March 1997 Vol. 1 No. 12

Children & Animation Theresa Plummer-Andrews Children’s Animation, a Universal Language?

Deborah Reber UNICEF’s Animation Consortium for Children’s Rights

The Thief and the Cobbler Interview With George Griffin Table of Contents

3 Editor’s Notebook The Thief and the Cobbler: A Modest Proposal.

5 Letters to the Editor ASIFA-Sanctioned Animation Festivals, Annecy. 8 Children’s Animation, a Universal Language? The BBC’s Theresa Plummer-Andrews provides a light-hearted look at the problems and peccadilloes of producing ani- mated children’s programming for the international marketplace. 10 Sporn’s Choice:An Independent’s Struggle New York producer Michael Sporn’s commitment to making films about human issues has lately led him to animated documentaries for which the children’s market has been most receptive. Janet Benn reports. 15 Yvonne Andersen: Profile of a Pioneer Wendy Jackson details the career of Yvonne Andersen, founder of the Yellow Ball Workshop, and pioneer of teaching animation to children. 19 Folk Animation: Low Tech Art in the High Tech Age John Serpentelli relates his experiences teaching the folk art of animation to children in Philadelphia.

22 Kids Making Animation: A Sampling of Children’s Animation Workshops Around the World A look at what’s going on in a selection of children’s animation workshops in North and South America, Europe and Israel. 28 UNICEF Draws on Talent to Advance Children’s Rights Deborah Reber provides a look on how almost 80 studios around the world joined forces to form UNICEF’s International Animation Consortium for Child Rights. 31 The Making of Child Soldiers John W. Rice relates how he and his fellow artists at Fil-Cartoons in the Philippines created a public service announce- ment for UNICEF’s International Animation Consortium for Child Rights. 34 Trees for Life: Making Life Better Through Fruit Trees and Animation Heather Kenyon reports how Balbir Mathur and his organization, Trees for Life, with help from Frédérick Back, are using animation in to help people in the third world plant trees. 37 An Interview With George Griffin Ann C. Philippon talks with “quintessential independent American animator, George Griffin” about his life and art. 43 Going on Their Own in Vancouver With animation booming in Vancouver, Sean Maclennan Murch explains how and why studios there are trying to sashay out of contract work and into their own properties.

Video Reviews: Festivals, Conferences, etc.: 76 News 47 The Thief and the Cobbler 56 Imagina 97 Fred Seibert Goes to MTV Networks, by Alex Williams by Jean Segura Visual Effects and Real-Time Animation Associations Formed, and much, much 50 Death Laughs Among Us: The 62 Brussels 97 more. Films of John Schnall by André Joassin I Miss You by John Kricfalusi 84 On a Desert Island With . . .Three by Wendy Jackson 69 1997 American International Toy Kinder Folk and an Animator Fair Compiled by Wendy Jackson Software Reviews: by Marcy Gardner March 1997 52 Kids’ Light Intertainment 86 AWM Comics Channel by Jami Maloney News & Special Reports: Dirdy Birdy by John R. Dilworth 74 Special News Reports 55 Macromedia Flash The Oscars are Coming! 87 Next Issue’s Highlight by Guillaume Calop 1 Cover: Original Artwork by George Griffin © 1997

© Animation World Network 1996. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 2 by Harvey Deneroff

The Thief and the Cobbler: duction was moved from London, A Modest Proposal in part, “to avoid the wrath of the British animation community.”) When I met former Disney ani- Calvert, who worked under the mator, Art Babbit (who was respon- close supervision of Completion sible for the dancing mushrooms in Bond Company’s Betty Smith, was Fantasia) towards the end of his life, clearly out of his element in trying he said he had only two major to turn Williams’ wondrous comic goals before he died: one was to masterpiece into a half-baked set the record straight on the 1941 Aladdin clone, including the addi- Disney strike and his role in it; the tion of several rather insipid musi- second was to pass on what he cal numbers. The result, as Alex knew about animation to a new Williams notes in his review of his generation of artists. His first goal father’s film in this issue, is some- was satisfied by letting historians like Andy in the US for Dick Williams thing less than grand. myself interview him; the second and, for many years, the world’s I really do not want to get into was done courtesy of Richard longest-awaited animated feature, a game of who did what to who Williams, who arranged to have Williams’ The Thief and the Cobbler, and why. The fact is that something him teach a series of classes at his due to be completed shortly. Then needs to be done about saving London studio, which helped train Art Babbitt will live afresh.” what’s left of the The Thief and the a whole generation of British ani- However, in May, Richard Cobbler. First, it is vital that steps be mators. Williams was fired from the film by taken to preserve Williams’ last Thus, it was perhaps no surprise the completion bond company and workprint, the source of the numer- that, when he died on March 2, the production was given to Fred ous video copies floating around. 1992, his obituaries in some British Calvert, in Hollywood, to finish. (At This alone, even its incomplete papers were bigger than those in the time, I speculated that the pro- state, would certainly be welcomed Los Angeles, where he spent most of his professional career. One of these obits, written by Les Gibbard, told how Williams got him to, “lec- ture, direct and animate at his Soho Square studio. He drummed all the rules and cliches into a generation of British artists—then told them to go away and break all the rules. “An awesome taskmaster,” Gibbard went on to say, “he enthused about the boundless hori- zons of a medium in its infancy: ‘We are barely learning to stumble on the stage . . . the pressure of ‘time’ and ‘economics’ have so bas- tardised the medium we have even

forgotten how to stumble.’ Zig Zag the Grand Vizir, from Richard Williams’ The Thief and the Cobbler. Courtesy of “Art animated Raggedy Ann and Alex Williams.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 3 at film festivals and in a letterboxed subsidiary, it now owns the rights to laserdisc presentation.(After all, The Thief and the Cobbler. As Disney showed a similary incom- Miramax supposedly bought the plete “work in progress edition” of film after all the damage was done Beauty and the Beast at the New by the Completion Bond Company, York Film Festival and also released it would engender enormous good it on laserdisc.) will and somewhat erase whatev- ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK Beyond that, it is necessary to er stigma it might have by distrib- 6525 Sunset Blvd., retrieve and preserve all the unused uting the current version. It would Garden Suite 10 footage and art work produced also help honor the memory Art Hollywood, CA 90028 over the some 30 years it was in Babbitt, of one of its greatest artists, Phone : 213.468.2554 production. For most of that peri- the fifth anniversary of whose death Fax : 213.464.5914 od, The Thief and the Cobbler was is this month. Email : [email protected] mostly used as a training exercise. Thus, when Williams received full * * * funding to finish his film in 1990, only about 10 minutes of what was Reminder ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE to be about a 90 minute film were If you have a video, film, book, [email protected] actually finished. This discarded or other product you think should PUBLISHER material includes not only the work be reviewed in Animation World Ron Diamond, President of Babbitt, but of such legendary Magazine, please send a review Dan Sarto, Chief Operating Officer masters as Ken Harris (the film’s copy and accompanying informa- EDITOR-IN-CHIEF “Master Animator” who used to tion to Animation World Magazine, Harvey Deneroff hang his shingle at Warner Bros.), or contact me at [email protected]. ASSOCIATE EDITOR/PUBLICITY Lantz veteran Emery Hawkins, and Wendy Jackson Betty Boop creator Grim Natwick —Harvey Deneroff CONTRIBUTORS : (who was brought out of retirement Janet Benn to work on the film); in addition, it Guillaume Calop includes some marvelous work of Marcy Gardner such younger talents as Eric Heather Kenyon Goldberg, co-director of Disney’s Wendy Jackson Pocohantas, whose animation was André Joassin mostly left on the cutting room floor Jami Maloney by Calvert and company. Sean Maclennan Murch In these days, when the box Theresa Plummer-Andrews office returns are being dominated Deborah Reber John W. Rice by the newly restored “Special John Serpentelli Edition” of George Lucas’ Star Wars Alex Williams trilogy, perhaps it is time that the animation community started think- Le WEBMASTER ing about getting involved in some Guillaume Calop serious restoration work of its own. While ASIFA-Hollywood’s Adopt-a- DESIGN/LAYOUT : Guillaume Calop Cartoon project is a good starting IMP Graphic place, perhaps Disney should step e-mail : [email protected] in to get the ball rolling. After all, as seen in its work on Snow White and ADVERTISING SALES the Seven Dwarfs, it certainly has North America : Bart Vitek the necessary expertise to do the Europe : Vincent Ferri job right. But more importantly, Art Babbitt in self-portrait as The UK: Roger Watkins through its wholly-owned Miramax Cobbler from The Thief and the Cobbler.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 4 Letters to the Editor

ASIFA-Sanctioned Festivals I’ll briefly point at some inaccuracies rights. The following two letters were (I have gone into more detail on the • “ASIFA-Canada.” In Zagreb, Chris sent in reply to Chris Robinson’s “To ASIFA-International home page): Robinson’s assessment of the Be or Not To Be An ASIFA- • Board members “more con- help from ASIFA-Canada, an Sanctioned Festival,” which cerned with the prestige and exemplary group, was very pos- appeared in the January issue of benefits of their position.” As itive. Now it is the opposite. I’ll Animation World Magazine. everywhere, there may be one let Montréal and Vancouver or two interested (and ill- comment, if they wish. ASIFA-International’s Response informed) individuals, for the rest • “ASIFA finally contacted us. This article came as a great sur- the notion of “prestige and ben- Unfortunately, all they wanted prise to me. Not the overall mes- efits of their position” is an amus- was to take advantage of the sage—we had been talking freely ing sally, all being suckers agree- ASIFA rule that obliges festivals in Zagreb, I had encouraged Chris ing to spend their time and to cover all board members’ Robinson to air all his feelings on money on obscure chores accommodations and pass ASIFA, which were the standard feel- nobody will ever be thankful for. expenses.” Not 22, but one ings festival directors get at some • “Festival reviews based on the board member asked for it. It time. I remember in 1971, at my first hope of return invitation rather was not to go to one more fes- Annecy festival, I was helping back- than honesty.” It is quite an tival, he already had got more stage (I have been helping for some accusation. Well, whether the than his fill, but to help in a pre- time now), when the then festival review is good or bad, we are cise way, which he did. director was protesting against invited. We do send our cri- • “The ASIFA board recently ASIFA—notwithstanding his being tiques, but not in the spotlight revised its rules without any fes- the president of the French ASIFA (critiques in a letter do not have tival directors being present.” group. This is normal—filmmakers the same meaning as critiques Quite a number of festival direc- think about their precious works, on a stage, like here). At any tors took part, including the festival directors think about their rate, the printed review is main- director of the Ottawa Festival: festival and their budget and their ly the opinion of its author (there we insisted on having Chris position. It is not the same point of is not a censure committee), but Robinson’s opinion. view, and we have to adjust. we all are aware of the work a • “Most of us have no idea how The surprise came from a public festival involves and of the one becomes elected to the attack with what looked like hate, respect we must show to the board.” At the same time Chris and a number of somewhat twisted many people who gave them- Robinson was perfectly register- statements on an association of ani- selves to it. ing his own candidacy to the mators. It is not expected from a fes- • “Children workshops.” Picking ASIFA board! Information comes tival director, and may not give a on ASIFA about the workshops in ASIFA News and the Secretary good image of the celebration he is for the young ones is a strange General answers letters . . . in charge of, which I regret. idea, as well as objecting to chil- But of course it is very interesting dren commenting on children to get critiques, it is a way to

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 5 progress. phenomena. have, at some point participated on Communication, for instance, The Ottawa Festival can survive the board, generally for a few years, should be improved—being on the without ASIFA, and vice versa. then passed it on to fresh troops board is open, anyone can be a Nevertheless, I hope we shall find and went back to focus on their candidate (granted that one has harmony between members of the animation professions. been a member for two years), a same family, and that the Ottawa These are the people that M. new board is elected every three Festival will develop into a center Robinson says have “no real grasp years, all members throughout the of goodwill, creativity, and joy. of the organizational structure world cast their votes. This may not This was the New Year’s wish behind the festival”. Yet does M. be known well enough. And this is from the president of an association Robinson demonstrate any under- a call for immediate candidacies. full of defects, an irrational grouping standing of the organizational struc- In other respects, more means which goes without any help, nev- ture of our association? or the work should be found, without alienat- ertheless attracting mad people required to maintain it? or the diffi- ing our absolute independence. from 60 countries. culties of being a bilingual organi- I’ll point to a critique I have Michel Ocelot zation stretched across this huge made previously: “The festival must President continent? pay for accommodation of all board ASIFA-International Before the festival, we received members, 22 maximum.” (The num- Paris M. Robinson at one of our board ber of board members is actually meetings. By the way, M. Robinson less than this, and all of them are ASIFA-Canada’s Response is not a board member so we are never present in one festival. Still it In a recent article published on surprised to hear him complain can be a burden.) This has been the Internet, M. Chris Robinson, the about not being always invited. kept as festivals agreed. It is a way new director of the Ottawa festival, Anyway, in reference to that to help representatives from many severely criticized ASIFA, the anima- encounter, he implies in his text that countries meet, which is one of the tion association, both the what was suggested to him was for things festivals are here for. Some International organization and its the board members themselves per- festivals go further, offering the Canadian chapter, ASIFA-Canada. sonally and not to help improve the board one or two days more, so the M. Michel Ocelot, president of festival. It seems too that he did not working meetings can take place ASIFA and M. David Erhlich, vice- appreciate that we would point out under good conditions. president, have already responded some deficiencies in what he pre- I agree on guests being of some to M. Robinson. We strongly en- sented to us. His international jury use to festivals. This happens per- courage you to read their replies. was to be exclusively North haps more often than Chris However, we, at ASIFA-Canada, feel American and his international fes- Robinson thinks at the moment. obliged to answer M. Robinson’s tival did not have significant retro- One word about “festivals vio- provoking diatribe although you spectives from outside North lating ASIFA rules.” Sometimes it is can be assured that we all hate American animation. not so, sometimes it is. I am afraid wasting our time with such non- We gave him some suggestions it is in the course of nature, and I productive polemic. and contacts. Our suggestions were must not hide from the public that First of all, let’s remember that followed and that’s one of the raison ASIFA does not have tank divisions ASIFA-Canada is a non-profit associ- d’être of ASIFA—to advise festivals to deploy around the festival venue. ation and the involvement of its and push them to not take only the (The strongest action is not giving members and of its board of direc- easy way. patronage anymore; it has hap- tors is strictly voluntary. We are ASIFA-Canada has been collab- pened before, with results.) But about 225 members and each year orating with the Ottawa festival these rules—independence, fair- 8 to 12 of us are idealistic enough since its very beginning as well as ness, respect for films and filmmak- to volunteer our services in order to with the recent 96 edition in vari- ers—have set necessary and strong keep the organization running. ous ways. We never thought it nec- standards which cannot be over- (These volunteers he characterizes essary to detail our collaboration looked anymore. Breaches are pre- as “children” and “old boys”!) In the with the festival, saying we did this cisely seen as breaches and are frac- last 25 years, somewhere between and that, but since M. Robinson has- tional, disputed and changeable a quarter to a half of our members n’t found a better way to thank us

