VolVol 22 IssueIssue 1010 January 1998

FundingFunding Co-ProductionsCo-Productions

WorkingWorking HistoryHistory aa MarketMarket ofof 16mm 16mm DistributionDistribution

EducatorsEducators onon ExperimentalExperimental vs.vs. Narrative Narrative FilmsFilms Plus:Plus: The The CreationCreation ofof an an Icon,Icon, the the MTVMTV LogoLogo Table of Contents January 1998 Vol. 2, . No. 10 4 Editor’s Notebook Where there is a will, a way can sometimes be created...

5 Letters: [email protected]

PRODUCING RESULTS

6 Funding Co-Productions:A Complicated But Tasty Recipe Michael Hirsh explains firsthand the recipe for success that has ’s co-productions filling the air- ways on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.

9 Working the Floor at International Program Markets Dominic Schreiber relates tips from the pros on how to attend a market and make the most of it for you and your property.

13 The Unnatural History of Independent Animated Films on 16mm Once upon a time there was a world without video tape...Karl Cohen takes us back in time to the days when 16mm film reigned.

19 A Literary Draw: Storyopolis Wendy Jackson interviews Fonda Snyder, co-founder of Storyopolis, a unique company which is a sym- biosis of a bookstore, art gallery, development think tank and production company.

22 Liquid Light Studios Says,“Olé!” to Mexico’s Pronto Julie Pesusich, of Liquid Light Studios, discusses the formation of a startup CGI company and their cur- rent co-production with Mexican director Jorge Ramirez-Suarez.

OTHER ARTICLES

26 The Creation of an Icon: MTV In a personal memoir, Candy Kugel describes how she and a small team created an icon that would one day take the world by storm.

31 Writing for Visual Effects: It’s the Story The worlds of live-action and are meeting in today’s effects-driven blockbusters. Christopher Zack investigates how this is influencing the craft of screenwriting.

THE STUDENT CORNER

35 Experimental vs. Narrative Films: Do You Have to Choose? Educators Amy Kravitz, Roger Noake and Rolf Bächler offer points of view regarding the student dilem- ma of choosing a direction for thesis films.

FESTIVALS, EVENTS:

Cartoombria: and One of Italy’s most popular festivals took on a serious subject this year. Chiara Magri offers her insight. 37 English version January 1998 40 Italian. version

44 The Digital Video Conference and Exposition in Burbank, John Parazette-Tillar takes us to the Digital Video Conference and Exposition, where he leads us through the classes and shows us what’s new.

© Animation World Network 1998. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 2 Table of Contents January 1998 Vol. 2, . No. 10 REVIEWS:

FILMS

47 One Divided By Two:An Emotional Equation Emru Townsend reviews Joyce Borenstein’s new film that captures the pain of divorce through chil- dren’s eyes by using both live-action and animation footage. Includes a Quicktime movie from the film.

BOOKS

49 Digital Illusion: Entertaining the Future with High Technology What can we do to gain some much needed perspective on the dizzying worlds of digital entertain- ment? For starters, there’s a book we need to read, says Dan Sarto.

SOFTWARE

51 Web Animation Explosion: Headache Relief AWN webmaster Ged Bauer reviews “the ultimate library of animated web graphics.”

HIDDEN TREASURES:

53 The Netherlands Institute for Animation Film The Netherlands unique institute of art promotes Dutch animated filmmaking on many levels. Erik van Drunen & Mette Peters report.

NEWS

56 Animation World News What a month! Loesch Bids Farewell To Fox, DreamWorks Catches Aardman’s , Disney Toons In New, All-Animation Channel and Is the Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Building a Historical Monument?

DESERT ISLAND

69 On A Desert Island With....Producers’ Picks Iain Harvey, Carol Greenwald and Claude Huhardeaux reveal their top ten animated films.

AWN COMICS

71 Dirdy Birdy by John Dilworth

72 Next Issue’s Highlights

8 This Month’s Contributors

Cover: Bob & Margaret, a new coming this fall, based on the 1995 Oscar-winning January 1998 Bob’s Birthday by Alison Snowden and Fine. This Canadian/British co-production demonstrates the possibilities for series development of short films. © NELVANA Limited, Inc. and Snowden Fine Productions.

© Animation World Network 1998. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 3 by Heather Kenyon Where there is a will, a way can you are completely, 100% correct like laughing. However, you may sometimes be created... in your actions and no one can tell be in luck if it is a drama or if your you differently. As long as you make protagonist is a and her Producing Results....what intelligent decisions for specific rea- boss has just told her, “ have I learned about producing sons and base your actions on make me laugh...” Either way, these results? About getting a project actu- research then you are just as much are all elements out of your control ally made and on the screen, be it in the running as the guy next to which can work for you and against small or big? There is no set path you. Research is absolutely key. You you. While events like this are frus- and there is definitely no set rhyme need to know the market. You need trating, they cannot be avoided. or reason to the pattern of what to read about trends, both artistic While all these roads to see- gets made or why. and business oriented, and be able ing your work on the screen can- There are a lot of paths to to put them into perspective as not be mapped, a few pointers do choose from, all of either truth or a few seem to remain steady throughout which naturally cannot weird flukes. Watch the research that went into this be covered in one issue the industry. Read, issue. If you are serious about get- of Animation World ask questions and ting your work produced, you have Magazine. There are the call. Just call and ask. to talk to people, you have to meet people that get agents What’s the worse the right people and you have to right out of school. that can happen to convince them to trust you. After There are people that you? They say, “No,” all, people don’t give just anyone a become bartenders and and I have a remedy lot of money to go off and make an gain “life experience” for for that one at the animated film. You might not get a a few years before focus- end of this piece. I yes right away but maybe next time ing on their career. There was recently intro- you come in with a pitch they will are those that put duced to the first remember you. Good relationships, together a pitch and hit person who ever as well as unbelievable determina- the markets. There are rejected my applica- tion and talent, are the key. those that publish comic books, tion for a job after I graduated Now, here’s a new way to gain momentum and then seek out school. He didn’t remember me and look at the word, “no.” A family the studio’s decision makers. Then I had even called him, spoke to him friend who is in sales once told me there are those that seek out grants a few times, sent my resume and that on average a salesman gets and make more personal works. then was rejected. Granted this was told, “no,” nineteen times for every The fact that there isn’t a set road a few years ago, but believe me, no “yes.” So, when someone rejects to follow can either be scary or free- one is keeping score and if you ask your project, thank them because ing depending on how one looks at good questions maybe someone you are now one step closer to a it. will remember you. yes. We all hear about the person We can always look at others Another variable in the equa- whose first pitch is bought and now and compare ourselves to their tion of success is luck, fate or what- they have their own series and are career progress. We wonder how ever you would like to call it. This fabulously successful. These are the we can get to where they are and too can work both ways. A devel- exceptions. Not the rules. The truth feel a little lost and miserable when opment executive that you have of the matter is that it takes a lot of things aren’t working out. “How do been working with for months can hard work, false starts and stops and they do it? How come there isn’t suddenly get a new job elsewhere schlepping to get results. anyone to tell me exactly how to or be fired for that matter. The day Sometimes, it is a matter of who do it?” This is looking on the down- of your big pitch perhaps the cre- schleps the longest. side. ative executive’s dog bit her, her car The upside is...you are never is in the shop, her mother phoned Good luck and we’ll see you at wrong. Regardless of the track that to tell her she feels neglected, etc. NATPE in New Orleans, you are taking to reach your goals, No matter how amazing your pitch Heather is, if it is a comedy, she may not feel

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 4 [email protected] Computer Game Thanks! some Lightwave, and a few, review of the movie. Thank you for Volume 2, Softimage and Alias packages. The Hercules review by the Issue 9. I work in the gaming indus- Experience with at least one of Greek scholar was an amusing, try as a Softimage animator, but I these packages is, for the most part, humorous piece (Rundin 2.4) but have about twenty-four years expe- very important for someone trying did not qualify as a film review. I rience in traditional stop-motion ani- to break into the industry. found both reviews deficient, if for mation techniques. I especially different reasons. Why not get enjoyed the article on the clay ani- Thank you and the entire AWN edi- Nicholas Radhzinsky (author of The mation process being done at The torial staff for the information you Last Tsar) to write the review of Neverhood. provide, Anastasia, commenting only on the Josh Book film’s fidelity to Russian history, and Regards, then have the authors of the Tom Brierton Film “Reviews” Continued... Hercules art book review that I would have to agree with movie? Both will be equally self serv- But Wait There’s More my colleague at Disney that it was ing and misleading to the readers. I am a lead artist at a game not right to have someone who Film reviews should be about the developer in the area worked for Fox review Anastasia film as a whole and should be done and formerly of Electronic Arts. I (Deneroff 2.8). I like Harvey Deneroff by people with no stakes in the mat- think a couple of additions to your and feel that he is one of the best ter. I hope that you can improve this art tool list for interactive media is writers on animation out there, but one serious failing in your otherwise needed (Samoff 2.9). For today’s this time around there was a conflict excellent magazine. game artist, 3-D art tools are a of interest. You know that the same necessity to stay competitive. Most people who hired him to do the - Nancy Beiman studios are using 3D StudioMax, book are probably reading his Okay, okay…We’ll stop try- ing to be clever and have more Learn Animation from an Industry Veteran! “straight” reviews. Pity, we had just located that lion tamer for direct-to-video release... On a serious note, thank you. Feedback from our readers about what works and what does- n’t only helps us create a stronger magazine for everyone. We always welcome hearing which articles and themes people enjoyed and which they didn’t.

Ken Southworth shares his 50 years of experience from DISNEY, Memory LANTZ, MGM, and HANNA-BARBERA in this PBS quality It is too bad Don Messick entertaining and educational video package designed for the passed away. He, like , beginner. did voices for hundreds of cartoons. Available in both VHS, NTSC, & PAL video formats. His credits can be seen at the end of $50.00 S&H, Tax Included almost every cartoon. He did the SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: voice of Scarecrow, in Challenge of Inkwell Images Ink the Superfriends, as well as other P.O.Box 3817 Superfriends cartoons. I wish the Anahiem CA best for his family and friends. 92803-3817 - Anonymous Call 1-888-536-2276 Visa, Mastercard & American Express accepted. He will be missed...

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 5 Funding Co-Productions: A Complicated But Tasty Recipe by Michael Hirsh Editor’s Note: When we decided their live-action counterparts is that to investigate how the complicat- they often have no specific cultural references. Franklin, for instance, is ed world of international co-pro- a talking turtle who has no basis in ductions really works, we turned regional reality. His forest home to someone who successfully could be found anywhere in the assembles these deals everyday. world. Animation is also much eas- As co-CEO of NELVANA Limited in ier to dub into multiple languages , Michael Hirsh has over- than live-action programming. seen co-productions with over Once you have found a half a dozen countries. In this arti- unique property that is likely to have cle, Michael explains firsthand the a wide international appeal, the recipe for success that has next step is to locate a co-produc- NELVANA’s co-productions filling tion partner or partners. A co-pro- the airways on both sides of the duction partner must be based in a Atlantic and beyond. country with which your own coun- try has a co-production treaty. Unlike Michael Hirsh. the , and sev- eral other countries have set up to do a quick and dirty low-budget or those of you who have international co-production treaties project. It is crucial to know these attended the television markets which establish the parameters of differences up front. Fat NATPE, MIP TV and MIP- a co-production deal between the COM, you have probably noticed two countries. Each treaty is differ- Structuring the Deal that a great deal of animated prod- ent and serves as a guide through- There are many ways to uct coming from outside the United out negotiations. Canada, for financially structure a co-production States is the result of international instance, has signed more than agreement. It could be anything co-productions. These animated twenty such treaties with various from a five year licensing arrange- series and features are the products countries around the world includ- ment with a broadcaster who funds of many negotiations, collaborations ing France, , the UK, Spain, part of the budget, to agreements and international cultural media- China and Russia. that carve out distribution rights by tions. This article is an attempt to territory. Every deal is different, but summarize the delicate and very cre- Franklin, for instance, is a talk- here are a few of the elements that ative process of bringing an inter- ing turtle who has no basis in we look for in structuring a deal. national animated co-production to regional reality. We usually seek out a partner who the screen. is capable of sharing the risk with Simply finding an available us in exchange for the upside (back- Finding the Elements animation company in the appro- end profit). We therefore want a The first step is to locate a priate country is not nearly enough. partner who is solvent and has the property that will travel well across A suitable partner must also think kind of capital to contribute to an borders. NELVANA has often used the same way about animation as animated series that will cost classic properties, partly because you do. A key preliminary question approximately U.S. $350,000 per they have a universal appeal and is, “What does each partner want episode on average. work well for a variety of worldwide out of the production?” Sometimes, We also look for a partner audiences. A real advantage that one partner is very committed to who’s government provides finan- animated co-productions have over high quality while the other wants cial incentives that complement

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 6 minimize the risks. There is a risk the series with the help of a com- that, without the proper creative pany in Hungary. In Canada, NEL- cohesion, a series or feature will VANA is handling script, storyboard, become what Canadians call a design, art direction and post-pro- “Europudding” - a series or feature duction. Layout and posing are split that is run by committee. This kind between NELVANA and TMO with of product inevitably loses its cre- digitally scanned animation being ative thrust and audience appeal. done in the Philippines. A strong creative partnership will With television animation, preclude this kind of situation. delivery dates become a pressing issue. It is crucial that each partner Constant and open communi- be aware of the other partners’ cation is essential since the delivery dates. The whole team specter of cultural differences must work together to meet broad- will inevitably rear its ugly caster requirements. head. Constant and open com- Franklin is a co-production between NEL- VANA (Canada), Neurones s.a.r.l. munication is essential since the (France) and Neurones (Luxembourg). Ned’s Newt is a great exam- specter of cultural differences will Image courtesy of and © NELVANA. ple of a Canada/Germany co-pro- inevitably rear its ugly head. It has those provided by Canada. These duction agreement that worked been a challenge to adapt Ned’s incentives will often come in the well for two partners. This animat- Newt for international audiences. form of tax breaks. We also look for ed series showcases the talents of The humor, essentially North a deal that fulfills European as well each partner in a way that American based, hosts personalities as Canadian content quotas. If a enhances the series as a whole. with definite cultural references, and German broadcaster is looking for NELVANA had the project in devel- frenetic slapstick comedy that pro- German content and our co-pro- opment when we approached vides a universal appeal of sophisti- duction qualifies as German, we TMO Film GmbH about a co-pro- cated and subtle adult humor. have just made the programmer’s duction agreement. We retained dis- job a lot easier while increasing mar- tribution and worldwide merchan- A Worthy Risk ket penetration for ourselves. The dising rights to the property. TMO There are many reasons to same, obviously holds true for our acquired the right to distribute the pursue this kind of venture, despite partner, who may be looking for series in its native Germany. In this the inherent risks and increased increased penetration into North agreement, we share in each other’s complexity in negotiations. The America. revenues to a degree. Each entity recent proliferation of specialty recoups first for the area it has channels launched in France, invested in, and then the There is a risk that, without profits are split. the proper creative cohesion, The division of a series or feature will labor is the tricky task that become what Canadians call a comes next. Budgets must “Europudding”... be split in such way that the production qualifies as Ideally, we will come to an local content in each par- agreement whereby each partner ticipant’s country. The cre- can take advantage of production ative control is then nego- subsidies in the other partner’s coun- tiated, with script and sto- try. This allows the production as a ryboard approvals whole to broaden its funding base. assigned to the partici- pants. In the case of Ned’s Keeping the Creative On Track Newt, TMO, our German Ned’s Newt is a Canadian/German co-production with In negotiations with a poten- partner, is painting, com- additional work being completed in the Philippines. tial co-producer, we also look to positing and rendering Image courtesy of and © NELVANA.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 7 Start with two or more ripe pro- duction companies with sufficient capital. Add while stirring constantly: •a fresh, leafy Canadian script with international appeal •talented storyboard editors using sharp knives ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK •a gallon of French art direction 6525 Sunset Blvd., •a mixture of Czech music Garden Suite 10 •one dozen Swedish layout artists Hollywood, CA 90028 •three dozen Korean DAT tapes Phone : 213.468.2554 of animation Fax : 213.464.5914 •one large Hungarian ink, paint Email : [email protected] NELVANA will co-produce Bob & Margaret and compositing facility with Channel 4 Television Corporation (U.K.) in association with CanWest Global System. The series is being licensed to CanWest Quickly add re-shoots, incorpo- Global in Canada, in the rating comments from around the ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE U.S. and Channel 4 Television in the U.K. [email protected] NELVANA Enterprises Inc. will distribute the world. Bring to a boil then add: series worldwide excluding the United PUBLISHER Kingdom. Image courtesy of and © NEL- Ron Diamond, President VANA. •a well-seasoned post production Dan Sarto, Chief Operating Officer crew assembled using state of EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Germany, the U.K., Latin America the art editing utensils Heather Kenyon and Asia, have created a greater ASSOCIATE EDITOR demand for children’s product in Serve immediately through strong Wendy Jackson those markets. A great way to enter distribution channels. CONTRIBUTORS : those markets is to become a play- Ged Bauer er there. Co-productions allow (Metric conversions available in four Karl Cohen instant access. languages upon request. Dessert Michael Hirsh should be the sweet taste of suc- Wendy Jackson The biggest advantage to co- cess; no heavy Europuddings.) Heather Kenyon production is the ability it Candy Kugel affords you to reduce the cost Chiara Magri of any one show. John Parazette-Tillar Julie Pesusich Mette Peters The biggest advantage to Michael Hirsh is co-CEO of NEL- John Roslyn co-productions is the ability it affords VANA Limited, a company whose Emru Townsend you to reduce the cost of any one recent co-productions include Dan Sarto show. Although co-productions pre- Bob and Margaret, The Dominic Schreiber sent their own challenges, they give Neverending Story, Rupert the Erik van Drunen your company a competitive edge Bear, Stickin’ Around, Donkey Christopher Zack on a crowded playing field. Kong Country , , OPERATIONS Ned’s Newt and Franklin. Annick Teninge, General Manager A Recipe for Success Chris Kostrzak, Asst. Manager A successful co-production is WEBMASTER like a great meal. Even if you follow Ged Bauer the directions carefully, you will Note: Readers may contact any DESIGN/LAYOUT : never end up with exactly the same Animation World Magazine con- Ged Bauer taste. Keeping that in mind, here is tributor by sending an email to ADVERTISING SALES a recipe for a successful co-produc- [email protected]. :Dan Sarto Germany :Thomas Basgier tion: UK: Alan Smith

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 8 Working the Floor at International Program Markets by Dominic Schreiber o, after weeks and months results at the international markets of slaving over your drawing can be a hard slog. Sboard you’ve finally come up “In the early ‘90s, if you with the highly original concept picked up a MIP preview you’d that you just know is going to be struggle to find more than a dozen the next Rugrats, adverts for animation,” observes or . What’s more, Mikael Shields, managing director after knocking on the doors of at EVA Entertainment, one of every television network in the Europe’s busiest co-producers and country for the past year, you’ve distributors. “If you look at it now finally got someone interested in you’ll find that there’s 30 or 40 or paying you some money to make 50. As well as the Cinars, NELVANAs the show. The problem is, they and EVAs, you’ll find that X docu- can only put up about a quarter mentary producer has suddenly of the financing, and even if tried to develop a 26 half-hour ani- you’re lucky enough to live in a mated series and lo and behold, country where the government he’s finding its much more com- offers grants and subsidies for ani- mercial than his other stuff.” mation producers (i.e. France or Even animation festivals, Canada), you’re still going to be This month, thousands of distributors and such as Annecy, now an annual short several million dollars. television program executives will wheel and event complete with its own deal on the showroom floor at NATPE ‘98, January 19-22 in New Orleans. Photo cour- International Animated Film Market Getting results at the interna- tesy of and © NATPE. (MIFA), and Cardiff and , are tional markets can be a hard financing. On paper that might look attracting a growing number of pro- slog. simple enough. Indeed, the idea of ducers looking to tie up deals with jetting off to Cannes for a week of international distributors and for- schmoozing with the likes of Linda eign TV nets. “MIFA has grown The Hard Slog Simensky might sound very appeal- immensely over the years,” says So what next? Well, you can ing. However, a week of back to Abby Terkuhle, president, MTV always follow independent film- back appointments trapped inside Animation, who has been attend- maker Robert Rodriguez’s example a convention center with 10,000 ing Annecy for the last decade. “I and fund the series by selling your other participants is no holiday. Plus, used to go just to hang with the body to medical science. But per- with an ever-growing number of animators and find new talent. haps a less dangerous, if not nec- companies looking to exploit the Now people are looking for financ- essarily less painful option, is to hit strong international appeal of ani- ing there so we’re looking to acquire the international program markets - mation, and even well-established and to co-produce.” MIP , MIPCOM and NATPE - in players such as and search of foreign partners who can Sunbow seeking international part- Preparation is Key patch together the rest of the ners to fund new projects, getting So how do you stand out on

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 9 Visit Us at www.wacfest.com

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 10 that’s really fully-fledged and we can visualize it ourselves the more likely we would be interested in it as partners. The best thing is to really think it through and visualize it, get story lines and char- acters fleshed out and cer- tainly have some artwork as well.” Knowing the names and faces of production partners and programming decision-makers is an important part of making the most of a market. From left to right: Linda Simensky, Also, think about the of Original Animation, ;Theresa Plummer-Andrews, Head of Acquisitions & age group you’re targeting. Creative Development for the BBC;Abby Terkuhle, President of MTV Animation and Creative “What really drives us crazy Director of MTV. is when people haven’t this increasingly crowded playing consultant, which is exactly what done the marketing,” says Maureen field? Half the trick is in the prepa- Burbank-based Serry, executive vice president at ration, as Fran Barlow, head of mar- Film Roman did, when it went France’s Marina, whose Mr. Men keting at EVA Entertainment, and searching for international partners series is currently airing in U.S. syn- former festival director of the Cardiff to develop its own proprietary series dication. “Think about who the International Animation Festival, such as C-Bear and Jamal. “About audience is you’re aiming for. That’s explains: “Once upon a time every- three years ago we got an interna- essential for a TV station.” one knew each other at these tional consultant, Neil Court, who events but times are changing. is an experienced person in “Have a really well structured Now MIPCOM attracts over 10,000 Europe,” says company president pitch.” - C.J. Kettler people. The first thing you need to . “He took us to MIP, do is pre-book. The people you showed us around and introduced Marc du Pontavice, president want to see usually have a very busy us to all the major players from all of Gaumont Multimedia, goes one schedule so you need to be book- the different countries. It was fairly step further, recommending pro- ing two to three weeks before the easy making a lot of these meetings ducers bring a trailer: “Without a market.” Of course, it helps if you because they already knew who we trailer you’re dead in Europe. There make your appointment with the were, they knew the shows that we are so many indie producers from head of children’s programming had produced. It made our job eas- all over the world trying to get and not the commissioning editor ier when we had to go and say can money from Europe so it’s very for wildlife documentaries. “At MIP we make a deal, where we can tough.” Du Pontavice knows all too and MIPCOM animation is just a finance some of the show up front.” well the effort required to put very small area of the market so you together a series. Back in 1993 he need to do your research,” adds Pitching Pointers came up with the idea of Home To Barlow. “You need to find out who Unfortunately, not many Rent, a comedy about a group of the buyers and players you need to newcomers at MIP or MIPCOM can aliens who get abandoned on see are.” boast the kind of track record that earth. He spent the next couple of Phil Roman has, so once you get years trying to sell it to the U.S. net- your schedule of back-to-back “You need to find out who the works. “All the networks would say, appointments booked, it’s important buyers and players you need ‘Great concept, great characters, that you turn up with something to to see are.” - Fran Barlow lovely story but the Europeans just show. “Have a really well-structured cannot do this kind of show.’ So we pitch,” says C.J. Kettler, President of decided to go ahead with the back- One way to get to know the -based producer and dis- ing of and Pro Seiben in key players is to enlist the services tributor . Germany.” In 1996 du Pontavice of a deal-broker or co-production “The more we see of a property was back at MIPCOM with the first

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 11 parties at you take a stand you have to wait Annecy, for people to come to you. We only Cardiff and started taking a stand a couple of the World years ago.” Animation Celebration Markets Are A Beginning are now leg- Finally, it’s important to endary. remember that the markets are all However, for about building relationships. You a smaller might not come away with a deal player, it’s signed for your new series but you tough to will hopefully have forged some compete valuable friendships. “Sales of shows against the are done, but if you’re pitching a

The Sunbow Entertainment booth at MIPCOM. Sunbow staffers, lavish recep- new show, you don’t conclude from left to right: Janet Scardino, senior vice president of tions thrown deals at a market,” says du International Sales & Co-Production; Bernadette Madlangbayan, by the likes of Pontavice. “You’re better off going manager of Press & Marketing and Carrie Romeo, director of Sales & Acquisitions. Photo by Alisa Anderson. Time Warner straight to see a broadcaster.” and MTV. C.J. Kettler echoes that view: episode of the series. This time Fox “We don’t do parties at MIP and MIP- “The markets are just another way picked up the series (and subse- COM because there’s so many to stay in touch. The sales team real- quently named it ) and going on, you just get swamped,” ly does most of its selling by visiting Gaumont became one of the first says Fran Barlow. As a relatively new clients. The product announce- European producers to sell an ani- company, EVA doesn’t advertise at ments are geared towards the mar- mated series to a U.S. network. the markets either, although it does kets but that is by no means the hold screenings; last MIP it attracted only time the sales team will see our Finally, it’s important to a full house for two showings of clients. We’re out there seeing them remember that the markets Daniel Greaves’ Flatworld. EVA also four or five times a year.” are all about building relation- sponsors events such as Cardiff, ships. Annecy and the World Summit for Children’s Programming. “It’s a way Besides the show itself, mar- of putting money back into the busi- keting materials are also an impor- ness and it’s proved very successful Dominic Schreiber is a senior pub- tant element when you’re looking for raising our profile,” adds Barlow. licist for K Media Relations and a to stand out. “It’s very, very impor- Taking a booth at a market is contributor to Television Business tant to brand yourself and every sin- another way of raising your profile. International and Animation gle thing to do with EVA is brand- “We’ve been taking a stand for Magazine. He is currently com- ed,” says Mikael Shields. “It’s trying to eleven years now and we’re sound- pleting an extensive report on the differentiate us as much as possible ly positioned as a niche player in international television animation from the rest of the market. If you’ve children’s, family and teen pro- industry for the publishers of the only got time to visit 15 suppliers gramming,” says C.J. Kettler. “Our UK’s Financial Times newspaper. out of a potential 100, you must regular buyers as well as new buy- visit us.” ers know where to come to at the markets.” However, taking a stand Raising the Profile can also have its drawbacks, espe- Note: Readers may contact any One way to ensure you cially for a smaller player. “My advice Animation World Magazine con- attract visitors at a market is the offer would be don’t take a stand - get tributor by sending an email to of free alcohol and a party can real- out there and visit other people’s [email protected]. ly help create a buzz. ’s stands,” says Maureen Serry. “When

