CINEMA CAN • A D A

At home with Richard Condie AN INTERVIEW BY GREG KL YMKIW

t's a Sunday afternoon . It's very hot , and I could be sitting in an air-conditioned movie Cinema : 50 YOII didn 'l gel involl'ed wilh theatre watching Hulk Hogan's silver screen debut in No Holds Barred. Instead, I'm Ihose Fille Arls people Ihallllllch 1 supposed to trot over to Richard Condie's house. I think I'm probably going to have a better time with Richard. "NORI NG. NO REF. NORULES , " proclaims the Hulk Richard Condie: No, it was a different kind of education, a different kind of art. Although I Hogan ad copy . I'm not swayed. Condieis aWinnipeg-based animator whose work has wis h I had. dIelighted audiences (inclu ding myself) all over the world. His last fi lm , , was nominated foran Academy Award and copped aGenie Award for Best Animated film. I'd be Cinema Canada : Why did YOII , IIh , lUere YOII .. afool to blow my deadline for 90 minutes of Hulk Hogan kicking ass. So I drive over to Richard Condie: No.

Richard's house. Cinema Canada: No1 Richard cracks open some Perrier and we go up to his study to pass the time of day . I'm Richard Condie: No. sure he has better things to do. Unfortunately, Idon't, so I'm thankful for this brief vacation from th eemptiness of my existence. Cinema Canada: No, Okny . Why , IIh.. And so it goes , as Kurt Vonnegut would say. Richard Condie: No.

lilt .. Cinema Canada : Where wereYOII bam 1 Cinema Canada : Why , Richard Condie : . Richard Condie: Where's my Perrier water) Cinema Canada: How 10llg houe YO II bem ill Cinema Canada: Opel' tilere . Why'dYO lisoy YOII 1 wishedI herelU ns somelhillg likeaFirle Arls prog rnm 1 Richard Condie: I don't know. You mean the Richard Condie: There was. total amount of time 7 Cinema Canada: Oh, tltere was. Bllt YOII did ll 'l Cinema Canada : Ym h. bo ther witlt it 1 Richard Condie: I don't know. I guess I lived in Richard Condie: No, and I ca n't remember wh \" Vancouver for a to tal of six or seven years. I' ve although.. . I don't know, I don't remember. '1. been in Winni peg most of the time. uh, no. I don' t remember. I'MIN NOCENT. Cinema Canada: Whell YOII werea kid, didYOII mr Cinema Canada: Where did 11011 do 1II0si of YO llr figllre 1101t'd be Oil all ililato r 1 school 1 In Wi nllipeg 1 Richard Condie: Yeah . Richard Condie: No . Cinema Canada : Did YO II wa lch cnrtoolls 1 Cinema Canada : Whal high schaal did YOII go 10 1 Richard Condie: The one just do wn th e stree t. Richard Condie: I ima gine I did, yeah. I don't Kel vin High. remember watching them constantl y, but I did draw ca rtoons constantl \'. Cinema Canada: Did YOII go 10 Ihe Unil'milll of Ma /li loba 1 . . Cinema Canada: \~qlill5t1rt of slllff did 1{01l draw) Richard Condie: Yeah . Richard Co ndie: Same stuff. Hasn't changed. ha ven't improved . Cinema Canada : Whal did YO II sllldlllhere 1 Cinema Canada: How old ilre 11011 1 Richard Condie : Every thi ng. Richard Condie: No, I'm not. . Cinema Canada: El'erylhing) Cinema Canada: YOII 're 1101 gOlllla tellille 1 Richard Condie : Yea h. We ll , back then \'ou could take anythmg. It was a di fferent 51's tem. Richard Condie: Yeah, I'm gonna tell I·OU. I' m -1 6. . You didn't have to specialize. 50 I took' everything. You kno\\', from atomic ph\'sics to Cinema Canada : Old 11011 ii'lllclt il ll1ll1lLll'ies whell English . You knoll', it was just a general Liberal 1{01i Wei'< il kid 1 \ 107 Ii1IIl;ol' ies did YOII'llke) Arts. Ri chard Condie: I must hal'e watched mOl'ies .

Cinema Canada : 00 11 011 relllelllber allY1 Greg Kh/lllkiil' is Cinema Canada 's Prnirie Pliise Richard Condie: The \Vi:ilrd oro:. I still like coilllllilist . that. .

