By Bryan Basamanowicz On the whole, the features torials begin it becomes clear that Senior Staff Writer screened at the festival were always Burt has much more to learn from fresh and often excellent. The sam- Linda. From May 31 to June 8, Atlanta pling of films covered by the Tech- Easy Listening works on the sheer played host to the largest Film Fes- nique was certainly worth the artistry of its characters. The char- tival in the southeast. On its open- attention. The favorite in the Tech- acters in the film, namely Linda, are ing night gala, the Atlanta Film nique’s picks was Easy Listening, a at once utterly over the top and Festival kicked off with the screen- narrative film directed by Pamela unbelievable while also definitively ing of Cherish, a hip and semi-star- Corkey. human. The delivery of the films studded offering from second time Easy Listening follows the story message and exposure of its theme director Finn Taylor. of Burt, a would-be jazz musician is intricately linked with the unique Following the opening screen- who just can’t swing. Burt plays in styling of its characters making it ing was the opening night party at an easy listening orchestra for a liv- 100 percent fresh and fiercely grip- club Eleven50 where the aspiring ing, accompanied mostly by people ping. were given a chance to touch base who are twice his age, he himself At the end of the festival, the with the accomplished. This open- approaching forty. Outside of his closing night gala was followed by ing night party was one in a series of orchestra, Burt attempts to convince the issuing of awards commending several highly publicized social gath- anyone who will listen that he is films in various categories such as erings celebrating the achievements indeed a “happening” jazz musi- best narrative film, best short film, displayed at the festival. cian. But in dim reality, Burt has and best animated film. Notable Over the course of the next week, little if any talent or inclination for was the Grand Jury (Best Overall) over 100 feature films were screened the hip. award to Lucia Small for My Father ranging in genre from documenta- The turning point is the entry of the Genius. The film is the portrait ry to animation. In addition, sever- Linda, a young flautist who seems of the life of a visionary architect, al seminars, discussion groups, to have stepped right out of the Glen Small, painted on film through workshops, and panels were also 1950s to play in Burt’s easy listen- the talents of his daughter Lucia. hosted at the festival. Some film- ing orchestra. The two slowly be- The film, already intimate by virtue goers purchased All Access passes come acquainted. Linda, impressed of its premise and parameters, ex- for $100, which let them into all not by Burt’s hip lingo and jazz plores the conflict and irony within screenings and events. Others opt- fairy tales but by his easy listening a man beset on changing the world © NAUGLEVISION 2002 ed for the 6-pack festival certificate trumpet playing, requests that he through architecture, but often ig- Eleanor Gillespie received the above award for Outstanding Contribu- that granted them admission to any assist her in her personal musical norant of his immediate responsi- tion to Film. Several other filmmakers were honored during the festival. six screenings at the festival. endeavors. But soon after their tu- bilities as a husband and a father. ENTERTAINMENT Technique • Friday, June 14, 2002 • 11 Technique Crossword: Georgia Tech of the North The Live List: By Joey Katzen 12345 6789101112131415 June 14 to July 12 Contributing Writer 16 17 18 Go hear some music! Across 19 20 21 1. Homes to Jose 22 23 24 25 COTTON CLUB (152 Luckie St.) SMITH’S OLDE BAR (1580 Piedmont Ave.) 6.