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 12 The Unnatural History of Independent Animated Films on 16mm. by Karl Cohen nce upon a time Before explaining what film log of education films was pub- there was a world distribution was like at its peak in lished by George Kleine in 1910. He Owithout video the 1960s and 70s, a quick look at offered to lease 35mm films. tape. The commerce in ani- the history of non-theatrical distrib- Apparently his venture was a failure mation was on film and ution and the development of the and one account says he never there were dozens of dis- 16mm format is in order. recovered the cost of printing his tributors who listed car- Distribution of films to places other 336 page catalog. Kleine went on toons and independent than theaters (non-theatrical) began to import some of the first success- animation in their catalogs. almost 100 years ago. Corporations ful feature-length films from Italy just School districts and colleges were among the first to explore before WWI. were buying and renting non-theatrical venues. A film about In 1921 Kleine created a almost anything animated the Alaskan gold rush was made by non-theatrical distribution system that was “educational.” A the Northwest Transportation that brought “clean” films to schools, new theatrical show called Company in 1899 and shown at museums and other non-commer- The Tournee of Animation the Paris Exposition in 1900. By the cial users. He gave users of his was showing the latest and early teens some salesmen repre- “Cycle of Classics” free 35mm pro- greatest films from around senting trade associations and cor- jectors and charged a per reel fee the world. Animation was porations were traveling with plus 65% of the admission income. sometimes shown at muse- 35mm films and portable projectors. The venture wasn’t too successful ums, libraries and art hous- They presented free shows to pro- and was abandoned in 1928 with es. mote their sponsors’ interests. the coming of sound. His silent pro- During this period jectors had become obsolete almost television rarely showed overnight. Distribution of films to places anything animated except The educational market other than theaters (non-the- television commercials and slowly developed in the 1920s and atrical) began almost 100 limited animation stuff 30s. Kodak introduced 16mm safe- years ago. made for the tube. Of ty film in 1923. In the 1930s home course there were daily car- movie cameras were introduced toon shows that showed Another small non-theatrical along with black and white rever- old Hollywood films, but industry developed around porno- sal film stocks and Kodachrome film nobody was seriously inter- graphic films before WWI. (1936). Bell and Howell and other ested in buying rights to Animators created Eveready Harton companies vigorously marketed artistic works. They wanted in Buried Treasure, around 1928. their 16mm sound projectors. to keep costs low and This funny hard-core cartoon may To further promote 16mm as needed quantity, not qual- have been made for a private party a format, Eastman Kodak went into ity, to fill all the air time honoring Winsor McCay by Walter the film rental and sales business. between the commercials. Lantz, Rudy Zamora Sr., George In the 1930s they introduced the Stallings and George Canata. Other Kodascope Library which contained Non-Theatrical X-rated cartoons were produced in 16mm prints of Hollywood features Distribution From 1900 - the 1920s and 30s. and shorts. 1960 The first non-theatrical cata- Several sponsored animated

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 13 films were made in the TV when it was an experimental 1930s. pro- station. moted itself in A Coach for In the 1940s the war (1936), the first brought on the rise of public infor- industrial produced in mation films (another name for . It was pro- propaganda) and some of it was duced by the Jam Handy animated. The 16mm format was Organization in Detroit. The used extensively by both the mil- company had already ani- itary and groups showing infor- mated Down the Gasoline mation films to the public. Bugs Trail (1935) for Chevrolet Bunny was used to sell war and they later produced bonds, reminded other animated shorts. people to pay their income taxes Handy is best known for on time and Minnie Mouse recy- their post-war live-action cled kitchen fats for the war effort. films that glorified the prod- After the war thousands of uct lines of GM. In the late military surplus 16mm “JAN” 1950s the company had a sound projectors were sold to staff of 500 and made schools and other institutions at between 150 and 200 films low costs. This helped make a year. 16mm a more accessible format. An early ad promoting the home use of film Another animated At the close of the war the projectors for education. gem from the 1930s is The company that was to become ed work for Van de Camp Foods in Sunshine Makers. It was UPA made two animated films for their Los Angeles studio. directed by Burt Gillett and the United Auto Workers and CIO. Some of the animated films Ted Eshbaugh in New York Hell Bent for Election was made to made in the 1950s now seem unin- at the Van Beuren Studio. get out the vote for Roosevelt in tentionally funny, like the animated It promotes the consump- 1944 and Brotherhood of Man, turtle that tells us to “duck and tion of milk and was in fact 1946, promoted racial tolerance. cover” in case of an atomic blast, or sponsored by Bordens Milk. The latter was made to help the the atomic man in John Sutherland’s The period from the autoworkers integrate factories in A is for Atom. John Sutherland late 1920s to the 1940s the south. Both films are admired Productions was formed in Los saw the beginning of artists today for their use of contemporary Angeles in 1945 and produced a in the U.S. using film as an graphic design. great number of propaganda/infor- art form. Among the first mational films over the years. animated or partly-animat- Bugs Bunny was used to sell Among the best education- ed films to be seen by the war bonds, Donald Duck al films were a science series spon- American public were reminded people to pay their sored by Bell Labs. They hired Frank works by Mary Ellen Bute. income taxes on time and Capra to produce them and Dr. Her films were shown at Minnie Mouse recycled Frank Baxter was the host. Our Mr. Radio City Music Hall in the kitchen fats for the war effort. Sun (1955) featured animation late 1930s and early 40s. directed by Bill Hurtz at UPA. Norman McLaren came to (NYC) provided the U.S. from England in Another popular animated animated sequences for three Bell the late 1930s. He worked sponsored film for the non-theatrical Labs films: Hemo the Magnificent on one of Bute’s films market was Hugh Harmon’s Winky (1956), The Strange Case of Cosmic (Spook Sport), did work for the Watchman, 1947. It was made Rays (1957) and The Unchained what later became the for a dental association and it pro- Goddess (1958). Guggenheim Museum, and motes the proper care of teeth. was commissioned in 1939 Harmon and his partner Rudolph How Non-Theatrical Animation to do a short work for NBC- Ising also produced a long animat- Worked

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 14 The educational film of film buyers. titles or none. A few companies spe- market grew rapidly in the Most distributors who sold cialized in the importation and sale 1960s. When the Soviet films provided free preview prints to of shorts from Canada and other Union launched Sputnik in reviewers who wrote for the trade countries. Others produced their 1957, the U.S. Congress publications (Film News, EFLA own product lines. realized something had to Evaluations, Booklist, Film Library A number of distributors spe- be done to better educate Quarterly, etc.) and to potential film cialized in films that required them the baby boomers. By the buyers for libraries and school dis- to produce the work. Weston early 1960s Congress had tricts. Woods Studios turns popular chil- passed the National dren’s books into animated shorts. Defense Education Act They still acquire the film rights and When the Soviet Union which gave enormous then hire artists to do the artwork. launched Sputnik in 1957, the sums of money to school , who has headed his U.S. Congress realized some- districts. Some of the own studio in Prague since 1960, thing had to be done to bet- money was for the acquisi- has animated several of Weston ter educate the baby tion of films and other types Woods’ award-winning shorts. boomers. of audio visual materials like Contracts between distribu- film-strips, slides and tors and animators is a subject that records. There was also a Distributors also promoted is somewhat difficult to discuss as growing market for films at their films by entering them in fes- there is no such thing as a standard colleges, public libraries, tivals. Print sales often increased agreement. A contract might offer a military bases, prisons, after a film won a major prize. payment based on a film’s gross or churches and other institu- Festivals were also a way for school on its’ net profit. A filmmaker could tions. teachers and other film people to receive anywhere between 15% to The basic sales tool see new product. Hopefully they 40% of the gross receipts (25% to for these companies was would then ask their school district 30% was more or less the average their illustrated catalog. In to buy a print of something they around 1970) or 50% of the net addition to the catalog, dis- liked. profit. If a film with a net deal is a hit tributors often produced There was once a large and the distributor is honest the film- slick flyers and supplements number of distribution companies maker can make a good deal of intended to promote an and they varied in size and focus. money. On the other hand, if the interest in a specific film or Some rented a full line of entertain- distributor pads the account with series of films. Educational ment features and shorts while oth- meals and gifts for his friends, etc. film distributors also pro- ers specialized in well-made educa- the filmmaker may get nothing. duced study guides to tional films. Some companies had Some distributors mainly sold accompany some of their lots of animated shorts in their cat- films to which they had exclusive films. Aggressive companies alogs, while others had only a few rights. Other companies had some promoted their exclusive films to offer. product lines at They supplemented conventions, that income with the conferences and rental of films that they workshops. The sub-distributed. They annual would buy or lease a Educational Film print for a fixed price Library from another distribu- Association con- tor or the producer of ference (EFLA) the film and put it in was a major their rental collection. trade show that They kept whatever was once attend- income the print pro- ed by thousands duced for them. The

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 15 creator of the film only rose, the percentage the producer Jeff Hale, Jan Lenica, Alexander made money from the sale took changed to 55% and finally Alexeieff, Les Goldman, Halas and of the print. Sub-distribution 60%. Batchelor, Ernest Pintoff, Karel deals are non-exclusive so Another type of deal was Zeman, Jan Svankmajer, Jiri Trnka, more than one company offered by Mike Getz, who ran a and dozens of other animators from could buy the print and midnight movie series for many around the world. The McLaren rent it. Filmmakers made years. He paid $1 a minute per films rented for $12.50 or $10. Most money by selling as many screening. I had one film that Getz animated titles rented from $10 to prints as possible. showed many times. It turned a $15. I found a contract profit for me after I deducted pro- dated January 15, 1982, duction and print costs. When the The 16mm market for ani- between King Features print eventually came back it was mated films is not dead, but it Syndicate Division and a covered with scratches and was certainly has shrunk in size to non-theatrical distributor for barely usable, but it had made me the point that it is close to the lease of a print of The a profit. becoming an endangered Yellow Submarine. It called species. for the payment of $1,400 The Distribution Companies and allowed the distributor The following discussion cov- United Artists’ UA16 catalog to use the print for non-the- ers a few of the companies that dis- #5 (1975) focused on the distribu- atrical rentals. The contract tributed animation in the 1960s and tion of features, but it did devote prohibited theatrical or ‘70s. They were selected to give a space to early Warner Bros. cartoons commercial use of the print fairly good idea of how divergent (1930 - 1948), the Fleischer including exhibition to a one company was from another. cartoons, paying audience. One catalog from each company (Lantz) and the series. Distributors sometimes was selected for the discussion. In Most of their cartoons were avail- looked the other way if the the course of a few years a com- able packaged in groups of three film was rented by some- pany would add and drop titles, but for $25. Individual titles rented for one who was going to ask no attempt was made to show how $20 each and an 85 minute pro- for a “donation” at the door. the holdings of the companies gram called The Popeye Follies rent- The company rented the changed. ed for $200. film for $100 in their 1982 The largest distributors in the Another great selection was catalog. country in the 1960s and ‘70s did- available from Ivy Film (NYC). They An interesting con- n’t go out of their way to handle rented Paramount cartoons by the tract was offered animators unusual animated product. Films Fleischers (, , silent by Prescott Wright when he Incorporated just ended their film Koko, and Screen produced The Tournee of rental business and is now a video Songs), the Puppetoons, Animation (1970 - 1986). sales company. They used to rent and animation from Famous The producer, Wright and features and shorts including MGM Studios. Cartoons were rented on his associates, got 50% of cartoons. They had exclusive rights a sliding scale based on the size of the gross and the remain- to work from MGM, 20th Century the audience. A Betty Boop rented ing 50% was split among Fox and other companies. At one in 1974 for $15 if the audience was the artists. About half of the time they had eight offices across under 100 people. The top rate was money going to the ani- the nation to better serve their cus- $35 for an audience of over 500 mators was split evenly and tomers. people. the remaining amount was Contemporary Budget Films, founded in split based on how long Films/McGraw Hill, founded around 1969, claimed to be “the biggest each short was. That meant 1950, had a 384 page catalog in privately-owned film archive in the a really short film got slight- 1972. It included 20 films by world.” They have ended their par- ly less than a film a minute Norman McLaren, a large selection ticipation in non-theatrical distribu- or two longer. As the cost from Zagreb, silhouette films by tion and now provide stock footage of producing the show Lotte Reiniger, work by , to the industry. Their 1979 catalog

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 16 is 1 3/4” thick and contains sold for $150. Pyramid closed many of the over 800 pages. They rent- is still in business, but animators represent- ed vintage Hollywood car- the nature of their busi- ed by Freude signed toons from $5 - 10 each. ness has changed con- contracts with Ron Color features rent- siderably in recent Epple’s Picture Start. ed for $32.50 and $34 and years. The company issued John Halas’ Animal Farm The above sales catalog #1 in 1981. rented for $37.50. In the prices date from before It listed animated 1980s they expanded their the Hunt family in work by Jane Aaron, line to include a small selec- Texas tried to corner Karen Aqua, Skip tion of independent ani- the silver market in the Battaglia, Robert mated shorts. In 1989 they 1980s. They drove the Breer, John rented Jankovics’ Sisyphus price of silver up to Canemaker, Vince for $10, Steve Segal’s Red record highs, resulting in Kodak Collins, Sally Cruikshank, Larry Cuba, Ball Express for $10, John almost doubling the price of film Paul Demeyer, Geoff Dunbar, David Hubley’s The Hat for $15, stocks. When the price of silver final- Ehrlich, Paul Glabicki, John and Frédéric Back’s ! for $25 ly fell, Kodak’s prices didn’t. When Faith Hubley, Flip Johnson, Norman and Richard Condie’s The Kodak took all of the silver out of McLaren, Suzan Pitt, Gary Schwartz, Big Snit for $25. Animal their film stocks, the prices still Maureen Selwood, , Farm and the color Godzilla remained steady and have since Stan VanderBeek, and dozens of features were available for gone up. Needless to say, the lab other artists. Their rental and sales $50 each. cost of a 16mm print in the 1970s prices were similar to those of was considerably less than it is Serious Business and the company Small Companies Had today. is no longer in business. Great Animation Working out of her home in Collections Berkeley, California, Freude Bartlett If a company’s income By the early 1970s opened Serious Business in the mid- declines, at some point it just there were several compa- 1970s. The preface to her 1976 cat- doesn’t make sense to contin- nies that specialized in alog said, “We are committed to film ue running a business no mat- experimental and indepen- as an art form and our collection ter how much the owner of dently produced films. includes experimental and docu- the company loves film. Probably the most visible of mentary work... The independent these companies was filmmaker is an artist, reflecting and Pyramid Films in Santa commenting on the world and its Years ago I asked Sally Monica. Their 1974 catalog meanings.” She offered films by Cruikshank about her non-theatri- was a slick 1/2” thick, 240 Scott Bartlett, Mary Beams, Stephen cal distributors. She said that con- page volume. It listed films Beck, Adam Beckett, Robert Breer, sidering her work was short and by Jordan Belson, Charles Sally Cruikshank, Ed Emshwiller, that there was not a great demand Braverman, George George Griffin, Suzan Pitt Kraning, for animated shorts on television or Dunning, , Pat O’Neill, Kathy Rose, Stan in theaters before features, she was John and Faith Hubley, Vanderbeek and other artists. quite pleased with the size of the , Norman George Griffin’s one-minute long checks she had gotten from Serious McLaren, Dan McLaughlin, Trickfilm rented for $5 and sold for Business and Picture Start. She indi- Frank Mouris, John $35 while his 4 1/2 minute The cated the checks were never for Whitney, Michael Whitney, Club rented for $10 and sold for enormous sums, but her income Stan Vanderbeek, and other $100. Pat O’Neill’s Saugus Series (18 from her films was several thousand animators. Fischinger’s min.) rented for $25 and sold for dollars a year. Composition in Blue rented $250. The company grew for sev- There were other companies for $10 and sold for $100. eral years, but went out of business with interesting animation collec- The Oscar-winning Frank around 1980. tions as well. Creative Film Society Film rented for $15 and When Serious Business was founded by Bob Pike in 1957.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 17 The 1975 catalog offered American independent animators ial for sale on tape in the $50 to work by Scott Bartlett, on cable television. $100 range, but do these tapes sell Jordan Belson, Oskar There are other types of dis- well? The introduction of tape also Fischinger, Len Lye, Pat tributors that made/make anima- changed America’s viewing habits O’Neill, James and John tion available including several film resulting in the decline of ticket sales Whitney, John Hubley, the co-ops (Canyon Cinema is alive and at art houses. Fleischer Studio, Ernest well in San Francisco) and universi- Another problem in recent Pintoff, and others. Pike ty film libraries that rent and/or sell years has been the rising cost of died in 1974. His wife films. Berkeley’s Extension Media doing business. It costs thousands of Angie runs the company Center continues to acquire works. dollars to produce and distribute a from her home near Los One of their best selling titles in the large heavy sales catalog. Printing Angeles. 1990s has been Pat Amlin’s Popul and mailing prices have gone up Two important sup- Vuh, an animated hour long work over the years. If a company’s porters of independent ani- available on film and tape. income declines, at some point it mation have been the late just doesn’t make sense to contin- Charles Samu who import- The Decline Of 16mm Film ue running a business no matter ed outstanding animation Distribution how much the owner of the com- from Eastern Europe, and The 16mm market for ani- pany loves film. Prescott Wright who runs mated films is not dead, but it cer- Filmwright in San tainly has shrunk in size to the point Francisco. Wright produced that it is close to becoming an Note the online version of this arti- and distributed The endangered species. There are sev- cle is supplemented by a directory of Tournee of Animation from eral reasons why distribution of U.S. companies still offering 16mm 1970 - 1986. He also rent- 16mm film has declined. films for rental and sale, as well as ed individual animated The first blow to the indus- currently acquiring film distributors. titles, produced a few ani- try was the termination (about Link to the Animation World mated works, and is 1969) of government-funded pro- Network Vault for complete contact presently active in anima- grams that enabled school districts information for these companies. tion as a teacher, producer to buy audio visual materials. The http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2. and consultant to the funds for visual literacy in the early 10/2.10pages/2.10cohen.html industry. In the 1970s he ‘60s fueled the rapid rise of inde- worked with Sheldon pendent film. With this subsidy for Renan to produce The the arts gone, the industry slowly International Animation decayed. Festival, a television series In the 1980s the rise of dis- which aired on public tele- tribution of films on video tape cou- Karl Cohen is President of ASIFA- vision for three seasons. pled with the rise of film stock prices San Francisco. His first book, Another important had an adverse effect on the indus- Forbidden Animation: Censored figure in 16mm distribution try. For most consumers it no longer Cartoons and Blacklisted was Bernice Coe who made sense to spend a great deal to Animators, has recently been founded Coe Film in 1971. buy a 16mm print of a work when published by McFarland Her main activity was to a video copy was available for less. Publishers. He also teaches ani- provide television broad- At first distributors tried to keep mation history at San Francisco casters with short films. She video prices high enough so they State University. began by producing pack- could continue to earn a profit sim- ages of shows for cable tele- ilar to the income produced vision. At one time she had through film sales and rentals. Note: Readers may contact any the television rights to thou- Eventually video prices had to be Animation World Magazine con- sands of films. Before she cut to be competitive with compa- tributor by sending an email to retired she helped place nies selling tapes at mass market [email protected]. dozens of animated films by prices. You can still find rare mater-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 18 A Literary Draw: Storyopolis An Interview with Storyopolis Co-founder Fonda Snyder by Wendy Jackson n recent years, books have been ducing three fea- the fodder for a herd of animat- tures including a Ied series and films. The past five live-action adap- years alone have brought us ani- tation of Steve mated adaptations of literary works, Seagle’s best-sell- other than comics, from authors ing such as Roald Dahl (James and the House of Giant Peach), (The Secrets, and two Hunchback of Notre Dame), animated Kenneth Grahame (The Wind in the movies. The The Storyopolis Art Gallery and Bookstore provides a unique Willows), Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Iguana Brothers, dialogue with the company’s target audience and serves as a built-in testing and research center. Recent exhibitions include Longstocking), Jean & Laurent is an animated art by , Quentin Blake,William Joyce and Maira deBrunhoff (Babar), Else Holmelund feature based on Kalman. © Storyopolis. Minarik (Little Bear) and most recent- the book by which is being developed for Fox ly, Marc Brown (Arthur), Paulette Tony Johnston and Marc Teague, Kids Worldwide, and is described as Bourgeois (Franklin), A.A. Milne and is described as a road movie “Seinfeld for third-graders.” (Winnie the Pooh) and William featuring two iguanas who travel I spoke to Fonda Snyder Joyce (). These days to Rio for Carnivale. The Sorcerer’s who heads up Storyopolis it is widely recommended that - Apprentice is based on Nancy Productions to shed some light on tups first pursue publishing a book Willard’s female version of the clas- the process of developing children’s or comic to establish an original sic story. For this film Storyopolis is books into film and television prop- property before trying to pitch it as partnered with Geena Davis, who is erties. an animated concept. attached to voice the main charac- As the trend towards creator- ter. Wendy Jackson: What is the mission driven content is catching on in the of Storyopolis’ production arm? animation industry, an intrepid, rel- Ultimately, we are hoping to atively new player is entering the encourage kids to go back to Fonda Snyder: The promotion of lit- field, literally armed with shelves of the book and read for them- eracy is very important to original book properties. Storyopolis, selves after viewing the mate- Storyopolis. Most of our projects are a multi-faceted company that start- rial we produce. - Fonda based on books because not only ed as a concept to showcase art by Snyder is it our primary business to sell both children’s book illustrators, was illustrated storybooks and the orig- founded in December 1994 with Other Storyopolis projects in inal art from those books, but it is the financial backing of Microsoft development include a live- also proven that in this electronic co-founder Paul Allen, and the cre- action/ feature age, children and adults are more ative vision of founding principals Red Ranger Came Calling, a “‘90s likely to read a book that they have Dawn Heinrichs and Fonda Snyder. style Christmas story” based on a seen adapted to film or television. A symbiosis of a bookstore, art children’s book by cartoonist Pulitzer Fortunately or unfortunately, a visu- gallery, artists’ management com- Prize-winning al adaptation is more likely to reach pany, development think tank and () and Sign of the the largest audiences. Even an production company, Storyopolis Seahorse, an underwater action author with the highest renown like bridges both publishing and visual adventure based on the book by Maurice Sendak has been said to media. Graeme Base. Gracie Graves and comment that in a lifetime of tour- Storyopolis’ production arm is an ani- ing and reading to audiences, he currently has a first-look deal with mated television series based on the would still not be able to reach the Warner Bros. where they are pro- book by Mickey & Betty Paraskevas, number of children that a television

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 19 series does. FS: My partner Dawn Heinrichs, Children are so visually who runs the gallery/bookstore and sophisticated these days and yet the overall business side of they will always be affected by Storyopolis, constantly combs the heartfelt human interaction. We world to find the best in illustrated strive to transcend generations by works. Because of our unique setup creating truly clever, interesting, and the research and development unique and intelligent material with center at Storyopolis, we tend to a strong sense of humor, avoiding have our pick of material far in cliché and saccharine emotion. advance of other producers and Ultimately, we are hoping to buyers. We often find that we dis- encourage kids to go back to the cuss ideas with our authors and book and read for themselves after artists sometimes in advance of viewing the material we produce. them writing the material and have Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkeley a hand in encouraging them to Breathed. © Little, Brown. WJ: There are thousands of books work on a property that we will ulti- craft of screenwriting. The book was out there. Why do some lend them- mately produce. actually written in three acts with selves to series or feature develop- Thus, our business is reliant the film adaptation in mind. As a ment? What do you look for? upon our close relationship with our cartoonist and writer, Berkeley fully authors and artists. We have very understood and embraced the FS: Story! Storyopolis was created strong and special relationships with demands of both mediums and was as a city of stories, and as such the authors and artists whose work able to switch between the two, acquires franchise-oriented proper- we exhibit. Often we utilize these allowing for the very disparate ties with strong stories, dynamic relationships when deciding what needs of each. As a screenwriter, he visuals, a great sense of humor and material to option. was essentially storyboarding the a “slightly tilted” sensibility that will We also work the traditional script before and during writing. He entertain a sophisticated and fun- route. Our development person wrote very much like a director seeking audience of all ages. We and I seek out the estates and/or because of the strength of his expe- are especially attracted to the clas- publisher and/or agent to find who rience with the comic strips (Bloom sics, myths, fairytales and fables. The owns a property that has either County) and his love of film. Art Gallery and Bookstore, which recently been reviewed or that we provides a unique dialogue with the have been intrigued in from our company’s target audience, serves own travels through the myriad of Children are so visually as our own built-in testing and book publishing trades and from sophisticated these days and research center. history. There are many books and yet they will always be affect- characters that I remember from my ed by heartfelt human inter- WJ: How do you go about option- own childhood that we have action. -Fonda Snyder ing and developing books? sought out to develop.