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Cinema Canada: How many times have you seen ill Cinema Canada: Yeah. Cinema Canada: Would you recommend itto Cinema Canada: How long have you been smoking anyone) Richard Condie: Eight or nine times. Richard Condie: Verbatim? cigarettes) Richard Condie: No. Go to air conditioning and Cinema Canada: Ami movies back then , other Ihan Cinema Canada: Every word of it. lileludillg my Richard Condie: Since age two, and I hope to The Wizard Of Oz, tilat sort of made your life I own Slupidities. refrigera tion school, stay away from university. continue for another 80 years. I even smoke in No, of course I'd recommend it to anyone who my sleep. Richard Condie : What age are we talking about? Richard Condie: Oh great. wants to go. Cinema Canada: How many packs aday? Cinema Canada : Anywhere between six to 12. Cinema Canada: Now , whellyollwerea kid .. I'm Cinema Canada: What was the first time anyone cu t Richard Condie : Just one pack. Richard Condie: I can't remember any. There sornl about ailihis kid slllff, bul I'm Irying .. you acheque for doing something creatively. Cinema Canada: Whal's your brand) must have been some Disney things I liked. I Richard Condie: I'm being a kid constantly, Richard Condie: I did some Sesame Street stuff. I could make some up. anyway. So, take me back. also did a K-TEL commercial, but nobody really Richard Condie: Matinee Extra Mild. Cinema Canada: Nair. wants to admit to that. Cinema Canada: What did you like to do I Cinema Canada : You couldn't lwve always smoked Cinema Canada : Richard Condie : The Magnificent Fence. Richard Condie: Nothing abnormal. Why) Matinee Extra Mild I Cinema Canada: Which film I Cinema Canada: What were Ihe normal things ? Richard Condie: It was awful. Richard Condie: No, at age three, I changed Cinema Canada: brands. Richard Condie : No, I made that up. Richard Condie : No thing seems that much Really) Cinema Canada: Do you like American cigarettes) Cinema Canada: What were YOllr fal'Orite TV different. I now have the knowledge of an adult, Richard Condie: Yeah. or some of it. shows) Cinema Canada : Was it ftill to do) Richard Condie : No. Richard Condie : When) Cinema Canada: But you were drawing pictures Cinema Canada: Don't you like the smell) and Sluff like that? Richard Condie: No. Cinema Canada : When YOClwere watching the Cinema Canada: Really) Richard Condie: No, not really. movies YOIl don't remember watchil1g. Richard Condie: And just generally acting like a kid. Richard Condie: Weil, one was kind of Cinema Canada: How about Camels, unfiltered) Richard Condie: I'd like to say serv, but that interesting. It was with the serrated knife, Richard Condie: Any cigarette is good when wasn't on then. Cinema Canada: Did YOII ever ... where some guy was demonstrating how sharp you don't ha ve any. I've got five-year-old Cinema Canada: Did yOCi ever watch Forest Richard Condie: ... throw bricks through the knife was. He was cutting all kinds of things, Chinese cigarettes which I smoke occasionally. Rangers? windows? No, I didn't do that. Now I do, but induding a shoe, and while he was cutting the not then ... why only yesterday ... shoe, he almost cut his thumb off. I got Cinema Canada: Do you smoke when you work? Richard Condie: No. Never heard of it. Cinema Canada: Do you ever remember sitting in c10eseups of that. Richard Condie : Actuaily, I smoke when I fret. Cinema Canada: That was agreat series. It had school while the teacher lectured about the square root Cinema Canada: Was there a lot of blood? If I'm drawing, I'll have a few cigarettes before Gordon Pinsent prancing arollnd ill an ReMP of something and you were reprimanded for doodling and after, but when I'm reail), getting into it, I ClllIform. away) Richard Condie: In the closeup, yeah . He was don't. Sometimes I'll light one up and 1I00kover then sup posed to cut a piece of meat in 'Y­ and there's just this long ash sitting there . When Richard Condie : No, I don't re member it. Richard Condie : Sometimes. I hated school. amount of second s, so we continued with the you're drawing, your concentration is fixed and Cinema Canada: II was ngreat Canadian TV series. Cinema Canada : Did you hate ulliversity) commercial while the guy wore this flesh-colored there isn't anything else. You just get into that thing over the wound. Then we were all space and you don't care wha t cigarettes you put Richard Condie : I have no knowledge of Forest Richard Condie: I wasn't wild about it. immediately rushed to the hospital. into your mouth. Rangers. Frames from Richard Condie's film The Snit. Cinema Canada : Leave It To Beaver? Richard Condfe:Oh sure, I saw that. .. Wally... the Beaver. I don't remember anything. Cinema Canada : Thai 's too bad. Richard Condie: I don't know. Cinema Canada: I'm trying to delve into YOCirdeep, dark past. To create a pictllre for ollr readers. Richard Condie: It won't be very interesting. Cinema Canada: I could make something Clp. Richard Condie: Sure. I'm just trying to think of something interesting. Cinema Canada: We/!, ul1, howaboClt .. Richard Condie: I was raised by squirrels. They found me floating down the Assiniboine River in a basket. Then I went to university right after that. Cinema Canada: That's illcredible. Richard Condie: Are you recording this?