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 6 other than to deny our role and Jean Luc Xibberas & Annecy insult those who gave their time, we think we should at least inform I was rather disappointed to read the interview with Jean Luc Xibberas, our members about these issues. the head of the Annecy festival [“Rendezvous In Annecy: An Interview The festival relies on ASIFA- With Jean-Luc Xiberras,” by Annick Teninge, in the January 1997 issue of Canada to find an artist to create AWM]. the official trophies for the festival. This festival has come in for a lot of criticism lately as, although it is the We administrate a budget from the biggest animation festival, it can also be the most infuriating. The embar- festival and assume their produc- rassment of the last festivals awards ceremony and the general organization tion, packing and transport to the upset enough people that ASIFA-International initiated a campaign to get festival. The full budget is dedicated people to write complaints to the mayor of Annecy, who apparently gov- exclusively to the artist and the pro- erns the festival. duction costs. A number of people did write, including myself, but, unfortunately, We sponsor the “Public Prize”— nothing appears to have changed. Mr. Xibberas does not seem to acknowl- its creation and cost and in the edge the criticisms and your article makes no attempt to address them. course of the festival, we distribute, Instead, the article comes across as little more than a puff piece. I pre- collect and count the ballots and sume this is because the journalist was Mr. Xibbera’s assistant and so had then present the Prize. ASIFA- little interest in presenting more interesting and difficult questions. Canada also prepares and organizes I know that a lot of people work very hard at Annecy to try to do the the Norman McLaren Heritage best job possible, nevertheless, it seems to be a given that the organiza- Award. tion of the festival will be difficult to deal with. In my experience, the fes- It is also a tradition to organize tival chose to arbitrarily recognize only one of us for our co-directed film, or participate in animation work- Bob’s Birthday. My partner was not even invited to the festival and her shops and this year, at the festival’s name was not listed as a competition director in a number of the festival’s request, two of our board members publications. The reason? The festival simply does not recognize co-direc- volunteered to organize and con- tors. Why? Just because they don’t. That’s the answer I got from the fes- duct a children’s workshop. 60 chil- tival. No other festival I know has this policy and there is no reason for it. dren participated. They don’t have to pay the expenses for two directors, but they should We are sorry that M. Robinson’s not be allowed to arbitrarily pretend one of them doesn’t exist. It is very opinion of ASIFA-Canada has insensitive to treat a filmmaker this way. changed so dramatically from his AWM would be an excellent forum to address this subject, especially positive Zagreb report to Michel in the run up to this summer’s festival. Why not garner more opinions Ocelot. We have great difficulty about the festival from people and present them to Mr. Xibberas for his understanding his motivations for response? such negativity but sincerely hope I, like so many other people, value the Annecy festival and am very that he can learn to maturely com- eager to contribute my thoughts in the hope that things might be municate directly with those he improved in the future. ceases to hold in favor before he David Fine flashes these glib displays on the Snowden Fine Productions Internet. London The ASIFA-Canada Board Montréal The author is co-owner with Alison Snowden of Snowden Fine Productions. Editor’s Note: For further discussion on Robinson’s article, including a Letters to the editor can be sent by email to [email protected], by fax to longer version of Ocelot’s reply and (213) 464-5914, or by regular mail to Animation World Network 6525 David Ehrlich’s reply cited above, Sunset Blvd., Garden Suite 10, Hollywood, CA 90028 USA. check out the ASIFA-Internatnional home page at http://samson.hivol- da.no:8000/asifa/.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 7 ChildrChildren’en’ss Animation,Animation, aa UniversalUniversal Language?Language? by Theresa Plummer-Andrews

will never find its way on to British here we go,” in a wonderful football television simply because our child supporter type manner. When you audiences are so different. consider that the French wean their French children simply adore children on red wine, this came as series which feature girls as the lead a bit of a surprise to me. The characters, but in England (where Scandinavians, who have very strict most boys have taken male chau- alcohol laws, tolerated the se- vinist pills from the minute they are quence, so long as the animal born) these girl-led items fall flat on ended up with a terrible hangover their face. Of course, there is always and was berated by its companions the exception such as Disney’s Little for drinking that “terrible liquid that Mermaid, but the norm here is for humans drink.” Different strokes for the boy to rule the television set. different folks. They will not watch anything with The English find it difficult to tol- the word “girl” in the title, however erate the style of animation pro- powerful the program might be. It duced for the Japanese home mar- is a mystery we are still trying to ket, and the level of violence in Theresa Plummer Andrews. solve. some of their series is quite shocking t would be unheard of to have a for us, but quite normal for them. children’s television schedule not Different Strokes However, many hours of Japanese Icontaining some form of anima- Whilst working on a 16 country programming finds its way onto tion, and anyone who has any co-production titled Animals of French television in its unedited knowledge of what children around Farthing Wood, I discovered other form and no-one out there seems the world watch would acknowl- little idiosyncrasies be- edge this fact. But is animation the tween countries. Our universal language which travels German partners were from country to country whatever it far more concerned is? I think not, and this is not only with “emotions” and attributable to the fact that huge were uneasy when we amounts of so-called programming had various animals produced are sheer rubbish, which killed off by either man, should never have got as far as the fire or old age. The animation studio. French could not toler- There is a vast difference in cul- ate one of the animals tures within Europe alone, never accidentally getting mind the rest of the world, and a drunk and weaving its lot of programming produced in way down a road France, Germany, Scandinavia etc., shouting “Here we go, Animals of Farthingwood.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 8 to mind it. It was surprising to hear that although Disney merchandise sells incredibly well in Japan, they do not watch the television shows. So much for a universal language. One of the latest trends to come out of America is “FCC Friendly” edu- cational programming. We are all aware that you don’t need the brains of a rocket scientist to know that children do not wish to come home from a day at school to sit down and have more worthy pro- gramming thrown at them. These little people are clever enough to smell the message and simply don’t want to watch it, more especially in the patronizing manner in which some of it is presented to them. On the other hand, we have pre- BBC’sWilliams Wish Wellingtons. bought two major animation series A Matter of Funding television sales, licensing, mer- from America just recently, and one The major problem with any chandising and publishing and are of them has reached such a level of programming these days is to get not prepared to wait for these ancil- violence that even with careful edit- funding. Major broadcasters spend lary products to build up. Good ani- ing we are having to pull episodes most of their budgets on the Prime mation is a long-term investment off air because of complaints from and given time, good expertise in the British public. In each episode French children simply adore sales and marketing and a belief in there are more guns, machine series which feature girls as the the product, investors will eventu- guns, knives and weapons than we lead characters, but in England ally make their money back to see a can count, and with the current (where most boys have taken profit world aversion to violence on tele- male chauvinist pills from the What we find is that children of vision, someone should be moni- minute they are born) these all ages want to watch programs toring this. There seems to be no girl-led items fall flat on their which have a proper story with a balance between the ultra-soft pap face. beginning, a middle and an end. and the “shoot ‘em until they drop” Pretty characters waving around on syndrome. Time schedule or in-house produc- a screen with no reason for being is tion, which means a fight to get not euough for our little ones, they enough money to develop and want meat in their sandwiches, and fund good animation. We in as they are our future I think they the UK find this very frustrat- deserve it. ing as we have many won- derfully talented animators here who are capable of pro- ducing carefully thought out concepts with good scripts, Theresa Plummer-Andrews is great voices and, of course, Head of Acquisitions & Creative superb animation. What most Development for the BBC. investors fail to recognize is the long term value of really good programming. They all want BBC’s Prince of Atlantis. instant returns from overseas

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 9 Sporn’s Choice: An Independent’s Struggle by Janet Benn point in his career. But we know this Two of his most recent films, does not always follow, especially if Champagne and Whitewash, stand the person dedicates his life to the apart from the rest of American films artistic exposition of worthy moral made in these days of the “toon tales, eschewing the flash and the boom.” They come at the end of a fad of the shallow attention getters long line of films he’s made in New in the service of the good and most York which are about socially con- true of the uses of animated films. In scious issues. The Red Shoes, done these cases, the funders do not pay for HBO in 1989, moves Hans as well. Then it becomes Sporn’s Christian Andersen’s story to a black choice: to make the films he wants neighborhood, where a little girl to make with these low budgets, or learns the value of humility and true to make the films that pay better. friendship; another HBO produc- Obviously he has chosen the for- tion of an Andersen tale was The mer, and has assembled around Little Match Girl in 1990, where

Michael Sporn. him the help he needs, grateful that another little girl inspires compas- they also will work for such pay, to sion for the homeless (but does not ichael Sporn is probably make such films as few can equal die, as in the original). the hardest working and anywhere. In fact, no one in this Mdefinitely the lowest paid country, in my opinion. “I don’t make films for anima- producer in the animation industry. His method is the artist’s: to tors. I make films that need to His studio, Michael Sporn Animation apply his own original ideas to the be made because they have Inc. was established in New York in solving of a problem, which for him something to say about life.” 1980, and has turned out more is always to tell a story. “In my films, than 20 hours of animation: 30 the story is paramount, the most one-half hour programs and dozens important element,” says Sporn. So, 1991’s Jazztime Tale tells the of other pieces of various lengths all the other elements: the sound, story of the discovery of Thomas for film, cable, network, direct-to- the music, the design and the ani- (Fats) Waller through the encounter video and non-theatrical distribu- mation all must serve the story. I of two girls, one white and one tion to the educational film market. believe that it is in the choosing and black. Their circumstances reveal a This output (averaging more than combining of these elements that gentle lesson about racial harmo- an hour a year) proves the hard- resides Sporn’s genius, so that the ny. The story was written by Maxine working part. The explanation for sum exceeds the parts. Fisher, who went on to adapt a the low pay is a little more compli- Creole folktale to address modern cated. Animation with a problems of lonely poor older peo- One would expect that a win- Social Conscience ple and young female children with ner of two Cable Ace Awards, who “I don’t make films for anima- too much responsibility for their age had also been nominated for an tors,” Sporn says, “I make films that in The Talking Eggs, made in 1992 Emmy and an Oscar, would be need to be made because they for PBS. The film’s main character, enjoying a comfortable living by this have something to say about life.” Selina, is encouraged to follow her

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 10 dreams in spite of her situation. had volunteered for a literacy pro- film, designed by Sporn and Jason Helene Angel, the little girl in gram, which brought her to the McDonald, and scored by Caleb Whitewash (1994) who is the vic- convent where Champagne lived Sampson. tim of a racist attack, also learns to along with several other girls in the Production Methods trust in her future when her family same situation. Maxine began tak- The first half of the film was ani- and her community rally around ing Champagne to cultural events mated completely by Michael with- her. In Sporn’s latest film, Cham-- around the city, and in time, out a storyboard or layouts. Holding pagne (1996), it is as if he’s found brought her to see Michael’s studio the sequence of scenes in his head, the real-life embodiment of the pos- one Saturday. After seeing the place he would animate without a lot of itive outlook and life-affirming and Sporn’s work, Champagne said preparation, roughing out the lessons of his own films. to him “You should make a film action as he went, and making the about me!” Immediately, he set up drawings one after the other. This straight-ahead method is one gen- erally used by only the most expe- rienced animators, as there are no extreme drawings to inbetween, that is, no major positions done beforehand to be connected by all the intermediate inbetween draw- ings later. “I’d say I do up to 75% of all the animation in my films, and I make less than the animators I hire to work with me.” A heavy load for a producer who also reps himself, has no agent, and even writes most of his own contracts. Also, since he’s perfected the technique of animating in ink, he doesn’t need to clean-up (redraw with a single clean line in pencil), nor is it necessary for him and his staff to ink the clean drawings onto acetate cels. In almost all of Sporn’s Champagne. films, including Champagne and Whitewash, the ink drawings are Champagne, an Animated a tape recorder and taped themselves colored with the cho- Documentary Champagne’s answers to questions sen media for that film, then aligned Champagne is the story of a 14- posed by Maxine and himself. The and pasted to the cels with rubber year-old girl who lives in a foster resulting 90 minutes of tape was cement. When they are cut out with home for children whose mothers edited down to 15, and Maxine’s a sharp knife and the excess paper are in prison. “It’s an animated doc- voice was added back as the inter- is peeled away, the colored draw- umentary,” Sporn said. “In fact, I viewer. ings remain on the cel instead of When Sporn brought the idea entered it in this year’s Academy the usual inked and painted version. Award competition in the to a backer with whom he had worked successfully before, he was The advantage of this method is not Documentary Category!” economics but aesthetic, as any The voice track is a monologue surprised to hear that they were not interested, in fact, could not imag- medium that can be applied to spoken by the title character, a real ine anyone being interested in such paper can be used, thus an endless girl named Champagne, who was a story. Michael decided to do it variety of looks can be achieved brought to Michael’s attention by himself. Over the next three years, with texture and shading as well as Maxine Fisher, the story and screen- as his time and money would allow, subtle color. His staff’s judgement writer of many of has films. Maxine Champagne became a 13-minute must be good. Thus, once Michael

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 11 has trained of these talented indi- terful use of camera moves. He gets consultation can last all of three min- viduals, he tries to keep using them more out of each scene this way, utes. Then, armed with an animat- (e.g., Christine O’Neill has been with enlivening every shot as he under- ic (essentially a filmed storyboard Sporn since 1981). scores the emotional content and with scenes roughly timed as they Much of the expressive move- dramatic intent much as his com- would be in the final animation), ment in these films is accomplished poser, Caleb Sampson, does in cre- Sampson goes to work. For with less than full animation. ating the film score. Champagne, however, the score Michael doesn’t like the term “limit- Caleb Sampson scored White- was written to the completed final ed” when it comes to his films: he wash as well as Champagne, and animation. prefers to quote Howard Beck- many other Sporn productions. In The filmmaker leaves the musi- erman, veteran New York cian to complete the animator and historian, first rough version of who says, “It’s not limited the score without inter- animation, it’s enough ani- ference; eventually, mation.” More or less draw- they’ll settle on a final ings are used as the action form. Sporn says “Once requires, directed with a I’ve got that music, I practiced eye. know I’ve got the film.” He likes to give his con- Collaborators tributors a lot of free- in Art and Music dom, because he Jason McDonald de- knows that will allow signed and storyboarded them to do their heart- the second half of felt best. Sampson says, Champagne; he also paint- “When I do my best, he ed all the backgrounds for knows it—there’s no the film. A talented Parsons conflict in terms of artis- graduate, he has worked Whitewash. tic vision.” All of his work on several of Sporn’s recent for Sporn exhibits a productions. He was responsible for fact, his first “paying gig” in the film tremendous range of musical styles. the design of some of the most score business was for Sporn. He In Champagne there’s orchestral memorable scenes in the film, has worked with other producers moodiness presented simply; in including where Champagne is vis- and has just finished his first feature Whitewash, the score’s more com- iting her mother in a maximum film, directed by Erroll Morris. Caleb plex and accommodates songs from security jail: the look is cubist- credits Sporn for getting him started, other artists, done as a mix of rap inspired, the walls fragmented into calling him “an idealist, artistically and pop, gospel and jazz, as if sam- faceted color areas, and the and socially”, and appreciates pled from the neighborhood streets. arrangement of characters and set- Michael’s “poetic, gentle view” of tings in abundant empty space con- the world. John Hubley’s Influence veys feelings of loneliness and iso- In both films, the design of the lation. The advantage of this method characters is based on real people, His use of color and abstract is not economics but aesthetic, but not the idealized, exaggerated character designs to illustrate emo- as any medium that can be forms of “reality”-based shows like tional states is mirrored in Sporn’s applied to paper can be used, Batman or Superman. The influence scenes. Michael’s use of stark islands thus an endless variety of looks of John Hubley, for whom Michael of light in blackness serve as point- can be achieved with texture worked for years, shows in both the ers to highlight Champagne’s and shading as well as subtle design and visualizing techniques words, especially her recollections color. of some passages, which are remi- of her unhappy early childhood. niscent of Everybody Rides the The styles are matched well, and Although the initial ideas about Carousel, on which Sporn was assis- further enhanced by Michael’s mas- the music come from Sporn, this first tant director.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 12 “Hubley was one of my heroes. thought Ntozake Shange might of-view shots, which might have Ever since I knew about him, I want- adapt an interesting screenplay from been one choice for showing the ed to work for him,” Michael said his original treatment. He had seen upsetting and violent attack. He simply. her hit show, For Colored Girls Who took the opposite route, framing this The Hubleys pioneered the Have Considered Suicide (When the part of the film as if the observer technique of using improvised voice Rainbow is Enuf), and even though were all the way across the street. tracks, presenting a situation or idea he didn’t know if she had ever writ- This was a difficult sequence for him to their voice actors and recording ten for the small screen before, he to direct, and one he found impos- the result: hours of their children called her. As it turned out, her script sible to animate. He gave the job pretending to catch a bird needed to be extended, and, with to a new artist on his staff, Rodolfo (Moonbird), for example, or Dizzy barely enough time to meet a three- Dammagio, who, because of his Gillespie’s musings on the world’s month deadline, Sporn’s ingenuity background in a much broader car- condition (The Hole), all edited later. was tested. With the children’s par- toon style, made the attackers more Champagne’s words are all her ticipation, the story was completed grotesque than any of Michael’s own, but, unlike Hubley, it is one of to everyone’s satisfaction and to con- other characters. This, along with only two films for which he record- siderable critical acclaim. Whitewash the viewpoint, increases the impact ed a voice without a script. The has won 10 awards, including a of the violence. “I didn’t want Bugs other time is in Whitewash where Carnegie Medal for Best Children’s Bunny violence, I wanted the feel- a group of children are discussing Program, was nominated for an ing of real violence, though it was how to help their classmate through the bad feelings resulting from a racially-motivated attack. The kids were asked what they thought of the incident, and their responses were recorded. The voice of one child, played by Randall Kaplan, was separated from the group as a link- ing device, to make it seem as if they were all talking in the same room together. This edit works very well, bringing the reality of their feelings to this delicate situation, to which they found graceful and simple solu- tions unforeseen by the scriptwriter, Ntozake Shange. This delicate oper- ation was performed by editor Ed Askinazi. Michael gives him a large,