WJ: Can you take us through WJ: What about stories? Do you the steps of a project? develop new storylines and char- acters to expand a property for FS: One example of an ideal more content? property for us is Berkeley Breathed’s book, Red Ranger FS: It depends on the specific prop- Came Calling. We were erty. Some projects come with a fully extremely lucky to outbid our developed storyline while others competitors for the rights to come with a wonderful idea or the book and to work with premise that needs to be fleshed an extraordinary artist who out before it can become a suc- The Iguana Brothers, a tale of two lizards by Tony Johnston, with illustrations by Mark Teague. © thoroughly understands and cessful TV or project. It Scholastic Inc. has studied and mastered the is very rare that a children’s book will

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 20 be written in only have been con- deal, we are responsible for bring- three acts. It is sidered for animation ing quality material to Warner Bros. rarer still to find a are being done in that we believe in. children’s book live-action. We are also careful not to that is appropriate take a property in that might not be in its entirety to WJ: What is your developed appropriately enough. I adapt for film. working relationship have worked in the studio system Often there will like with book illus- for years and I am very aware of the be a great con- trators and authors? parameters of the studio system and cept, a world Do you just buy the what needs to be created for pre- established with rights and take it from sentation to executives. We will fun characters or there, or are the cre- often option the material first and a public domain ators involved in develop it to the point we believe it title with a con- development and will be salable to the studio and temporary twist production? then pitch it when we know that that is always a there is enough. We have also com- hot commodity if The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Nancy FS: The very nature of missioned the writer to write a Willard, with illustrations by Leo cleverly adapted. and Diane Dillon. © Scholastic Inc. Storyopolis provides screenplay before submitting it to It is almost guar- for an especially artist- buyers. To ensure that the project anteed that there will have to be a friendly environment. We work is moving forward at Warner Bros., great deal of flexibility with the cre- together with each author and/or we work with one executive on the ator to accommodate its adaptation illustrator to bring their project to live-action side and one on the ani- into another medium. It is inherent life on the screen. It is important that mation side. that a children’s book especially will the artist’s vision be kept alive in all As a producer, our role is to have to be expanded and charac- stages of development so that the run interference to smoothly man- ters further developed when taking end result is truly representative of age a project from inception and it to another form. their vision. We work extremely option, negotiations, through devel- closely with the authors and illus- opment and production. We are WJ: What are some of the qualities trators to maintain their intent and involved in every step of develop- of a book property that lends itself to keep a close watch on quality ing and managing a project until it control. appears on screen. Our core business is reliant Sometimes an artist or upon our close relationship author does not want to be with our authors and artists. - involved in the writing of a film or Fonda Snyder television series and then we will Storyopolis’ bookstore is located at create the best team of talent that 116 North Robertson Blvd. in Los shares the similar intent and sensi- Angeles (between Third St. and to animation, as opposed to live- bility so that we can closely equate Beverly Blvd.). For information call action? the underlying property as it serves (310) 358 2500. us and the creators. FS: I believe the line between the two is actually becoming more and WJ: How do you work with a large more blurred. Animation is moving studio like Warner Bros.? What is into many fascinating new territo- Storyopolis’ role in the various stages ries as of late, with The Prince of of production? Wendy Jackson is Associate Editor Egypt, Anastasia, , of Animation World Magazine. Antz and effects-driven live-action FS: It is both challenging and excit- movies like Babe, Men in Black and ing to have a relationship with a others. Many stories that would powerhouse studio such as Warner Note: Readers may contact any never have been thought of for ani- Bros. The resources and support Animation World Magazine con- mation are now being successfully they provide have proved invalu- tributor by sending an email to executed and many films that might able. As a producer with a first look [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 21 LiquidLiquid LightLight StudiosStudios Says,Says, “Olé!”“Olé!” toto Mexico’Mexico’ss PrProntoonto by Julie Pesusich ow would it be to work for freelancer within the industry and coaster cycle of great gigs and dry yourself? Being in a compa- being exposed to the corporate spells continued, fueling our deter- Hny with no set schedule, no world, Brinca was inspired to cre- mination. power-crazed executives, no ties or ate an open-minded environment pantyhose in the dress code, no where breaking the rules was But getting this short film hierarchy; a company that would expected. “After being exposed to started wasn’t easy. combine the talents of young indi- the world of computers and seeing viduals, working with friends who that they were not just program- share the same passion and simply ming machines, and realizing that Shortly after, I joined the do what they’re best at - creating. you could actually draw and paint team as a partner and fellow risk- These were the thoughts that led with them, I was immediately taker. At the time, I was working for to the creation of Liquid Light hooked,” explains Brinca. a corporation where I was desiring Studios (LLS). Good luck and good work to be in a more creative environ- brought projects to Liquid Light ment. Although I knew nothing Here’s how we began on a little less Studios like Hanna-Barbera’s Jonny about the CG industry, I did have a than a shoestring... Quest and logos for WB Kids! and E! business/sales background that was Entertainment Television. As a new complimentary to the creative tal- The Beginning company, the budget did not allow ents already at Liquid Light. I Liquid Light Studios was for marketing or advertising. The learned what I needed to know started less than two years ago by projects came strictly from word-of- about the computer graphics world Steve Brinca who comes from a fine mouth, so the company did quick! While production was in the art background. After working as a encounter slow times. The roller- hands of Steve and animator Adam Zepeda, I was responsible for mak- ing us known throughout the indus- try and relieving us from further dry- spells. Our equipment at the time included two 8500 Macs that were running Electric Image. (We cur- rently run 3D Studio Max on NT workstations.) All profits went back into the company on upgrading computers, software, etc. Sacrifice became automatic.

Enter Jorge Jorge Ramirez-Suarez has made great strides in his brief career. After graduating from The National Film School in Mexico City, he had the chance to work as a second The main character’s dilapidated shack in Pronto Saldremos del Problema. Image cour- tesy of Liquid Light Studios. © 1997 IMCINE. assistant director on a feature film.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 22 Institute (IMCINE) started to support more animation and experimental short films. With this new attitude, IMCINE started a contest that now takes place every year. “My short film, Pronto Saldremos del Problema, was one of the winners from more than 600 entries, but the

Director Jorge Ramirez-Suarez with a sculpted clay head used in the design of the com- prize itself did not secure produc- puter generated character, Fatso. Image courtesy of Liquid Light Studios. © 1997 tion,” explains Jorge. IMCINE gave IMCINE. Jorge a grant that equated to less When the first assistant was fired, hunger,” says Jorge, “Fatso and the than 50% of the budget, and that Jorge took that position. In 1990, fly are both looking for food, and was if he had shot it in Mexico. “The he produced La Mujer De Benjami the reason Fatso eats flies is because issue here was that I wanted to and also wrote and directed the there is no food in the country. The make Pronto in CG and there are award winning 16mm short film people are starving but the media not many animation studios in Pablo Y El Video, which won the says that there is no problem.” Mexico with powerful workstations. Jury Prize at the International Jorge is best known for his My option was to shop for an ani- Festival of Film Schools. In 1991, he live-action films, but when the idea mation house outside of Mexico, directed the second unit of Alfonso for Pronto, a metaphor for the cur- which meant I had even less money Arau’s Like Water For Chocolate. rent Mexican economic crisis, was for the film I wanted to make,” Jorge Later that same year, Jorge was born, he knew this was a project adds. selected to direct the first 35mm the- that could only be accomplished But getting this short film sis, No Quiero Discutir, which was using computer animation. started wasn’t easy. “Financing a the first student project ever sold to project is the most difficult part of Mexican television. Getting Pronto Started any production,” says Jorge. “It took When Jorge asked Liquid When the Mexican short ani- a lot of time to convince the exec- Light Studios to do the full produc- mated film, El Heroe, won the Palm utives at IMCINE to get the green tion on his short film Pronto d’ Or at Cannes in the short film divi- light to make a short, CG film out Saldremos del Problema, we were sion in 1994, The Mexican Film of the country and with a few bucks very excited for many reasons. We had worked with Jorge before, and we really like him and respect his work. We also have a lot in com- mon in that we are both young, focused and determined. This film really ties us together in the sense that it helps us both get another step closer to fulfilling our dreams.

The Story of Pronto Pronto Saldremos del Problema (Our Problems Will Soon Be Over) is based on the struggle for survival between a fly and a man (Fatso) who lives within the impov- erished areas of Mexico City. The man wants to kill the fly, not just because the fly is annoying, but because he has nothing else to eat. A scene from Pronto Saldremos del Problema featuring the fully-rendered character of “I wanted to make a film about Fatso. Image courtesy of Liquid Light Studios © 1997 IMCINE.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 23 in my hands. If they see it’s potential between Mexico City and Los Nature and 4D Vision have all con- as a short film, they will support it. Angeles, Jorge brings photos of tributed to Pronto’s success. IMCINE itself will distribute Pronto dilapidated neighborhoods and Whenever a need, problem or ques- all over the world. I have produced sketches of furnishings as source tion arose, these companies were at least four films for IMCINE, so they material for the crew here at LLS. there to help us out. Building strong have confidence in this project.” We custom-model and texture every relationships is no secret to success. object. Michel Mazza, LLS’s texture We value the relations that we have Another attractive factor for artist, has created textures for all the built with the companies who pro- both Jorge and Liquid Light environments as well as those of the duce the tools we need to exist. Studios is that Pronto has main characters, including small been pre-selected to premier details such as pupils and tiny hairs. Valuable Lessons at The Cannes Film Festival, “We are also spending a lot of time Although Liquid Light has among others. on lighting and detail to create the been in business only a year and a right mood; the entire piece is very half, many valuable lessons have stylized,” notes Al York, LLS’s lighting been learned. Brinca says, “We have Jorge and Liquid Light Studios director. proven to ourselves that hard-work Connect Another attractive factor for and persistence does pay off. We Once financing was both Jorge and Liquid Light Studios work an average of 14 hours a day, secured, Jorge convinced Pablo is that Pronto has been pre-select- more when in production, but it’s Baksht, Head of Production at ed to premier at The Cannes Film great when you’re doing what you IMCINE, to produce the short film Festival, among others. love.” Taking the time to explain 3- in Los Angeles. With his background D to clients who are not familiar in live-action film, Jorge did not Production Resources with the process is imperative to know anything about platforms, Having the right resources having a project flow smoothly. We software or rendering needs. After was essential in order to produce have devised our own samples of going to a lot of animation shops the look that was en-visioned for how every element of production and checking different software, he Pronto. With 3D Studio Max as our works, and relates to one another. decided to make Pronto with 3D main software, we relied on many It’s important for the client to under- StudioMax. “I took a course on 3D plug-ins, as well as the manufac- stand what’s involved in our job, this StudioMax, learned the basics, start- turers themselves, to successfully way if new project material is ed to unite a team,” he recalls, “First, accomplish this production. added, or new requests are made, I asked Mauricio Castillo, a Mexican Character animators Don Waters the client will have an idea of what’s artist, to design Fatso and the fly. and John Burnett use Character possible to accomplish within their Then I asked my friend David Hayes Studio from Kinetix, along with 2nd deadline and budget. at E-Film if I could have their help Nature’s HyperMatter and transferring data to 35mm nega- Digimation’s Bones Pro as the main With 3D Studio Max as our tives, and he said yes. Soon, Martin animation software for the charac- main software, we relied on Lazzarini joined to do the rest of the ters, with Lambsoft’s Smirk to aid in many plug-ins, as well as the artwork and the storyboard.” After all of the facial . When manufacturers themselves, to some research, Jorge found Liquid working with characters, replicat- successfully accomplish this Light Studios and with them the rest ing actual life-like movements can production. of the team. be tricky. Both Don and John’s back- Aside from the strong story ground in traditional animation content, Liquid Light Studios found have proven valuable. Beyond Production the level of creative freedom that Working with a low budget After production for Pronto Pronto allowed very appealing. could have hindered us from mak- is completed, the sound will be “Jorge is very open-minded and he ing this film, but we were extreme- posted and the final composite print supports our creative input,” enthus- ly fortunate to have support from will be made. For this area of post, es Zepeda. “This production is quite software companies. Kinetix, Jorge has chosen Dan Fort, a tal- a team effort.” Digimation, Lambsoft, Sven ented editor who has worked on Constantly traveling Technologies, REM/Infografica, 2nd major feature films like Desperado

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 24 and From Dusk ‘til Dawn. Fort is turned out they aired our version very surprised and thrilled. We also responsible for the sound and thanked us for our work and worked an extra three days for free design of the fly’s buzzes. The score insight. because we knew the extra work has been composed by Eduardo would make this project great. As a Gamboa, a very well known young house these are the types of “We need our clients as much Mexican composer. To do the final extras that we have to do in order as they need us.” - Steve sound mix, Jorge has lined up the to make a name for ourselves and Brinca Dolby Digital Sound Studio at build a future. If we are to make it Churubusco Studios in Mexico. “The big, we are still going to uphold our quality of the sound will have the An example of what sets us small house beliefs. top technology available today for apart from other houses is that we “Every one of our clients and big films,” Jorge excitedly says. give the client more than expected, projects becomes a part of Liquid and in some cases, more than they Light. We don’t run our studio using Going the Extra Mile pay for. We recently created a new the ‘revolving door method’ of We’ve worked on projects roller coaster for Six Flags Magic bringing projects in and getting where the client was very happy Mountain. The piece was two min- them out as quickly as possible,” with the final product (that was built utes of animation and the client concludes Brinca, “We need our from their storyboards), but we mentioned at the beginning of pro- clients as much as they need us.” knew it could have been better. In duction that they wanted to incor- one particular case, we made sub- porate their logo at the intro. tle changes to the color palette, Knowing the project was a Julie Pesusich is a partner, repre- font, and lighting. We slightly lot of work and that we were faced sentative and director of Client altered the design to compliment with a tight deadline, the client Relations for Liquid Light Studios. their product. We made these sug- never mentioned the logo again. gestions during production, but the We knew that an intro that was client was adamant about staying more than just inserting a logo Note: Readers may contact any with the original elements so we would really make this piece, so we Animation World Magazine con- gave them their version that was designed an intro as well as an end- tributor by sending an email to already approved, along with our ing with audio and surprised them [email protected]. version for them to consider. It with it. Needless to say, they were BonBonusus HTMLHTML FFeaeaturtureses Every online (HTML) issue of Animation World Magazine contains additional features not found in the down- load 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: http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.10/2.10pages/2.10cover.html

• The Unnatural History of Independent Animated Films on 16mm is supplemented by a directory of U.S. companies still offer- ing 16mm films for rental and sale, as well as currently acquiring film distributors. Visit the Animation World Network Vault for complete contact information for these companies.

• The Creation of an Icon: MTV includes a Quicktime movie of the first animated MTV id.

• Experimental vs. Narrative Films: Do You Have to Choose? Includes Quicktime movies of experimental and narrative student films.

• One Divided By Two: An Emotional Equation includes a Quicktime movie from the short film by Joyce Borenstein.

• Web Animation Explosion: Headache Relief includes samples of Shockwave and GIF animations that are available on the reviewed CD-ROM.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 25 TheThe CreationCreation ofof anan Icon:Icon: MTMTVV by Candy Kugel

All images herein are courtesy of and © MTV: Music Television. All Rights Reserved. Editor’s Note: When our seen that screamed, “Spray paint on were primarily doing television com- September television issue took a a wall.” It was totally asymmetrical, mercials and the independents who special focus on MTV, we were as far away from the peacock or an were making films from grant surprised how often the MTV eye as you could get; a design that money. The independents general- logo was mentioned. It was on made the ‘M’ be off center, to allow ly came from art schools and film this note that Candy Kugel felt for the ‘TV’ to be on screen. It was schools that had animation depart- inspired to write her memoirs on also MTV’s intention of changing the ments which propelled them into directing the first “Top of the look of the logo every time the view- the world of film grants and teach- Hour” and subsequent cam- er saw it. All that was constant, were ing. The studio animators general- paigns that opened the door for the proportions and the desire for it ly came from a tradition of appren- many independent animators. to look as “hands on” as possible. ticeship. From the beginning I strad- This was a time when every- dled both worlds. I had been a stu- thing was shot on film, and since dent at Rhode Island School of n Friday, July 17th, 1981 at this was to be some sort of double Design, heard a lecture by Jack 10:30 a.m., I attended a run, I needed to mat in the MTV Zander at Brown University and Omeeting at our Perpetual logo which would be shot with top asked him for a job. During art Motion Pictures offices with prospec- lights onto the NASA chromes (shot school, I worked as an intern over tive clients from a place called bottom). Please remember that this summers and vacations at Perpetual Warner AmEx who were going to was before HARRY, Flame or even Motion Pictures, a commercial stu- start a Music Television channel. good video compositing. I needed dio owned by Buzz Potamkin and They needed a network id; some- to do daily tests which were then Hal Silvermintz. Therefore, I could thing to identify their network from processed overnight at labs. In the learn my craft on the job, while hav- others, sort of like a modern CBS end, I had less than three days to ing enough time to experiment “eye.” They had a half dozen produce all the hand-colored, pur- independently while at school. RISD chromes from NASA of the original posely made to look “funky” flags gave me a janitorial closet as my walk on the moon, a logo designed which were done on tissue paper “room” and paid for their first ani- by Frank Olinsky of Manhattan with watercolor markers. mation disk and pegs which I Design, a promise for a sound track But, let’s step back for a bought before the film/anima- the following week, and one week minute. How did this come about tion/video department existed as it in which to complete it. I remem- and why was I doing this seminal does today. I always wanted to do ber looking at the final logo design, work at MTV? my own work, but the economics the chunky, baby block ‘M’ and the made it necessary for me to work dripping ‘TV,’ and feeling how great The New York Dichotomy commercially. I was very lucky. The it was. Graffiti art had been cele- In the late 1970s there were first five years that I worked at brated for the previous decade, yet two distinct groups doing anima- Perpetual Motion Pictures, I had the this was the first type treatment I’d tion in New York: the studios who opportunity to make dozens of one

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 26 minute “editorial cartoons” for the be present at the 1978 Ottawa Film sify its magic, contrast it with reali- monthly NBC news show, Festival. I was actually there with ty, show fantasy, etc. In commer- Weekend. I’ve always said that NBC the short Fat Farm, one of the cials, we always shot live-action film paid for my animation education. Weekend pieces, which I directed, footage, rotoscoped what was nec- As the pieces got more involved and designed, animated and co-wrote. essary, then animated to the live complicated, the more experience I We wrote the pieces by committee and combined the animation film gained. at “story meetings” from which I and live-action film in an optical. would create a storyboard. For this Needless to say, this was very expen- film, I was uncredited and my way sive and time-consuming. Many Ever since its inception, ani- unpaid, but what a festival! Caroline independents were playing with mation was combined with Leaf presented her sand version of live-action footage in a variety of live-action to intensify its Metamorphosis, a tour-de-force of experimental ways: with plain roto- magic, contrast it with reality, storytelling, Kathy Rose’s Pencil scoping, as Kathy Rose, George show fantasy... Booklings where she had roto- Griffin and Mary Beams were doing, scoped herself to be among her with stills, like Al Jarnow, and some By 1978 I was a member of characters, La Traversee de were using Xeroxes pulled directly several, often mutually exclusive, l’Atlantique a la Rame, an incredi- from 16mm film. I liked the way the organizations: I was a member of ble cut-out metaphor of marriage motorized stills looked and decided Screen Cartoonist Local 841 (the by Jean-Francois Laguionie, Sara to shoot myself as an actress prepar- IATSE affiliate that insured animation Petty’s Furies, with its beautiful color ing for an audition. Audition was workers of a minimum wage, pencil drawings of cats and George finally finished in 1980, but the ini- unemployment insurance, vacation, Griffin’s Viewmaster, an homage to tial storyboard appeared in Frames, holiday and severance pay, health Eadweard Muybridge. Work by George Griffin’s publication, in and retirement benefits), the Union Janet Perlman, Al Jarnow, Jimmy 1978. Animators’ Group (made up of jour- Picker, John Weldon and others was neymen animators who thought also screened. Five nights of screen- The conditions were such that the union as a whole underrepre- ings with work so varied in texture, encouraged experimentation sented their needs and concerns), tone and technique, it made one and play. Naturally, I was full ASIFA-East, and George Griffin’s feel like film could look like or be of ideas... group of independent animators (a anything. Many of them were done group that felt that ASIFA didn’t rep- by women which was a major dif- resent them, and used this month- ference from the commercial stu- Within the year the ly meeting as an opportunity to dios where women were often rel- Weekend show was canceled and show works in progress and com- egated to ink and paint! Although my creative autonomy came to an pare notes). I was an inveterate ani- there were commercials presented, end. It was at this point that I got to mation festival goer. I felt that I was the overall interest was in the inde- develop as a character animator an independent animator and pendent fiction films. because Perpetual Motion started found the freedom in independent doing half-hour television specials. film exhilarating. When I’d report to Playing with Live-Action Footage It was liberating being able to make the Union Animators’ Group about I returned to New York ready the characters act without worry- the films I’d seen, many would snort to start working on my own film in ing about the design or layout. at the idea of moving sand or string my spare time. I had actually fin- However, I began to miss directing under a camera and calling it art. ished my first independent film in and designing, so Buzz Potamkin When I’d try to rally the indepen- 1977; an homage to Saul Steinberg, and I struck a deal. He would offer dents into thinking about unity as who asked me not to show it until me the commercials that came in a protection against unfair labor he had a chance to make his own that didn’t require a given design- practices, that joining the Union animated film. (I’m still waiting....) er, or that Hal Silvermintz was too could possibly protect them, I’d get This time however, I wanted to com- busy to handle. So, I was animat- a similar jeer. bine still photos and animation. Ever ing a few scenes in Strawberry All this to say, that I was one since its inception, animation was Shortcake in Big Apple City during of the few commercial animators to combined with live-action to inten- the Spring of 1981, and was laying

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 27 out and directing some Sunshine to shoot the DJs and I gave him a network. He liked the hand drawn Baker and Aziza eye makeup ads, couple of drawings of positions that quality of the KNBR spot and need- when a rush spot came in, in I needed the guys to walk in. He ed that for the NASA chromes. He March. had a still photographer shoot them definitely wanted his audience to for me. They were shot without a understand that this was not a puff A Taste of Things to Come motorized camera which gives it an piece for astronauts. He wanted Dale Pon, even funkier look. irreverent, eye catching, funky and who had just start- Buzz got an okay fast! So began a relationship ed his own adver- from his uncle, between Buzzco Productions, MTV tising agency spe- and I went over to and Dale Pon. Buzz had just formed cializing in radio Potamkin Cadillac Buzzco Productions, taking Vincent stations, had a to shoot both the Cafarelli and myself as his creative client in San exterior and interi- team. and Alan Francisco. This par- or of a Cadillac lim- Goodman left MTV and formed ticular spot The famous “moonwalk” MTV id. © ousine. Then we their own company Fred/Alan, who involved two DJs, MTV: Music Television. played with it. To shared the 28th floor with us above Frank and Mike, fool the viewer the Omni Park Central Hotel. Dale and it was Dale’s idea that we make into thinking that the crowds were continued to bring us radio adver- them into celebrities. He wanted to all part of the same scene, we used tising and Fred/Alan and Buzzco have them in tuxedos, exiting a lim- marker and colored pencils to produced a show for The Playboy ousine, waving to a crowd of chant- destroy any extraneous information Channel called Hot Rocks. It was an ing fans, and entering a theater and to use the palette to flatten the exciting time working with both where they would be sipping cham- live and unite it. We Xeroxed the companies since they wanted stuff pagne with famous singers. Now two dozen or so photos of the DJs that didn’t look like anything else. the last shot, Frank and Mike with on cel and painted them to sepa- The conditions were such that the celebrities, wasn’t a big deal. It rate them more clearly from the encouraged experimentation and could be shot very simply against a crowds and backgrounds. All that play. Naturally, I was full of ideas I limbo background with the celebri- patchke added excitement to the wanted to play with: collage, retim- ty making the most interesting per- piece. Everyone was delighted with ing live, changing palettes. Cable formance. But the crowds? The the results and it was done in a very television was beginning to define limo? There were plenty of 16mm quick turn around time. Part of the what it was and used animation to archive houses around with footage challenge of the job did indeed separate itself from the networks. of Hollywood openings, but if we come from time and budget con- were to go the traditional route and straints, but had I not seen other “I Want My MTV!” try to mat them in, it would have animated pieces using this Xerox Sometime in 1983, Dale been weeks of testing in the lab and technology, notably from NYU stu- Pon, then a partner at LPG/PON, then trying to match the DJ’s in a dents, I don’t think I would have landed the MTV national advertis- similar lighting and perspective. I’d used archival footage. ing account. In the beginning of been aching to try a new machine 1984, he came up with the “I Want that Xerox was touting. One could My MTV” campaign. Nancy bring 16mm film and they would I could only say,“It’s not going Podbilniak was the writer and continuously print it on paper. The to be like anything else you’ve George Lois the creative director. machine was used for microfilm. So, seen before,” which seemed The idea was to take rock and roll we cut together a 16mm workprint to satisfy him. icons and have them demand MTV with four or five shots of different from their cable service while inter- film openings, different perspectives acting with the MTV logo, which of crowds and theaters, day, night... The Top of the Hour had the ability to change into any- It didn’t matter since it would all be This spot caught the atten- thing. We were going to film the re-treated. We then took Xerox the tion of Fred Seibert who then con- stars delivering their line, “I Want footage. tacted Buzz to do the “Top of the My MTV,” but what would happen Dale was going to California Hour” for his new Music Television afterwards was still to be deter-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 28 mined. I remember sitting in a car was less expensive, lightweight and combination of the silliness of the going out to Queens for the first fast drying. We wondered what it logo gags (I was joined in anima- New York shoot, with Hall and would be like to get them into the tion by Vincent Cafarelli and Jan Oates, Tom Freston, then the head series since it was better quality than Svochak), the straight ahead con- of advertising at MTV, and Leslie Xerox but less expensive than pho- stant motion of the color tinting on Fenn, the account executive. Tom tographic prints. I had used high the live (the color was followed asked me what it was all going to quality photographic paper in my through by Cotty Kilbanks and Lisa look like. I was armed with some film Audition and the images took a Fernandez) and the brightly colored MTV logos I had blown up on cels long time to expose and dry. It logo, made Dale Pon dub it, “Eye and cut out to be used as props would have been prohibitive to use Candy (Kugel).” with Hall and Oates. This was a gag in a campaign that would have written by George Lois, that the rock hundreds of images and tight dead- That Famous Moon Shot partners would be arguing over lines. We used an internegative with This all was noticed again by whose MTV it was and inadvertently Bell and Howell perfs and devised a Fred/Alan who decided it was time tear it. I knew we were going to use crosshair system to keep them in to update MTV’s “Top of the Hour.” the live footage. I knew we were registry and voila! The photo-roto It had been about two and a half going to animate the ‘M.’ I knew industry was born! Using the cam- years that they’d been using the we didn’t want to use Xerox on the era as a photographic enlarger, original funky slides; occasionally rock stars because we wanted too punching the actual paper and changing the live action blast off enhance their looks. Plus, I wasn’t exposing large numbers of frames in beginning, a change so subtle it sure if we were going to layer sequence had a revolutionary effect was virtually unnoticed. Since the effects onto the live-action or replace on the business. Until very recently national campaign had become it. I could only say, “It’s not going to with the advent of computers, these such a success and people started be like anything else you’ve seen photo-rotos made it possible to get to refer to that as the “MTV look,” before,” which seemed to satisfy precise roto-ing without having to they contracted us to create the him. have someone back-breakingly sit moon landing in that same tech- at an animation stand and trace by nique. Unfortunately, the NASA As they say, success has many hand the live-action. footage left a lot to be desired. It parents. Failures are orphans. In the late ‘70s and early 80s was shot on 16mm, very high con- there was a new interest in tinting trast and in reality, pretty colorless. photographs. Although color pho- The takes took forever, unlike the How Did They Do That? tography had long been perfected, snappy timing we could do with Now as to how the MTV the quaintness of turn of the cen- gags. Therefore, we were forced to spots got to look the way they did, tury color tinting of black and white piece it together from a couple of I need to go back in history once photos was refreshing. There was different moon walks. again! Whenever we did a com- also an art movement coming out mercial that had live-action into of Milan, Italy, Memphis Milano, In this case I was allowed which we were placing an animat- with its squiggles and bright primary great individual artistic free- ed character, we would have to colors. It was fun to imagine the dom which is unusual if one is rotoscope it. Sometimes, if there was combination of influences and how employed by someone else no touching or cross over, we a piece could turn out. So, that was and answering to a corporate would get a single image of the my plan to get an even exposure client. scene as a photograph. At all opti- on the live-action so that I could cal houses at the time there was bring out contrast in the coloring. Neil Lawrence and I cut a always an “art guy,” someone who Using magic markers and grease blow-up dupe of the footage would set type, make kodaliths, pencils on the cels to give the pho- together, timed to the MTV theme mats, and these “projections.” Our tos a hand-colored quality (and music. This time through there was camera service, owned by John rouge the stars’ cheeks), I kept the also footage of and tons Rowohlt, had such a service: a man MTV logo as a black outlined car- of computer screens into which we named Gerry Guidali. Kodak had toon character of its own, using the could mat the logo. The palette had come out with a new paper that Memphis Milano-type palette. The to change with the function of the