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Cinema Canada: Do you have any other vices or Richard Condie: Not really , Although, I really Cinema Canada: Would it be possible to transfer Richard Condie: Oh, I don't know, I've been happy habits 1 like the stuff I did on that lMAX film, Heartland, what YOIl do in animation to al ive-action format) doing it for years, Anything that can be created, Richard Condie: I drink six or seven Cokes a Cinema Canada : You used awhole bunchof Richard Condie: Yeah , There isn't any essential Cinema Canada: Do you ever use these noises you day, multi-images and split screen for tha t, but YOIl olily difference, It's all sound and picture, If I were create in any of your films? filled the screetl once) Why) doing a live-action, I'd still storyboard it. Cinema Canada: Diet Coke ? Richard Condie: Once in a while, I used some of Richard Condie: It was like playing the movie Cinema Canada: Have you seen any films recently) the noises I created on Richard Condie : Oh no, I need that sugar and Getting Started, screen like a piano, caffeine for my fuel. Richard Condie : Yeah, I just saw Field Of Cinema Canada : How long have you been working Cinema Canada: Do you ever imagine you'll make Dreams, That was really superb, a really Cinema Canada: Ha ve you tried "Jolt Cola " ? on your latest film, The Apprentice? an [MAX film where YOIl do fill lip the screen with transcendent film, Richard Condie: I don't know, Richard Condie: That's too much, I like the taste single images for the whole film? Cinema Canada : What else have you liked recently ) of Coca-Cola, Cinema Canada : it Richard Condie: Oh yeah, What' s about ) Richard Condie: Nothing, I don't have time to Cinema Canada: Coke Classic ? Richard Condie: I don't know, Cinema Canada: Are you going to be working on an see movies, Richard Condie : Oh yeah, that new Coke is [MAX film soon? Cinema Canada: [just need a little high-concept Cinema Canada: You don't have time to see mvoies) awful, I knew they'd take it off the shelves after here, Richard Condie : Possibly, What do you do ? six months, and I think they took it off after five , Richard Condie: Well, it involves two fools, and Cinema Canada: Was it fim to do the [MAX ? Richard Condie: What do I do ? Other than Cinema Canada: How about R, C. Cola ? one is an apprentice to another one, Richard Condie: The sound mix was really fun, work? Richard Condie: No, I have brand-name Cinema Canada: Because it takes so IDllg to grind We had six channels and 30 tracks, It took us Cinema Canada : loyalties, Yeah, four hours to mix the first 14 seconds, It was out an an imated film, do you filld you have a whole Richard Condie : Well, I like to stick as many Cinema Canada: What other brand names are you really hard, but really exciting, mess of films you want to make, but don 't have the loyal to? pencils in my mouth as I possibly can, without time? Cinema Canada: I guess it's really fim making swallowing, Istick the pencils in my mouth and Richard Condie: Oh yeah, no sooner have I Richard Condie: Peanut butter. cartoons? I hum the Korean National Anthem, Other than handed in a proposal before I just want to scrap that, I like to play music. Cinema Canada: Skippy? Richard Condie: Parts olit are, There are parts I it to get on to the next one, like and parts I hate, Some of the day to day Cinema Canada: Oh yeah, you own asynthesize r, Richard Condie: No, what kind is it? diudgery is a real pain, though, Cinema Canada: Would you flIer want to make a Richard Condie: Well, it's actually a keyboard featu re-lengtha nimated film) Cinema Canada: The stuff with those two stupid Cinema Canada: Do you ever want to do a sampler, It's everything, It's the most important bears? ' Richard Condie: It's hard enough to do 10 live-action film? invention since the wheel. Richard Condie : Squirrel peanut butter, minutes, But, sure, Why not? You never know, Richard Condie: Yeah, maybe, Cinema Canada: Why is that? Cinema Canada: Cinema Canada : What was your first contact with What are your famrite Disney Cinema Canada: What stops you? Richard Condie: I don't know , feat ures ? the National Film Board1 Richard Condie: The realization that I've never Cinema Canada: Earlier today you showed me this Richard Condie : and Richard Condie: The mid-seventies, Alice In WDllderlmld done it. Maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't. I've noise YO Il created on that thing which sOllnds like Pinnochio, Cinema Canada : Of all thefil ms you've made, do got a few more things to learn about it. Jimmy Stewart, What other noises have YOIl created Cinema Canada : Pinnochio makes sense, but what you have any personal favorites) on the keyboard sam pler? about Alice In Wonderland? For me it doesn't hal'f as much magic. It's kind o/dry for my liki/lg, whereas Pinnochio is incredibly terrin}ing mid mOlling, It seems more of a rllsh, Richard Condie: Actua lly, I think they' re all wonderful. I don't know why I picked those ,.-r----- two, Cinema Canada : I glless whenYO II 're making films, YOII 're always creating other worlds ,