early credit in the films he didd, as Jazztime Tale. editing is key to the final look of Sporn’s films, more so than is the Emmy for the voice acting of Ruby difficult to find out how to show it,” norm in other animation. Dee, as well as for two CableAce says Sporn. awards, including one for the Also, a change in the back- Origins of Whitewash screenplay. ground color and lighting adds to HBO at first thought that Once again, Sporn’s camera is the feeling of irrecoverable loss in Whitewash would be made as a active in the story’s exposition, stay- the children’s lives. Nothing after this live-action documentary; but when ing close on the main characters, would be the same. This effect is the victims’ mother would not allow except through the mugging achieved throught the skills of them to cooperate with the net- sequence. He plans the camera Bridget Thorne, background painter work, animation seemed the only framing and movement as if it were and production designer, who was way out. When HBO’s Sheila Nevins a person watching the events as one of the first artists hired to work brought the idea to Michael, he they happen. He doesn’t like point- at Michael Sporne Animation.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 13 At one point in the film, the his work, as well as that “they’re saying now that it looks very likely grandmother, played by Ruby Dee, entertaining for adults as well.” that he will be able to start work talks about the beginnings of the Does Sporn intend his films primar- soon on one of the several projects civil rights struggle. We see a very ily for children? “No”, he said, “I he has been promoting over the last different graphic style used to show make all my films for myself first. It few years, an urban update of the dogs attacking the Selma just so happens that the children’s Thumbelina. He admits that the marchers, Martin Luther King, and market has been the most recep- story is a bit more “commercial” than other scenes: jagged scratchy out- tive.” He wants his films to be seen: the films noted above, but with the lines enclose stark greys, blacks and the unyielding format is not a bur- introduction of modern elements, whites on a blank background; the den; in fact, he’d never think of including the race question, it’s cer- pictures pop on to the screen tain that the result will be in a staccato rhythm, startling more meaningful than any and flashbulb-sudden. This is fairy tale-based film to date. tough material even for adults “How a tiny woman helps to watch. In the New York Daily the world !,” is Sporn’s jocu- News review of Whitewash, lar encapsulation of the plot. Kenneth M. Chanko said, “At its And the work will best, animation speaks to the stay in New York: “My work heart and mind more vividly has a lot to do with the city; than real-life depictions. It can it’s got to be done here, also interpret difficult scenes or where people [who will events that kids can more read- work on the film] are living ily digest. Whitewash . . . is an their lives in the city.” He’ll exceptionally knowing animat- be using those same per- ed production.” sonal production methods The Red Shoes. that have proven the most Not Storytelling as Usual making a film without considering versatile and cost-effective for him To accentuate the differences in the potential market, even if the dis- over the past 17 years as an inde- as-quoted passages of time in his tribution outlet is not always clear, as pendent producer. I can’t wait. films, Sporn will use a change in was the case with Champagne. graphic style and/or camera tech- “Nobody wanted to put it on tele- nique to set those dream or flash- vision at first, but it’s been doing very Janet Benn began her animation back sequences apart. In addition, well in the nontheatrical educa- career in New York at The Hubley his story structure is often modified tional market.” It’s a film for young Studio in 1975 on Everybody to incorporate deliberate changes girls who need the sort of confi- Rides the Carousel, on which in tense or point of view. Michael dence-building triumph over adver- Michael Sporn was Assistant says he is “fascinated with the use of sity that is personified by Cham- Director. Subsequently, they time in film,” and that, although it is pagne, who says, “Just because could sometimes be found work- difficult to do in animation, he forces you’ve had a bad life, doesn’t mean ing on the same productions and himself to “play around with the you’re ruined forever.” on the Executive Board of ASIFA- story structure . . . anything to East; after Sporn opened his own studio he hired Janet as change the as-usual straight-ahead Michael’s films let kids talk; telling out of the story.” He then Production Coordinator on the they also do not talk down to titles for Sidney Lumet’s Garbo can satisfy his impulse to experiment them. in the context of the storytelling he Talks. Since then, they have rarely loves so well. been seen together and only at Michael’s films let kids talk; they public functions. Seriously, folks, also do not talk down to them. And Now for Something a Janet has been to every one of Words like “sophisticated”, “refresh- Little Different Michael’s Christmas parties since ing”, and “thought-provoking” are Michael Sporn has always want- 1980. often used by reviewers to describe ed to do features in New York. He’s

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 14 YvonneYvonne Andersen:Andersen: ProfileProfile ofof aa PioneerPioneer

by Wendy Jackson

gallery featured weekly exhibitions ly. “I was lucky enough to meet of work by up and coming avant- Yvonne and Dominic upon my garde artists of the time. “Our goal arrival in Provincetown the summer was to find new artists, who possi- of 1957, when their magical Sun bly hadn’t had shows before, who Gallery was in full bloom. Yvonne had interesting work.” Yvonne rec- not only showed me the way to the ollects. Red Grooms, Lester future of art, she also taught me car- Johnson, Robert and Mary Frank, pentry.” Vera Williams, Tony Vevers and Alex Katz were among the 100 artists Events, Screenings who exhibited at The Sun Gallery and Installations during its five year life span, 1955- In addition to exhibitions of

Yvonne Andersen 59. Many of these went on to have paintings, sculpture, and other sta- great renown and extensive careers tic works, The Sun Gallery was also s an animation artist, teacher, in the art world. “I was criticized for filmmaker and author, some of the people we gave first AYvonne Andersen has influ- one-man shows to,” she recalls, “but enced the lives and work of hun- after the second year, everyone dreds of people. From organizing wanted to have a show in our exhibitions and experimental film gallery, because people were screenings, to teaching animation becoming famous.” to children and adults at her Yellow One such artist was Red Ball Workshop, she has been a rad- Grooms, formerly known as Charles ical and innovative pioneer in every- Rogers Grooms. He adopted the thing she’s done. I spent some time nickname “Red” after being talking with Yvonne and a few of renamed for his first one-man show her students and collaborators to at The Sun Gallery, and the name learn more about her fascinating stuck with him. Today, Grooms is an life. established New York artist, with paintings lithographs, sculptures The Sun Gallery and other works selling for tens of In 1955, Yvonne Andersen and thousands of dollars a piece. her husband, Dominic Falcone, (Yvonne recalls that they didn’t sell opened The Sun Gallery, a revolu- a single piece at his first one-man tionary art space on the tip of Cape show!). “Yvonne Andersen was one Brochure from The Provincetown Art Cod, in Provincetown, Massa- of the paramount influences on my Association and Museum’s 1981 retro- spective of The Sun Gallery. chusetts. Set up in a storefront, and life as an artist,” Grooms said recent- open only in the summertime, the

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 15 host to events such as installations, classes, performance art, and film screenings. “The gallery was run almost like a theater,” recalls Andersen. “We didn’t just have exhi- bitions, we had pos- sibly the first environ- ment.” One of the vis- iting artists was Alan Kaprow, an early pio- neer in the American performance art movement known Paul Falcone, age 6, working on Underwater Creatures. for his “happenings.” adds. to get some furniture for it. My Grooms also presented several per- The first film finished was mother-in-law knew this guy who formances in these years, of which Spaghetti Trouble, made together tore down old buildings and he said “[I was] plunging into the with Red Grooms in 1963, and still schools, so we went to get some unknown, something existential, in distribution by the Filmmaker’s used furniture. They had all these just letting it happen. It was the Co-op in New York. From then on, little children’s chairs, they were opposite of literary theater; rough, she and Dominic went on to make exquisite, and only 50 cents each. crude, but stimulating.” many more films—several in col- So I bought 8 of them, took them At that time, Andersen was also laboration with Red Grooms, includ- home, and put them around the presenting programs of experi- ing Fat Feet, Meow, Meow and work table.” Andersen had always mental films at night; she said that, Appolinaire Unexpected. Independ- provided plenty of art supplies for “The film screenings were highly ently, and in collaboration, Yvonne her own children, who often had controversial. Even in New York, has produced more than nine friends over to make art projects. people were hearing about what shorts films, most recently We Will Soon enough, children were com- we were showing.” Renting 16mm Live Forever, an animated illustra- ing to the house, asking to come in prints from many now-defunct dis- tion of a poem by Dominic Falcone. and play, even when her own chil- tributors like Brandon and dren weren’t home. “The next thing Contemporary Films, Andersen was I knew, there were always little peo- “The next thing I knew, there disappointed by the limited selec- ple sitting in those little chairs, using were always little people sitting tion of animated films. She recalls, “I up my art supplies!” recalls in those little chairs, using up was always trying to get good vari- Andersen. “They were doing very my art supplies!” ety for my programs: documentary, good work, so I decided I might as fiction, maybe a few features, and well get it organized.” So, in 1963, animation. But there wasn’t too the Yellow Ball Workshop was born much high-quality animation. And Yellow Ball Workshop: when Yvonne began offering art what little there was, was very Accidental Beginnings classes in her home, for two hours expensive. That’s when I said, ‘Well, By 1960, Yvonne and Dominic every Saturday, charging each child I’ll just make some stuff for the had closed the gallery and were only one dollar per lesson to cover show.’ I had never animated before. raising their two children, Jean and the cost of supplies. I couldn’t even run a movie projec- Paul Falcone, in Everett, Massa- The evolution of the art classes tor.” So, Yvonne invested in a cam- chusetts. Thinking back to the into animation workshops was not era and some equipment, learning beginnings of her teaching activi- something that Yvonne had by trial and error. “I found out it was- ties, Yvonne recalls a seemingly planned. “One day, I showed the n’t quite as easy as I thought it might unrelated incident. “We had moved students the film that Red and I had be. But that’s how I started.” she into a new apartment, and we had made, and they wanted to make a

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 16 film, too.” she recalls. “One of the appeared as a boys had lots of good ideas, but he guest on the Mike never really made anything. So I Douglas Show said ‘Well, you write a script and and the Today we’ll do it.’ The next week the boy show, and in came in with a script. So there I was, 1970, she pro- I was stuck, we had to do it!” The duced a 13 min- first film they made was The ute documentary Amazing Colossal Man, a group pro- for CBS television ject with papier-mâché characters called Let’s Make shot in stop-motion on 16mm film. a Film. That same Word spread about the anima- year, Yvonne was tion workshops, and the class size approached by tripled from 12 to 36. Yellow Ball two different pub- We Will Live Forever by Yvonne Andersen and Dominic Falcone. films were screened with acclaim at lishers to write tant things Yvonne did was take me universities and festivals, a compi- instructional books about anima- seriously. She took all of us serious- lation of them winning first prize at tion, resulting in the publication of ly. She was direct, contained, struc- the Rhode Island Film Festival. The Make Your Own Animated Movies, tured and responsible. She almost $300. in prize money enabled written for children, and Teaching never praised us—she worked with Yvonne to pay off the film lab bills Film Animation to Children, done us. She helped us make our ideas that had added up. for adults. From 1973-77, Yvonne concrete, to make things happen. wrote a regular column on anima- Yvonne has the magic ability to In The Public Eye tion techniques for Super-8 make learning exciting and gratify- Before long, people were begin- Filmmaker Magazine. ing.” ning to notice her and she was All of this attention even led to being approached in all directions. commercial projects for Yvonne and “I didn’t know it at the time, but her students, bringing in some “When I was a child in her apparently nobody had done this money to finance the film, supplies class, one of the most impor- before,” Yvonne said, recalling the and accumulating lab bills. Such kid- tant things Yvonne did was take overwhelming attention that produced films that came out of me seriously. She took all of us ensued. Schools and educational Yellow Ball include four “peacock seriously.” institutions began purchasing and logo” spots for NBC, test commer- renting the children’s films. She cials for Cheetos snacks, an educa- Through a grant from the tional series for Westinghouse, National Endowment for the Arts, vignettes for the children’s show, Yvonne was soon traveling all over Hot Dog, and opening films for the the country, offering three-month White House conference on chil- workshops in elementary schools, dren. sometimes bringing a teaching assis- Expanding to venues outside of tant with her to stay on longer. In her home studio, Yvonne began all, the films produced by Yvonne’s teaching more involved classes at young students have won more elementary schools and communi- than 125 awards at international ty centers, such as Project film festivals. In a review of a Yellow Incorporated in Cambridge. It was Ball retrospective screening in The at the Newton Creative Arts Center, Village Voice, Jonas Mekas where she taught a six-week sum- said, ”The feeling that comes mer class, that Yvonne first met Amy through, the amazing strength and Kravitz, one of several students who directness with which children can went on to careers in animation. catch a mood, a situation, their Amy recalls, “When I was a child in Andersen’s book published by Little, humor. Without any exaggeration, Brown in 1991. her class, one of the most impor-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 17 these are about the best animated Five years later, she was brought on Books by Yvonne Andersen films made anywhere today.” full time, and served as head of the Teaching Film Animation to In 1985 and 1987, once Yvonne Film and Video Department for nine Children (Van Nostrand was teaching at the college level, years. Reinhold 1970) she traveled to Armenia to work on Make Your Own Animated Movies a collaboration with an organiza- Yvonne educated a whole new and Videotapes (Little, Brown, tion called International Artists for generation of educators, many 1991) Peace. Sixty American artists and of whom are now teaching ani- Make Your Own Animated Movies children were sent to the Soviet mation workshops of their (Little, Brown, 1991) Union to create art projects in asso- own. ciation with Armenian children and Films by Yvonne Andersen artists. The resulting projects were As in the Yellow Ball days, The Laundry, 3 minutes, 1962 A Drop of Honey andThe Golden Yvonne expects a lot from her stu- One Hot Dog With Mustard, 12 Ball, both short animated films dents, and she is recognized for her minutes, 1962 based on Armenian folk tales. organized, almost militant teaching Spaghetti Trouble, 2 minutes, 1963 While continuing with the class- style. Even in her first introductory Fat Feet, 20 minutes, 1966 es for children, Yvonne began offer- animation courses at RISD, she Meow, Meow, 8 minutes, 1969 ing extended-period courses for taught sophisticated filmmaking Let’s Make A Film, 13 minutes, 1970 adults. Once a month, she offered from day one, having her students I Saw Their Angry Faces, 12 min- three day intensive adult work- make complete films, from A/B utes, 1977 shops. “It started off with one per- rolling and negative cutting to We Will Live Forever, 5 minutes, son.” recalls Anderson. “A woman sound design and answer printing. 1994 from a university in Pennsylvania Shortly after Yvonne started full time called up and asked for a private at RISD, Yvonne’s former Many of the above and several workshop.” The rest is history. A student/teaching assistant Amy reels of student films are available wide variety of people came to the Kravitz joined the department; by on film and video from: weekend workshops for a variety of then, she was a CalArts graduate Yellow Ball Workshop, 62 Tarbell reasons: teachers, librarians, people and award-winning independent Ave. Lexington, MA 02173 USA. who worked in hospitals and max- filmmaker. imum security reformatories, even Today, RISD has one of the best people sent by the State fine art animation programs avail- Department from Nigeria. Each of able, with Yvonne teaching Wendy Jackson is Associate Editor them took with them an experience Introduction to Animation, Puppet of Animation World Magazine, that they could then go and share Animation and Special Effects cours- and is one of Yvonne Andersen’s with their own students. In this way, es, while Amy and her husband, former students at the Rhode Yvonne educated a whole new Steve Subotnick, teach the Island School of Design. generation of educators, many of advanced and degree project cours- whom are now teaching animation es. Every year, a new generation of workshops of their own. animators comes out of the pro- Rhode Island School of Design gram, armed with In 1979, Yvonne was invited to Yvonne’s training teach animation part time at Rhode and instilled with Island School of Design (RISD), one her love for the art of the premier art institutions in the of animation. She country. “At first I didn’t think too gives her students much about it,” Yvonne said, “but something to take then I realized it would present me with them. I should with an opportunity to stay in one know . . . I’m one place for once, instead of being on of them. the road all the time. So I did it.” Just A Fishment of My Imagination by Carol Sones, age 16.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 18 z Folk Animation: Low Tech Art in z the High Tech Age by John Serpentelli