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 29 live-action, plus the sky was too ing HBO, USCI, VH-1, USA Network, the ‘90s decade? There is no more black, we needed to break it up more radio station spots for Dale dichotomy; no more intense rivalry with sparkling stars. The rest of the Pon and the Teen Wolf opening between the independents and the high-contrast, out-of-focus footage and end titles for Buzz at Southern union studios. Most independents had to be delineated in a way that Star. For awhile there were lots of do commercial work since grants the action could be read and could other studios using this technique. have dried up considerably. There is be fun. Magenta was added to With the popularization of the no more union or union studios. In aqua as the color of the astronauts’ Quantel Paintbox, the price of the mid-80s Local 841 got swal- uniforms. Orange seemed an apt doing this directly to tape, without lowed up by an indifferent Local color for the surface of the moon going through the film stage, made 644, the camera union, which in and we enhanced the rockets’ red it seem totally pervasive. (Although turn, just last year, got swallowed flare. I do prefer the hand drawn look up by the West Coast Local 600. with film images.) By 1987, we Many studios and independents Today,A Lot Has Changed were much less interested in this compete for the same work. In addi- The MTV campaign contin- particular style and were creating, A tion, many studios, even if they ued through 1985, past Buzz’s Warm Reception in L.A., our first don’t produce their own indepen- departure for Hollywood and independent short in which we dent work, produce short pieces Vincent Cafarelli, Marilyn Kraemer used neon colors against a stark that compete in the international and myself starting Buzzco black background. This became the film scene. Here at Buzzco Associates. Over the years there new “Buzzco look.” Again, we’ve Associates, we try to produce have been plenty of people who done scores of projects in this tech- enough income-generating work have taken credit for the beginning nique which has also been imitat- to allow us to keep making our own of MTV. As they say, success has ed by others. (Actually, in Audition projects. Often, as in the case of the many parents. Failures are orphans. I had an entire sequence with col- 30-minute direct to home video that In the 16 years since its birth, I have ored pencils on black construction we did for Planned Parenthood found it curious that my name has paper, a precursor! But then that’s Federation of America, Talking rarely been linked with these early another story....) About Sex, we get to produce efforts, even though I designed and I still go to international ani- income-generating productions that directed all of the spots. It’s similar mation festivals and love to see how we can treat as an independent pro- in a way to the sporadic and fluky themes and styles seem to cross-pol- ject. The best of both worlds! crediting of animators in the old, linate in this atmosphere. I was so big studios where the name of the taken by the graphic style of The Note: The online version of this arti- actual animator or sequence direc- Monk and the Fish by Michael cle contains a Quicktime movie of tor was sometimes forgotten. Dudok de Wit in Ottawa ‘94 that I the first animated MTV id. Somehow information gets lost in ached to use a big black paintbrush http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2. the shuffle of other people’s remi- in our next film which ended up 10/2.10pages/2.10mtv.html nisces of their own roles. In this case being The Ballad of Archie Foley. I was allowed great individual artis- I’m not sure that the average view- tic freedom which is unusual if one er could actually tell that, but I sure is employed by someone else and noticed the proliferation of dots on answering to a corporate client. My the genera- Candy Kugel is vice president and only initial caveat being that what- tion of films animation director at Buzzco ever I did be “brand-new and cut- after His Wife Associates, Inc. in . ting-edge;” that included the artistic the Hen by influences of the time reinterpreted Kovalyov. in a new way through interests and As for visions that were personally mine. the state of After our initial work on MTV, the animation Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine con- this crazy coloring style came into community in tributor by sending an email to demand. We were asked to go fur- New York this [email protected]. ther with it for other clients includ- last half of Candy Kugel.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 30 WritingWriting forfor VisualVisual Effects:Effects: It’sIt’s thethe StoryStory by Christopher Zack

Editor’s Note: Even though west, and up the coast from my from the tucked-away compound, Animation World Magazine is home in Hollywood, the breath of groups of people in matching, located in Hollywood, California perfect sunshine through the win- white t-shirts and red, running we don’t often turn to the world dow can sometimes be enough to shorts jumped out of a series of of big, live-action rip one from the once-clutched school buses and ran to the shore films. However, with visual effects sheets. It was a perfect day and I wildly yelling, disappearing into the becoming a larger and larger jumped in the Jeep with the top ocean. Were these “the writers?” source of employment, we sent down. Was I about to have my first Christopher Zack on “retreat” to encounter with a troop of laptop investigate how live-action writers The Adventure Begins wielding Branch-Davidians? I was are taking on a typically animated The three-day retreat was soon happy to find out that my brief goal: writing the unreal. How is held at the Steve Brewer blast of paranoia was completely this changing their craft? Conference Center. The directions unjustified. gave an address in Malibu, and said the location of the conference cen- After quite a journey...Christopher ter was near Zuma Beach, an Was I about to have my first encounter with a troop of lap- spoke with Ron Shusset (Alien, Total oceanside community just north- top wielding Branch- Recall) about this question as well west of Los Angeles. The conference Davidians? as the “state of the blockbuster” in center, in fact, ended up not being U.S. cinema. near Zuma at all, and definitely not in Malibu. The second group of fire- On “Retreat” men I talked to after driving around Gary Shusett, who was for an hour and a half deliberated, responsible for organizing the he ad read, “Writing is more went over some road maps, and writer’s retreat, set me up with a than a one night stand.” Living then explained to me that the Steve Mexican feast as soon as I arrived, Tin Los Angeles, you see this Brewer type of thing listed in the weekend Conference section of the paper all the time. To Center was actu- attend this particular “Retreat,” peo- ally located in ple paid anywhere from $250 to Ventura County, $500 apiece (depending on lodg- approximately ing) to spend the weekend in an 30 miles north isolated, scenic location, talking of Zuma Beach. shop with the pros of the trade. I I reached just had to take the trip to discover the location the place where a piece of literary almost two wisdom had a $500 price tag hours late. This attached. Although I had to wake place was just Alien: Resurrection is the fourth installment in the effects-heavy my weary bones unusually early for outside of Alien series of films, the first of which began as a story by Ron a Saturday morning to take the trek Shusett, in a screenplay written by Dan O’Bannon. © Twentieth nowhere. Across Century Fox.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 31 ing a purpose in life. I was enjoy- ing my stay so much that I almost forgot what I had come to do.

In Ron Shusett’s Words So, after my “moment,” and before the BBQ, it was time to cor- ner Ron Shusett to discuss the fate of the screenwriter in an era of visual-effects driven films. Ron is a pleasant, lightning-tongued speaker with an immeasurable amount of passion and knowl- edge. He also doesn’t seem near- ly as insane as someone should who wrote a famous story about Starship Troopers was written by Ed Neumeier, based on a book by Robert A. Heinlein pub- lished in the 1950s. Neumeier worked closely with (whose studio completed murderous aliens bursting out of the bug effects), director Paul Verhoeven and producer Jon Davison in the development of the chests of innocent human the script. © Columbia Tristar Pictures. beings. making sure to let the rest of the they spent the entire summer of seated lunchers know I was, “The 1987 rehearsing every Mel Gibson Christopher Zack: Most of the block- writer from the magazine!” As the line in the first Lethal Weapon. Over buster films of the past two years twenty or so heads turned, I rec- the course of the day, I realized that have been effects-driven movies. Do ognized a couple of the faces you think that the industry’s obses- attached to them: Shane Black You have to have a better sion with these films is inhibiting the (Lethal Weapon, Last Boy Scout, story. - Ron Shusset screenwriter or the screenwriting Last Action Hero, Long Kiss medium by altering the way a writer Goodnight ), Daniel Yost (Drugstore approaches the craft? Cowboy), and Gary’s brother Ron I am a hybrid of all three. Shusset (Alien, Freejack, Total Recall As Shane Black spoke about Ron Shusett: I think it already has, ). I was the writer? I began to blush the struggle of the process and the because they (the writers) don’t care and momentarily lost all my cool. perils of becoming “a writer,” I about getting the story right. They This is when I realized that there are noticed a group of military-types don’t care if the story works, or if three types of people that go to struggling to climb a giant, fake rock the characters are good or devel- these conferences. The first is the wall just across the field from where oped, just if it has a good concept serious writer or academic who we were sitting. Let me tell you, I like Air Force One. It might not even doesn’t necessarily have a hand in had a moment. If you’re not as be an inventive one, but it’s a sus- the film business, but would like to familiar as you’d like to be with the penseful one. In Con Air, there were get in or learn more about it. process involved with being a pro- three different endings. They were Second are the desperate writers, fessional screenwriter and thinking all with lavish effects that had noth- truly in search of a twelve step pro- about checking out one of these ing to do with the story. That’s why gram, not a writer’s conference. And retreats, the industry knowledge I think there were no Oscar nomi- finally, the subtly-crazed fan. Not the you will gain is well worth the nations for any of the studios other kind that will stalk and kill Shane money. If you’re already wading than those for Jerry Maguire. They Black, but the kind that will see him, you’re way through the industry, (the studios) encourage you to for- stare at him all day long, and then but have yet to make that sale or get the craft of screenwriting and occasionally lean to the nearest per- get your first credit, a weekend like just do something that has a son to spend ten minutes telling this will rejuvenate your belief in the provocative or interesting premise. them what a genius he is, and how craft of writing and yourself as hav-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 32 And not even so much as that, but making money. a premise that lends itself to sus- RS: Right...right, once in a pense and special effects with action while...but Jurassic Park: The Lost CZ: When you wrote Alien , did you scenes stuck in. They (the studios) World was the sequel to Jurassic write it knowing that those special are encouraging people (writer’s) Park and Men In Black did have effects could be done? and even say, “We don’t care Speilberg’s name attached. So they because it’s too hard to make an go, “Oh well, Spielberg maybe RS: I knew exactly, because my part- excellent movie, but we can make could do it. He’s genius for what ner Dan O’Bannon was specialized a mediocre movie if there’s enough audiences like.” But other effects-dri- in special effects. He’s an expert in it. special effects in it and action.” ven movies are not holding up as He had done a small amount of is another example. Surely well, this whole summer, last sum- work on Star Wars , which came they could have worked harder on mer even, where they did the same out two years before Alien.. He also getting a good script to Batman, thing. I’ve read things, and I hope did this low budget film, in which but they spent $150 million dollars to God it’s true, what they’ve (the he designed all the effects, which on it, and that just went for effects. studios) decided, it seems they’re were his, created for his master’s the- still going to do all these effects dri- sis in film at USC called Dark Star. It ven movies, because even the one’s was so good that they (Roger I said,“Let’s just write it as where the story didn’t work, they Corman) gave him $60,000 dollars. best as we can, forgetting made $100 million domestically and That’s all it took. I mean it cost him cost, and we’ll see what we have to cut out.” - Ron $200 million worldwide. Last year, maybe $10,000 to make. Roger Shusset the last Batman did $350 million Corman expanded it and released it, worldwide. So I think they’re not but then that was 1977. I saw this going to stop making those (effects- movie and I thought, “Wow this guy CZ: Do you think that this phe- driven movies), because they didn’t designed the special effects?” I par- nomena of lazy scriptwriting will lose any money. There were twelve ticularly went with somebody that continue, due to the increasingly movies made last year that cost would help me know (the special wide use of digital imaging work- $100 million or more, including effects). stations such as The Flame that have Starship Troopers and a couple completely revolutionized and sim- other big ones. So, they’re not plified digital effects in film? going to stop making them, but The writer is forced to write what will sell, so now they they realize now you have to make have become slavish. - Ron RS: I think there is going to be a them better. You have to have a bet- Shusset slight cut back (on the use of ter story. effects), because Batman did $150 million less than the last Batman. CZ: Do you think that the surge in CZ: Are you going to consult a spe- They spent so much more on it. And popularity of low-budget, indy films cial effects technician on your next Con Air, they expected to do $150 this past year (1997) has something project? million (US box office) or $180 mil- to do with an attempt by the stu- lion, and it did $100 million. Plus, dios to find scripts with a everyone was saying the story did- combination of elaborate n’t work well enough. special effects and a good story? CZ: But then you have your effects- driven successes of this summer like RS: Yeah, because they (the Men In Black and the Jurassic Park studios) see the indepen- sequel, The Lost World. I’d say those dents. They are jealous of are two reasons to say, “Hey, the them, all these excellent The Lost World, the sequel to Jurassic Park, featured a significantly larger slate of visual effects than the special effects are working.” movies, lower cost and still first film. © Universal.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 33 RS: No. I wrote a script called Rush CZ: Do you think that some of the To Atlantis , but it took me three writers and directors out there are years to get it right because I could- so intrigued by the use of visual YYourour AdAd n’t get the story to work. Some effects technology that they lose other writer brought it to me, a their edge to curiosity? CouldCould BeBe friend of my wife’s who I’ve worked on and off with for years. She RS: I think it’s two things. The stu- HerHere!e! brought me the concept, but it was dios and the producers like Jerry so expensive. I said, “Let’s just write Bruckheimer who say, “Just lay on it as best as we can, forgetting cost, the special effects and pray.” I think For rate cards and and we’ll see what we have to cut that affects not directors so much additional information out.” as writers, because the writers are at about their mercy. They’re not a finance- various opportunities CZ: When Alien was released, stu- able element, a writer. They might for exposure at dios were catching up to create hire you because you’re a better Animation World effects that would accommodate writer, but they won’t make a movie Network, the writer’s vision. Do you think strictly because you’re the writer. contact our today writers are struggling to catch The writer is forced to write what Los Angeles up to the visual possibilities that the will sell, so now they have become office at latest in special-effects have made slavish. “Oh yeah, now I’ll just throw possible? on some special effects,” and it gets 213.468.2554 sloppier in story. I don’t think it RZ: Independence Day, some of it affects the director. Directors do or e-mail was very weak. Few of the special what they want artistically. any of our sales effects were good, because they representatives: limited their budget. They brought CZ: Do you think the use of digital it in for $70 million because that effects like morphing are effective guy (Roland Emmerich) wasn’t that in comedy? North America: hot of a star and only gave ‘em a Dan Sarto medium size hit. He (Roland RS: The Mask was terrific but that [email protected] Emmerich) did some of it with out- was comedy and silliness. Yeah, I moded effects too. A few of them thought it was great but one of the (special effects) were excellent, few times I’ve ever liked it. I usually Europe: maybe the size of the ship and so don’t like Jim Carrey, and that was forth. They didn’t have the budget the only time I liked him, because it Thomas Basgier to do what Spielberg or Lucas could was so silly they were making fun of [email protected] and the story was so cliché. I heard the effects. It was almost like Roger everybody in the industry knock it, Rabbit. It was cartoon-like instead they said, “Oh, what a dumb of effects that were believably done. U.K. movie,” but if it made $700 million Christopher Zack is a Los Angeles- dollars it’s hard to knock. But you Alan Smith based freelance writer who has could do an excellent movie for that written for publications such as [email protected] and that’s what bugs me. But alien FilmZone and Crash Site. movies, anything about UFOs, they (the studios) are in such excitement Note: Readers may contact any Other Location: about them, especially getting near Animation World Magazine con- the millennium. tributor by sending an email to [email protected] [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 34 Experimental vs. Narrative Films: Do You Have to Choose? compiled by Heather Kenyon t often seems to students that in screened. BBC2 and Arts their final year of school they must “What is good Council com- Ichoose between making a tradi- work? Good work asks missions. As tional, mainstream film in order to an original question broadcasting obtain a job, or a more experimen- and reaches an under- changes and tal film through which they can standing of that ques- the impor- speak in their own voice for perhaps tion. It might answer tance of rat- a final time. Is there a middle the question. It might ings increases, ground? Which direction should not. Let your aesthetic 1997 RISD graduate Ara Peterson the pressure is they choose? and intellectual interests created 12 Ball, a very compelling on these tradi- abstract film by animating black and We asked a select group of guide you. If you are white paint on a simple three-dimen- tionally inde- educators to share their thoughts deeply engaged with sional object. © 1997 Ara Peterson. pendent fun- and advice on this dilemma that traditional animation, ders to look faces students. Amy Kravitz, study and practice those forms towards more mainstream anima- Associate Professor at the Rhode whole heartedly. If you are deeply tion. The dilemma is that without a Island School of Design (U.S.), Roger engaged with experimental ani- tradition of “mainstream indepen- Noake of the Surrey Institute of Art mation, experiment whole heart- dent” broadcasting and with an and Design (U.K.) and Rolf Bächler edly. Give your work content, what- unpredictable feature animation from the Schools of Applied Art in ever its form. production industry, there is some- both Zurich and Lucerne took up “Good work also means giv- thing of a hole in the talent pool, the challenge and responded. To ing a film what the film needs; not especially so in new technology. illustrate the two sides of the issue, what the filmmaker needs, not we are showcasing two recent stu- what the industry needs, not what The dilemma is that without dent films from RISD. an art museum needs. If you are a tradition of “mainstream proceeding according to formulae independent” broadcasting (it doesn’t matter whose) you have Good work also means giving and with an unpredictable fea- stopped thinking, listening, and a film what the film needs; not ture animation production being visually aware. what the filmmaker needs, industry, there is something of “Now, the question I have not what the industry needs, a hole in the talent pool, espe- just addressed leads to another not what an art museum cially so in new technology. - question: Are animators trained or needs. - Amy Kravitz Roger Noake educated? That one is better left for another time.” “However, the middle Amy Kravitz, Rhode Island Roger Noake, The Surrey ground is very viable. Because of School of Design (RISD) Institute of Art and Design the long tradition in arts schools of “Should students create a “The problem with how to independent production and of ‘the mainstream film in order to get a pitch final projects for students, art film,’ the majority of students will job or should students create a film mainstream or personal, is complex want to produce their own work. in their own voice? The answer to in the U.K. The studio system tends Many try to achieve a compromise the question is simple. Students to focus on commercials or series with concepts which demonstrate should do good work. Good work but there is a strong and successful their talent for animation appropri- will receive recognition when it is sector which is based on Channel 4, ate to getting a job and allows them

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 35 a personal mation and about their trained generations of recognized approach. This own ability to take this and forthcoming artists all over the very rarely very important decision.” continent. In all of this time, he has works. made ‘only’ two personal films: Oh Another way is Rolf Bächler, Schools My Darling (1978) and Anna & Bella to encourage of Applied Art: Zurich (1984). Both have decidedly ‘main- a team and Lucerne stream’ appeal but are at the same approach with “What exactly is the time highly personal, with a strong Christy Karacas created Space Wars, the roles of an irreverent, comic, hand-drawn so-called dichotomy author’s voice. Both were also high- animator, film during his senior year at RISD. ‘mainstream’ vs. ‘work of ly successful, acclaimed by general director, etc. The filmmaker is now “paying the one’s own’? Does the lat- audiences as well as by animation rent” with money he received from taken by indi- MTV who bought Space Wars for ter stand for self-deter- buffs. The films won an Academy vidual stu- their Cartoon Sushi program. © 1997 mined, automatically Award nomination (1978) and an dents. This rec- Christy Karacas gratifying, fulfilling art? Academy Award (1985) besides a ognizes both the individual talent The former for non-self-determined, plethora of other distinctions. When and the important factor of team- therefore unsatisfactory and by con- asked why he never made more work. The highly experimental ani- straint, frustrating slave work? Are personal films, Borge Ring answered mator usually does not have a prob- the two categorically irreconcilable? that he found so much satisfaction lem and can often find employment “Thinking of people like and gratification in his work as a at least as fast as those taking the Borge Ring, I’m not so sure. Borge ‘hired hand,’ he never felt there was traditional route if they are good. Ring is one of the foremost anima- ‘a lack to compensate.’ “In the end, it is our job, the tors in Europe. He has been in the instructors, to help students make business since the ‘50s, worked on So ask your heart:What kind the choice by giving them as much practically every European cartoon of career do you see for your- information about the world of ani- feature of the ‘70s and ‘80s and has self? Then,just go for it. - Rolf Bächler

“Gratification in one’s work AAnimationnimation is not reserved to any one way. So ask your heart: What kind of career orldorld toretore do you see for yourself? Then, just WW SS go for it.” http://www.awn.com/awnstore Note: The online version of this arti- cle contains Quicktime movies of the student films 12 Ball and Space Wars.

http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2. 10/2.10pages/2.10student.html

Classic Limited Editions Limited Editions signed by your favorite athletes. Heather Kenyon is Editor in Chief of Animation World Magazine. Available on-line exclusively at the ANIMATION WORLD Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine con- STORE tributor by sending an email to [email protected]. Original Animation Art

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 36 Cartoombria: Anime and Independent Animation

festival review by Chiara Magri s if organizing an animation presents a horrible festival in Italy is not difficult Japanese-style car- Aenough, this year toon robot show- Cartoombria, which ran from ing a metallic fist, November 27 to 29, also had to beneath him is the deal with the threat of earthquakes artist’s famous which hit the Umbria area for more character from La than a month. linea (The Line), responding in an The poster sums up in a com- inequivocable ical, rather than an aggressive rude gesture. The way, the underlying theme of poster sums up in the Festival: the often difficult a comical, rather meeting ground between than an aggressive Luca Raffaelli, Cartoombria Director, and Pierluigi De Mas, Japanese and independent, way, the underly- ASIFA Italia President. Photo courtesy of Chiara Magri. artistic film. ing theme of the Festival: the often excluded from the television market difficult meeting ground between and have nearly always shown aver- But not even natural disas- Japanese and independent, artistic sion, or at least indifference, to the ters could stop Luca Raffaelli, direc- film in Italy. relatively poor Japanese product tor of the Festival, from offering a This apparently contradicto- which is seen as an unwanted com- program containing a wide range ry position provides a very piquant petitor. of animation from a variety of pro- and useful premise for the analysis Cartoombria has bravely ductions. The setting for of the role of animation in commu- attempted to close the distance Cartoombria is the magnificent old nication and entertainment, and its between these two worlds. It was a Pavone Theater, where the specta- possible development. In both great pleasure to see the enthusi- tor can watch the screenings, meet- cases, in fact, one can see how ani- asm of the young Japanese anima- ings, presentations and debates on mation is tending to break out of tion fans, while the connoisseurs a wide range of themes, types, the confines of children’s produc- and filmmakers suddenly discovered styles and applications from morn- tions to meet the needs of the adult the extraordinary variety of ing until late at night. Each section world or to express an independent Japanese productions. of the Festival is hosted on one par- art form. In Italy, as in the majority ticular day rather then being divid- of cultures, Japanese ani- The independent short risks ed into daily blocks as in most festi- mation does not receive critical disappearing altogether, or at vals. This scheme creates interesting acclaim. Commercial broadcasters least being limited by the contrasts and couplings, and oblig- have tended to fill their schedules means and schools available es a stimulating reflection on the with these cartoons; buying them to help students. language of animation in all its mul- in bulk without any specific criteria ticolored facets. and cutting them up to fit in with other children’s programs which are Complete versions of the Fostering Understanding already made to very low standards. series were seen along The Cartoombria ‘97 poster, On the other hand, Italian anima- with the feature thriller Perfect Blue designed by Osvaldo Cavandoli, tors have, until very recently, been by Satoshi Kan produced by Mad