,"" Richard Condie : Not necessarily, especially if you pattern your films after this world, Cinema Canada : Are YOllr filmspl1 ttemed after th is world) Richard Condie: Some of them , Especially Getting Started, And The Big Snit. If you look at those films, you realize thev' re no t another planet. It's this world , '

Cinema Canada: vWmt do 1/0 11 tll in k nbollt Spielberg i ' Richard Condie : I don't think about him, Cinema Canada : \V/mf1 WonlMt YOIl agree that he's the closest modem eqllil'nlent to Disney,

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Richard Condie: I guess so, E, T. has heart, but make the film and I usually don't want to Richard Condie: Yeah, those Rtliders films have more action in them, because the themes that initially amused me are Cinema Canada: Wily 1 They don 't really touch the heart , FILMOGRAPHY in the past and I want to move on to something Cinema Canada: Although ill Indiana Jones And else, But I can 't, I have.to make the movie, If it Richard Condie: Thunderstorms are beautiful. The Temple Of Doom, someolle gets their heart was possible to make one film aday , I would like The more violent the better. OhSure 1975 that a whole lot better. ripped alit , Cinema Canada: What find of music doYOlllike 1 John Law and the Missis$ippi Bubble 1978 Cinema Canada: Wiwt find of car do you drive) Richard Condie : Yeah, I know and I found that Richard Condie: It depends on the mood I'm in, extremely touching, Getting Started . Richard Condie: A Honda, I like Ravel. I like country and western, (Awards from Zagreb, Tamp!?re, Whatever I'm in the mood for, Cinema Canada: YOllr films Iwve been See/I all over Cracow ..B ljou Award - Cdn, Short Cinema Canada: What year 1 thelVorld alld ha1'ewo l1 tons of awards, Does allY of FUm and Televisi1}n) 1979 Richard Condie: 1985, Cinema Canada: What mllsic do you play when that fa ceyOIl at alii you're working? Pig Bird 1981 Cinema Canada: Have you ever driven a big boat 1 Richard Condie: It doesn't have any effect, It's a (Award at Zagreb) Richard Condie: J don't always play music. I momentary recognition of something that Thdig Bnit 1986 Richard Condie: You mean a car? record thunderstorms, I have to have some sort happened in the past. It's appreciated, but it of sepulchral atmosphere , doesn't have any effect on the present. (19lntema~onal Awards including; Cinema Canada: Yeah , a big gasguzzler, Genie A~ardt Academy Award Cinema Canada: Who were some of the people at the Cinema Canada : The Big Snit was nom ilia ted for Nomination ) Richard Condie: I' ve ne ver owned one, but I' ve certainly driven one, NFB who encouraged YOII ? !Ill Academy Award, That mllst iIm'e been 1 filii Heartland (Animated sequences) 1988 Cinema Canada: You like smaller cars? Richard Condie : Michael Scott was quite Richard Condie: Yeah, it was fun, The only '!'he Apprentire{ womng tilI~/in. progress) encouraging, Some of the old philosopher strange thing was when they were driving me to Richard Condie: I guess so, yeah, kings like Colin Low, and more recently Roman the awards in alimo a[ld there was this TV in the Cinema Canada: You've dOlle alot of travelling, Kroitor. I've had some really good influences limo, And on the TV, there were these people Cinema Canada: Who are your favorite Calladian and good teachers, Ches Yetman has also been Where are your favorite places 1 getting out of their limos 20 minutes ahead of animators? Living or dead, very encouraging, me, That was really strange, It's like everybody Richard