portable, can provide children with have short attention spans and are the means to express themselves in incapable of sustained concentra- the art form that best suits their tion. The capturing of the details unique abilities? Who will be in becomes crucial, not for the sake of charge of the creative output, the permanent documentation, but children or the technology? rather as a representation of the Children have the ability to thing at that moment in time. A devour all art forms and appreciate thing, as all children know, can look artists without bothering with “mat- very different from one moment to ters of great consequence,” such as the next. A thing is always in the in what genre does the work of art state of flux, it changes depending belong or where has the artist on where you stand, what has hap- shown the work. Since animation pened before, and what is about to is an art form that can involve happen. A child will adapt the draw- almost all other art forms and chil- ing of a thing to better explain it in John Serpentelli dren can directly encounter the art its current state. he connection between chil- world in an unfiltered manner, they dren and animation seems have the ideal qualifications for cre- Children have the ability to Tsimple enough. To a child, ating what I call “folk animation.” devour all art forms and appre- anything is possible and the same is Children make folk animation when ciate artists without bothering true for animation. Despite this obvi- they disregard the rules of con- with “matters of great conse- ous link; it is very rare that children ventional animation and the estab- quence,” such as in what genre get to make animation. The reason lished art world. Given the chance does the work of art belong or that springs to mind is that the tech- and access to the necessary tools, where has the artist shown the nology has not allowed this to hap- children can capture the essence of work. pen with great ease. Of course, something: its look, its movement, there have been adults and orga- its sound with all the truly impor- Children are interested not only nizations that have dedicated them- tant details, rather than just follow- in capturing the look of a thing but selves to bringing film equipment ing a formula or coloring within the also in its sound. Their pictures and to children, but it is expensive and lines. sounds can tell you something; they cumbersome. What will happen If you have ever closely watched can tell stories. People can’t resist when high technology, as it a child make art, you have realized telling stories. We start almost imme- becomes more affordable and that it just isn’t true that children diately; babies tell stories long before

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 19 any adults figure any of it out; so sioned was a classroom of bright- they could, with as little interven- many great stories are lost this way. eyed eight-year olds; what I was led tion as possible, make an animated For adults, it may be hard to under- to was a correctional high school film. The simple idea was to capture stand a story, but it’s usually not as for girls with weapons offenses. This what was important to them in an hard as it is to tell a story. For babies twist of fate turned out to be a for- art form that, although familiar, is and young children, it’s not difficult tunate blending of adult experience not usually an option for personal at all to tell a story, or to tell a story with childlike expression. This par- expression. In order to unburdened over and over, or one little piece of ticular group of African-American the class of the notion that we a story over and over. So many, girls had a great deal to say in their would be attempting to imitate a many details to capture. art due to their rather troubled lives, big-budget, Hollywood,” animated, Children, of course, tell stories yet they did so in a refreshingly musical extravaganza, I showed with words and pictures. They have uninhibited manner due to an over- them examples of fine art anima- no difficulty telling a story with all lack of formal art training or pre- tion that demonstrated that there words and pictures at the same conceived notions. The drawings was more than one way to skin a time. While a child introduces the were not the typical “studied” illus- mouse. The girls responded strong- main characters’ ly to the idea “personalities” by that they could putting on dis- actually make an guised voices, the animated film characters are being that meant formed on the page something to with meaningful them. lines and gestures. Ultimately, the As more details of girls came up the plot are with the overall revealed , more concept, pro- details are added to duced the draw- the page. The John Serpentelli and one of his classes. Photo by Deborah Reber. ings and paint- drawing, in a sense, ings, wrote the is moving. The child, in a sense, is trations found in so many high script and provided the narration. making a film. For that matter, a school art classes; the drawings still The result was a film that we viewed child coloring a picture while pro- had a link to an honest, precise and over and over, each time one of the viding the soundtrack is engaging freer style of early childhood; the young artists would point out a spe- in the most basic form of interactive difference being that the subject cific detail that they had included. multimedia. matter was now drive-by shootings, They were there in the animation; winning the lottery, and racial iden- they were telling their story com- tity on the evening news. plete with soundtrack and moving The appreciation of child’s art The final outcome, Some Girls pictures. The film does suffer from or of folk art is not just a warm in the Hood, was made by a group one aspect of “low tech”: it has a feeling of charm,” but more of of girls who are virtually absent in soundtrack which at times is diffi- a fascination in a novel way of mass media, let alone have access cult to hear, but due to the direct- seeing, thinking and represent- to make media; so, not surprisingly, ness by which the film was made, ing the everyday world. they had doubts that they would the girls’ “voices” are heard loud and really be making an animated film clear. that might be seen by someone out- I believe that it is this low tech Some Girls in the Hood side their world. Right from the start, directness, the folk animation qual- My experiences making anima- my intention was not to give the ities, that enabled the film to be tion collaborations with children basics of assembly-line animation, seen outside of the correctional high began when I had the idea to let or even the basics of formal draw- school. It was broadcast on several children tell their stories in the art ing lessons. Instead, I was more local television stations in two states, form that they love. What I envi- interested in what would happen if won numerous film festival awards,

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 20 has been shown in galleries and art a Time . . ., a short museums, and even now, some history of the USA four years later, it is still being invit- as explained by ed to festivals as far away as Jason Walker, age Amsterdam and Germany. 8 is a collaborative film made with Narrative Quilts composer Robert I have since had the good for- Moran. This “his- tune to make several more films col- tory tale” was laboratively with children. I was originally told to commissioned by Children’s Tele- Moran by 8-year vision Workshop to create an ani- olds, then trans- mated segment for Sesame Street. formed into slides This time, I was collaborating with of black and Students filming artwork for Dream Quilt. Photo by Deborah Reber a group of much younger artists. white American folk art characters. ment is the catalyst for making col- We looked at the art of Romare In this new version, I took the orig- laborative folk animation. Bearden as a source for stylistic inspi- inal designs from the slides and sim- ration for the 8 foot collage that ply made the story move, and A child coloring a picture while became the background for our added the voice of a child to nar- providing the soundtrack is cutout animated film. We also made rate. It’s as basic as a child telling a engaging in the most basic a public service announcement for familiar story with words and pic- form of interactive UNICEF, where we paid homage to tures—at the same time. multimedia. Joan Miro in the visual style of the The appreciation of child’s art or art and the dreamlike style of the of folk art is not just a warm feeling story. With a different group of col- of “charm,” but more of a fascina- It will be fascinating to see how laborators, I invited an artist and her tion in a novel way of seeing, think- technology will change the way 80-year-old mother to show the chil- ing and representing the everyday children tell stories. If the technolo- dren how to make narrative quilts. world. A simplified yet intricate way gy merely provides the equivalent The final animated project, Dream of making sense or responding to of an animated coloring book, then Quilt, is a patching together of the whatever it was that caught your that would be a grave disservice to children’s personal memories and attention while you were doing children and they, more than likely, imagination with their painted and something else. Capturing this cre- would be insulted or at least bored. collaged quilt squares. Once Upon ative process in the state of move- Hopefully technology will provide a means for children to create ani- mated films with the flexibility of a piece of paper and a few crayons; after all, no one has ever been that inspired by a well executed color- ing book page—low tech or high tech.

John Serpentelli has had his ani- mation collaborations seen on Nickelodeon, Sesame Street and in The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City. He is the Owner and Creative Director of Art & Animation Station, a fine art ani- mation school in Philadelphia . Students filming artwork for Dream Quilt. Photo by Deborah Reber.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 21 Kids Making Animation:

A Sampling of Children’s

Animation Workshops

Around the World Compiled by Wendy Jackson

cross the globe, there are base “all over the country,” with workshop is designed for children pioneering people sharing funding derived from “school ages 6-17. Oded reports that, he’s Atheir love for the art and budgets, parents, and educa- “a computer systems analyzer, craft of animation through teach- tional funds.” This independent freelance journalist, interior and ing children. Some workshops graphic designer, and a teacher are affiliated with the ASIFA of animation, art and photog- International Children’s Workshop raphy.” initiative, while others are run “Carousel,” Oded notes, is a independently of any other “one-time animation workshop, groups. From cameraless tech- aimed at giving the inexperi- niques such as Zoetropes and enced participant the basic drawing on film, to drawn, experience of creating a short cutout and model animation, animation film. I don’t need any these workshops have one thing special preparation to do the in common: they teach children workshop, but I can start at to understand abstract concepts once. I use a big Zoetrope to of time, movement and design, show the animations, and we while giving them an opportu- usually record the short films on nity to express themselves cre- video as well. atively. Here are profiles of what “One of the most rewarding some teachers are doing. experiences I have had oc- curred when I was asked to do Carousel,Tel-Aviv, Israel a workshop in a special school Eitan Oded heads up this for mentally disabled children. workshop, which finds its home Zoetrope strips made by children in Israel. I was a little skeptical about the

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 22 chance for the activity to succeed, Renate Zuniga traveled to Baco UNESCO, and Austrian television, but I decided to try it anyway. All Bampo, the remote village of the which also produced a 15 minute the teachers warned me to lower Yoreme Indians in Wayparin, documentary film, featuring the my expectations, so I would not Mexico. Here, they presented a children’s animation and covering be disappointed. We started the one-month animation workshop the entire workshop in Baco workshop with many anxieties, for the children in the village. Bampo. but finished with lots of joy and Four minutes of animation were James Clay is a member of the happiness. The films were won- produced by 12 children who ASIFA International Children’s derful and especially colorful. The had never even seen animation Workshop group, and teaches sensation and the atmosphere before. The film they created was animation in Austrian schools and during the whole workshop was based on a ceremony called “La prisons. happy and everyone was smil- Danza del Venaldo” which is very ing.” important to the cultural and reli- James Clay, gious life of the village, a mix Siebenbrunengasse 92/12/35, Eitan Oded, 32 Har-Zion Blvd., between Spanish Catholocism A-1050 Vienna, Austria Tel-Aviv 66047 Israel, Tel/fax: 972- and native Shamanism. Tel: 1-555-8535. 3-6391555. Every detail of the Baco Bampo project Tekenfilm Club, Amsterdam had to be thoroughly The Tekenfilm Club is located planned in advance, in Veenendaal, Utrecht, The as there would be no Netherlands, and draws its facul- supplies available in ty and funding from Rembrandt the village. There is College; it is headed by indepen- no electricity, so Clay dent filmmaker Monique Renault, and Zuniga had to whose films include Pas a Deux bring flashlights to and Borderline. It teaches its use underneath the workshops to children up to 13- makeshift animation years old. Its mission is, “To give drawing tables (see children a different look at what photo). They also they take for granted when they brought with them all passively watch TV. To make them paper, pencils, and art critique and show them how it supplies, even hand- moves. How long is a second?” made animation peg- James Clay with animation students in Mexico. The workshops take place bars made of metal each Thursday afternoon for an strips and pieces of hour-and-a-half over a 6 six week wooden dowel. Film was period with 20 children. It teach- processed in Mexico city after the Single-Frame Studio, es its kids to do flipbooks, drawing workshop was complete. Clay Norwich,Vermont, USA on film, animation on paper and recalls that it was difficult to get Independent animation pixilation. the classes started on schedule, teacher Gail Banker states as her as there were no watches or mission to “foster the under- Monique Renault, clocks in the village, the children standing of hand-crafted film- Nieuwerdammerdijk 157 just showed up at irregular times. making.” With more than 12 years 10-25-LG Amsterdam, The solution to this problem experience teaching animation to The Netherlands. turned out to be to make the people of all ages, Gail has edu- classes start first thing in the morn- cated all kinds of people about Animation Workshop, ing. the art of animation. In addition Baco Bampo, Mexico The workshop was funded by to teaching animation part-time In November of 1996, donations from the city of Vienna, at a New Hampshire middle Austrian artists James Clay and the Austrian Ministry of Culture, school, and for six weeks each

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 23 summer at a Massachusetts arts and make a tracing of your draw- developed standard programs program, she operates a variety ing. Now you have two identical which are adapted according to of workshops out of her home drawings. Tear out the top page the wishes of teachers. The work- studio in Norwich, Vermont. and pass it to the person on your shops teach a variety of tech- Funded by a modest tuition, right. When you receive a draw- niques, including cartoons, Single-Frame Studio offers spring ing from your neighbor, tape it cutouts, and puppets. They are and fall workshops, which are 20 into the pad on the last page, held all year long at schools, and hours each taught over the where you made the rectangle. are usually given over 1-10 three- course of 6 weeks; they cover “Bind the top of the pad with hour periods in a classroom. flipbooks, cutouts, clay animation, masking tape, so that the pages During holidays, they like to give object animation, pixillation, sand will not come loose while you are week-long workshops open to animation, collage, and “any drawing. Now you are ready to everybody, from 5 to 95. other techniques students wish to start drawing animation in your The CEA’s mission is “to devel- explore, with the exception of flipbook. Everyone should use the op the critical mind of the media computer animation.” The films same kind of pen so that the line ‘customers’ we have become.” are shot on super-8 film and throughout will be consistent. The staff works in school circles screened at a special showing for Begin with the blank page above and in youth centers, both in family and friends at the end of the drawing (your neighbor’s) that Belgium and all over Europe. The the six weeks, then transferred to you just taped in. Trace, and grad- association also organizes weekly video for the students to keep. ually begin to change the draw- workshops for children, evening In a course for more advanced ing a little bit each page, until (98 classes for adults and introducto- students, called “Kids Speaking to pages later) you transform the ry courses during school holidays. Kids,” the students create public image into your original drawing. One of its main activities is to facil- service announcements on sub- “When everyone has com- itate the creation of short ani- jects such as substance abuse, pleted their flipbooks, film them mated films by giving participants racial tensions, sexual harassment, frame by frame, in order so that the opportunity to engage in all HIV prevention and substance the first drawing of each book stages of the animation process. abuse. The PSAs are then pre- corresponds with the last draw- CEA also puts on two “didac- sented in doctor’s offices and on ing of the previous book. tic itinerant exhibitions,” takes part local public access cable stations. Depending upon how many stu- in international festivals, as well Gail herein shares with us her dents are involved in this exercise, as in competitions and cultural favorite teaching exercise: Round you may have a longer film with meetings “as much in Belgium as Robin Flipbooks. no pre-determined beginning or abroad.” “This is a beginning exercise end. It is interesting to see how for three or more students. Using themes emerge and re-emerge in Jean-Luc Slock, Veronique a 100-sheet, 6” x 9” blank pad of this exercise.” Michel, Camera Enfants Admis, paper, trace a rectangle on the Cour St. Gilles, 35, 4000 Liege last page that will represent the 3 Gail Banker, Single-Frame Belgium Tel: 4-253-5957 Fax: 4- x 4 ratio of the movie screen. Studio, 212 Waterman Hill Rd. 252-5631. Then mark both side ends of the Norwich, VT 05055-9687 USA Tel: book with a line corresponding 802-649-1081 Fax: 603-650-6898 Inner-City Arts, to the top line of the rectangle. Email: [email protected]. Los Angeles, California USA “Now open the book from the Inner-City Arts is a private non- top, and on the second page Camera Enfants Admis, profit art school located in down- from the top, make a simple draw- Liege, Belgium town Los Angeles, which hosts a ing in the (visualized) space of the Camera Enfants Admis (CEA) Teen Saturday Animation Program rectangle. Don’t become too (which translates as Camera and a biweekly Animation involved in this drawing, because Children Admitted) is an associa- Program for Elementary School you will not really be working tion that aims at initiating the pub- Children. with it. When the drawing is com- lic into audiovisual media from Their mission is to explore the plete, flip the above page down early childhood on up. They have artistic potential of animation.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 24 Inner-City Arts in Los Angeles Teenage students do hands-on 627-6469. then be filmed frame by frame work with Sony animation equip- and turned into an animated ment, see videos and films of cut- Animathon International Inc., video. ting-edge animation, do group Mont Saint-Hilaire, and individual projects in a vari- Quebec, Canada Animathon ety of media. It works with 450 This private organization, “The word animathon, which elementary children a day on whose faculty includes André is a combination of the words ani- weekdays, year round, in visual Leduc, producer, and Florence mation and marathon, expresses arts, animation, ceramics, dance, Bolté, Professor of Cinema and the two aspects of our project, i.e. drama, music and language arts. Scriptwriting. It is funded by ask- the production of an animated Its Saturday component offers a ing for “financial participation” film in record time. Usually it takes teen animation program taught from host organizations and/or several weeks or even months to in collaboration with California from participants. Leduc sent in produce an animated film. The Institute of the Arts graduate stu- the following description of what animathon takes place on the dents. it’s all about: challenge of producing an ani- “There was a young girl in our mated film in record time, all par- first elementary animation pro- Ludoptik ticipants are working against the gram who hated animation. The “Ludoptik is a workshop for clock. An animation film produced CalArts student teachers worked making optical toys such as by 6 to 8 people that runs about hard with her and turned her on Thaumatropes, Phenakistoscopes, 30 seconds from start to finish to the creative process—she did Zoetropes, or flipbooks without takes about 30 hours. This is a 180 degree turn; she became frame-by-frame filming. It is ideal indeed “record time”. A standard so good and so fast that she for young children, ages 6-13 animathon lasts between 24 and wound up helping her class- years old, as it takes only a few 32 hours. mates. hours to show students the frame- “Before starting the animation, “To see the excitement on the by-frame principle and initiate the team agrees to the graphic faces of new students as they first them into the world of cinema style they want at the storyboard experience the Zoetrope, which and animation. Simple exercises stage. The final prototype evolves allows a strip of 12 drawings to help students understand the after swapping drawings, trying become animation.” phenomenon of retinal persis- out various possibilities, and mak- tence and enable them to grasp ing a few compromises. The Inner-City Arts, 720 Kohler the technique of quickly creating drawings are usually shot frame- Street Los Angeles, CA 90021 animated images, without using a by-frame on Super VHS video. USA. Tel: 213-627-9621 Fax: 213- camera. The toys created could Our setup also equips us to shoot