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 37 Roman de Mon Âme uses bright acrylic paintings to flick through a variety of female memories and imaginings. The Jury decided to exclude two medium-length features which were “very impor- tant high-quality works, Flatworld by Daniel Greaves and La Vieille Dame et Les Pigeons by Sylvain Chomet, since they totally differ from other works both in terms of context and production means.” One could argue at length about this decision Osvaldo Cavandoli next to the Cartoombria ‘97 festival poster which he designed. Photo Courtesy and the difficulties of Chiara Magri. Festivals encounter when House Studios. The Italian premiere addition to the traditional award for defining the term “short of the epic series Neon Genesis Italian films. The jury was made up film,” but this is not the best place to Evangelion by Hideaki Hanno took of: animation historian and director do so. Suffice it to say, that this prob- place as well. Sailor Moon drew the of the British Animation Awards, lem should be considered for the attention of both the public and Jayne Pilling, the Argentinean illus- Italian competition but for very dif- media with absurd worries about trator and multimedia director Oscar ferent reasons. In fact, the Jury had “political correctness” which is very Chiericoni and Lorenzo Mattotti, few problems deciding the fashionable with Italian broadcast- one of the foremost Italian illustra- Cartoombria Italy award which was ers at the moment. Worries of cov- tors. given to one of the ering up the really rather innocent The most modest, tena- young warrior’s buttocks with Grand Prix went cious, inspiring ani- gleaming diamonds are misplaced to Craig Welch’s mators in Italy. The when compared to the barbaric How Wings are film was the brief cuts and re-edits of the original, leav- Attached to the and intense Quasi ing it without the soundtrack and Backs of Angels, Niente (Almost reduced to a disconnected incom- a dark, complex Nothing) by Ursula prehensible sequence of events work on the Ferrara, who has with no rhyme or reason. subject of dis- for years solely pro- turbing psychic duced moving frag- mechanisms ments of daily life. Let’s hope that Cartoombria which was pro- The award con- helps to show that the Italian duced by the firmed the talent, public is ready for certain National Film recognized both in products. Board of Italy and abroad, of Canada. The the author and, in The Competition Special Jury addition, under- Cartoombria has made a sig- Prize went to lined the dramatic nificant leap forward this year in the German scarcity of Italian independent short films category Solweig Von short films. The with a new international award, in Kleist whose Le Cartoombria Festival Poster ‘97 complete Italian

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 38 shorts competition lasted 40 min- both public, when able to utes in all, not completely due to reach them, and critical the lack of productions but simply acclaim by using inventive because of their extreme brevity. We and amusingly burlesque saw many young filmmakers pre- graphics and sound. The sent interesting styles and themes other was dedicated to the in just a few seconds, but unfortu- Dane Leif Marcussen, a nately, they cannot develop them visionary magician and a further due to budget limitations. sophisticated, ingenious In Italy these difficulties are tradi- manipulator of shapes. There tionally enormous because anima- were long applause for Quasi Niente (Almost Nothing) tion is virtually excluded from state both. Our Cavandoli was by Ursula Ferrera. Photo courtesy of Chiara aid or incentives and from universi- especially moved. (Probably, Magri. ma circuits and distribute it only on ties, schools and art colleges. There I believe, by the applause from the video. Let’s hope that Cartoombria is just one single film school capable Japanese cartoon fans.) helps to show that the Italian pub- of producing animation, the Unfortunately, Leif Marcussen was lic is ready for certain products. Experimental Film Center (Centro not able to take part for health rea- Sperimentale di Cinematografia) sons, but he was warmly applaud- Translated from Italian by Guy Watts. which did not present a film at this ed and wishes for a fast recovery year’s festival. These obstacles have were sent. been heightened by the fact that Cartoombria also gave a nearly all the Italian animation stu- look at television series. Concerned dios have been working on pro- with censorship and politically cor- Chiara Magri has worked in ani- ducing series following a change in rect themes the spectators were mation since 1984. She coordi- broadcasters’ policies in Italy which shown a real gem, the American nates both cultural activities and has led to an increased investment series by Trey Parker and professional training courses for in this sector. The independent short Matt Stone produced by Comedy ASIFA Italy. She was responsible risks disappearing altogether, or at Central. The public enjoyed it not for the programming of the least being limited by the means only for the outrageous stories but International Festival of Animated and schools available to help stu- also for the “primitive” animation Film of Treviso. Since 1993 she dents. technique and graphics which are has been teaching a course in rightly reduced to the bare essen- animated film history at the tials. Another treat was the series Instituto Europeo di Design in pilot of Cocco Bill, a spaghetti Turin. Since 1989 she has edited western and cult figure in Italian and published the monthly ASIFA comics by Jacovitti, which at last newsletter, the only specialized reaches the screen with a version publication on animation in Italy. by Pierluigi De Mas. Recently, she has carried out an Among the children’s pro- in-depth survey on the produc- grams, Eugenio was greatly tion sector of animation in Italy appreciated. It is a television spe- for RAI, the Italian national broad- Italian competition winner Ursula Ferrara. cial about a sad clown from the caster, which is soon to be pub- Photo courtesy of Chiara Magri. wonderful illustrated story by lished. Lorenzo Mattotti, directed by the Tributes and Other Events French Jean-Jacques Prunès and dis- This year the Cartoombria tributed by EVA Entertainment. The tributes centered on a pair of artists feature film, Joe’s Apartment by who represent two very different John Payson, produced by Geffen Note: Readers may contact any facets of independent animation. Pictures for MTV, was also a great Animation World Magazine con- One tribute was dedicated to the success. Italian distribution decided tributor by sending an email to Italian Osvaldo Cavandoli who won to exclude this film from the cine- [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 39 CARTOOMBRI A fra animé e film d’autore

la rassegna del festival da Chiara Magri ome se non bastassero le dif- Incoraggiare la ficoltà che un Festival di ani- comprensione Cmazione in Italia deve Il manifesto affrontare, quest’anno Cartoombria, di Cartoombria tenutasi dal 27 al 29 novembre scor- ‘97, disegnato da si, ha dovuto fare i conti anche con Osvaldo Cavandoli il terremoto. presenta un orri- bile robot del car- Sotto di lui la Linea, il celebre toon giapponese personaggio degli shorts di esibire dal quadro Cavandoli, gli risponde con un di un fotogramma messaggio inequivocabile nel un metallico linguaggio gestuale italiano. pugno. Sotto di lui la Linea, il celebre Luca Raffaelli, Cartoombria Director, and Pierluigi De Mas, Le difficoltà non hanno personaggio degli ASIFA Italia President. Photo courtesy of Chiara Magri. impedito a Luca Raffaelli, direttore shorts di Cavandoli, gli risponde con ciale molto ottusa, acquistando artistico del Festival, di offrire al suo un messaggio inequivocabile nel lin- animé a peso, senza alcuna com- pubblico un programma che fa di guaggio gestuale italiano. Sintesi petenza specifica, adeguandoli con Cartoombria un grande contenitore divertita più che aggressiva del tema editing arbitrari e mutilanti alle esi- della produzione d’animazione nella di fondo della manifestazione: l’in- genze di una programmazione per più ampia varietà di linguaggi e di contro, spesso non facile, tra l’ani- ragazzi già ben poco curata. D’altra finalità. Lo spettatore di Cartoombria mazione giapponese e l’animazione parte gli animatori italiani, che fino si trova fisicamente in questo unico d’autore. Questa impostazione a pochissimo tempo fa sono stati contenitore, il magnifico teatro stori- apparentemente contraddittoria esclusi dal mercato televisivo, hanno co del Pavone, per seguire dal mat- offre invece una ottica assai utile per quasi sempre manifestato avver- tino a notte fonda le proiezioni, gli analizzare il ruolo dell’animazione sione o almeno assoluta indifferen- incontri, le presentazioni e i dibatti- nella comunicazione e nell’enter- za per un prodotto vissuto come ti programmati come un rapido tainment e i suoi possibili sviluppi. “concorrenza sleale” oltre che susseguirsi di temi, di generi, di stili, In entrambi i casi infatti si constata conosciuto nelle sue versioni più di applicazioni diverse. Ogni sezione come l’animazione sappia e anzi deteriorate. Cartoombria si propone del Festival infatti si sviluppa oriz- tenda ad uscire dai limiti del prodot- coraggiosamente di avvicinare zontalmente attraverso i tre giorni to per bambini per rispondere ad questi mondi. E’ un vero piacere della manifestazione, piuttosto che esigenze spettacolari adulte o per vedere con quanta attenzione i gio- verticalmente come nella consue- esprimersi come forma d’arte vani fans dell’animé osservino la tudine più accettata nei programmi autonoma. In Italia, come forse in adulta diversità del corto d’autore festivalieri. Tutto ciò, se resistete ad gran parte della cultura occidentale, mentre i cultori e gli autori dell’arte un ritmo piuttosto incalzante, crea l’animazione giapponese è assai dell’animazione occidentale si affac- interessanti contrasti e accostamenti poco considerata. Le televisioni che ciano al mondo dell’animé e obbliga ad una riflessione sul lin- ne hanno riempito i loro palinsensti improvvisamente scoperto nella sua guaggio dell’animazione nel suo che ancora vi fanno abbondante straordinaria varietà, nella sua insieme e nella sua varietà. ricorso, hanno utilizzato il cartoon capacità comunicativa e spettaco- giapponese in un’ottica commer- lare.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 40 Giuria ha deciso di escludere dal concorso due mediometraggi “molto importanti e di alta qualità come Flatworld di Daniel Greaves e La vieille dame et le pigeons di Sylvain Chomet perché si discostano totalmente dalle altre produzioni, per differenze evidenti di contesto, possibilità e mezzi di produzione”. Si potrebbe discutere a lungo di questa decisione e del suo rappor- to con la difficoltà che i festival spe- cializzati incontrano sempre più nel definire i confini della categoria dei “cortometraggi a soggetto”, ma ci porterebbe troppo lontano. Ci limi- tiamo a considerare come questo Osvaldo Cavandoli next to the Cartoombria ‘97 festival poster which he designed. problema si sia posto anche nel con- Photo Courtesy of Chiara Magri. corso italiano, ma per motivi assai Si sono visti episodi dalla composta dall’inglese Jayne Pilling, diversi. serie di Sailor Moon nella coerenza nota studiosa di animazione e diret- della versione integrale, il lun- trice dei British Animation Awards, Il corto d’autore rischia gometraggio thriller Perfect Blue di dall’argentino Oscar Chiriconi, illus- insomma di sparire o di Satoshi Kan, prodotto dagli studi tratore e direttore artistico di multi- doversi limitare ai mezzi Mad House, l’anteprima italiana media e da Lorenzo Mattotti, uno esigui che alcune scuole con della serie drammatica Neon dei più apprezzati illustratori italiani. difficoltà enormi riescono a Genesis Evangelion di Hideaki Il Gran Premio è andato al tetro e mettere a disposizione dei Hanno. Proprio Sailor Moon ha por- complesso bianco e nero di How loro allievi. tato all’attenzione del pubblico e Wings are Attached to the Backs of anche della stampa italiana l’assur- Angels, un lavoro di Craig Welch La giuria non ha avuto molta dità di certe preoccupazioni di cor- prodotto dal National Film Board of difficoltà nella scelta per il Premio rettezza politica oggi in voga pres- Canada che usa l’animazione per Cartoombria Italy, assegnato all’ul- so le emittenti italiane. Ci si preoc- radiografare timo film di una cupa di coprire con diamanti pos- inquietanti delle più modeste, ticci e ridicoli il sedere, già assai meccanismi tenaci e ispirati ani- casto, della giovane guerriera Sailor psichici. Il pre- matrici italiane. Si ma non ci si preoccupa di proporre mio speciale tratta del breve e ai ragazzi film fatti a brandelli dalle della Giuria è inteso Quasi niente riedizioni, rimontati, privati del andato alla di Ursula Ferrara, sonoro originale e ridotti a sconnessi tedesca una autrice che da e incomprensibili susseguirsi di even- Solweig von anni, in completa ti privati di consequenzialità e di Kleist che con autonomia, trascrive senso. Le roman de e distilla con l’ani- mon âme usa mazione frammenti Il concorso la sua commoventi della Su fronte del cortometrag- smagliante pit- quotidianità. Se il gio d’autore Cartoombria ha fatto tura acrilica per premio ha confer- quest’anno un notevole passo avan- sfogliare pagine mato un talento, già ti con l’istituzione del Premio inter- di ricordi e fan- riconosciuto anche nazionale che affianca il tradizionale tasie femminili. a livello inter- premio al film italiano. La giuria era LaCartoombria Festival Poster ‘97 nazionale, d’altra

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 41 parte la selezione ha evidenziato L’omaggio e altri eventi che la situazione del cortometrag- L’omaggio di gio d’autore in Italia è davvero Cartoombria è andato drammatica. L’intera presentazione quest’anno a due artisti che dei film italiani in concorso è dura- rappresentano due facce ta 40 minuti. Ciò non per mancan- molto diverse dell’ani- za di titoli ma per la loro estrema mazione d’autore. Un omag- brevità. Abbiamo visto molti giovani gio è stato dedicato all’ital- autori proporre stili e temi interes- iano Osvaldo Cavandoli che santi in pochi secondi, senza avere ha conquistato pubblico - la possibilità di vederli sviluppati, per dove è riuscito a rag- Quasi Niente (Almost Nothing) evidente e totale carenza di bud- giungerlo - e critica con la by Ursula Ferrera. Photo courtesy of Chiara get. Le difficoltà del cortometraggio geniale e burlesca essenzial- Magri. ità e originalità. Fra i più apprezza- d’animazione sono tradizionalmente ità grafica e sonora di un solo per- ti si è visto, in anteprima mondiale, enormi in Italia, dove l’animazione sonaggio burbero e bonario che lo special televisivo per i più piccoli è praticamente esclusa dagli incen- nasce e vive in una sola linea bian- Eugenio, avventura di un clown tivi pubblici al cinema, dalle univer- ca. L’altro è stato tributato al danese triste tratta dalla bellissima storia illus- sità, dalle scuole e dagli istituti d’arte Leif Marcussen, un mago della trata di Lorenzo Mattotti, diretto dal e dove non esiste comunque che visione, un manipolatore raffinato francese Jean-Jacques Prunès e dis- una sola scuola di cinema capace e ingegnoso di forme. il pubblico tribuito da EVA Entertainment. Un di produrre animazione (il Centro ha reso un lungo applauso ad grande entusiasmo di piccoli e gran- Sperimentale di Cinematografia, entrambi, al Cavandoli nazionale di ha accolto poi Joe’s Apartment il peraltro assente dalla competizione). commosso (credo soprattutto dagli lungometraggio di John Payson Da circa due anni le difficoltà sono applausi dei fans del Giappone) e a prodotto dalla Geffen Pictures per aggravate dal fatto che pratica- Leif Marcussen, impossibilitato a MTV, che la distribuzione italiana ha mente tutti gli studi d’animazione partecipare da condizioni di salute deciso di escludere dal circuito delle italiani sono impegnati nella sfida non certamente felici e al quale è sale puntando soltanto sulle ven- che recentemente sia avvia in Italia andato l’augurio più cordiale di dite homevideo. Speriamo che alla produzione seriale, a seguito tutto il pubblico. Cartoombria contribuisca a eviden- della mutata politica produttiva del- Cartoombria ha dato poi ziare che il pubblico italiano è l’emittente pubblica, che ha iniziato un’occhiata anche alle serie TV. maturo per certe scelte. Sempre in tema di censura e di correttezza politica ha presentato Speriamo che Cartoombria una chicca per il pubblico italiano, contribuisca a evidenziare che la serie americana South Park di il pubblico italiano è maturo Trey Parker e Matt Stone prodotta per certe scelte dalla Comedy Central di New York, che ha divertito il pubblico Una rapporto completo da non solo per la forza del sogget- Cartoombria è pubblicato sulla to tanto scorretto ma anche per la newsletter di Asifa Italia di dicem- “scorrettezza” tecnica di una ani- Italian competition winner Ursula Ferrara. bre. Photo courtesy of Chiara Magri. mazione e di una grafica ridotte giustamente all’osso. Un’altra ad investire sulla crescita industriale gioia per il pubblico è stata la pre- del settore in Italia. Il corto d’autore sentazione del pilota del Cocco Bill rischia insomma di sparire o di che Pierluigi De Mas ha realizzato Note: Readers may contact any doversi limitare ai mezzi esigui che per il progetto di serie incentrato sul Animation World Magazine con- alcune scuole con difficoltà enormi capolavoro di Jacovitti. tributor by sending an email to riescono a mettere a disposizione Cartoombria ha dedicato poi [email protected]. dei loro allievi. alcuni programmi al pubblico infan- tile puntando su film di grande qual-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 42 milia’98 The name of the game is the future.

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ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 43 The Digital Video Conference and Exposition in Burbank, California by John Parazette-Tillar t was one of those base. Kudos to a fine pre- beautiful summer into sentation. Ifall days that makes Los Angeles the place to Keynote Thoughts be - low 70s, slightly Another highlight breezy, and clear (for a was the Keynote Address change!). This day also evening, which was kicked marked the start of the off by The Big Bang Happy first Digital Video Hour, a wonderful way to Conference and meet up with others who Exposition presented by generally spend too much Miller Freeman, publish- time in front of their com- er of Digital Video (DV), puter monitors. The InterActivity and 3D Crowds gather at the showroom entrance at DV ‘97. Photo courtesy Keynote was presented by Design magazines. The of Miller Freeman. © photographer Mark Madeo. Billy Pittard, CEO of Pittard goal of the presenters was to pro- video. One suggestion from the Sullivan. In his presentation, he vide an annual forum/training event “peanut gallery” would be to group spoke of many digital video con- where those involved in the various the classes into various tracks, such cerns and potentials, from the arms of digital video, one of the as “Web,” “Broadcast,” or “3-D.” It diverse and competing hardware most rapidly evolving fields in the would have been helpful as the 60+ wars, with their confusing array of technology arena, could come courses over four days made choos- formats, to his amazement that together and tap one of the most ing quite a chore! During the week, nobody actually predicted the suc- up-to-date sources of knowledge I attended quite a few classes, and cess of the Internet. One phrase and information. found all of them to be full of valu- regarding the vast confusion of able tidbits of information. One shin- hardware/format choices that still ing star in the series was “After haunts me was, “I can guarantee It was a virtual cornucopia of Effects for Film and Video,” pre- you that it’s going to get a lot worse classes in almost every aspect sented by Trish Meyer, co-owner of before it gets better.” The presenta- of digital video. CyberMotion in Los Angeles. A con- tion was actually very upbeat, and summate After Effects professional, filled with superb advice on real Trish brings years of experience to world business strategies and Conference Success the table, yet expounds her knowl- design creativity. The conferences ran the edge in a highly approachable man- gamut of video and audio ranging ner for both the beginner and inter- I was struck by the thought from: concept to post-production; mediate user. Meanwhile, the that we are faced with so neophyte to professional; low band- advanced designer is never at a loss many technological choices width web video to D1 broadcast to garner a few prize tidbits from and advances bombarding us quality; 2-D and 3-D; and various one of her presentations. As a con- in rapid succession, that we hardware and software non-linear tributor for Adobe Press’ “Classroom can become almost inert... editing (NLE) choices… In fact, it in a Book” series, instructor at the was a virtual cornucopia of classes American Film Institute, and con- As a result of his talk, I was in almost every aspect of digital tributing editor for DV magazine, struck by the thought that we are she draws from a vast experience

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 44 faced with so many technological and whistles. The choices and advances bombarding type of tool is us in rapid succession, that we can secondary to the become almost inert when having final result on the to make a decision. How does one screen. select between the plethora of hard- ware and software, let alone the Caught In The various competing formats that arise Middle from such technological advances? The Where does one go to learn and Exposition, on study so as to make the best edu- the other hand, cated guess of platform, high-end left me wanting vs. low-end hardware and con- more. The timing

verging delivery systems? We are at of the event Billy Pittard, CEO of Pittard Sullivan, delivered the keynote a stage in digital video development places it in the address at DV ‘97. Photo courtesy of Miller Freeman. © photog- where what could only be pro- middle of the rapher Mark Madeo. duced on high-end (translate: big two industry powerhouses, SIG- and hushed non-disclosure agree- dollars), state-of-the-art workstations, GRAPH and COMDEX, which may ment rumors of product to be can now be accomplished on hard- explain why some major players in revealed at COMDEX this coming ware in a “garage band” style, with the digital video game were not fall. That said, let’s wander through off-the-shelf hardware and software there. It seemed as if the companies the aisles and look at some of my components. The only real plus to present were gearing their hard- highlights. the high-end workstation route is ware and software releases to coin- the savings of time (translate: cide with either COMDEX or SIG- New Gadgets money). We need to focus on the GRAPH (and maybe later at NAB?), Play, Incorporated, famous human basics that drive us to create which left the Digital Video for their consumer “gizmo” Snappy better, more informative, emotion Exposition as a platform for regur- Video Snapshot (one of the best sell- wrenching content, not the bells gitated SIGGRAPH announcements ing frame grabbers on the market), was there to tout Trinity. Trinity is one of the most eagerly awaited all-in-one video pro- REGISTER with duction boxes. It includes a live D1 production switcher, Animation World Network 3-D digital video effects, non- linear/linear editor, character generator, paint, animation, TODAY and compositing, virtual sets, dual • Receive our weekly Animation E-mail channel D1 still store, chroma newsletter keyer, two timebase correc- • Get announcements of Animation World tors, etc. All in all everything one could want to create a Network developments broadcast presentation for a • Be a part of the global community of AWN. proposed U.S.$4,995. It works Interact with animation professionals, scholars with a standard Pentium PC. As of this writing, it is yet to and fans all over the world start shipping, but definitely keep an eye on this one. Get all this and more FREE, when you Integrated Computing Engines, Inc. were showing register now! their ICDfx 4.0, an integrated http://www.awn.com hardware/software special

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 45 bility to adjust video supply of presets to get you start- quality according to ed, you can get down to work the end users Internet almost immediately. connection speed. Both of these products All in All are a must see for web The experience was positive video content produc- and I feel that I benefited from the ers. Another Intel prod- wealth of information presented at uct, the Intel Smart the conference. A general theme Video Recorder III, a that was present at most of the ses- real-time video cap- sions I attended was one of trying ture/compression card to figure out the Apple dilemma and Participants in one of more than 60 classes offered at DV ‘97. Photo courtesy of Miller Freeman. © photographer for IBM compatible the appearance of our favorite and Mark Madeo. machines, absolutely most utilitarian pieces of software effects editor for Mac and WinNt. amazed me. At a price of $199, the on the Windows platform. So how ICEfx is a rendering engine on a sin- cost to enter the world of digital does one choose intelligently, and gle PCI card and software suite that video has never been lower, while at the same time not get left in the places your desktop system on a par the quality for multimedia and web dust by the next, latest, greatest with the big guns, providing accel- presentations is astounding! technology that is just around the erated rendering for After Effects. When putting together your corner? That will be the “Quest for ICEfx is priced around $4,995. next blockbuster, you must get in the Holy Grail” for everyone Zoran, a major chip provider touch with the folks at Artbeats. involved in the business of produc- for PC multimedia markets (ATI, Avid, Their products Realfire2 and ing digital video content as we IBM, Matrox, Miro, Pinnacle, ReelExplosions will give you the approach the coming millennium; Truevision and others have used most realistic explosions and and that is where gatherings of like- Zoran products and technologies), pyrotechnic displays available on minded folk, such as the inaugural displayed Video Inlet, the first video disc. The effects are provided as Digital Video Conference and capture design to enable high-qual- high resolution QuickTime and Exposition in Burbank, will help us ity, full motion capture via the USB TARGA sequences that can be used to keep our heads above water. (Uniform Serial Bus) on the PC. with any software that can import Expect to hear much more on this either format. Both are royalty-free in the near future as USB compliant and broadcast quality, digitized from John Parazette-Tillar has a back- motherboards become the stan- 35mm and 16mm footage. After ground in multimedia graphic dard. using these in an After Effects pro- design, specializing in After Effects ject, I was impressed at the quality. and Digital Video. He is a com- The timing of the event For a suggested $499 investment, puter graphics instructor at Cal places it in the middle of the you may never shoot a pyrotechnic State Long Beach-UCES, and has two industry powerhouses, insert on film or video again. received many certificates from SIGGRAPH and COMDEX... Another hot new plug-in for the American Film Institute and After Effects was Cinelook Broadcast Cal State Long Beach. He current- Intel graced us with some from DigiEffects. The plug-in gen- ly teaches courses in Illustrator new technology. First, Intel Web erates a “film” look for video and Interactive Media Desktop Design Effects provides rich, ani- footage. It can create film grain, Presentation. mated special effects, such as water, control colors, luminance, curves fire and clouds, for web develop- and other film effects like duotone, ers. It incorporates new technolo- scratches (my favorite is the leader gy available in Internet Explorer 4.0 damage preset), dust, etc. It is amaz- Note: Readers may contact any browsers that provide the user with ing how well one can match a par- Animation World Magazine con- animated effects at very fast down- ticular film stock feel from video tributor by sending an email to load times. Next, Intel Indeo Video using this well produced tool. It’s [email protected]. Software 5.0 gives advanced capa- fairly intuitive and with a generous

