September 1997 Vol. 2 No.6 HereHere ComesComes TelevisionTelevision FallFall TVTV PrPrevieweview France’France’ss ExpandingExpanding ChannelsChannels SIGGRAPHSIGGRAPH ReviewReview KorKorea’ea’ss BoomBoom DinnerDinner withwith MTV’MTV’ss AbbyAbby TTerkuhleerkuhle andand CTW’CTW’ss ArleneArlene SherShermanman Table of Contents September 1997 Vol. 2, . No. 6 4 Editor’s Notebook Aah, television, our old friend. What madness the power of a child with a remote control instills in us... 6 Letters: [email protected] TELEVISION 8 A Conversation With:Arlene Sherman and Abby Terkuhle Mo Willems hosts a conversation over dinner with CTW’s Arlene Sherman and MTV’s Abby Terkuhle. What does this unlikely duo have in common? More than you would think! 15 CTW and MTV: Shorts of Influence The impact that CTW and MTV has had on one another, the industry and beyond is the subject of Chris Robinson’s in-depth investigation. 21 Tooning in the Fall Season A new splash of fresh programming is soon to hit the airwaves. In this pivotal year of FCC rulings and vertical integration, let’s see what has been produced. 26 Saturday Morning Bonanza:The New Crop for the Kiddies The incurable, couch potato Martha Day decides what she’s going to watch on Saturday mornings in the U.S. 29 Mushrooms After the Rain: France’s Children’s Channels As a crop of new children’s channels springs up in France, Marie-Agnès Bruneau depicts the new play- ers, in both the satellite and cable arenas, during these tumultuous times. A fierce competition is about to begin... 33 The Korean Animation Explosion Milt Vallas reports on Korea’s growth from humble beginnings to big business. This Asian dynamo is striv- ing to be taken seriously by the international animation community. 39 The Cost of Eyeballs:Advertising Dollars & TV Buzz Potamkin takes a long look at the relationship between on-air advertising and television animation. As ratings become diluted across the channels, where does the future lie? 42 Joanna Priestley:A Continuing Dialogue Rose Bond interviews Joanna Priestley and reveals the unique relationship between the filmmaker and her films. 45 Charlie Thorson:Character Design In Classic Animation Gene Walz chronicles the mysterious career of Charlie Thorson, a crucial character designer who was quite a character himself. THE STUDENT CORNER 48 The Television Animation Portfolio:A Model So, you want to work for a large television studio? Veteran television producer Larry Huber describes what you had better show him in order to get a job. REVIEWS FESTIVALS, EVENTS: 51 SIGGRAPH ‘97:Too Much to Do, See and Think in a Week Our SIGGRAPH review includes:a review of the Electronic Theater by Avi Hoffer (p.52); news of the week’s most important announcements (p.55); an industry survey (p.60) 62 San Diego’s Comic Con:The King of All Cons The title says it all! Scott Brick reviews the world’s largest comic book expo. 65 Masters Of Animation:An Unprecedented Opportunity Seattle’s first animation festival gets a glowing review by Doug Ranney. His tales of hobnobbing with ani- September 1997 mation’s biggest stars in a casual setting are sure to make you green with envy. © Animation World Network 1997. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1997 2 Table of Contents September 1997 Vol. 2, . No. 6 68 AnimExpo’97:An Introduction to the Rising Tiger Korea’s AnimExpo is reviewed by Detelina Kreck who reveals a thriving, lively community. HIDDEN TREASURES 70 Animation in the NFTVA This month we are defining the collection at The National Film & Television Archive in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1936, the NFTVA has an expansive collection of British animation available for investigation. NEWS 72 Animation World News Good-Bye Springfield....Hello Nevada?, Disney Quests For Gaming Market, WB Turns Iron Giant Green. ON A DESERT ISLAND... 82 On A Desert Island With .. .TV Visionaries Martin Lickleder, Steve Purcell, Enzo d’Alo, Trey Parker and Matt Stone reveal their top ten films. AWN COMICS 84 Dirdy Birdy by John Dilworth, as seen on MTV’s Cartoon Sushi! 85 Next Issue’s Highlights Cover: Sam and Max. © 1997 Nelvana. © Animation World Network 1997. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. Bonus HTML Features Every online (HTML) issue of Animation World Magazine contains additional features not found in the download or print Acrobat version, such as Quicktime movies, links to Animation World Network sites, extended articles and special sections. Don’t miss the following high- lights that are showcased exclusively in this month’s Animation World Magazine HTML ver- sion: http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.5/awm2.5pages/2.5cover.html • What’s On? TV Schedules From Around the World Wondering what animated shows are being watched in Brazil? Germany? And More? This compilation will take you on a mini-tour around the world. Who knows, maybe they are watching what you are. • The Television Animation Portfolio: A Model More sample portfolio drawings are included. • A Gallery of SIGGRAPH ‘97s Computer Animation Festival We are pleased to present a sampling of images, Quicktime movies, and notes from 33 of the films pre- sented at SIGGRAPH’s Electronic Theater. In addition, Avi Hoffer’s review of The Electronic Theater includes three Quicktime movies illustrating the author’s selections. • Dirdy Birdy by John Dilworth features a streaming audio soundtrack in the online verision. September 1997 © Animation World Network 1997. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1997 3 by Heather Kenyon Television: Our Friend, Our Milk “AnimExpo’97: An Introduction to of the programming to the net- and Bread the Rising Tiger” review and Milt work, cable or satellite distribution Vallas’ “The Korean Animation mechanism. They don’t care about When we think of animation Explosion” indicate, Korea is eager the artist who went to school for most of us think of Saturday morn- to enter the market with its own cre- years and they probably don’t even ing first and foremost...television car- ative product. If we were to do think about the person who put toons. Television has a voracious “What’s On? TV Schedules From down the cable or launched the appetite for animation and it’s pre- Around the World” in the future, will satellite into orbit. Thousands, upon dominately all to entertain the lucra- we see less U.S. programming? thousands of people are employed tive children’s market. This issue No matter how much the to get television shows on the air, focuses on just a few of the many with the toys in the stores at the facets of television animation. same time. However, it all still Television is our friend. It is revolves around a child and what that bright and shiny box that makes him or her giggle. What a brings fun and information into our mad, mad business! It is such an homes. Because it’s a guest in our expansive business that involves, house we expect it to be bright, big, big money and yet, there is polite and non-offending. The absolutely no science to what will United States Federal make a child laugh whatsoever. Communications Commission has Our issue reveals the new recently passed laws encouraging shows that studios and networks U.S. networks to host more educa- are rolling the dice on this season tional programming. “What’s On? as well as the influence that MTV TV Schedules From Around the and CTW has had on the animation World” (HTML format only) shows community, its audience and even that this will influence the world, the world of animation festivals and not just the U.S. due to aggressive advertising. Mo Willems hosted “A international sales. There are poten- Conversation With: Arlene Sherman tial substantial changes that the FCC animation industry rushes around and Abby Terkuhle” one evening in ruling could bring to the U.S. mar- trying to make the best possible of New York and spoke to the heads of ket. Viewers are already migrating all children’s shows, it all boils down these groundbreaking studios. We toward cable in record numbers. to a child with the power to choose. are also looking into France’s prolif- With a ramping up of educational For the most part, they don’t care eration of channels in “Mushrooms shows on networks, it’s hard to which shows will be canceled After the Rain: France’s Children’s know if even more viewers will turn because they aren’t watching them, Channels” that also includes a short to cable for the cutting-edge, or who will lose their job as a result. description of the CSA, the French instead of the soft-edge. At the same They also aren’t concerned about Audiovisual Council, which governs time, the worldwide market place the fact that the show has been in French programming. is becoming more competitive as development for a year with only In our Reviews section we well. Europe is a lively market that is the top professionals, or that the are also reviewing “San Diego’s producing first-class animated enter- producers banded together a group Comic Con: The King of All Cons,” tainment. Australia is struggling to of the most respected studios in Seattle’s “Masters Of Animation: An find enough animators to handle order to make a show. They don’t Unprecedented Opportunity,” and, their new crop of animated pro- care which government quotas are of course, “SIGGRAPH ‘97: Too grams and as Detelina Kreck’s being fulfilled or who made the sale Much to Do, See and Think in a ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE September 1997 4 Week.” Our SIGGRAPH review theme park attractions to the next includes an online version of the step from the Jet Propulsion Computer Animation Festival, com- Laboratories.