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 25 a range of mediums: VHS, to insure stability and shooting “They demystified to our eyes Betacam, 35mm or 16mm. No within the norms. We chose and ears the relation of the man previous experience is necessary scented pencils to help them iden- to art. Their speech can be sum- to participate. The workshop tify the colors: strawberry for red, marized by this question, debated makes animated cinema available mint for green, blueberry for blue, during these hours spent togeth- to everyone who wants to par- coffee for brown, etc. er: ‘Who can claim to art, the ticipate in a game, produce a film, “These two youngsters, with sighted or nonsighted people?” and see the results quickly. These an animator, started the marathon As the nonsighted has no visual films are based on music, which is with some anxiety. They soon felt reference, isn’t he the one who an international language; they more confident as, within an can?” address a vast international pub- lic, unhampered by language bar- riers. This activity can be done with children from 14 years old. “Teaching animation is a way of communication by knowing new people and culture. With Animathon those past years, we have been in communication with thousands of people from 6 to 79 years old in 15 countries. For us, making an animation is a human experience through art; it is also being close to the imagi- nary which is always a privilege. Everywhere we go, we have memorable experiences. We would like to share one of them with you.

Teaching Animation Child drawing on an “animation stand” made of bricks and sheet plastic. to the Blind hour, quicker than the others, “In 1991, two young non- they built their screenplay by lis- Animathon International Inc., sighted people registered to par- tening to the music. They imme- BP 85019 , Mont Saint-Hilaire ticipate in an Animathon work- diately recognized a musical leit- Quebec J3H2P6 CANADA. Tel: shop. We had to adapt our equip- motiv and decided to built their 514-467-8909 Fax: 514-467- ment to meet their needs. We had screenplay using it. In the same 7625. Email: animathon@ani- no doubts about their capability way, these musical pieces allowed mathon.com. Internet: www.ani- to draw; the muscular memory them to use less drawings. They mathon.com. principle—developed by Norman found an humorist Title, the Man McLaren—which enable one to Who Planted/Dumped in the Atelier de cinema d’anima- reproduce a drawing and then Trees, in reference to their hand- tion d’Annecy keep the movement memory for icap (and to Frédérick Back’s The et de Haute-Savoie (A.A.A.), the following ones, reassured us. Man Who Planted Trees), and France “The mark system is usually started working. (Please also see Nicole determined by transparency; it “During the workshop, they Salomon’s article on this work- defines the field/space in which refused to use the scented pen- shop in the April 1996 issue of the animator can work. In order cils that they found disgusting. Animation World Magazine.) to simplify it, we created card- They accepted the cardboard board guages that we put above guide and finished their film in Besides Nicole Salomon, the the drawing paper and the lugs time. workshop is staffed by Laurent

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 26 Alessandrini, Karine Jeannet and direct-on-film animation. Each par- various professional animators ticipant works on either a per- who come as guests. The age of sonal or collective project, based children in the program ranges on a technique they chose. YYourour AdAd from 5 to 20 on up. Funding When asked about their most comes from the Ministries of memorable experience, Nicole Could Be Culture and National Education, Salomon noted that, “Each time Could Be CNC, City of Annecy, and the we have animators as instructors District of Haute-Savoie,. who do not speak French, the HerHere!e! The workshops will usually communication between them enroll up to 20 to 30 students. and the kids becomes totally visu- During the school week, they get al: pantomime, drawings and ges- For rate cards and students from local elementary tures. And at the end, there is no additional information and secondary schools, when the misunderstanding. about kids and their teacher come there “The best time teaching ani- various opportunities instead of their regular school. mation is when the first results are for exposure at Films are made using 16mm visible. The students are fascinat- Animation World or in UMatic video, usually with ed when they see what they’ve drawings and some cutouts, on done. Even their line tests make Network, a theme they have chosen previ- them happy: they have created contact our ously. A collective storyboard is life! Los Angeles decided upon on the first morn- She concluded that, “The office at ing of the week. Then each stu- greatest challenge is to have the dent chooses a segment that less talented kids be able to get 213.468.2554 he/she draws, animates and results and take an active part in shoots. On the last day of the the class production.” week, “the classes take care of or e-mail their soundtracks.” Nicole Salomon, A.A.A., 4 pas- any of our sales During the week, the children sage des Clercs - BP 426 - 74020 representatives: go through each step of the ani- Annecy Cedex, France. Tel : (0)4- mation process, ending with a fin- 50-45-1930 Fax : (0)4-50-45- ished film that is the result of a 9985. North America: collective effort, in which every- Bart Vitek one has participated in. As a Wendy Jackson is Associate [email protected] result, the students “become more Editor of Animation World critical spectators.” Magazine. As an animator, she For individuals, the workshop has been involved with teaching Europe: offers three hour sessions on animation to children and Vincent Ferri Wednesdays, either in the morn- teenagers for the past six years. ing or afternoon during the [email protected] school year. During short holi- Editor’s Note: In the future, days, it holds 4-5 day workshops, Animation World Network lasting 6 hours a day, for kids 7 U.K. would like to publish informa- on up. Alan Smith tion about additional animation All A.A.A. workshops cover var- [email protected] workshops, classes and train- ious frame-by-frame techniques, ing programs around the starting with optical toys and world. Please tell us about screening of auteur films. Other Location: workshops you know about or Techniques used include draw- are involved with, by writing to [email protected] ings, cutouts, plasticine, pixilation, [email protected]. powders, objects, puppet and

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 27 unicef Draws on Talent to Advance Children’s Rights

by Deborah Reber

ince its inception, the United rights that every child should Germany. In order to join the Nations Children’s Fund have, including the right to a Consortium, a studio agrees to S(UNICEF) has worked on name and nationality, freedom of donate staff time and services to behalf of children on the basis of expression and opinion, and pro- fully produce a 30-second PSA, need, regardless of race, nation- tection from sexual exploitation using new characters and origi- ality, status or political belief. As and child labor. The shorts would nal animation created especially the twentieth century draws to a be televised worldwide as public for the campaign. close, a key part of UNICEF’s role service announcements (PSAs). The studios work closely with has become to raise the world’s UNICEF immediately saw the UNICEF to ensure that their ani- awareness and mobilize its potential of such a campaign. mated interpretation of the resources in favor of children. Convention article is culturally sen- Although UNICEF has been sitive and globally applicable. using animation as a tool for edu- However, the creative vision of the cation and change for several individual producers is of para- years now, its most recent anima- mount important to the success tion initiative has mobilized the of the project. By working with global animation industry on an animators from around the world, unprecedented scale. UNICEF’s diversity of style and content will International Animation Consor- be ensured, and the campaign tium for Child Rights has brought will truly be a global one. The together nearly 80 top animation spots in production to date rep- studios, animators and distribu- In the fall of 1995, UNICEF resent a variety of animation tech- tors to produce 30-second televi- began approaching animation niques, including cutout, CGI, sion spots to increase awareness studios about the Consortium, stop-motion, sand animation, and of children’s rights. and found the industry was traditional cel. extremely receptive. Among the The Idea first 30 Consortium members to It all started when C.J. Kettler, sign up were Hanna-Barbera The creative vision of the indi- President and Chief Operating Cartoons, HBO Animation, MTV vidual producers is of para- Officer of Sunbow Entertainment, Animation, Nickelodeon USA, mount important to the suc- approached UNICEF with the idea Warner Bros. Feature Animation cess of the project. of having studios produce ani- and Walt Disney Feature Ani- mated shorts illustrating key arti- mation. Since then, more than 40 From Nickelodeon to . . . cles of the Convention on the companies from around the world Nickelodeon USA was among Rights of the Child. This UN doc- have come on board, from Future the first companies to produce ument, drafted in 1989, outlines Art in Korea to Hahn Films in their spot, which came out of a

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 28 telli found a local company to sponsor the cost of the animation project, and set about producing a spot on a child’s right to have access to appropriate information. Serpentelli is now working with a new group of youngsters to produce yet another spot for the campaign, this one dealing with a child’s right to a safe and clean environment. The class is using cut-outs, based largely on the style of artist Henri Matisse, to tell their story. Club members have embraced this opportunity to speak their mind and have a chance to make a difference. Said member Amanda Leigh, “I feel Protection of Privacy PSA by Polish Television. that the environment is very unique collaboration between man hopes the PSA can have a important. By ruining it, we are Nickelodeon, Pixar, and Higashi far-reaching impact. “Most of the ruining our own lives. Our public Glaser Design. The three compa- time moving images are used service announcement will help nies had been looking for an either to get ratings or to sell prod- people to realize our problem. Not opportunity to work together, and ucts. It would be really wonder- only will it touch children, but also the UNICEF project seemed ideal. ful if this spot could play a role in adults.” The group chose to animated a making freedom of expression In doing this project, the kids child’s right to freedom of expres- part of our value system,” said have also come to learn first-hand sion, a topic which fit well into Friedman. why animation is such a great tool Nickelodeon’s “kids are powerful” for getting across messages on philosophy. “Whether you are Cedar Brook Middle School social change. “There’s a limited someone that is really loud and to . . . amount of words and feelings sings, or you dance, or you write Although the Consortium is that you can use to describe how poetry, it’s all valid and it doesn’t mostly made up of animation stu- you feel, but with animation you have to look a certain way to be dios, an animation club at Cedar just do whatever you want and acceptable,” said Nickelodeon’s Brook Middle School near really express your feelings or Karen Fowler, describing why they Philadelphia has joined the big emotions in anyway you want to,” chose the topic. dogs of animation to express said young animator Julie After months of storyboard themselves. “I read about the Herman. development, character designs, Animation Consortium in the and coast-to-coast conference ASIFA newsletter and thought it Independent Animators in calls, the end result was Look sounded like a great project to Developing Countries Away, animated in Pixar’s now work on with kids. I think it’s very In addition to large animation famous computer animation, important to give kids an idea of studios and John Serpentelli’s mid- which tells the story of a child how their voice is important and dle school club, independent ani- expressing himself in front of a dis- an opportunity to have their voic- mators in developing countries approving parent. In the end, the es heard, because that is almost will be participating in the parent becomes inspired by the never the case,” said independent Cartoons for Children’s Rights cam- child’s ability to express, and animation and teacher John paign as well. Betty Cohen, begins to do the same. Serpentelli, who runs the after President of the Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon producer Amy Fried- school club. Last summer, Serpen- one of the largest cable networks

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 29 in the world, was determined to one-third of the PSAs being dis- rights, as interpreted through the include this population of artists tributed for broadcast at a time. Animation Consortium members. in the Consortium. To encourage “We hope that our distribution The book will profile the anima- their participation, the Cartoon plan makes the campaign more tors’ personal journeys in devel- Network donated $75,000— manageable to broadcasters, oping their contributions, while $3,000 for each participating artist while giving animation studios highlighting the experiences of from a developing country to plenty of time to work real kids around the world cover production costs. These the creation of their who are facing these grants are intended to fund the spot into their serious issues work of an additional 20 anima- production everyday. tors from countries including schedules,” UNICEF hopes Bolivia, Brazil and Ghana, and said William to release the Indonesia. Hetzer, book in con- With production of the cam- Chief, junction with UNICEF’s the broadcast Broadcast premiere of “There’s a limited amount of and Elec- the campaign words and feelings that you tronic Com- at the end of can use to describe how you munication 1997. feel, but with animation you Section. While admin- just do whatever you want and One of the stren- istered by UNICEF, the really express your feelings or gths of animation is International Ani- emotions in anyway you want its longevity—audi- UNICEF Animation mascot. mation Consortium to.” ences still love car- for Child Rights is toons that are decades old—and overseen by a 15-member paign securely underway, UNICEF its potential for other multimedia Steering Committee, made up of is now beginning to solicit the uses. UNICEF hopes that the col- studio heads and corporate man- support of broadcasters world- orful, international animation agers from the largest animation wide and ensure that the PSAs get campaign will be kept alive studios worldwide. Roy Disney, on the air. At the suggestion of through a number of related ini- Vice Chairman of the Board, The ABC/Disney Cable Networks tiatives long after its broadcast Walt Disney Company, is the President Geraldine Laybourne, debut. “We have some of the Honorary Chairman of the UNICEF is approaching broad- most talented animators in the Steering Committee. casters to join the Consortium as business creating animation for “Charter Members.” Charter UNICEF,” said honorary Members agree to include the Consortium Executive Producer Cartoons for Children’s Rights Buzz Potamkin, a former execu- spots in their regular program- tive producer at Hanna-Barbera ming schedules. Several North who now works independently. Deborah Reber American and European broad- “When the Consortium is over, ([email protected]) has been casters have already pledged their we’ll have nearly 100 great spots an Animation Development support. to work with in the form of TV Consultant with UNICEF for the The cartoons will be distrib- specials, books and possibly even past two years, and currently uted through UNICEF’s field offices merchandising_all promoting the oversees the Cartoons for and National Committees, in part rights of children.” The spots may Children’s Rights campaign, as through UNICEF’s major broadcast also be distributed to schools as well as other animation advoca- initiative, the International Child- part of an educational program. cy activities. ren’s Day of Broadcasting. UNICEF And indeed, UNICEF has plans to distribute the nearly 100 already begun working on a cof- spots in 6-month increments, with fee table book about children’s

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 30 by John W. Rice

t involved around 150 people, not all of the world’s leaders in ani- dren’s rights covered in the United most working well into their own mation. Disney, Warner Bros., Nations Convention on the Rights Itime; it seemed everyone at Fil- Hanna-Barbera, DreamWorks and of the Child. By popularizing chil- Cartoons wanted to “do” some- countless others were tapped to dren’s needs and rights, the anima- thing, to contribute in some way, produce animated features on chil- tion industry will assist in making to say that they helped in the mak- the global television audience more ing of Child Soldiers. conscious of its duties and obliga- Several months ago, Bill Dennis, tions to children everywhere. Each then president and general man- participating studio will create and ager of Fil-Cartoons, Manila, produce a 30-second feature on a received a request from UNICEF specific child right selected in con- (United Nations Children’s Fund) to sultation with UNICEF. Bill Dennis be a participating studio in a world- accepted immediately, delighted wide animation consortium that is that Fil-Cartoons had been included producing a series of public service with such high profile studios. commercials to be aired around the Fil-Cartoons has, over the years, world. The UNICEF Animation produced several shows for UNICEF, Consortium, the organization cre- most notably some of the highly ated specifically for this purpose, has popular and acclaimed Meena acquired the assistance of most if John Rice. series, which deal with the rights of