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 46 One Divided By Two: An Emotional Equation by Emru Townsend here was a time, it’s been said, sometimes it’s about three, four, or psychotherapist who specializes in when divorces were rare and five. Most people don’t mention that children who have lived through Tpeople married forever. Times, children are often lost in the shuffle their parents’ divorce. Together, the of course, have changed. Divorce when it comes to divorce; when three decided to make a film, inter- and separation have become more they do, it’s rarely more than the viewing dozens of children acceptable, to the point between 8 and 18 for their where it’s not unreasonable source material. to suggest that everyone has In One Divided By Two, thir- either been through a divorce teen of these children offer or knows someone who has. their points of view on their We see and hear about parents’ divorces. Loosely divorce all the time; alimony organized by subject matter - payments, remarriages, and for example, anxiety over los- custody battles are the stuff ing a parent, fear of not being of news, celebrity gossip, and in a “normal” family, or deal- stand-up comedy. In fact, the ing with being “shared” by NBC sitcom Veronica’s Closet divorced parents - live-action milks the divorce proceedings footage of the children’s com- of the title character to no ments are intercut with longer end. One Divided by Two depicts, through illustration, the stories being presented as ani- But somewhere amid reversed role in which children of divorced parents often mation. Borenstein, who sim- all the laugh tracks, we know find themselves. © Joyce Borenstein. ilarly combined live-action and that divorce isn’t funny. Two animation for her short film people who planned to build a life platitude that divorce is hard on chil- The Colours of My Father which together find themselves at odds, dren. received an Oscar nod in 1993, sees and end up trying to salvage what Joyce Borenstein’s latest film, nothing incongruous in creating a they can as they simultaneously One Divided By Two, provides an documentary based on real events break down what they endeavored antidote, giving us a unique look through animation. “I wanted to to build. into the lives of children affected by erase all boundaries between gen- the divorce of their parents. res,” she says. “Or at least try to.” The animated segments, essentially rewritten compos- An Animated Documentary A Simple Style Tells All ites of interviewed children’s The 24-minute film began The animated segments, stories, are the heart of the life as three short stories written by essentially rewritten composites of film. Edeet Ravel. Based on her own interviewed children’s stories, are divorce, the stories were a fictional- the heart of the film. Borenstein ized version of her child’s perspective brings these experiences to life Or so you’d think. What of the experience. Ravel brought using simple, elegant images that many people forget is that divorce her stories to Borenstein, who con- evoke a child’s simplified world view. isn’t always about two people; tacted Rhona Bezonsky-Jacobs, a The style was born of both aesthetic

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 47 caregiver, suddenly parents’ divorce. Meant to be growing in size to watched in a classroom or with a cradle his mother in parent, the film actually feels his arms. warmer on the video screen, in the One of sever- smaller and more intimate setting al underlying themes of the living room or classroom. in One Divided By Although the idea is to create a dia- Two is, according to logue between children and adults, Borenstein, that One Divided By Two is also a gen- “there are as many tle eye-opener to those whose lives different divorce sit- have not been touched by divorce. uations as there are In revealing the inner workings of people.” Although children’s minds, we find not only Borenstein tackles emotional subject matter by combining reality-based live-action interviews and voice tracks with the film’s visuals are a profound sadness and sense of imaginative animated sequences. © Joyce Borenstein. unified by the illus- loss, but also a certain optimism: the consideration and economic neces- tration style and con- sadness can be overcome, and sity. Says Borenstein, “I tried to sim- sistent use of vibrant colored pen- some family ties are even strength- plify as much as I could, to get the cils, the differences in the essence. It creates a certain style that stories are partly reflect- I like, but it’s [also] very efficient, and ed by the variety of color it’s economical. I had a limited bud- schemes and shifts in get and time, and ... it was a very technique. However, the small crew, so I had to think of sim- most striking element plifying the visuals and one way that identifies each story was to leave the non-essential is the use of intricate tex- things out. I worked at the begin- tures to fill parts of the ning of the project to hone the foreground and back- designs down to just the essential ground. Though the tex- lines. Most of the line tests, which tures look time-consum- were just pencil on paper, became ing, they fit into Borenstein achieved rich textures in her illustrations Borenstein’s method of by rubbing over embossed metal plates with colored final artwork, which we just cleaned pencils. © Joyce Borenstein. up.” keeping it quick and sim- ple. “I did the artwork, and then this ened. In finding hope among the I worked at the beginning of company transposed them onto ashes of divorce, One Divided By the project to hone the metal plates, with embossed areas. Two displays its real magic. designs down to just the What was black on the artwork became embossed on the plates. essential lines. - Joyce Emru Townsend is a freelance The textures are actually rubbings Borenstein writer who won’t stop talking of Prismacolor pencils on the paper about cinema, animation, and which is lying over the metal plates.” This economy of style also computers. He is also the founder aided one of the film’s most enter- and former editor of FPS, a maga- taining and sometimes poignant In finding hope among the zine about animation. aspects: the imagery freely alter- ashes of divorce, One Divided nates between literal and metaphor- By Two displays its real magic. ic depictions of events, with peo- ple, objects and perspectives chang- Note: Readers may contact any ing shape from moment to Animation World Magazine con- moment. For instance, when a boy A Glimmer of Hope In theory, One Divided By tributor by sending an email to comes home to find his divorced [email protected]. mother crying for reasons he can’t Two is intended for children who understand, he assumes the role of are going through the pains of their

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 48 Digital Illusion - Entertaining the Future with High Technology book review by Dan Sarto or every person with a formal theme park rides, Getting Some education in some flavor of audio cassette sing- Perspective Ftechnology, there are a alongs, and Clark hundred more people who have interactive Dodsworth Jr., a had a smattering of classes here multimedia game specialist in and there, and probably a cartridges, all at converging thousand more people who are the same time. entertainment self-taught, self-proclaimed There's an old joke technologies, has "software designers" or "computer that needs gathered together consultants" whose technical updating for the a group of leading zenith was learning to program '90s: What did the technologists to Basic on an Atari 800. Considering drummer say at his create a the quality of the vast gobs of first paying gig? masterpiece - part "beta release B0.15 rev 2" software "Would you like history lesson, part available for downloading off the fries and a Mighty Zanthrogeek blueprint, part vision of the future - Internet nowadays, it often seems CyberWarlock action figure with that is a must read for anyone that the latter group of “Certified that?" who hopes to make a living Atari Technologists“ lead the involved with creating, producing development charge at many or distributing entertainment It's a given that product companies. technology. development in any industry Digital Illusion - must be market-driven. Marketing as a Must Entertaining the Future with High As a breed unto Technology is a tightly woven themselves, entertainment system It's a given that product compilation of 35 chapters developers often seem driven by development in any industry must covering critical aspects of what the same frenzy, (marked by a fast be market-driven. However, many Dodsworth refers to as the pulse, shallow, rapid breathing, high tech consumer “entertainment beast and its and a sweaty forehead), that entertainment companies appear future.” Each chapter is penned by overtakes many 14 year-olds, and driven by some blinding, hyped- an industry expert, and then 40 year-olds for that matter, up vision of what their focus edited and crafted by the author prowling the long entertainment groups and market research teams into one comprehensive volume software isles of large computer think people will buy. Their like little gems fashioned together stores. With entertainment giants expensive miscalculations, a into a magnificent tiara. Digital like Sony, Disney and Fox putting veritable cornucopia of Illusion marries intelligent and huge dollars behind any and “entertainment pabulum for the descriptive narrative with detailed every conceivable, and ill masses,” fill the $9.95 bins at facts and explanations. This book conceived, entertainment WalMarts and CompUSAs has something for everybody, and medium, the people that now throughout the land. should appeal to a wide audience. drive critical product development So, what can we do to take Newbies and wannabees can find decisions aren’t always highly a step back, catch our breath, and solid fundamental descriptions skilled veteran technologists, but gain some much needed about core concepts, tool sets, rather media executives touting perspective on the dizzying worlds and practical uses of key their latest mega marketing idea. of digital entertainment? For technologies. Expert technologists You know, the ones who rig the starters, there’s a book we need to can find fresh perspectives on schemes where the same cute read. where this "stuff" came from, characters adorn pillow cases, where it is today, and where it's

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 49 going tomorrow. with successful digital copies as all the others combined. The book is broken into six entertainment, in order to help us What’s my point? My point is that sections. It starts with the recent think and make more educated the best and most successful history and context for the decisions. entertainment technologists are disciplines of high-tech those that not only understand the entertainment, followed by Gizmos Don't Sell origins and evolution of the sections on the infrastructure that The cool new spaceship platforms and tools they use, but enabling technologies are simulator you ride at your local marry that knowledge with smarts delivered on, the “magic” of theme park, the awesome and creativity to build new and content, the delivery of the kickboxing game cartridge you better experiences for the “experience,” and the evolution of pop into your PlayStation, or the consumer. the requisite keyboard-less "most excellent" movie featuring hardware platforms. The book dinosaurs flossing with human The next great digital finishes with sections on 'Serious entrails, are all created using tools entertainment experience is Fun,' the culmination of the high- and technologies that have been in the clearing just up ahead.’ tech experience in theme parks painstakingly designed and and special film venues, followed planned for many years. But why For every truly remarkable by the last section on the business do kids flock to that one simulator additional gizmo, gadget or black of entertainment technologies, at the arcade, or why does one box, there are hundreds, if not which focuses on subjects like effects laden movie become a thousands of innovations that arcades, multi-player games, blockbuster while another dies an come from the convergence and virtual worlds, and digital undignified death? How many application of these latest gizmos productions. thousands of entertainment that no one has done, or done products are made using the same well, before. With fresh paradigms One important reason, and technology, with the same of digital technology development one of the most important financial backing, only to fail and creative convergence being lessons I learned in reading miserably? pioneered every day, the future of this book, is that technology One important reason, and digital entertainment looks doesn’t sell. one of the most important lessons exciting and enticing. The next I learned in reading this book, is great digital entertainment that technology doesn’t sell. An experience is in the clearing just Digital Illusion puts many enjoyable experience that can up ahead. Tread cautiously, important topics into perspective. compete with other enjoyable because you might be walking Often overlooked in the frenzied, experiences does. (Maybe that through a digital mine field to get market driven pace of digital explains why my wife would there. entertainment, product rather go to a movie with her development is the fact that friends than have a quiet dinner Digital Illusion - Entertaining the technological innovation is built in with me.) As Dodsworth’s book so Future with High Technology, layers. Expanding from and wonderfully points out, it is the edited by Clark Dodsworth Jr., building upon the framework of coupling of the myriad of digital Addison-Wesley and ACM Press, today's technology, inventions development goodies with 1998. 545 pages, illustrated. ISBN: create new and hopefully more thought and creativity that 0-201-84780-9. popular products, and most produce successful entertainment importantly, types of experiences. For example, the Dan Sarto is an accomplished entertainment experiences. latest and greatest 3-D computer "hack" technologist and Chief Dodsworth's book doesn't gaming engine may have taken Operating Officer of AWN. proselytize or pretend to "know it three years to develop. It renders, all." On the contrary, it puts an it slices, it dices. It allows for analytical spin on the why, when innovative and truly state-of-the-art Note: Readers may contact any and hows of creating the pure gaming experiences. Of a handful Animation World Magazine con- enjoyment, the emotional and of multi-player games created with tributor by sending an email to visceral "rush" we all experience that engine, one title sells as many [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 50 Web Animation Explosion: Headache Relief software review by Ged Bauer oday’s web tech- see Shockwave in action nologies evolve faster and what is possible, in Tthan anyone who case one decided to make chooses to have regular the leap and start making interaction with other their own. They are humans can follow. extremely easy to use, only Therefore, NOVA requiring one to enter a Development’s Web provided tag in Animation Explosion, a col- the html code. They also lection of web graphics download fairly quickly as featuring sophisticated most are around 20k and and advanced animated are marvelously cute and GIFs and Shockwave entertaining. The bad movies, would be a valu- news is that only a few are able asset to any web of any practical value. How designer. After all, who many uses do you have for has time to learn and keep a virtual whoopee cush- up when your site need- ion? (Yes, an interactive ed to be online yesterday? whoopee cushion, and Who has time to deal with under grandma’s favorite the headaches and frus- chair no less!) There are trations of learning new some nice rollover buttons software? More impor- included and it was fun on tantly, who has the extra one of the animations to money to buy the suite of squish the aliens as they programs needed to came out of the spaceship, develop this type of prod- but nothing is very useful uct? The answer is: for a serious page builder. terms, an animation that you have nobody. So if you could pick up a control over. These elements often CD-ROM that claims to be the ulti- Animated GIFs include sound which is a welcome mate library of animated web As for the Animated GIFs, addition to any web page. graphics and spare all this pain for there are tons to choose from on a mere exchange of dollars Who has time to deal with this CD-ROM. Now widely used, the ($49.95), what’s stopping you? Let the headaches and frustra- technology of GIF animation had us see and have a look inside. tions of learning new soft- previously existed quietly in a ver- ware? sion of Netscape Navigator. There Shockwave Movies was no public announcement and This reviewer went straight no publicity drive. The technology Overall there is good news to the Shockwave movies, curious was more or less stumbled upon by and bad news regarding the includ- to see what the developers cooked someone with entirely too much ed Shockwave movies. The good up. Shockwave movies are interac- time on their hands. GIF Animations news is that they are nicely drawn tive animations developed in use a series of images compressed and animated. It was interesting to Macromedia Director. In simple in Compuserve GIF format playing

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 51 in a sequence with timed intervals. with common phrases like “home,” a good investment for those just With a little practice you can setup “back,” “download,” and “FAQ.” looking to save time or for those multiple still images in a graphics They vary from the very plain and afraid to invest in new software. The program then put them in order in generic, to colorful morphs. There file sizes are minuscule, most are an Animated GIF building program, are also interesting buttons without under 10k, which raises your style like the one included on this CD- any written text. They flash. They points without adding significant ROM. glow. They spin and shuffle. Motion download time. Although it might is a great touch to distinguish your- take some digging, after all there The most important aspect of self from the static pages of yester- are 5,000 animations to choose course is that these anima- year, or was it yesterday? Plus they from, chances are you can always tions are well done. are so easy to use. Place them in find something to fit your needs. Adobe PageMill, or include a The most important aspect of course tag for you html purists, just like you is that these animations are well The GIF Animations includ- would for any normal image (JPEG, done. There is an aspect of talent ed in these collections are, for the GIF) included on a web page. and creativity in this collection that most part, useful and worthwhile. I found some groups of ani- may be missing if you tried to do it Some of the animations, on the mated GIFs so useful that I would yourself. So go ahead, save your- other hand, are too specific to have definitely use them on a page I am self some headaches, buy the darn a wide range of uses which limits designing, even if I didn’t need to CD, and take an extra long lunch. their value. However, the only major save time. My favorites were the gripe I have is that a lot of the ani- “Icons and Symbol” group. They Web Animation Explosion, pub- mations, especially the buttons, contain animated icons for lished by Nova Development Corp. were too big size-wise for the space- Quicktimes and video clips, audio Hybrid CD-ROM for Macintosh sys- saving webmaster. These features clips, and e-mail. tem 7.0 or later and Windows 3.1, could be really distracting on a 95 or NT. $49.95. page. It’s important to mention that So go ahead, save yourself http://www.novadevcorp.com you do not want mass-produced some headaches, buy the darn elements to dominate a page, and CD, and take an extra long Note: the online version of this arti- take away from the content that lunch. cle includes samples of Shockwave you want the viewer to see. It seems and GIF animations available on silly that the product creators didn’t Another gold mine con- Web Animation Explosion. offer variable sizes. After all, then tained on the CD was the “Bullet” http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2. they could brag that they have over category. For those of you who 10/2.10pages/2.10bauer.html 10,000 animations, rather than the don’t know, bullets are the little do- 5,000 that they currently claim. dads that you slap in front of a sen- Another word to the wise on using tence to make it stand out, or to Ged Bauer, who has been taking pre-made elements on a web page separate a list of items from stan- longer lunches recently, is or in any fashion, whether it be on dard text. These were some of the Webmaster and Graphic Designer a video, brochure, or business card: simpler animations included in the of Animation World Network. He you aren’t the only resourceful, collection, but were by far the most also has worked for Star Media clever, time saving person out there. useful. Since a lot of the other ani- Systems on Power Surge, a series Chances are if you find something mations were more intricate, they of packaged video transitions for interesting or attractive on a CD- had a narrow range of use. These non-linear editing software. ROM, such as the one being animations can fit on any page, reviewed in this article, somebody because they add a touch of motion else has as well. and style, but won’t take away from the content of the page due to their Note: Readers may contact any Time Savers small size and simplicity. Animation World Magazine con- Enough constructive criti- tributor by sending an email to cism! This CD can save you a lot of Final Analysis [email protected]. time. It contains plenty of buttons Web Animation Explosion is

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 52 The Netherlands Institute for Animation Film by Erik van Drunen & Mette Peters ince 1993 the Netherlands can means used to achieve this are inex- a training institute. Consequently, boast a unique institute of art. tricably interlinked through the participants must already be familiar SOn September 17, 1993, Hedy Ateliers, our studio, exhibitions, edu- with the production process of ani- d’Ancona, then Minister of Culture, cation, research, distribution, col- mation film. The Ateliers are a place officially opened the Netherlands lection, archives and promotion. where participants can further Institute for Animation Film (NIAf). Given the developments in both broaden their skills in terms of con- The NIAf was established to improve Europe and farther afield, the NIAf tent and on technical and produc- the infrastructure for animated film is looking beyond its national bor- tion levels so that, on leaving, they ders and seeking are thoroughly equipped to work cooperation and as independent entrepreneurs who partnerships with can produce commercial as well as people, organiza- artistic work. Students are super- tions and festivals vised by renowned animators and across the entire people who have won their spurs in globe! Because other art disciplines. The chosen promotion is supervisors have backgrounds in such an impor- diverse art disciplines because ani- tant element, the mation film is an art form which is NIAf has close strongly related to other forms of contacts with the art, such as drama, choreography, Holland visual arts, film and music. Mutual Ateliers participant, Liesbeth Worm, working on her film Animation Film interchange between participants Tempera (1997). Photo courtesy of and. © NIAf. Festival, as well as is part of the Ateliers’ philosophy. in the Netherlands, both for the with the professional association Five participants are currently work- director’s film (artistic film) and for Holland Animation, Holland Film, ing at the NIAf, which offers all the specially-commissioned films (com- the Association of Dutch Film facilities required to make both 2-D mercial film). Dutch animated film Theatres, several Dutch audio-visu- and 3-D 35mm animation films. is currently enjoying an increased al archives, foreign festivals and level of exposure, both within its study programs. The Netherlands Institute for national borders and especially Animation Film houses a siz- abroad. A Stimulating Place to Work able collection of films, books, The NIAf Ateliers offer young documentation and art work. talented animators an opportunity The NIAf considers children to study animation for two years, The NIAf follows develop- to be an important target and strive to be a stimulating work- ments within new media as closely group and therefore, orga- shop for talented filmmakers. as possible. Soundtracks and effects nizes workshops... Participants are selected on are produced in association with the basis of a project which they studios specializing in these fields. Our Mission hope to create while at the Ateliers, The first three films made in the The NIAf hopes to realize its’ their motivation and their previous Ateliers were completed in 1997. objectives in a number of ways. The work. The Ateliers are explicitly not One of these, Sientje by Christa

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 53 Moesker, won the award Vereniging Holland for the Best Short Dutch Animation (VHA), the pro- Film at the 1997 fessional association of Netherlands Film Festival. Dutch Animation filmmak- ers which was established Workshops and in 1983. Education There are more than Workshops are one hundred box files full organized for both pro- of cuttings, documentation, fessionals and amateurs interviews, photographs in an attempt to raise the and art work. Part of the quality and improve the collection comprises corre- reputation of Dutch ani- Sientje by Christa Moesker (1997), made at the NIAf Atelier. spondence, minutes and mation films. In the Photo courtesy of and. © NIAf. administration from the future, in addition to the Ateliers for of animation film in more detail. VHA itself. Most of the collection, animators, the NIAf plans to train In 1997 the NIAf organized however, has been brought togeth- specific producers in the art of ani- the 9th Society for Animation er thanks to private study, such as mation film. The NIAf considers chil- Studies Conference which was held the VHA news bulletin and publi- dren to be an important target in the Netherlands. This was the first cations like Tien Jaar Holland group and therefore, organizes time that the international, scientif- Animation (1983) and Joop workshops for primary school chil- ic conference was held in a non- Geesink: Poppenfilmproducent dren and believes that animated film English speaking country. The num- (1984) by Ati Mul and Tjitte de Vries. should form part of the artistic edu- ber of European speakers was The library houses many hundreds cation syllabus. In conjunction with greater than ever. Following on of books and magazines. A large various universities in the from this, the NIAf wishes to con- part of the collection was amassed Netherlands, the NIAf is establish- tinue to stimulate scientific research by Gerrit van Dijk, and includes a ing research projects which are in European animated film. number of antiquarian books on the intended to provide information on history of Dutch film. The library also animation film in relation to the his- Archived Collections has an up-to-date cuttings archive tory of art, communication, infor- The Netherlands Institute for and a modest collection of video- mation technology and business Animation Film houses a sizable col- tapes. Original drawings, cels, pup- management. The NIAf also offers lection of films, books, documenta- pets and three-dimensional objects practical training to students who tion and art work. A part of the film from animation films form another wish to examine a particular aspect collection is used for distribution. collection housed by the NIAf. This University researchers original art work is highly suitable and art academy stu- for use in exhibitions and educa- dents make frequent tional projects. Both small and large use of the books and exhibitions can be organized on a documentation avail- variety of themes. The NIAf houses able. objects from the entire history of The collections have Dutch animation film; from modern been brought togeth- film makers such as Paul Driessen er predominately and Maarten Koopman, to the stu- thanks to the efforts of dios of Marten Toonder and Joop a number of industri- Geesink. A sizable part of this col- ous, private collectors. lection was brought together in A production photograph from The Story Of Light (1953), a A special place is commercial for General Electric.Animator Joszef Misik at 1985 for the touring exhibition work. Jan Bouwman behind the camera. Decors by Ko reserved for the col- “Animation In The Netherlands.” Brautigam.Art direction by Jan Coolen en Henk Kabos. lection of the Photo courtesy of and. © NIAf. This exhibition was organized by

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 54 Nico Crama for the Holland ested parties. Animation Foundation and the The NIAf is within walking Ministry of Foreign Affairs. distance of the NS central railway station in Tilburg. Willem 2 straat is Distribution of Films a side street of Spoorlaan, the street For years Cilia van Dijk was on which the station is located. the driving force behind Stichting Animated People (STAP), distributor The Netherlands Institute for of animation film in the Animation Film, Willem 2 straat 47, Netherlands. The collection and P.O. Box 9358, 5000 HJ, Tilburg, activities of STAP were handed over The Netherlands to the NIAf in 1993. The collection Phone: +31 13 535 45 55 was comprised predominantly of Fax: +31 13 580 00 57 16mm films, but the present acqui- Email: [email protected] sition and distribution policy of the NIAf now concentrates on 35mm. The total film collection now con- Erik van Drunen studied anima- tains some four hundred film titles. tion film and photography at the Most of these are Dutch films, but Academy for Visual Design in the collection also includes classics A glimpse of the film archives. Photo Tilburg, the Netherlands. Since by Emile Cohl, , Renzo courtesy of and. © NIAf. 1992 he has been associated Kinoshita and Norman McLaren. agement, conservation and the with the Holland Animation Film There are more than one archives is still in its infancy. On the Festival as programme assistant hundred box files full of cut- whole, the objective is to keep a and since 1993 as project staff tings, documentation, inter- representative film collection and member at the Netherlands views, photographs and art library paying special attention to Institute for Animation Film. He is work. past and present Dutch animation a member of the Board of the film. For example, a database with Holland Animation Association The films are sent to festivals, information on Dutch animation and assists the association with its cinemas, academies and schools film is being developed. The NIAf publications. and are generally suitable for view- would very much like to collaborate ing by projector. The NIAf is there- on the further establishment of pol- fore striving for film theaters to rein- icy for the management of its own statement the screening of short Mette Peters is an animation histo- collection. This contribution may films either alone or as compilations. rian. She publishes and teaches perhaps stimulate the exchange of In this context the NIAf is cooperat- animation history. She is pro- experiences and ideas with other ing with a number of cinemas with gramme assistant for the Holland institutes which manage animation artistic programming. Compilations Animation Film Festival and she is collections. are based on theme, genre or tech- developing a Dutch Animation nique. In addition, the compositions Film filmography for the are being made in video format. The NIAf would very much Netherlands Institute for Although the NIAf’s collections are like to collaborate on the fur- Animation Film. constantly being added to, through ther establishment of policy donations from animators for exam- for the management of its ple, hardly any active collection own collection. management takes place for the Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine con- simple reason that the NIAf does not Contact Details tributor by sending an email to have sufficient manpower. NIAf’s pol- The library and various col- [email protected]. icy with regard to acquisition, man- lections are accessible to all inter-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 55 by Wendy Jackson Animation World News is compiled the development deal with into distribution or production” dur- daily for publication in the AWN Microsoft is a move outside the ing his ten years at Disney. Even Daily Flash, the weekly Animation realm of proprietary development though he no longer works there, Flash email newsletter, and month- for its own systems. SGI’s senior Katzenberg says that he should ben- ly issues of Animation World manager of the graphics API group efit from the profits incurred from Magazine. Shawn Hopwood said the compa- continued distribution of old prod- ny “continues its drive to build the uct, one of Disney’s great strengths. Send your newsworthy items, press widest possible market for profes- The “partial settlement” recently releases, and reels to: sional-class applications using agreed upon does not mark the Email: [email protected] OpenGL…a vital technology for end of the dispute between the two Fax: (213) 464-5914 developers providing platform-inde- parties, but it does move the legal Mail: Animation World Magazine pendent 3-D solutions.” Kevin process forward, without trial, to 6525 Sunset Blvd. Garden Suite 10, Dallas, group product manager for the arbitration phase in which it will Hollywood, CA 90028 USA graphics and multimedia at be determined exactly how much Microsoft, said they are “very excit- Disney will hand over to Business ed to be working with Silicon Katzenberg. This amount will be Graphics,” adding that the initiative decided upon in private proceed- Microsoft And SGI Enter A 3-D will “reiterate our commitment to ings, the terms of which, the par- Deal. Software giant Microsoft Corp OpenGL as the API [system] for pro- ties have agreed, “will remain con- and computer graphics hard- fessional applications like CAD and fidential.” Looking at the big picture, ware/software maker Silicon to Direct3D for consumer applica- the settlement was probably the Graphics, Inc. (SGI) have formed a tions like games.” Further best move for Disney, because it partnership to jointly develop a new announcements on the partnership avoids the negative media attention product aimed at making Microsoft’s between the two companies are that comes with a trial of this nature. Windows platform a more graph- expected. ics-friendly development tool. Vinton To Work With Iwerks. Tentatively scheduled for a spring Katzenberg, Disney Dispute Portland, Oregon-based animation 98 release, the product, named 3- Nears Settlement. Just a week house, Studios has D Graphics Device Driver Kit (DDK) before their appointed Los Angeles formed a contract with location- will use OpenGL, a graphics visual- Superior Court trial date of based (ridefilm) entertainment giant, ization technology standard creat- November 18, The Walt Disney Iwerks Entertainment, to jointly ed by SGI but never before adopt- Company agreed to an out-of-court develop, produce and market film- ed by one-time competitor settlement with former Disney film based attractions for theme park Microsoft. This is good news for division head . and entertainment locations. Vinton Windows users, and a significant Katzenberg, who left Disney in will most likely produce 3-D com- event for both the hardware and 1994, and went on to form puter animated films for large for- software development community, DreamWorks SKG with Steven mats (70mm) such as those used in confirmed 3-D graphics analyst Jon Spielberg and David Geffen, filed a ride films and IMAX-type theaters. Peddie, who said, “Microsoft is send- $250 million lawsuit against Disney The deal between the two compa- ing a clear signal that it is serious in April 1996. In the lawsuit, nies was signed in December at about Windows as a platform for Katzenberg claims that, according IAAPA, the trade show for the professional 3-D graphics.” For SGI, to his contract, the company owes International Association of which is in the process of downsiz- him the said amount as a percent- Amusement Parks and Attractions. ing by cutting several hundred jobs, age of profits from all product “put Will Vinton Studios’ CEO Tom Turpin