Condie: There's just so many, a whole Richard Condie: It all depends on what mood says, I'm in, It has more to do with my mind than the Cinema Canada: I gather it's agreat working bunch of them, I don't really want to single one atmosphere at the NFB 1 Cinema Canada: Ha ve any of your films been person out. They're all wonderful, actual location, I like Vancouver a lot. self-financed 1 Cinema Canada : Do YOII actually like the pace of Richard Condie: I work at horne mostly, You Cinema Canada : l"/ho do you make your films fori can't smoke at the NFB anymore, Richard Condie: No, I have no money, And I How aware are you of Ihe potential response of afilture Vancouver? have no idea howto raise money, so if everyone audience 1 Richard Condie: Oh yeah, Cinema Canada: Really 1 Haw does anYOlle get any would just send me a thousand dollars ", work done there) Richard Condie : I suppose at the early stages, Cinema Canada: Do you like Winnipeg? Cinema Canada: So you 'dnever like to get into that when I'm thinking about the story, I am the Richard Condie: I don't know, I dread the Richard Condie: Yeah, I love the prairie, end of prodllcing afilm 1 audience, I get a lot of enjoyment out of thought of not being able to smoke when I work, especially thunderstorms, I chase thun­ developing the story, But then Iactually have to Cinema Canada : Aside from the K-TEL Richard Condie: No, I wouldn't know the first make the film, and by that point, I'm making it derstorms, thing about it. I would never have the courage to commercials, have you euer done any others? for the audience, not for me, I actually ha ve to Cinema Canada: III YOllr car ? knock on someone's door and ask them for Richard Condie: I did one for the money, Motor League, That was a pretty good one, Cinema Canada: Whell you work throllgh theN FB , Cinema Canada : You dOIl't really /ikedoillg they're the prodllcer , Ha ue you euer worked with a commercials 1 producer outsideof the NFB 1 Richard Condie : I'd do one for a million dollars, Richard Condie: Yeah, Roman Kroitor. He Seriously, though, I'mnot good at them, I'mno\ produced the \MAXfilm, Heartlalld, good at someone saying, " Here, do this, " Cinema Canada: ("/hell vou're /IIaking afilm Cinema Canada : Wily dOll 't you go10 the people at throllgh the NFB , obviollsly there's ablldget. Are YOII Coke to do acommercial? awareof the ills-mid-ollts of that 1 Richard Condie: I certainly like Coke, Richard Condie: I know what I have to stay wi thin , Cinema Canada: Do you iwve allY retreat from YOllr /r ome, as limmer cottage or something like fhat 1, Cinema Canada : SoYOI! keep lrack of tlmt 1 Richard Condie: No, but there are a lot of ways Richard Condie: No, to retreat. I like to go out into the prairies and Cinema Canada : IVillnipeg is 50 tilly, yet listen to the quiet. per-Cfll'ita, there seellls 10 be aile hell of a lot of grea t Cinema Canada: If you werell't clJIimatillg films , allililators ill this tOWII, For that !/latter, there seems what would YOII be doillg 1 to /lea III/geamolilit of fil lil makillg, period, Giz'fII the size of Willnipeg , dOlr't YOli find thai odd) Richard Condie: J can't speculate on what I lVould do, I don't have any skills, I don't even Richard Condie : Maybe, but the NF BPr airie have any animation skills, So I don't knolV what Office has really done a lo t to encourage J'd do, J'd like to have a job mo ving OXO cubes fil mmakers in Win nipeg, from one part of the room to another. •

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