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 31 only too aware that it would be an international showcase for the tal- ents and creativity of Fil-Cartoons and it’s artists. Eventually, Child Soldiers took shape. The main character, Carlos, about 13 years old, dark haired with slightly olive skin, is part of a group of friends seen in typical childhood situations. His friends are an ethnic mix of Asians, Africans and Euro- peans. The location could have been any one of many countries. We open on Carlos and his friends, at the circus, laughing at the antics of a colorful clown, very upbeat, noisy, happy, etc. Then we cross dissolve though a series of happy childhood situations as the mood and tempo changes to what Clown sequence from Child Soldiers. we now realize is reality: Carlos and girls in a rural Asia. For this project, Showing What We Could Do his friends standing against a there were many “headings” to After receiving the green light bombed out shell of a building, choose from, such as: A child’s right from UNICEF we promptly got start- looking like a disheveled rag tag to free speech, to play, to educa- ed. Fil-Cartoons is a major produc- group of child soldiers as shadows tion, to a caring family, etc. We tion house, and although not unfa- of passing tanks glide over them. eventually decided on the child’s miliar with preproduction, the bulk We then hear the simple line of right not to go to war. It was quite of our work in the past, as with voice-over narration, “‘To some chil- amazing to learn how many chil- most Asian animation studios, has dren, childhood is just a dream.” dren and youth are actually fight- been from layout to workprint; so This return to reality is reflected in ing in wars across the world, get- this was a great opportunity for us the colors, from bright colors to ting killed or maimed. This heading to show what we could do. The greys and blues, in the music, from seemed to hold special significance problem was how to portray such a gay circus tunes to the sound of here in the Philippines, as until quite sensitive subject in only 30 seconds. tanks rolling along a gravel road. recently, government forces clashed This posed quite a challenge, so my Carlos dreaming of what might many times with anti-government fellow animation directors Achiu So have, what should have been. insurgents that were partly com- and Ric Jamlig, and I began work We wanted to keep Child prised of youths fighting and dying on what turned out to be the for a cause many suspected they first of many possible scenar- knew or cared little about. ios. We were having fun, and once or twice thought we’d cracked the problem, only to Until quite recently, govern- be sent literally, back to the ment forces clashed many drawing board. times with anti-government Bill Dennis, as producer insurgents that were partly was not an easy person to comprised of youths fighting impress, and he wanted to be and dying for a cause many impressed. He was very much suspected they knew or cared involved in the initial creative little about. aspects of the spot. He want- ed something special, being Classroom sequence from Child Soldiers.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 32 of it was on 24 field. I hope that these atrocities it helps to bring to light will soon be only bad memo- ries. Nary Jamlig,Animator: Youth is the only hope of the future—for God’s sake, stop killing the world’s children! Boatman Lacamiento, Layout Artist: “To some children, child- hood is just a dream.” When I read this line on the storyboard, I real- Left to right: Nary Jamgig, Bill Dennis, and John Rice. ized exactly what this project involved. I had to come up with lay- Soldiers wholly within the studio. whose fate is so much more unset- outs that could put over this dread- The original music was written and tled and unsure than that of my ful practice and in some way help to performed by Egay Bugas and own. I pray that all the children in stop it altogether. It was a film I Rommie Fabian, who are equally the world can grow up enjoying a thought very relevant and I was proficient as animators. For the happy childhood as mine are. very happy to have been asked to voice-over narration, we tested Ellen Santiago, Color Stylist: work on it. around 30 people around the stu- Getting the colors right for this pro- dio and finally decided on Alice ject had many demanding aspects, Alice Manuel,Administration Manuel, head of the Administration enhancing the happy moments and Head (Voice-Over): Doing the voice-over for this project was con- Department. She spoke the line solemnifying the downward siderably more difficult than I with such deep conviction that per- aspects. I carefully researched the thought. After viewing the rushes, haps came, in part, from being the different skin shades of each race I felt inspired as I delivered the line. mother of 2 teenage boys. The portrayed. I hope our small effort Such a sensitive issue. As a mother, models were designed by Ric goes a small way to eliminating this I knew what this film is all about. Jamlig. Nary Jamlig as the anima- dreadful use of human life. tor, reminds us how talented and Lani Manapsal, Cel Painter: It’s Each comment is similar and versatile Filipino animators are. an honor to be part of this project. they all relished working on such a I asked some of the people who The destruction and wanton abuse socially relevant film. I also enjoyed worked on Child Soldiers their of such young lives is so wrong. I the experience enormously. It is not thoughts on the project. Here is hope and pray this evil will end often that one gets to work on a what they had to say: soon. project from its conception to com- Au Uaje, Head, Special Effects pletion. And, as a parent, I too hope Rex Avila, Head, Background Department: The tears flowing, we may have helped put an end to Department: I produced nine such a strong scene. We experi- child soldiers. background studies for Child mented with using glue, pantone, Soldiers; and although the style was airbrush and dry brush to get just not extremely difficult, careful atten- the correct effect. I think the realism tion had to be paid to achieving the of the shot will bring home the crass correct atmosphere. My own child- futility of child soldiers. hood was so happy and carefree, Teddy Rodriguez, Head, Final it really brings home the plight of Checking: I felt privileged to have John W. Rice is an Animation these desperate children. My heart been a part of the project. If only, in Director at Fil-Cartoons. goes out to them. a small way, it may start to bring to Grace Yoingco, Head, Ink & an end the evil that is war and the Paint Department: As a mother, disregard of human life. This is such the images portrayed in the film real- a worthwhile film. ly make me aware of the fate of chil- Dong Bagos, Xerox Checking: dren in other parts of the world, This film had complications—most

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 33 Trees for Life: Making Life Better Through Fruit Trees and Animation by Heather Kenyon

albir Mathur is a man with a We have all heard the Chinese we send them. We are here just to mission. And no small mission proverb: If you give a person a fish provide the missing elements. We Bat that. He wants to plant 100 you feed him for a day; teach him look at ourselves as servants, servants million fruit trees by the year 2000. how to fish and he will never be to the people who are serving their He has already helped with the plant- hungry again. Trees for Life is even communities,” Mathur explains. ing of tens of millions of trees and more proactive. The organization is his movement is gaining speed. all about self-help at a grassroots Animation is Key More than three million people have level. Trees for Life believes in edu- Therefore, communication is the participated in Mathur’s vision by cating people who will then teach key to the organization’s success. helping to plant trees in Brazil, Nepal, others how to plant trees. So, going How well volunteers in the field com- India and Guatemala. Likened to back to our proverb, Trees for Life municate new ideas and techniques Johnny Appleseed, the enthusiastic doesn’t just teach people how to fish, directly relates to the program’s suc- Mathur is tireless, working toward cess. The communication tool of helping others help themselves choice is becoming animation. and now animation is becoming Animation transcends cultural an increasingly important tool to barriers and becomes a universal him and Trees for Life. language that is easily under- Mathur founded Trees for Life, stood by those who are word a nonprofit movement that plants illiterate. “Animation is key to fruit trees in developing nations, transferring knowledge to the as a reaction to many questions poorest poor in the world,” he was pondering while working Mathur agrees. as a management consultant. “I Their first animated project is was thinking about, `Who am I? a 10-minute film which relates Am I a human being? What does the story of Trees for Life. It is that mean? How do I wish to Excerpt from Frédéric Back’s animation storyboard being created by Frédéric Back, respond to that? What do I want for The Trees for Life Story. who won an Academy Award to do as a result?’“ By 1984 he for his The Man Who Planted had an answer and Trees for Life was they teach people how to make fish- Trees. “Back is our patron saint,” says born. The newly planted fruit trees ing poles and expect them to go Mathur. not only provide food for hungry teach others. Back is just as complimentary of people and protect the environment, “Some people don’t know how Mathur. “Trees for Life and my ideas they also become a source of to plant trees. So we teach them. are very similar. I was very glad to income. Some people don’t have seeds. So know of Trees for Life and I was

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 34 happy I had a chance to work on of children are. It will help people to the two groups could work togeth- this beautiful story and try to make as remember the dreams of childhood er. He even taught a workshop on many people as possible learn what so that they are not lost with the cur- “How to write a creative story” for mankind could achieve.” rents of life. The world could be as the Trees for Life staff. “It was a fab- Now more than ever Back’s orig- bright as it was.” ulous experience for us,” enthuses inal message is crucial. In the past Mathur. 200 years, half of the earth’s trees Beyond Back “Soon Trees for Life will be joined have been destroyed. However, both Trees for Life is headquartered in by some of our animation faculty and Back and Mathur are very upbeat Wichita, Kansas and run by highly students to complete their project. It and positive about the effects qualified professionals and volunteers is a thrill to combine our new gen- humans can have if who sometimes leave eration of animators with such a wor- they choose to act behind high paying thy cause,” says Lehmann, SVA’s responsibly. “I believe jobs in order to join this Chairman of Film, Video and very much in the coalition. While Back is Animation. Mathur maintains though power we have. In the completing the key ani- that the organization will stay a small long run we can make mation, Trees for Life is flexible unit in order to best utilize its a tremendous change. looking for other ani- limited resources. We can change the mators to help them world with every little finish their film. Mathur The newly planted fruit trees choice we make,” says has already begun to not only provide food for hun- Back. set up an animation gry people and protect the “I find this world studio in Wichita where environment, they also joyful, full of unchart- volunteers can learn become a source of income. ed potential. We say to the process and will children, `This is not a then spread out, like “Traditionally, the SVA student hopeless place. This is a missionaries, to teach. body has taken a strong role in sup- place we love. Let’s Mathur reached out porting the community,” explains make sure it stays this to the professional ani- Lehmann. “After meeting Balbir way, a beautiful plan- mation community this Mathur for just a few minutes I knew et,’“ Mathur says. Trees past fall. He and his that the Trees for Life animation pro- for Life distributes educational pack- wife, Treva, who is just as dedicated, posal would be the kind of project ages to 55,000 schools across the visited Los Angeles for a week. SVA could assist in developing.” United States, representing 2 million During their visit they met with a host The Los Angeles trip has hurried students. Every one of these students of interested parties including: Ron along their second animated project. receives packets of seeds that they Diamond of Animation World This film will be directed toward peo- are encouraged to grow either in Network, animator Leon Joosen, ple in India to educate them about the classroom or at home. Then, the educators Bruce Royer and Linda a remarkable tree that grows in their students feel as though they are tak- Crain, historian Charles Solomon, ani- own backyard. Each year in India, ing part in the grand solution. mator John Ramirez and Warner 500,000 children are blinded and Schools, churches and commu- Bros. Feature Animation where they millions more die due to vitamin A nities will receive the completed ani- received a first hand look at Dave deficiency. In the midst of this hor- mated history of Trees for Life to raise Master’s new program where stu- ror, however, a tree called the drum- awareness of the group. “Animation dents are taught animation via inter- stick tree exists. The drumstick tree’s is a wonderful media to describe, not active television. Mathur was so leaves contain 10 times more vita- always reality, but a message that is impressed with the generosity of the min A than carrots and are a com- strong. You can create a reality that animation community, that he is monly accepted form of food. Trees is very attractive and you can reach planning yet another trip. In the for Life has already developed an everyone - children and adults. In a meantime, however, Reeves Leh- educational package explaining the short time you can see an evolution, mann from New York’s School of nutritional value of these leaves. the contrasts of situations,” says Back. Visual Arts (SVA) traveled to Kansas Now, they are teaming up with sev- “It shows how important the dreams for six days in January to assess how eral other groups to create an ani-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 35 mated video which discusses the use knowledge to others,” says of these leaves in a healthy diet. This Mathur. He has hopes of film will utilize paper cutouts and opening up an animation include artists from India and studio in Allahabad, India Guatemala. Production will begin on where school children will April 1and Mathur maintains that this learn to use the art of ani- is not an April’s fool. “We already have mation to express themselves the storyboard and Frédéric is going and their concerns. “They to be here to start us off.” The project have to ask and answer their will be completed by July. own questions.” More ani- But of course, Mathur’s dreams mation studios in other developing nations would “In the long run we can make then be planned based on a tremendous change.We can the success of the model in change the world with every India. little choice we make.” However, whatever the because this is the gift I give to my future holds, Mathur feels this group beloved, this planet.” do not end with these two animat- is already an overwhelming success. If you would like to help or learn ed shorts and US schools. As usual, In fact, he cannot truly count the more about Trees for Life, check out he has much grander schemes. First, number of trees the group has plant- their Web page on AWN, or in North he realizes that they have to set up ed because the movement is so suc- America, call them toll free at 1-800- a truly working studio in Kansas. cessful at working on a community 873-3736. “Anyone who would like to come level. “It just spreads. We cannot con- work with us, even for a few days, trol it . . . We are people who are would be most welcome.” Trees for dancing and our life missions are Life is looking for animation savvy already completed just when we Heather Kenyon is Manager of individuals to help train their core arrive here (at Trees for Life). I don’t Production Information at Hanna- group of workers or donate equip- plant trees because of ambitions, Barbera Cartoons and a freelance ment. Then “we will pass on this goals or dreams. I plant them writer. REGISTER with Animation World Network TODAY

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ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 36 An Interview d d With d d G e o r g e

G r i f f i n d

by Ann C. Philippon

s the quintessential inde- jects, such as It’s an O.K. al expression of the artist’s matura- pendent American animator, Life, done for PBS, and tackled tion. Griffin’s body of work repre- AGeorge Griffin produces intensely personal emotions in sents what it means to be an inde- films which defy categorization. Thicket. pendent animator; his free experi- Part of what makes viewing a cross- While busy with freelance com- mentation with style and technique section of Griffin films intriguing is mercial projects in the late 80s and defines an art which is constantly the variety of approaches he takes early 90s, Griffin also made playful in process and an artist who to his subjects, rarely repeating a films such as Ko-Ko, which syn- embraces his own evolution. theme or style. In some of his ear- chronizes a dancing collage of In my recent email correspon- lier works, such as Head and magazine art with a Charlie Parker dence with Griffin, I asked him, Lineage, Griffin explores the depths recording, and the sarcastic New “What first inspired your interest in and boundaries of his art, mixing Fangled, a humbling caricature of animation?” animation with live action, flip- advertising creativity. I grew up in an art-loving fam- books and trick photography. ily. My father had been a newspa- During the same period, however, Though not particularly ideo- per cartoonist as a teenager before he also produced strictly narrative logical, they were revolution- turning to architecture; he had nat- films, such as the whimsically satir- ary, perfect analogs for the ural drafting talent which he exer- ical The Club. defiant anarchism of the coun- cised in a deliberate, self-confident Later, during the 1980s, Griffin’s terculture. manner. My mother was a mar- style changed; his films became velous piano player and acted in less confrontational and subversive community theater. My sisters both in their relationship to the audi- Most recently, Griffin has played (viola, clarinet) in the local ence, and more traditionally “car- returned to the traditional narra- symphony orchestra. toony and entertaining.” Nonethe- tive in A Little Routine, which pro- I learned to value drawing and less, he continued to examine his vides a charming and intimate music; the one linear, precise, and artistic heritage in works like Flying glimpse into father/daughter bed- highly personal, the other emo- Fur, which entangles a cast of time routines. tional, yet interpretive. Though I crazy animal characters in a fran- Rather than invoking a recur- had numerous early, inconclusive tic Tom and Jerry soundtrack. He ring style, all of these distinct films music lessons (piano, cello, saxo- also produced more narrative pro- are linked instead by their person- phone), the influence shows up in