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 56 said, “Both companies are commit- next to Tokyo Disneyland. Warner Bros. Television Animation, ted to innovation.” Iwerks CEO Roy where Loesch’s longtime friend and Wright added, “we feel that part- People colleague Jean MacCurdy is cur- nering with Will Vinton Studios’ abil- rently president of Warner Bros. ity to create characters and stories Loesch Bids Farewell To Fox. It Television Animation and Kids WB! will allow us to raise the bar in the has been confirmed that Margaret Programming. industry.” Loesch, founding president of Fox In a statement issued by Fox, Kids Network, is leaving the com- Loesch said, “This has been a very HIT Has High Hopes For Home pany that she was instrumental in difficult decision for me…but I’ve Video. London-based HIT building. Loesch’s resignation was decided that it’s time to move on, Entertainment has launched a video expected, as she has reportedly and I’m eagerly looking forward to distribution arm, through which the been negotiating an exit agreement new challenges and opportunities.” company will distribute animated for several months. This past sum- News Corp. president and CEO fare to the retail home video mar- mer, after seven years with the com- Peter Chernin said the company ket. The first titles to be released are pany, her role at was remains, “grateful to Margaret, as collections of half-hour episodes of changed from president to vice she oversaw the initial expansion of TV series owned by HIT, including chairman, after the company joined what was a nascent broadcast net- Brambly Hedge and Percy the Park forces with to work into an important new service Keeper. Two videos of each of these form Fox Kids Worldwide, a joint for children.” Before joining Fox Kids series were released in September venture cable television operation. in 1990, Loesch was president and and November, and more are has since started over- CEO of Marvel Comics, and prior to planned for 1998. HIT anticipates seeing operations as chairman and that, she held executive posts at that the launch into video will help CEO of Fox Kids Worldwide, and Hanna-Barbera and NBC. Upon the company to further develop former president of being selected as one licensing and merchandising activ- ’s Nick of the top women in ities. HIT chairman Robin Nellist also at Nite TV Land, showbiz, the strong- says that the company aims “to Rich Cronin, has minded Loesch was manage the exploitation of these been hired as presi- recently quoted in rights in different markets; pay TV, dent of Fox Kids Daily Variety terrestrial, basic cable, satellite and Network and their (11/7/97) as having home video.” Future plans include recently acquired said, “Whatever I do, video releases of additional HIT- cable network, The I’m sure it will be owned series, including Kipper, cur- Family Channel, whatever people tell rently airing on the ITV Network, effectively filling me not to do.” Archibald the Koala, in co-produc- Loesch’s former role. tion with French studio Millimages, The exit agree- Musical Chairs Anthony Ant, a series for BBC, Bob ment is said to have the Builder, a stop-motion series for a non-compete has been upped from pre-schoolers and Fairies!, four spe- clause which will Sander Schwartz, head of senior vice president Columbia TriStar Television cials currently in development. prevent Loesch from Children’s Programming. Photo to executive vice pres- working for any by and © Lester Cohen.All ident and general Disney Makes A Splash In Japan. competing compa- Rights Reserved. manager of the is ny for a set amount of time. Children’s Programming and expanding its presence in Japan Speculations as to where the exec- Animation wing at Columbia with a new aquatic-themed amuse- utive could be headed next are var- Tristar Television. He was instru- ment park called DisneySea. ied, but possible avenues include mental in founding the division in Attractions will include themed rides (taken over last 1995, which has produced and based on The Little Mermaid and month by HSN and USA Networks’ independently distributed seven kids . The park is slated to open owner Barry Diller), Disney/ABC shows, including animated series in the year 2000, and will be the (headed by former Nickelodeon based on franchises second Disney theme park in Japan, helmer, Geraldine Laybourne) and such as Men in Black, Extreme

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 57 Ghostbusters and Jumanji, and is Fox. Before co-creating the show Kids France, which recently currently in development for 1998, with , Daniels was an launched a channel through on Godzilla, Dream of Jeannie, and executive producer on The CanalSatellite. D’Halluin was previ- Dragon Tales.. . . . Toper Taylor Simpsons. . . . Tad Stones has ously director of corporate devel- has been promoted to president of signed a new five-year contract with opment, Europe, for Sony Pictures NELVANA Communications, the Entertainment. . . . Henry Selick, Los Angeles-based programming Animation, where he will be an director of stop-motion animated and merchandise licensing sub- executive producer. He is currently features “The Nightmare Before sidiary of Canadian animation stu- working in this capacity on Disney’s Christmas,” and “James and the dio, NELVANA Limited. Taylor, who Hercules animated series, slated for Giant Peach,” will start directing his was previously executive vice pres- fall 1998. Stones has worked with first live-action feature in February. ident, has signed a three-year con- The Walt Disney Company since The TriStar Pictures project is a teen tract for this new position. He joined 1974, most recently in the Television horror film called “Idle Hands,” slat- NELVANA in 1991, following a term Animation division as producer of ed for a Halloween 1998 release. . as a television packaging agent with the series and Chip . .Matt Ohnemus has joined the William Morris Agency . . . Stacy ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers and the LoConte Goldman Design as Lifton has been promoted to vice two Aladdin direct-to-video titles. . . president of business and legal . Dea Connick Perez has been affairs for Fox Kids Worldwide. . . named program director at . Susan Alston has resigned as Cartoon Network. She was for- executive director of the Comic merly director of acquisitions at Book Legal Defense Fund Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite TV Land. (CBLDF), but has been elected to . . . has brought the non-profit organization’s Board on Lisa Eve Huberman as devel- of Directors, and has been appoint- opment director, thereby launching ed treasurer. . . . Sam Cornell has a division to develop long form tele- Lily Snowden Fine, the latest addition to joined Playhouse Pictures as direc- vision programming and features. Snowden Fine Productions! Photo cour- tesy of and © David Fine and Alison tor of animation. He has been a Until now, the bicoastal studio has Snowden. partner in the Los Angeles-based mainly focused on commercials and animation studio Cornell/Abood, short-form commissioned works. senior designer. He was station art with Cheryl Abood. . . . Lorri Bond Huberman was most recently director at NBC affiliate WHDH-TV has been promoted to vice presi- involved in development of brand- in Boston. . . . Alison Snowden dent of Warner Bros. Classic ing programs for Disney and David Fine (Bob’s Birthday and Animation, where she has been Educational Publishing and The Bob and Margaret Show) are director since 1995. In the expand- Nickelodeon. . . . Mainframe pleased to announce the birth of ed role, she will oversee preserva- Entertainment has restructured its their first child. Their daughter, Lily tion and continued use of Warner’s executive management, to “improve Snowden-Fine was born on classic animation properties, and will operating efficiency, control costs Monday, November 17 at 12:11 also continue to be associate pro- and streamline production.” The p.m. London time. “We are very ducer for Bugs ‘n’ Daffy (Kids WB!) round of internal promotions happy with her and hope to get her and The Bugs Bunny & includes the appointment of to write a script if there is a second Show (ABC). Prior to joining Warner Christopher Brough to vice chair- series of Bob & Margaret,” the Bros. in 1995, Bond worked at The man of the board (formerly CEO), happy parents told AWN. . . . . . . . Greg Daniels, Ian Pearson to president and CEO co-creator (with Mike Judge) and (formerly executive vice president), In Passing.... executive producer of Fox’s prime- Mark Ralston to senior vice presi- time series , has dent of production (formerly chief Milt Neal. Animator and educator signed a four-year, U.S. $16 million financial officer) and Brett Gannon Milt Neal has died at the age of 83, contract with Fox. King of the Hill to . . . . Marc- in his home town of Wayne, New which premiered in January 1997, Antione D’Halluin has been Jersey. A graduate of Pratt Institute is now the number two series on named managing director of Fox in the 1930s, Neal worked at Disney

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 58 for several years in the 1940s, Time Warner, which acquired where he animated on such films Hanna-Barbera and its prop- as and the Seven erty in the 1996 merger with Dwarfs (1937), Fantasia (1940), Turner Enterprises, has strong- Dumbo (1941) and the short war ly opposed the initiative since film Der Fuehrer’s Face (1943). In it was first proposed by a The Reluctant Dragon, a 1941 film Hanna-Barbera employee. At that takes viewers behind the scenes the final hearing, one of the at Walt Disney Studios, Neal is lawyers representing Warner A photo of the Hanna-Barbera Cartoons build- ing, taken last year when the company was dis- depicted in a caricature sequence Bros. pleaded to the board that playing Jonny Quest banners across the front. during the opening credits. He is designation of the building as Photo courtesy of and © Michelle Klein Haas. also interviewed in the recent doc- a historic monument could bottom line is that the commission umentary, Cartoons Go To War. have “a chilling effect on a sale that’s did not follow the [city] ordinance. One accomplishment that Neal was about to happen.” Warner Bros. has It met the most significant cultural most proud of was his design work been negotiating the sale of the criteria. In the history of television on marionettes and puppets for The building with Universal for several animation, the Hanna-Barbera Howdy Doody Show, a television months. Universal owns much of building is absolutely the most series that aired on NBC through the neighboring property, but at important site in Los Angeles.” the 1960s. In the 1970s and ‘80s, presstime, the sale had yet to be Neal taught animation at the Joe closed. CHC representatives visited Designed by architect Arthur Kubert School of Cartoon and the Hanna-Barbera building for Froehlich, Hanna-Barbera Studios’ Graphic Art in Dover, New Jersey. review on December 3. futuristic Jetsons-style building has “Milt was one of the reasons that become a landmark to the anima- we started animation,” said Joe Nearly 50 people were present at tion industry since it was erected in Kubert, founder of the school which the December 17 hearing, includ- 1962, five years after now has five animation instructors. ing former Hanna-Barbera president and Joe Barbera founded the com- He added, “as a result of Milt’s Fred Siebert, other ex-employees of pany to produce television anima- efforts, we have somewhere the studio, industry professionals tion. This month, the remaining staff between 99 and 100 percent and several Time Warner legal and of Hanna-Barbera Cartoons is sched- employment of our graduates.” publicity representatives. Despite a uled to be relocated to a Warner Neal also made several indepen- show of industry support, including Bros. building in Sherman Oaks, dent films, the most recent of letters from presidents of Women in where their productions will con- which—about Brazilian soccer play- Animation and the Motion Picture tinue. er Pele—was in progress when he Screen Cartoonists Union, the board died. voted unanimously against the mea- Films sure, citing owner opposition as the Is the Hanna-Barbera Cartoons motivating factor in their decision. Sundance Selections. Bill Building a Historical Monument? Commission members were under Plympton’s latest independent ani- Many people in the animation pressure from the L.A. mayor’s office mated feature film, I Married a industry think so. But at a public to vote against the designation. Strange Person, has been selected hearing on December 17, 1997 the Immediately before making the for screening at the Sundance Film eight-person board of the Los motion to vote, one board member Festival, January 15-25 in Park City, Angeles Cultural Heritage joked, “I wish I’d gone out and Utah. Selected from over 700 Commission (CHC) denied to grant bought 100 shares of Time Warner entries, Plympton’s is the only ani- Cultural-Historic Monument status stock this morning so that I would mated feature of the 16 films in the to the building at 3400 Cahuenga be disqualified from this vote.” “Dramatic Competition” category, Boulevard in Hollywood, home to and of the total 103 showcased fea- Hanna-Barbera Cartoons’ television Peter Moruzzi, a member of the tures in the festival, which is known animation production studio for 35 board of directors of the Los Angeles as a key venue for independent years. Conservancy, called the CHC’s deci- films. Plympton’s first feature film, sion “scandalous,” and said, “The The Tune was screened at

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 59 Sundance in 1992, but it was not and Fox for distribution rights to the the realistic movement of clothing. featured in competition (In addition, debut feature film, but they have To achieve this, the studio devel- several of his shorts have been fea- been cautious in finding the right oped sophisticated programs to cal- tured over the years, including How U.S. partner. DreamWorks expects culate cloth dynamics and skin to Kiss, Nosehair and How to Make to release the film in early 2000, motion simulation (Subdivision Love to A Woman.) . Also included which will make it either their fourth Surfaces™). In this capacity, the film in the features selection is Orgazmo, or fifth animated feature release is an astounding achievement over a live-action feature directed by ( is also slated for 2000), after the human figures depicted in the South Park co-creator, Trey Parker. Prince of Egypt (November 1998), 1995 . How fast technol- In the short film program, 68 films “Antz” (Spring 1999) and The Road ogy advances! have been selected, including the to El Dorado (holiday 1999). The 4 minute and 15 second animated films The Broken Jaw by film contains over one minute of Chris Shepherd and The Corky Plays Geri’s Game. Pixar credits, proving its completion was Collection, a compilation of five Animation Studios, creator of the no small task. In addition to director MAD TV shorts by Corky Academy Award winning Toy Story, Jan Pinkava and producer Karen Quackenbush. screened its new animated short Dufilho, more than 80 people, from film “Geri’s Game,” along with a col- animators and technical directors to DreamWorks Catches lection of other Pixar shorts, “render wranglers” were involved Aardman’s Chicken Run. Aardman November 25, 26 and 27 at in the production. Pixar, which now Animations has finally lined up a Laemmle’s Royal Theatre in Santa employs 375 people, is currently in U.S. distributor for their first full- Monica, California. production on Toy Story 2, A Bug’s length animated feature, Chicken Animation World Magazine got Life, and in development on anoth- Run. It was announced in a sneak peek at the program at er feature in their ten-year, five-pic- December that DreamWorks SKG which Pixar chairman and CEO ture deal with Disney. has signed on to co-finance, and Steve Jobs, and chief technology distribute the film in the U.S. and officer/executive vice president Ed Visual Effects most international territories outside Catmull spoke about the studio’s of Europe. In addition, DreamWorks commitment to short films as a way Fx Affects will be the exclusive worldwide of nurturing its talent, developing Effects-driven movies have been licensing and merchandising rights technologies and fostering new doing well this month in U.S. the- holder for the film. The other co- ideas as vehicles for “tentacle devel- aters, which will send a signal to financier, French company Pathe, opment,” noting that John Lassetter the big studios to keep making which has been involved in the pro- created five short films “on the way them, and, in turn, bring more work duction since it went into develop- to Toy Story.” Geri’s Game is Pixar’s to effects studios. Disney’s Flubber, ment at Aardman over two years first short film since they turned the a live-action family flick with sub- ago, will distribute the film in focus to commercials in 1989. The stantial use of computer generated Europe. Chicken Run is currently in film is a 3-D, CGI, animated vignette characters and effects, was the top- production in Bristol, England, depicting an under the direction of Aardman co- endearing old founder and Wallace and man playing Gromit creator . Jake Eberts chess against is producing the film under Pathe’s himself. The Allied Films banner. DreamWorks technical goal principal Jeffrey Katzenberg said the of Geri’s Game studio is “thrilled…excited…and was to depict a honored” to be releasing this antic- compelling, ipated film. In addition to the tire- fully dimen- less persistence of Katzenberg, sional human Aardman, winner of three Oscars character with for animated shorts, was wooed by complex facial the likes of Warner Bros., Disney animation, and Geri’s Game. © Pixar.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 60 grossing film during its Miller (the first was direct- Thanksgiving weekend ed by Chris Noonan). . . . opening in November Digital Magic, the visual (about $36 million). effects arm of Burbank, Industrial Light & Magic California-based Four (ILM) created the signa- Media Company, created ture green goo motion capture and CGI “Flubber” animation in effects for the feature film the film. ILM’s Tom Mortal Kombat: Bertino was the charac- Annihilation, which opens ter animation supervisor in theaters on November for these Flubber 21. The effects completed sequences, and was by Digital Magic include

one of three visual The dancing goo in Flubber was animated by ILM. © Disney shots portraying a live effects supervisors (with Enterprises, Inc. actor in combat with a 3- Peter Crosman and Kopelman was digital effects super- D computer-generated Douglas Hans Smith) for the film as visor, Christopher Scollard was dig- character. . Engineering a whole. Disney-owned ital effects producer and Jan Carlée Animation, Inc. (EAI) will create DreamQuest Images did a substan- was computer animation director. . computer-generated lunar footage tial amount of atmospheric effects . . Rhythm & Hues, the Los for HBO’s series, From the Earth to and CG and miniatures shots on the Angeles-based computer animation the Moon, which will air in April film’s robot character, “WEEBO.” In studio which won an Oscar for its’ 1998. . . . Digital Artworks, a 15 addition, several other effects stu- visual effects work on Babe, the year-old design and animation dios worked on “Flubber,” includ- 1995 film about a talking pig, has house based in Eugene, Oregon, is ing JEX FX (puppet WEEBO), X.O. signed on with Universal to create opening a Los Angeles studio this Digital Arts (flying ball animation), the visual effects for the film’s sequel, week. Through a newly formed and Hammerhead Productions, set for a Thanksgiving 1998 release. partnership with L-Squared, the Mobility, Inc. and Computer Café At 165 shots, the amount of effects company plans to develop its own (additional Flubber animation), as work has increased over the first proprietary creative properties. . . . well as POP Film, Rainmaker Digital Babe, and apparently the studio has Atlanta-based media conglomerate Pictures, 525 Post Production and more than doubled its fee for the Crawford Communications, which C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures. . . . . work. Bill Westenhofer is the pro- owns the animation studio Another effect-driven film scoring ject’s visual effects supervisor, and DESIGNefx, has launched big in the U.S box office is Fox’s the director of the film is George Crawford Digital, an imaging and Alien: Resurrection. The fourth editing facility which will offer film in the Alien series, computer animation services. . . Resurrection features the first fully . Software developer Positron computer-generated alien, creat- has released GenesisVFX, a plug- ed by Blue Sky | VIFX. This task in for creating atmospheric effects was particularly challenging with NewTek’s Lightwave3D. The because the alien is covered in a product, which was first offered in viscous which has a reflec- May 1997 as a plug-in for Kinetix tive surface. To make this look real- 3D StudioMax and Adobe istic, Blue Sky | VIFX animators and Photoshop, retails for about technicians had to apply detailed $420. lighting information from the live- action shoot to the computer-gen- Television erated scenes before composit- ing. Working mainly in Blue Sky’s Mickey Mouse Is Back! For the The alien in Alien: Resurrection was created New York facility, Erik Henry was entirely in CGI by Blue Sky|VIFX. © 1997 first time in 40 years, Mickey visual effects supervisor, Mitch Twentieth Century Fox. Mouse will be animated in new

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 61 cartoons by Disney. Walt Disney president Geraldine Laybourne Television Animation in Toronto is added that the network “further launching production of a new enables us [Disney] to target a series called Mouseworks, which niche audience.” The announce- will package new cartoons fea- ment of came at the turing Mickey, Donald Duck, kick-off day of the California Cable Daisy, and Pluto, into week- Association’s Western Show, ly, 22-minute episodes scheduled which took place last month in for release in January 1999. In the Anaheim, California. development of the show, Roy Disney (currently vice chairman of An Insektors Christmas. the board of the Walt Disney Fantôme, the Paris-based studio Company) has been working that produces the 3-D computer closely with Disney TV’s L.A.-based animated TV series, Insektors, cre- senior vice president Barry ated a special Christmas episode Blumberg and executive produc- Mouseworks. © Disney.All Rights Reserved titled Pas de Kadeau pour Noël. ers Roberts Gannaway and Tony The 26-minute special was com- Craig. As in the early Mickey Duck, Gummi Bears and New pleted in four months with a bud- Mouse “” cartoons, Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. get of 2.2 million francs. It was music is being established as the dri- Animated shorts from the early broadcast on the France 3 network ving force to provide reference for Disney days, which The Disney on December 25 at 4:25 p.m., a character motion and movements. Channel began airing on December premium television viewing time In fact, the animator’s term “Mickey 5, in a 5:00 a.m. program block slot. More information about Mousing” refers to the process of called “Vault Disney,” will also be Fantôme and The Insektors using music to accent on-screen shown. The remaining 25% of pro- Christmas Special can be found on actions of animated characters. “This gramming will be exclusive to Toon Animation World Network at is more than a return to our com- Disney. It has yet to be determined http://www.awn.com/fantome/en pany’s roots - it’s the restoration of a whether Mouseworks, Walt Disney glish/fr_noel.htm staple of cartoon entertainment,” Television Animation’s recently said Roy Disney, “We feel…there’s announced animated series starring no more appropriate time to make Mickey Mouse and friends, will air Presents…Nickelodeon? this announcement than on the on the new network, The Disney DreamWorks Television Animation [69th] anniversary of Mickey’s cre- Channel, or in syndication. has entered a non-exclusive, co-pro- ation.” Although ratings have proven duction deal with Nickelodeon to Disney’s animated features to be a develop several animated Disney Toons In New, All- big draw for audiences, Toon action/adventure series to air on the Animation Channel. Disney/ABC Disney programming plans do not Nickelodeon cable network. Networks announced plans to yet include any of Disney’s original Action/adventure is a departure launch a new 24-hour cable net- theatrical features or direct-to-video from Nickelodeon’s staple family-ori- work devoted exclusively to ani- films. In addition to sharing 75% of ented animated fare such as Rugrats mated programming. Toon Disney, it’s programming with its sister net- which appeals to younger children. as it is named, will be offered to work, Toon Disney will be run by DreamWorks founding partner cable operators which already carry the same staff as The Disney Steven Spielberg will executive pro- The Disney Channel, starting with Channel, which is overseen by duce the new series’, as he has on a launch date of April 18, 1998, Anne Sweeney (president) and Rich signature “Steven Spielberg which coincides with the 15th Ross (senior vice president of pro- Presents…” Warner Bros. shows anniversary of The Disney Channel. gramming and production). such as and Tiny Toons. Programming for Toon Disney will Sweeney said, “Toon Disney is the He said, “We are extremely pleased be culled from more than 2,200 next step towards expanding the to be in business with Nickelodeon. episodes of Disney’s existing ani- cable presence of the Disney They have always pushed the enve- mated TV series, such as Darkwing brand.” Disney/ABC Cable Networks lope…and I am really looking for-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 62 ward to working with them on series: Ed, Edd ‘n’ Eddy, created by special will air during the Super stretching the boundaries of the ani- Danny Antonucci (Lupo the Bowl half-time. So, while Beavis and mated action/adventure genre.” Butcher), and , Butt-head may be pronounced DreamWorks’ first animated series, created by Craig McCracken, which dead, it looks like they will not be Steven Spielberg Presents will be the fourth series to emerge forgotten. , is slated to debut on from the World Premiere Toons Fox Kids Network in January and series of shorts. Ed, Edd & Eddy tells Spawn Of Spawn. HBO is prepar- Kids WB! in March 1998. the story of three suburban kids fac- ing a second season of their adult ing the throes of puberty, and will animated series, Todd McFarlane’s Brothers Flub To Land On Nick. be produced by Antonucci and his Spawn. The first six episodes began New York-based production com- Vancouver, Canada-based compa- airing on the U.S. cable network in pany, Sunbow Entertainment has ny, a.k.a. Cartoon. The Powerpuff May 1997, as the debut original sold their original animated series, Girls will be produced by Hanna- series produced by HBO Animation. The Brothers Flub, to Nickelodeon Barbera, like the three other series The second series of six episodes for broadcast in the 1998-99 televi- developed out of the World will air in spring 1998, and addi- sion season. Sunbow will work with Premiere Toons pilot shorts: Dexter’s tional episodes are also in the works. German studio Ravensburger to co- Laboratory, Cow & Chicken and Missed the first season? Viewers had produce the 2-D animation for the . In addition to the a chance to catch all six episodes series’ 20 half hours. The Brothers two new series, Cartoon Network again, on HBO December 19 and Flub was created by David Burke has also selected eight existing series 26, or you can buy the video from and designed by Lazlo Nosek of from the library of sister company, HBO Home Video. Klasky Csupo. It tells the story of two Warner Bros.: Batman, Beetlejuice, quarrelsome siblings who travel the Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Home Video universe, delivering unusual cargo Fantastic Voyage of Sinbad, The All to different planets. Sunbow presi- New Gumby, , Super Batman Flying Onto Home dent C.J. Ketler said, “Nickelodeon Friends and . In addi- Video. Warner Bros. Home Video is the perfect destination to reach tion, Cartoon Network has acquired has announced plans to release the kids with this unique property several animated features from first Batman feature-length, direct- because of its commitment to char- Universal, including Balto, Fievel to-video animated movie on March acter-driven, innovative animation.” Goes West and the Land Before 17, 1998. The 70-minute film, titled Time package. Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero, will To Speak Italian. Italian be available for $19.96, and will be broadcaster RAI will air a block of Beavis & Butt-head Are Dead. promoted with extensive cross-pro- Nickelodeon programming, starting Huh-huh-heh-huh. The final episode motions. Warner Bros. hopes to next year, on its new children’s chan- of Beavis and Butt-head aired on catch the wave of consumer inter- nel, RAISAT2: Ragazzi, which is avail- MTV (U.S.) on November 28 and est in franchise, boost- able via cable and satellite. Seven 29. Titled Beavis and Butt-head are ed through home video re-releases Nickelodeon programs, new to Dead, the episode depicts class- of the live-action films, which have Italian audiences, will be dubbed in mates and teachers assuming the sold more than 35 million units so Italian and broadcast three hours characters are dead when they far. per day. The line-up includes the don’t show up at school. The pro- animated series Rugrats, Rocko’s gram was preceded by a special, Swords And Cleavage. On Modern Life and Hey Arnold! Beavis and Butt-head Do November 11, U.S. distributor Kitty Thanksgiving With Kurt Loder, on Media released Legend of Reyon: Cartoon Net Greenlights October 27. Though series creator The God of Darkness, an English- Antonucci & McCracken Series. Mike Judge is no longer working subtitled Japanese erotic Cartoon Network has announced with MTV on the production of new fantasy/action anime title described their latest lineup of new and episodes, the network will re-run as “a story of good and evil in scant- acquired programs for fall 1998. the library of Beavis and Butt-head ily clad outfits.” Running time is 45 Among the ten series being added episodes indefinitely. Also, in minutes and retail price is $29.95. to the slate are two new, original January, the fifth annual “Butt-Bowl”