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 37 my sense of rhythmic montage ideological, they were revolu- and animation, and my notion of tionary, perfect analogs for putting on a show. Particular music the defiant anarchism of the has provided the temporal back- counterculture. bone for some films (Ko-Ko, Thicket, My first films, which I Trikfilm 3), while improvised jazz made in New York after I riffs have been mixed as tracks for graduated, were Brak- others (Head, Viewmaster, A Little hage imitations with Routine). Though my ability to rapid single-framing, draw was inherited and encour- vertiginous swoops, aged at every opportunity, I also double exposures, felt quite intimidated by my father’s and random focus clear mastery. Rather than compete —all shot off the with him directly, I chose parallel cuff in 8mm. interests (photography, cooking, In 1968, I electronics) and didn’t ever pursue gave up the formal art education. But through security of a these activities, I learned many of day job, bou- the skills necessary for both art- ght a used making in general and animation Bolex, and

in particular. attempted New Fangled. to teach What kind of experience had you myself how to animate. What at various New York commercial had as an artist by the time you came out was warmed-over studios for the next three years. graduated from Dartmouth? Brakhage with glimpses of static Here I encountered a kind of aris- Whose work influenced you? drawings. Very disappointing. Yet, tocracy of character animation: while job hunting, Fred crusty, old geezers in two-toned I graduated in 1967, two years Mogubgub liked them so much he shoes, with plastic pocket protec- late because I had dropped out in offered to give me money for a tors. Actually they were quite a var- my sophomore year. After two workprint. Another job interview ied lot, while I was definitely the years in the army and my home- resulted in my drawing (and hippie with a college degree. By town school, the University of redrawing) a storyboard for John assisting the likes of Marty Taras, Tennessee, I returned to Hubley. These encounters with Johnny Gentillela, George Rufle, Dartmouth. I majored in Political demigods of animation were great and Dante Barbetta, I learned that Science, but was quite active as a for morale. there was no single road to “good cartoonist for the literary magazine, I got a job as a photographer’s animation.” Their drawings ranged and for antiwar posters and broad- assistant (more accurately de- from chicken scratches of pure vol- sides. There I learned the rudiments scribed as messenger), which umes, to violently reworked of typositing and silk-screening, resulted in a tip that a commercial roughs, to perfectly rendered, often over the objections of the animation studio needed an “cleaned up” illustrations. What professional staff. I wolfed down apprentice (or as the union labeled these men all had was a sublime everything the film society offered it, a “Xerox Operator”). By the end sense of timing, posing, and prob- and was impressed with visiting of the year, I was drawing inbe- lem solving. Because my lowly duty artists Stan Brakhage and Jonas tweens for spots animated by Jack was often to redraw animators’ Mekas, and the films of Robert Schnerk, formerly of Disney, and roughs to conform to character Breer and Stan Vanderbeek. These designed by Tomi Ungerer, an acer- models, then do inbetweens, then film explorers were my introduc- bically witty Swiss cartoonist. flip the drawings for the animator, tion to animation as an experi- I worked there at Focus Design director, or clients, I could learn mental form, which might include for about a year before being laid from the whole process. drawing, photography, scratching, off. I then worked as a freelance As I learned more of the histo- burning. Though not particularly assistant animator, then animator, ry of animation, I began to formu-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 38 late a critical analysis of the studio The more I believed this line, “good” work, primitivism over system and recognized the need the more I pounded my shoe on sophistication, the personal over for another production model. the podium, and found to my the commercial. (Remember, Emile The most important first step delight that I wasn’t alone. Of Cohl was an “Incoherent” before was simply “doing my own thing.” course, there were other more he started to animate, stick figures During slow periods, I drew my first emotional factors: I had an enor- at that). flipbook (abstract shapes that trans- mous disrespect for authority and formed to faces) and also practiced couldn’t handle criticism well; I was In 1978 you put together a book animating a rudimentary walk allergic to some cute character entitled Frames, a collection of cycle. While making One Man’s designs and found that super drawings and statements by 69 Laundry during this time, I hit upon smooth lines required a skill I didn’t independent American animators. a number of techniques which possess. I was quite dismayed by How much interaction did you made one-person production fea- Ralph Bakshi’s slicking up of Robert have and do you currently have sible. Crumb’s cat in Fritz the Cat. I didn’t with contemporary animators in These experiences suggested draw cats fast enough and refused New York or elsewhere? that the studios’ division of labor to clean-up Rufle’s brilliant torna- and the alienation of the work- do-like drawings, which lead to my Frames grew out of a series of er/artist from the final product firing.(In retrospect, the actual film loosely organized meetings of ani- would conspire to limit any artist ain’t nearly as bad as I then mators and filmmakers held in the who wanted to control the final thought.) mid to late 70s (including Al work on the screen. I resolved to Linda Simensky recently Jarnow, Anita Thacher, Kathy Rose, work toward an ideal: to write, described “New York animators” as Victor Faccinto). We were a kind design, animate, and shoot with a “surly, black-clad bunch, who of Downtown ASIFA, with an one sweep of the hand. This smoke, say whatever is on their experimental, slightly conspirator- meant forgoing cels, working and mind, and can’t draw—or can’t or ial, anti-commercial attitude. We finishing directly on paper, cutting won’t follow directions.” That pret- were convinced that our films had where necessary, and if possible, ty well summarizes my position more in common with the art shooting at the same time, thereby then, and still resonates today, world than the cartoon world and collapsing the rigorous functional especially the “can’t draw” part. My long debated who we were and geometries which the animation ideas about art tend to favor exper- what we were doing. The group’s industry had copied so well from imental exploration over illustra- most tangible outcome was pro- Detroit. tion, mistakes over professionally gramming a show of films and art- work as a sidebar of the 1978 New York Film Festival, and Frames was as an extension of that show, a kind of manifesto of experimental animation. We requested contributions from optical filmmakers like Pat O’Neill, Gary Beydler, and Ken Kobland which we hoped would expand what was meant by “exper- imental animation.” Another aim was to obliterate the phony dis- tinction between abstract and rep- resentational, even “cartoon” art. That many of the pages could be cut up and bound together as flip- books was an unexpected delight. In retrospect, I am less con- A Little Routine. vinced that the art of animation

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 39 has as much to do with paintings equal fascination in this process in time, even though I sought to and drawings, which are really by- your audience by revealing some modify any hint of earnestness with products ripped out of context, as of its tricks, tools and challenges. abstraction and irony. Head started with their synthetic fusion in time. Was this a primary goal for these out as a self-portrait and ended The real art takes place on a bright films? Do you think one of these more as a portrait of eccentric, screen, in a dark room, where the films achieves this goal better than obsessive animation techniques. audience sees shadows cast from another? I can’t call any one film more duplicated film. Being cheaply successful than any other. But here reproducible as “media,” it will Here I encountered a kind of are my thumbnail comments: always have an uphill battle to aristocracy of character ani- Trikfilm 3 was one of a series “ani- claim status as an art commodity. mation: crusty, old geezers in mator-at-work-on-a-flipbook” Today’s scene has been radical- two-toned shoes, with plastic pieces. Head was conceived as ly transformed by MTV, Nickel- pocket protectors. kind of Trikfilm 4, but it grew odeon, and others. ASIFA-East is beyond its borders and became much more open to personal, both more personal and open- experimental work. Students are This self-consciousness grew ended. Viewmaster was the most hired to do interactive web ani- out of various tendencies to elegant, concise, conceptual, and mation. It’s all a little amazing. become my one “Big Idea.” The art entertaining, because its length world ferment of the 60s and 70s was determined by a formula (it Your video collection, Griffiti, spans contained strong flavors of mini- used but eight drawings) and it the period from 1973 to 1994, malism, process, conceptualism. If contained images which were including over 13 independently narrativity and objecthood were in pleasing to the mind, if not exact- produced and commissioned films. retreat, then what better focus ly funny (a naked man, woman, What’s missing? than the filmmaking process itself. and dog; stick figure waiters, run- But the more I developed this ning blobs, and a faint hint of In general, I left out early work concept during the mid-70s, the Mutoscopic self-reference). I considered derivative or awk- more I became aware that I was dLineage was as far as I went ward, or which was designed for repeating a major theme of ani- toward a summation of state- gallery installation. The first group mation’s pioneers—James Stuart ments on process and artistic pater- included very early films (The Blackton, Emile Cohl, Winsor nity. Candy Machine, One Man’s McCay, the Fleischers. What for Laundry, Rapid Transit, Displace- them had been a continuation of My ideas about art tend to ment, among others). The latter vaudeville’s “lightening sketch” rou- favor experimental exploration group, produced during the late tines, for me became a simple over illustration, mistakes over 70s, were mostly silent serial pieces skeleton on which to build com- professionally “good” work, dealing with variations on color plex, personal, even mysterious sto- primitivism over sophistica- cycles (Step Print), methods of ries. Instead of backing off for fear tion, the personal over the duplication and representation of plagiarism, I plowed ahead, commercial. (Block Print), and perception thinking that reworking the ancient of movement (Thumbnail themes would act as a kind of Sketches). Whatever elsed restorative, “back-to-basics” hustle Particularly in Trikfilm 3, Head, and Griffiti might be or become, it does to counter the slick monolith of fac- Lineage, you take great pleasure deliver a good cross-section of my tory-based cel animation. in walking the line between reali- work, with particular emphasis on In addition to the reflexive ty and illusion. You invite the view- the last 15 years. impulse to consciously include the er to step into the animation filmmaker’s craft (especially the process with you as his/her guide, An integral element in films such busy, manipulative hands), I turned betraying some “tricks of the trade” as Trikfilm 3, Head, Viewmaster, the camera on my talking and ges- along the way. No sooner has this and Lineage is your fascination ticulating face. This automatically supposed breach of process been with the artistic process of anima- alluded to an autobiographical ten- committed, however, than the tion. You seem eager to inspire dency in experimental film at the viewer finds him/herself further

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 40 from reality than ever. Your images lot of stuff just tumbled out. the studio system. The films on begin to transform in the unnerv- Conflicted you say? No doubt. The Griffiti postdating Lineage (1979) ing environment that is the inter- analytic component is actually a do indeed have a very different section of photographic reality and mixture of self-parody and earnest- feeling. Can you talk about what illusion. ness which made sense to me at happened in the 80s and how the time. Consistency in art seems your work changed? Just as you can’t teach some- to be most critical when words are one to make art, you can’t demon- a major part of the mixture. It is indeed exhilarating to be strate a process or cinematic trick Today I see it as a kind of called an “extremist” (at least in within a movie without resorting polemical essay demanding that regard to my criticism of the studio to more analogies, metaphors— animation have its own avant- system). My article, “Cartoon, Anti- tricks. Behind the guy who is garde—an unapologetic, un-edit- Cartoon,” in Gerald Peary’s anthol- behind the black velvet curtain, ed, not for primetime region, quite ogy, The American Animated there’s another . . . well, some- outside but somehow tethered to Cartoon (1980), was a kind of thing. Gears and levers; a Rube the mainstream. manifesto trumpeting a brave new Goldberg diagram. My reflexive Another theme is my attempt era for animation. It was written films tend to abuse their own doc- to find reconciliation with my after Head, when the New York umentary authority by playing with fathers, both biological and artis- City group was just getting togeth- photographic “reality” as if it were tic (Cohl and McCay). I try to get er. Animation companies were, yet another pallet in the with very few exceptions, animator’s toolbox. in artistic decline; no shorts Animated drawings, were being produced, which conventionally Saturday morning chil- connote fantasy, can lead dren’s shows were univer- a viewer to deal with sally acknowledged as very real psychological or dreck, commercials had social themes. recoiled from the Pop explosion and were play- Lineage (1979) has been ing it safe, and features called your most ambi- hadn’t yet caught fire. So, tious work. I enjoyed while it seemed a bit radi- watching this film, but cal to insist that the future honestly I also had some would smile warmly only trouble understanding it. on the independent ani- You seemed to be tar- mator, being loyal to your geting formalism; yet the Flying Fur. friends while standing up film felt quite analytic and over- at the philosophical nut embedded to the perceived threat of assem- whelmingly layered with meaning. in the animation process but I also bly-line mediocrity seemed perfectly When you began Lineage, what attempt to pay spoken homage to reasonable. And, when one con- were your plans for its message or emotional content and the thera- siders the current upsurge of com- meaning? In the end, did the film peutic quality of laughter; silly car- puter animation and the Internet, accomplish what you originally toons do have a place in my life, there’s always the fall back position intended? much larger that I was ever able of being ahead of one’s time. to admit. (This was demonstrated But by the 80s things began to As to why I made Lineage, I more visually in my next two films, change. My debt to cartoon histo- often cite the frustration of teach- It’s an O.K. Life and Flying Fur.) ry came to the fore. I attempted to ing a year in the windowless base- negotiate a place for myself and ment of Harvard’s Carpenter Giannalberto Bendazzi, in his book others within that lineage, claim- Center, surrounded by wise guys, Cartoons, notes that in the 1980s ing that Disney had unfairly unable to do my own work. Back you backed down a bit from your usurped the term and contracted in New York City the next year, a earlier extremist position against its meaning to only one slick sen-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 41 sibility. “Cartoon” originally meant For the past 10 years, I have your approach to your indepen- sketch, plan, or provisional draw- made a living directing TV com- dent films changed a great deal ing for a final work, such as a mercials in my own studio, since you began regularly doing stained glass window. Nothing Metropolis Graphics, which has commercial work? about cute, anthropomorphic ani- maintained an association with mals. So my current job description larger California companies, I don’t think they are more (“makes animated cartoons”) cov- Colossal Pictures and now Klasky accessible for that reason. I cer- ers all bases. Csupo. I also take other commis- tainly wouldn’t have made a paro- sioned assignments, as I have since dic piece like New Fangled before Animated drawings, which con- the early 70s. In addition to this having some experience in the cre- ventionally connote fantasy, freelance work I have also received ative side of the advertising world. can lead a viewer to deal with grants for my independent work. I think A Little Routine is my most very real psychological or The professional work is generally personal and revealing film, per- social themes. performed in a scaled down stu- haps because of its accessibility. dio setting with a small ad hoc staff of two to three artists, who tend How do you look back on films like The breakout films, It’s an O.K. to be independent filmmakers or Trikfilm 3, Head, and Lineage now? Life and Flying Fur, while made for painters. More often now the inde- Do they still convey the same mes- different reasons, were both car- pendent work is done the same sages and evoke the same self- toony and entertaining. It’s an O.K. way, though considerably more reflection and questions that you Life was a three-minute diary of a time is spent alone writing, draw- originally intended? little man’s life in the future depend- ing, animating before helping ing heavily on voice over narration, hands arrive. Both types of work It’s the nature of art, music, and spoken by Marshall Efron. It’s an provide valuable technical experi- literature to change in our recep- O.K. Life demonstrated the practi- ence, which often has a crossover tion and interpretation through the cality of a collaborative studio car- value. But I do keep the two years. Everything above suggests toon, produced on a deadline and worlds apart. One is essentially that I would see my films differently budget, using “independent” collaborative, the other is my now. Much of the intellectual con- designs and techniques. Flying d own voice and vision. tent in these films seems pleasing- Fur, in contrast, was much more ly naive now. But even as I was reflexive in its cartoonal acknowl- It’s an O.K. Life was made for making them, my main interest edgments. A 1940s Tom and Jerry PBS (which edited out the ending was more visual than verbal; this soundtrack (created by Scott for broadcast), but I claim author- continues to be true for me. Bradley) provided the rhythmic ship of the whole film. My role as organization, while archetypal line producer for R.O. Blechman’s chase scenes were reinterpreted Soldier’s Tale in 1985 was anoth- for a cast of simply-sketched ani- er positive experience, even d mals and a square man. So, after though it entailed working within the introspective intensity of speak- the dreaded studio system. And a ing directly in Lineage, which con- number TV spots, while not done cluded the “anti-cartoons,” I quite in “my style,” forced me to develop naturally retreated to rework more new ways of working with tradi- Ann C. Philippon is a freelance traditional forms of storytelling, in tional material. My current involve- writer and recent graduate of which formalist chicanery was ment with the computer, for exam- Dartmouth College where she backgrounded as a kind of leitmo- ple, can be traced to my problem- studied art history and physics. tif. solving work in commercial pro- She remains at Dartmouth work- duction. ing under a grant from the Do you most enjoy working National Science Foundation. on your independent, non- New Fangled and A Little Routine d commercial work? are quite accessible, particularly rel- ative to your earliest work. Has