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 63 Spade, the PeachStar Educational Services for spots feature distribution directly to schools animated psy- through the Satellite Network . . . . chedelic Burbank, California-based graphics “act- created a ing out” the 30-second public service announce- negative ment (PSA) for The Global Exchange affects of hero- and TEAM Coalition. The pen and in ...... ink animated spot, titled Brainless, London-based warns viewers of the dangers of Uli Meyer alcohol as the cause of accidents. Animation Darrel van Citters directed the spot (Colossal) Pictures’ Dilbert campaign for Office Depot. © Scott Adams. created a spot and Dean Wellins animated, as well Commercials for Johnson & as provided the whistling sound- Johnson Consumer Products’ Reach track of the drinking song “Ninety- Spotlight brand toothbrush, called Mr. Reach, Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall.”. Dilbert, the character depicting 2-D animation of “the evil . . . created by Scott Adams, has yet to Plaque Man” invading an animated be an animated series, but in a new character’s mouth . . . . Watertown, Licensing commercial campaign for retail Massachusetts-based Fablevision chain Office Depot, the shy, dis- Animation Studios is working on Get Your Nickelodeon Knick- gruntled office worker is claiming animation sequences for The Knacks Here! Retail Group more than his 30 seconds of TV Pleasant Company’s live-action series opened its first three Nickelodeon fame. The first two spots in the U.S. based on Magazine.. retail stores last month in $30 million campaign (Wyse . . . Atlanta, Georgia-based Minneapolis, Minnesota, Long Advertising, Cleveland) were creat- Mindflex Interactive & Island, New York and Schaumberg, ed by San Francisco-based Entertainment is creating anima- Illinois. Additional stores are planned (Colossal) Pictures and satellite tion sequences for “Salsa,” a live- for 1998. Viacom, Nickelodeon’s director Chuck Gammage. Four action puppet series produced by parent company, first entered the more spots are in production at the retail scene earlier this year with studio, and additional commercial the Chicago launch of the first projects featuring Dilbert are in Viacom store, similar to Warner development. (Colossal) Pictures Bros.’ and Disney’s studio stores. also created a series of six intersti- The Nickelodeon stores strength- tial animated shorts for the Disney en Viacom’s position in the lucra- Channel. Ranging between one tive merchandise marketplace, and two minutes, The Mix Ups and offer a niche-marketplace for depict the silly mishaps of a fum- Nickelodeon’s growing line of bling family, all in a colorful pastel 2- products, such as plush toys, fig- D style described as “neo-Fifties.” urines and clothing. Out of the The spots were all directed by more than 2,000 branded prod- George Evelyn and , ucts, 75 percent of the merchan- with animation done by Chuck dise carried will be available exclu- Gammage Animation in Ontario, sively in the Nickelodeon stores, Canada . . . New York-based post allowing the company to “exper- production company CHARLEX iment” with and test new con- created seven 15 and 10-second sumer products before offering commercials for the Partnership for national licenses. Complete with A Drug-Free America, for a cam- The “Talking Tommy Doll” is one of more tilted walls, purple ceilings and paign called “Happy Heroin Hints.” than 2,000 Nickelodeon products which will even a special bed with cubbies be featured in Nickelodeon stores. © for kids to hide their stuff in, the Set to narration by comedian David Nickelodeon

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 64 stores are developed with “a single lishing rights for at least the first five French and now available in goal in mind,” said Viacom Retail animated features from English. Prague-based animator Group president Tom Haas, “to cre- DreamWorks Pictures, as well as the Gene Deitch (Nudnik, Tom Terrific) ate an official Nickelodeon head- option to propose publishing pro- has self-published his memoirs in a quarters that serves as the only grams for other DreamWorks prop- book called For the Love of Prague. place kids can get the complete erties (television, direct-to-video, The Ink Tank founder R.O. Nickelodeon experience.” etc....). Penguin Putnam is already Blechman’s illustrated story The developing 12 formats of books for Juggler of Our Lady has been pub- Harvey’s Heavy Into Licensing. children and adults, based on The lished by Stewart Tabori & Chang. Since regaining the rights from Prince of Egypt, the studios’ first ani- FableVision Animation has pub- Universal in May, Harvey mated feature, slated for a fall ‘98 lished an illustrated children’s book Entertainment is pulling out all the release. Being that Prince of Egypt called The North Star. Most of these stops to license their proprietary is a Biblical tale, the publishing books can be found or ordered comic and cartoon characters such opportunities are wide open. All through your local bookstore, as Casper, Richie Rich, Wendy the titles will be released under the except Forbidden Animation (call Witch and Baby Huey, in all forms of newly-created DreamWorks 800-253-2187), The Animated Film media. In the past seven months, Publishing banner. Collector’s Guide (contact jlsyd- the company has secured 100 [email protected]), For The Love of licensees, for everything from soap Animated Reading. There are sev- Prague (contact genedeitch@trav- to sleepwear. One of the more col- eral new books which came out last eller.cz) and The North Star (visit lectible products in the works is a month that will be of interest to ani- http://www.fablevision.com/nstar/t CD box-set of music from the origi- mation fans. HarperPerennial’s The hestory/ded.html). Several of these nal cartoons, which is being pub- Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our books will be reviewed in upcom- lished by Edel America Records. In Favorite Family by ing issues of Animation World November, Harvey opened a U.S. and Ray Richmond (reviewed in the Magazine, so stay tuned! $10 million, 75,000 square-foot November issue of Animation World family entertainment center in Magazine) is reportedly selling out in Technology Jakarta, Indonesia. In 1998, Harvey bookstores. McFarland Publishers plans to appoint 20 new interna- has Karl Cohen’s Forbidden Get “Real” Animation On The tional licensing agents worldwide. Animation, a chronicle of censor- Web. RealNetworks (formerly “The Harvey Classic Characters are ship in cartoons. John Libbey & known as Progressive Networks) has ideally positioned today to benefit Company and Level 10 has issued teamed up with Macromedia to from merchandising opportunities its first publishing of David Kilmer’s develop a new software compo- created by heightened worldwide comprehensive resource, The nent which enables animators to interest in the ‘retro’ ‘50s, ‘60s and Animated Film Collector’s Guide: create animation with Macromedia ‘70s,” said Harvey chairman and Worldwide Sources For Cartoons Flash, synchronize it with a sound- CEO Jeffrey A. Montgomery of the On Video And Laserdisc. Tiger track in RealAudio, then broadcast company’s strategy. New animated Mountain Press has Rick it on the web with the streaming productions featuring Harvey char- Goldschmidt’s The Enchanted World technology of RealSystem 5.0. acters include two more direct-to- of Rankin/Bass, which profiles the Macromedia Flash, released in video titles slated for a fall 1998 creators of so many classic Christmas spring 1997, is the technology that release: Casper Meets Wendy and specials. Watson-Guptill Publications John Kricfalusi/Spumco is using to Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish. has Christopher Hart’s workbook- create original web cartoons. At that style how-to guide, How to Draw time, the product was a step for- Books Animation. HarperCollins has The ward for web animation software, Art of Anastasia by Harvey Deneroff, in that it created a way of displaying DreamWorks Getting Into an in-depth look at the making of animation on a web page without Books. DreamWorks Consumer the Fox animated feature. Hyperion excessively large file sizes or lengthy Products has signed a multi-year Publishing is distributing Pierre download times found with license agreement with Penguin Lambert’s Pinnochio, a richly-illus- Quicktime or Shockwave. Now, Putnam, Inc., which grants pub- trated volume initially published in with sync sound and instant play-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 65 back capabilities of RealFlash, ani- Jerry Hibbert, who is playing a key 17 television categories is specifi- mators will have an opportunity to role in the program’s development cally for animation, but categories easily use the Internet as a broad- as chairman of the Guild of British such as “Broadcast/Cable cast medium for animation, and “to Animation, says of the program, “It Entertainment Promotion,” create full-length content on the is controlled by industry for industry, “Commercial Series,” and web with the quality levels of con- and it is anticipated that the course “Humorous” are open to all televi- ventional media like television or will become [a] natural source for sion media. The entry deadline is film,” said RealNetworks media sys- U.K. animation talent.” For more January 16, 1998, and entry fees tems’ vice president, Philip Rosedale. information, contact the school at: range from U.S. $150 to $300 per Headbone Interactive is one of the entry. Call (818) 789-1182 for entry developers which is already “web- London Animation School forms and information. casting” original RealFlash content, Developments at Central in the form of an animated short, Martins New Kids Fest In Toronto. The Elroy. To launch the RealFlash and Southampton Row Toronto International Film Festival RealSystem products, Animation London, England, U.K. WC1B 4AP Group is launching Sprockets: World Network is working with Real Tel: 44 0171 514 7015, Fax: 44 Toronto International Film Festival Networks to sponsor The RealFlash 0171 514 7016 for Children, a new venue to show- Animation Festival, which is accept- case live-action and animated film ing entries until February 1. For Call for Entries fare for kids, in a festival setting, to entry forms, product information family audiences. Rather than the and a free 30-day trial, visit VRML Contest. The VRML (Virtual traditional competition format, http://www.real.com/festival Reality Modeling Language) Sprockets is being programmed by Consortium, a non-profit organiza- a curator/festival director, Jane Education tion, is sponsoring a VRML contest Schoettle, former director of the Milk in collaboration with 3-D Design and ZOOM! International Children’s New London School. At the Magazine. Designed to showcase Festivals. The 6-day event will take London Effects and Animation creative use of VRML to bring inter- place in Toronto during the third Festival (LEAF) in November, a new active 3-D graphics to the Web, the week of April (exact dates and loca- professional animation training pro- contest will be divided into 5 major tion TBD). Schoettle said that she is gram was launched by Central Saint categories: Best Business content, still looking for quality animated Martins College of Art and Design, Most Artistic content, Most films to include in the program, par- the Guild of British Animation and Innovative content, Best Architecture ticularly international films from out- FOCUS Central London, the train- and Best Visualization. The entry side of North America. Entries, ing and enterprise program. The deadline is January 16, 1998. 3D which can include shorts, TV 24-week, intensive course, known Design will provide judges for the episodes or features which have not as The London Animation School, contest and winners will be been broadcast or theatrically is based on a foundation of one-on- announced at the VRML ‘98 con- released in Canada before April 18, one mentoring which will include ference in Monterey, CA (February are being accepted until January 9. weekly, individual sessions in which 16-19, 1998). Prizes include soft- VHS videocassettes should be sent each student will meet with a rep- ware and hardware donated by to: resentative from a local animation VRML Consortium member compa- Sprockets c/o Cinematheque company. Individuals may choose nies. For entry forms and rules, and Ontario from three paths of study: traditional to download free VRML authoring 2 Carlton Street, Toronto, ON drawn animation, computer ani- tools, visit Canada M5B 1J3 mation using Softimage, or com- http://www.vrml.org Email, for further information: puter animation using [email protected] Alias/Wavefront. The first session will International Broadcasting run from January through July Awards. The Hollywood Radio and Singapore Animation Fiesta. The 1998. Successful completion of the Television Society is soliciting entries second annual Animation Fiesta, course will give graduates a BTEC for its 38th Annual International organized by Temasek Polytechnic, Professional Development Award. Broadcasting Awards. One out of will take place during the Singapore

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 66 Festival for the Arts, June 19-21, Information Science at dnm@cen- 1998. This small festival welcomes tral.cis.upenn.edu submissions of animation, video and multimedia works, but is not a com- Events petitive event. The entry deadline for all submissions is December 31, Hubley Happenings at NYC 1997. For information, contact MOMA. The Museum of Modern [email protected] Art in New York is presenting a two-part exhibition on the work For more information on festival of The Hubley Studio and anima- organizers Temasek Polytechnic and tors Faith and John Hubley, start- animation in Singapore, see Gigi ing on December 19, 1997 and

Hu’s article, “Animation in running through February 1, Emily Hubley’s film One Self: Fish Girl pre- Singapore,” in the February 1998 1998. The retrospective will open miered at the MOMA retrospective in issue of Animation World Magazine. with a screening of a collection of December. © Emily Hubley. http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1. many of the Hubley films, including program market for the Asia Pacific 11/articles/hu1.11.html world premieres of two new inde- region, was held December 4-6 in pendent films: Faith Hubley’s Hong Kong. Among the animated Computer Animation Beyond the Shadow Place and deals which took place: Korea Conference. The Computer Emily Hubley’s One Self: Fish Girl. Broadcasting purchased a block of Graphics Society (CGS) and the IEEE Most of the artwork in the two exhi- animation from the Polish Telewija Computer Society in Philadelphia, bitions is curated from a major gift Polska and Italy’s Mondo TV and Pennsylvania has put out a call for of original artwork donated to the Egypt’s Areen formed an alliance to papers and films to be presented at Museum by Faith Hubley. The first distribute animation to Arab territo- the 11th annual Conference on exhibit will be “The Hubley Studio: ries. MIP Asia is presented by Reed Computer Animation at the Center A Home for Animation,” showcas- Midem, organizers of the European for Human Modeling and ing original animation art from pro- MIPCOM, MIP and MILIA markets. Simulation (HMS) at the University ductions created at the studio since After four years in Hong Kong, next of Pennsylvania, June 8-10, 1998. 1956, and the second, “The Art of year’s MIP Asia will take place in Academic papers on the following the Hubleys,” includes artwork from Suntec City, Singapore, December topics of research are being sought: more than 50 independent films 10-12. motion control; animation for sci- created by Faith, John and Emily entific visualization; keyframe tech- Hubley, including their seven Macy’s Parade An Animated niques; animation in engineering; Academy Award nominated films, Affair. The 71st annual Macy’s motion capture; motion blur and three of which won Oscars Thanksgiving Day Parade took place temporal antialiasing; robotics and (, 1960, The Hole, 1963 on Thursday, November 27. The animation; physics and animation; and Tijuana Brass Double Feature televised event drove, marched, and virtual humans and avatars; behav- 1966). “The exhibition will highlight flew animated characters in many ioral animation; virtual collaborative the Hubleys importance as artists of forms through the streets of New environments (VCE); real-time sim- a unique and vibrant form of ani- York. Among the appearances were ulation; virtual reality; medical appli- mation,” said MOMA’s assistant cura- giant helium balloon air sculptures cations; sound and speech syn- tor Mary Corliss, “their sophisticat- of characters from animated series, chronization; and physics-based ani- ed and enchanting fables, visual- films and comics such as Arthur, mation. The submission deadline for ized in a vivid, impressionistic style, Rugrats, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Who unpublished papers (up to 20 liberated the [art] form from the pre- Stole Christmas, Bumpé, , pages) is February 3, 1998, and vailing mode of representational The Pink Panther, Sonic the authors will be notified by March drawing and rowdy humor.” For Hedgehog, Spider-Man, and The 15. For detailed submission and information and tickets, call The Quik Bunny, as well as floats from conference information, contact the MOMA at (212) 708-9400. Anastasia and Annabelle’s Wish. University of Pennsylvania’s However panic struck the crowd Department of Computer and MIP Asia, the television industry when the Cat in the Hat balloon

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 67 mony. In the Television (U.K.), Christina Pishirus Animated of Televisual Magazine (U.K.), Ian Programming Rosenbloom of BBC Open Special or Series cat- University (U.K.), and Dave Throssel egory, the winner of The Mill (U.K.) acknowledged the is Comedy Central’s following films as “the best in com- South Park. In the puter generated animation and Children’s Special or visual effects from around the Series - 8 and world.” Younger category, the winner is HBO’s • Feature Film: Industrial Light and Mother Goose: A Magic (U.S.) for Men in Black. Rappin’ and Wild Brain’s award-winning commercial, Up…Down…Up. © Wild Brain. Rhymin’ Special. In • Commercial: Industrial Light and became entangled with a lamp the previously Magic (U.S.) for Canada Dry post, uprooting it. Several members announced Craft and International Domino. of the crowd were injured and Categories, Rugrats writers Jon required hospital attention. Cooksey, Ali Marie Matheson, J. • Education and Training: BBC David Stern, Mark Palmer and David Horizon (U.K.) for Walking With Awards N. Weiss were awarded for Writing Dinosaurs. in a Children’s Special or Series. Animators Behind Glass. The • Short Film: Ronin Animation Museum of the Moving Image in London Advertising Awards. The (U.S.) for Ahoy, The Movie. London recently selected winners London International Advertising for its 1997/98 Channel 4/MOMI Awards (LIAA) took place recently in • Music Video: SVC Television and Animation Scheme, a program London. The global competition The Framestore (U.K.) for Alisha’s which yearly places four young ani- awarded commercials in 143 cate- Attic: Indestructible. mators in a residency at the muse- gories, including three for anima- um. Sandra Ensby, Lizzie Oxby and tion: • Titles, Idents & Stings: Garner Sam Morrison, graduates of the MacLennan Design () Royal College of Art, and David • Animation-Cel: Wild Brain (U.S.) for Arena. Evans, a Newport graduate, will for Mainstay Mutual Funds’ spend the next three months, and Up…Down…Up. • Simulation: Ex Machina (France) £4400 in grants, working individu- for Mad Racers. ally with a producer and script advi- • Animation-Computer: Pytka sor to each develop a short ani- (U.S.) for HBO’s Chimps. • Student Work: Julien Villanueva mated film. As a “live exhibit,” the and Yann Blondel for Ziride. animators work in a glass-walled • Animation-Stop Frame: Will studio within the museum. Of the Vinton Studios (U.S.) for Nissan’s The 1998 LEAF will take place next 18 films so far completed through Toys. November 17-19. For information this program, ten have already been and entry forms, contact Digital broadcast on Channel 4, including LEAF Winners. The London Effects Media International in London at Death and The Mother by Ruth and Animation Festival (LEAF), Tel: (44) 181 995 3632 or Fax: (44) Lingford, The Mill by Petra Freeman which took place in November as 181995 3633 and The Broken Jaw by Chris part of Digital Media World in Shepherd. London, presented awards in eight categories. The jury, comprised of CableACE Winners. The 19th Bill Boffin of The University of Wendy Jackson is Associate Editor Annual National CableACE Award Bradford (U.K.), Jerry Hibbert of of Animation World Magazine. winners were announced in Hibbert Ralph Animation (U.K.), Phil November, in a non-televised cere- Hurrell and Terry Hytlon of SVC

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 68 On A Desert Island With.....Producers’ Picks his month, we asked some respected animation producers what ten animated films they would want to have with them on a desert island. Iain Harvey is a producer with The Illuminated Film Company. He is Tcurrently working on an animated adaptation of A Christmas Carol, and his most recent productions are the animated short film, T.R.A.N.S.I.T and the animated series The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Stories by Eric Carle. Carol Greenwald is director of development for Children’s Programming at WGBH in Boston, and exec- utive producer on the animated series Arthur, which is in its third season of production. Claude Huhardeaux is chairman & CEO of 2001 in Paris, whose current projects include two feature films and three animated series: Funny Monsters, Ludo Kid and Tranches de foot. Most recently, he produced Marie Paccou’s short film, Un Jour. Among the favorites of our three participants, The Simpsons, Pinnochio and Nick Park’s Wallace & Gromit films all tallied in with multiple selections. Iain Harvey’s Top Ten:

1. The Sinking Of The Lusitania by Winsor McCay. “An early and still one of the best demonstrations of the dramatic - and propa- ganda - possibilities of animation.” 2. Fritz The Cat by . “ For its sheer exuberance.” 3. (Disney). “Selected ahead of Fantasia if only because of its superb dramat- ic structure. In any case probably Disney’s best.” 4. Damon The Mower by . “For poetry in animation.” 5. Granpa by Dianne Jackson. “For the imag- inative possibilities of animation.” A Christmas Carol, a project currently being produced by Iain Harvey, with a 6. The Hill Farm by Mark Baker. “The Village is script written by Robert Llewellyn, art direction by Jill Brooks and music more technically perfect, but somehow this composed by Trevor Jones. © The Illuminated Film Company/Igelfilm 1998. film displays the freshness of a new talent discovering his art.” 7. Duck Amuck by . “For the joy of the possibilities of animation.” 8. by Nick Park. “...or or . How do you choose from Nick Park’s wonderful films?” 9. The Nightmare Before Christmas by Henry Selick (Disney). “For its sheer technical brilliance.” 10. Jungle Book (Disney). “For its wonderful musical track and even then I discover I have left out Toy Story and so many other favorites!”

Carol Greenwald’s Selections:

1. The Snowman (TVC Studios). 2. Wind in the Willows. “The Cosgrove Hall version, and any of their other wonderful model animation folk and fairy tales, like The Pied Piper.” 3. Any and all of Nick Park’s Wallace & Gromit films.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 69 4. Horton Hears A Who and Horton Hatches An Egg by Chuck Jones. 5. John Matthew’s adaptations of Arnold Lobel’s books, the Frog & Toad series and Uncle Elephant, with his version of Stanley & the Dinosaur a close runner-up. 6. The Simpsons (Film Roman). 7. Babar & Father Christmas directed by Gerry Capelle for Atkinson Film Arts/Crawleys. 8. The first Madeline episode by Robert Cannon (DIC Entertainment). 9. Toy Story (Pixar/Disney). 10. Pinocchio (Disney). “I can’t go through a whole list without at least one Disney movie!”

Carol Greenwald. Photo by and © Millicent Harvey.

Claude Huhardeaux’s Favorites:

1. Ren & Stimpy by John Kricfalusi. 2. Duckman (Klasky Csupo). 3. The Simpsons (Film Roman). 4. The Wallace & Gromit films by Nick Park (Aardman). 5. Les Shadoks by Jacques Rouxel. 6. La linea by Osvaldo Cavandoli. 7. Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote films by Chuck Jones. 8. Le tombeau des lucioles by . 9. Nausicaa by . 10. Ghost in the Shell by .

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

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 70 The Dirty Birdy

By John Dilworth

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 71 Motion Capture & Stop Motion February 1998

Our February issue will look at both the oldest and the newest forms of 3-D animation: the art of stop-motion and the technology of real-time motion capture. Heikki Jokinen is jour- neying to Estonia to capture the 40th anniversary of the studio Nukufilm. Karen Raugust will reveal the minds behind ’s licensing and marketing success while Barry Purves will give us his opinion on the state of the stop-motion industry. Also, have you ever watched a stop motion film and thought, “What did they use to do that?” Next month we will tell you some of our favorites from the big names of stop-motion. Medialab is going to lead us step by step through the high-tech world of motion capture. Plus, some thoughts on the theoretical issues raised by motion capture will be discussed by Gregory Peter Panos, founding co-director of the Performance Animation Society. As an added bonus, two pio- neers from both fields will sit down to a dinner conversation. This month’s Student Corner is an article for which we know people have been wait- ing. Tom Brierton will discuss how to make armatures and where to get the necessary sup- plies. NATPE will also be reviewed as will Karl Cohen’s new book Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators. This issue will also include a very special fea- ture. Revered Disney greats, and Ollie Johnston will discuss Pierre Lambert’s book Pinocchio. Max Sims will also introduce Maya, Alias/Wavefront’s anticipated new 3-D software. Animation World Magazine 1998 Calendar

Motion Capture and Stop Motion (February)

The Art of Pre-Production (March)

Animation in Unexpected Places (April)

Visual Effects And Experimental Animation (May)

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1998 72