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 42 Going on Their Own in Vancouver

by Sean Maclennan Murch

he Vancouver animation busi- Animation, and Delany and Friends some of the projects we have now ness is thriving. Broadcast and have been in business for well over are good, like Tex Avery Theater, Tproduction clients come from a decade. Newer studios include which is a great show—we’re real- around the world to have their Studio B, Barking Bullfrog, ly able to make a cartoon shows designed, storyboarded, laid A.K.A, Bardel and the old way. Still, we have out and animated here. The city Natterjack (where I am to rework and rewrite, currently houses over 10 classical director of development). make the gags funny and animation studios working on a These companies have all develop the look of the variety of feature, television, inter- enjoyed a great deal of characters. We don’t mind active, and commercial projects. success and international doing that, it’s our job. But Local producers are widely used by recognition over the past we don’t own any of those companies such as MTV, decade. Why then does characters. I think that’s Nickelodeon, Disney, Nelvana, Fox, it prove so difficult for Sean Murch. why Studio B wants to do HBO, and Warner Bros.; and this local companies to get their own stuff. We’ve got past year, Disney Television opened their own projects financed? Much artists here who are good friends its own studio in downtown like the local live-action film indus- that we want to keep. To do that Vancouver to produce, in con- try, the majority of production in we have to involve them in devel- junction with Disney Toronto, Vancouver exists as contract work opment and also look at their direct-to-video features. for larger, Los Angeles-based, com- ideas.” panies. The same holds true for Many studios have come to Many studios have come to real- Natterjack. While the quality of the realize that while “service ize that while this “service work” is contract work we currently have is work” is lucrative and often lucrative and often necessary for very high, it is also important to necessary for short-term sur- short-term survival, long-term nurture the creativity of our design- vival, long-term growth will growth will ultimately be deter- ers and animators. One of the best ultimately be determined by mined by the ownership of rights. ways to do this is to develop origi- the ownership of rights. For Studio B’s Blair Peters, creativity nal projects we can call our own. is also part of this equation. He Thus, we have recently begun notes that, “The scripts we have development on three internally- Companies such as Internation- coming in on a service basis aren’t designed shows, which has done al Rocketship, Gord Stanfeild always our cup of tea. Even though much to lift the general mood of

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 43 me in a few weeks, and I may have changed my mind.” Whether or not one goes the “Everyone wants a proven co-production route, there is still the property, whether it’s a comic issue of how to secure a domestic book, a toy, or whatever.” presale. This is becoming more and more difficult in today’s climate. The Rocketship Solution Canadian broadcasters often rely Marv Newland, of International on the larger Eastern producers, or Rocketship, found a different solu- look to the US for their animation tion to the lack of available financ- programming. More often than ing. He has, for the past 15 years, not, they are looking for finished produced his own, original shows programming, rather than a pro- in their entirety before taking them ject in development. to market. Using the profits from “Everyone wants a proven prop- his high-end service work, Marv is erty,” Blair points out “whether it’s a able to fund at least one short each Wayne Sterloff. comic book, a toy, or whatever. year. “The whole concept of the stu- the studio. The trick, of course, is That causes a problem for studios dio,” he says, “was to produce our to find creative ways to finance that want to develop original prop- own animated films. We own those such development until a full pro- erties. At some point someone has films, so we have a library of shorts duction budget can be raised. to take a risk. That’s what we’re try- and are steadily adding to it.” ing to convince the Canadian How does Rocketship recoup its The Co-Production Way broadcasters to do.” costs and get its shows to market? One of the more popular meth- ods of easing into original produc- tion is to do a co-production with a foreign studio. The supposition being that it is easier to raise half of the financing domestically, rely- ing on a partner to raise the other half abroad. There are government incentives in place for this type of international cooperation, but local studios are often skeptical about the relative merits of such a move. Peters, in talking about Studio B’s tentative venture into this arena, recalled that, one of its clients “wanted to do a co-production on a show for which we did the first season. It wasn’t doing well in the ratings, so it wasn’t in our best inter- ests to do that as a co-production. What I’d rather do is keep doing the service work, where you’re guaranteed your income, then pool that and develop our own shows. At that point we would pur- sue possible co-production part- ners, broadcasters, and distributors. That’s our mandate anyway. Talk to Natterjack Animation’s The Champ.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 44 “It’s pretty easy, actually.” Marv know that right now people want the men and women who are replied. “Selling the first one is dif- to make the connection with our interested in animation come from ficult, but once you’ve established studio. Once our first show is sold, a creative arts background, and a client list, those clients pretty I don’t want to be selling individual they’re not interested at all in set- much stick around, especially territories and all that. I’d rather ting up a sales and distribution enti- European television. For a while, have a distributor take its cut and ty. It may hurt them to spend we had to meet with people inter- give us the money to work on the money on advertising and promo- ested in our films. Now, whenever shows.” tion, and marketing expenses, or we enter festivals—and we try to The sentiment is a common to send a salesperson over to MIP- do all of the major festivals—if the one. Wayne Sterloff, of BC Film, a Asia, in Hong Kong, and back. It’s a film is any good the broadcasters local funding agency, has been real hurdle for most animators to will fax you back a contract. You working at getting indigenous pro- get over, in terms of reaching that either go with those terms, or jects financed for many years. goal of gaining some indepen- maybe fax back to negotiate, then Through BC Film, many Vancouver dence and creating security. settle it and sign. There are always studios have access to development “There are a number of anima- new outlets for the films. This was and production financing. Wayne, tion companies who have said, a great year for royalties, I ‘Look, we’ve got to don’t know why, even secure our company and early films like Sing Beast we want to buy some Sing and Anijam, 1980- new technology. The 1984 productions, did bank wants a 5-year pro- well.They are good and jection that’s based on entertaining enough so having some assets, not that, if someone hasn’t just bidding for service seen them, they don’t care work.’ But, on the other what year it was made in. hand, the profit margin That helps us a lot.” on straight service work currently is fairly attrac- A Balancing Act tive, and people can see Rocketship is in an a future there. But if you enviable position. They want to make your have been in the business future more than 2 or 3 for over 20 years, and years out, if you want to have built up a loyal fol- see a company that’s lowing. For many studios here 5 or 10 years from though, it is a constant now, you’re going to balancing act. The major- have to take a look at ity of Vancouver’s anima- owning part of the assets tion houses are animator that you’re manufactur- owned and operated. ing.” Often these animator/ In many cases, owners are already wear- Vancouver studios have ing a number of hats and formed partnerships with they usually don’t relish existing distributors, or the idea of also donning Bardel Animation’s Thorax the Conqueror. have hired people to a suit and trying to “sell” search out development their work. who recognizes the need for local financing. There are also a number “I don’t want to be a distribu- animators to reach out to the mar- of executive producers at large who tor,” Peters states. “In five years I ketplace, notes that, “There aren’t will work on retainer, performing a don’t want to be at NATPE, wearing many hard core entrepreneurs in similar service. This is one way to a suit, but at the same time we the animation community. A lot of lessen the cost of entering into

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 45 development, though it generally Unicorn.. Herve Beddard retains things. You’re handed things to do requires that some of the “back the North American rights to Billy and told how to do them, some- end” be given up in the process. At the Cat. Chris Delany is currently times by people with little or no ani- Natterjack, we have realized the producing Nilus the Sandman. mation experience. Each time importance of allocating some Slowly but surely, Vancouver pro- someone hands you something to funds to original production. jects are seeing the light of day. It do, or tells you how to do it, the Whether its in the form of advertis- is a case of staying power, deter- less interested you become, and ing or traveling to conferences such mination, and developing the right the more money you make. So I’d as NATPE and MIP, a portion of the property for the current market. just like to make my own pictures, company’s budget will always be Marv Newland succinctly cap- and if there’s some way I can get a devoted to developing and financ- tures the prevailing sentiment sandwich at lunch and a coffee, ing our own product. among many local animators when and do some surfing, and have a he says, “What else am I going to roof over my head, then that’s what do with my life? I love animation. I I’d do.” “What else am I going to do love making pictures. I would like with my life? I love animation. I it if I could just sit in a room and love making pictures.” make short films for the rest of my life. . That’s really what interests me. It’s the closest thing to what pure Seeing the Light of Day animation is all about. I came up The truth is that Vancouver stu- wrong. I didn’t learn about work- Sean Maclennan Murch spent dios are moving forward with their ing for TV series and all that. I start- four years in London working as plans for self sufficiency. A number ed making my own pictures. both a producer and executive of projects within the last year have “So, I think if you want to make producer. For the last two years tasted success. Mainframe’s 3-D ani- an animated film, even commer- he has been based in Vancouver, mated series, ReBoot, will be in it’s cials, you make your storyboard, where he is currently employed third season this year, while its new you design your characters, put as the Director of Development at series, Beast Wars, has been fully some words in their mouths if you Natterjack Animation Co. Ltd. funded and is currently in produc- need them, get some music, and tion. Local animator Gord Stanfield that’s that. As the years go by, has presold his Kleo the Misfit though, you do fewer of those

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 46 The Thief And The Cobbler

by Alex Williams

Editor’s Note: In August 1995, a end in the animation industry. ly worthy of the name it bears. lt is film titled Arabian Knights briefly The version released on video the same film formerly released the- appeared in American movie hous- by Miramax, described as “a musi- atrically as Arabian Knight, a work of es, hardly making a dent in the box cally-charged animated epic creat- such startling bad taste that it dis- office. Nevertheless, many in the ed by Richard Williams, the Oscar credits all who were involved in its animation community started to completion. The film is more or less realize that this was no ordinary film, The film is more or less unwatchable, a collage of laugh- but rather a film assembled from the unwatchable, a collage of ably third rate animation inter- ruins of Richard Williams’ magnum laughably third rate animation spersed with scenes of remarkable opus, The Thief and the Cobbler, interspersed with scenes of beauty, leftovers from the original which has now been released to remarkable beauty, leftovers cut. Worst of all are the three song the home video under its original from the original cut. sequences, banal and depressingly title. While Animation World mediocre, and a bad soundtrack, Magazine usually does not like to winning animator of Who Framed featuring the voices of Jonathan review films in their video version Roger Rabbit,” is a degraded ver- Winters, as The Thief, and Matthew after they have been shown the- sion of Williams’ masterpiece, hard- Broderick, as The Cobbler. Both atrically, we thought it would be interesting to have Richard Williams’ son Alex take a gander at this ver- sion, which he had not seen before, and give us his reactions; some of my own comments on the film can be found in this issue’s Editor’s Notebook.

he Thief and the Cobbler was to have been the greatest ani- Tmated film ever made, the cul- mination of the a lifetime’s work by master animator Richard Williams. Based on the art of the Middle East, and in particular on the miniatures produced in Safavid Persia circa 1500, the film was at least 30 Years in the making, and became a leg- The Cobbler and The Princess.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 47 characters were conceived by having won an Oscar for his short ion onto celluloid, It is often said Williams as silent stars, without film A Christmas Carol in 1972, that much of the impressive work voice. Neither Broderick’s endless picked up two more Oscars in 1990 in The Thief could be easily done plot commentaries nor Winters’ for his groundbreaking work on today by computer-generated ani- unceasing and unfunny mono- Who Framed Roger Rabbit. mation, but this is to miss the point. logues add anything but noise to Bankable at last, Williams was court- The use of Persian motifs lends the the film. ed by producer Jake Eberts, and film a graphic two-and-a half-dimen- Warner Bros. agreed to finance and sional quality which defies normal As Williams’ involvement with distribute The Thief. physical laws. Such an eccentric the movie came to an end, the Work began in earnest in the vision could only have been pro- destruction of his life’s work spring of 1990. Williams and his duced by a human hand. had begun. team of London animators labored Williams, a perfectionist to the to produce a work of lyrical beauty. end, was unable to complete The Thief on time. In late 1991, the Completion Bond Company, wor- ried by the size of their financial exposure, sent animator Fred Calvert to London to assess the sit- uation. In early 1992, despite the fact that the film was just 10-15 min- utes from completion, Warner Bros. pulled out of the project, and the bond company lost their nerve. The Thief was completed from Los Angeles, farmed out around the world by Calvert, and was eventu- ally picked up by Miramax. As Williams’ involvement with the movie came to an end, the destruc- tion of his life’s work had begun. Fred Calvert’s involvement with the completion of the film is per- The Thief tries to escape through an Escher-like landscape in the palace. haps the most discreditable aspect of the story. Unable to appreciate Unlike Anything Those fortunate enough to have the remarkable nature of the pro- Attempted Before seen the original director’s cut ject he had inherited, he sent the The story of The Thief and the (much-duplicated copies of which inevitable song sequences to be Cobbler began in London in the late circulate throughout the close-knit completed in Korea by animators 1960s, as Richard Williams began animation industry) will be familiar used to working on Saturday morn- work on an obscure film which was with a work of epic grandeur and ing children’s cartoons. That these to evolve over many years before remarkable ambition. The destruc- sequences look grotesque when reaching its final form. Working with tion of the evil One-Eye’s war juxtaposed with Williams’ original illustrator Errol Le Cain and Art machine at the end of the film is a work should have come as no sur- Designer Roy Naisbitt, Williams sequence of breathtaking com- prise. Fred Calvert’s leading role in found a unique style based on plexity and beauty, a symphony of butchering The Thief has become Oriental and Eastern art, Unlike any- destruction in which sound effects, perhaps his most infamous contri- thing attempted before or since, music and animation combine to bution to the medium. and completely unlike Disney’s create an almost balletic climax. The Aladdin, The Thief did not attract film, including this final sequence, The Spirit of the Film full financial backing from a major was entirely hand drawn, traced It is hard, looking at this Miramax studio until early 1990. Williams, and painted in the traditional fash- video release, to find the spirit of

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 48 the film as it was originally con- ceived. The character of The Thief was intended as a mute, a Chaplinesque primitive, subtle and understated. By stealing the three golden balls which protect the Golden City, he unwittingly creates havoc and destruction around him. Superimposed over these scenes is Jonathan Winters’ voice, ceaseless- ly cracking pointless jokes like an unwanted barroom companion. It is as if those responsible for the com- pletion of the film were terrified of silence, overlaying every quiet moment in the film with endless chatter. Matthew Broderick’s narra- tion strives to explain what does not need explaining, robbing the story The Thief hiding in a plant. of subtlety or surprises. The film con- markable, the once subtle colors Director of Photography: John descends to the the audience, now vulgar and garish. Finally, the Leatherbarrow. Artistic insulting its intelligence. substitution of Baghdad for the Supervisors: Special Effects: Golden City seems in extraordinar- John M. Cousen. Character For those courageous enough ily bad taste for a film originally Animation: Neil Boyle & Tim to sit it out, I recommend released shortly after the Gulf War. Watts. Background: Paul watching with the sound Dick Williams spent 30 years try- Dilworth. Lead Animators turned off. ing to pull off an animation mas- included: Art Babbitt, Steven terpiece, a true work of art, the like Evangelatos, Emery Hawkins, There remains some beautiful of which may never be seen or Richard Williams, Alex Williams, animation in this fractured version of attempted again. It is sad that so lit- and many others. Richard Williams’ epic; these include tle of his original vision made it into the opening sequence, where The this video release. It is probably little Thief and The Cobbler get tangled consolation to Williams himself that up with each other and roll down the Completion Bond Company has the steps of the Cobbler’s shop, since gone out of business, largely interrupting Zig Zag’s march as a result of the costs of completing through the city, the chase through The Thief. the palace through Escher-like opti- Alex Williams is an animator at cal illusions, and a little of the final The Thief and the Cobbler. Warner Bros. Feature Animation, war machine sequence. For those Director: Richard Williams. currently working on The Quest courageous enough to sit it out, I Screenplay: Richard Williams. For Camelot. He spent two years recommend watching with the Executive Producer: Jake Eberts. animating on The Thief and the sound turned off. Save for Vincent Musical Score: Robert Folk. Cobbler, which was directed by Price’s brilliant valedictory perfor- Songs by: Robert Folk & Norman his father Richard. He also teach- mance as Zig Zag, the evil Grand Gimbel. Producers: Richard es an animation class at The Vizier, all but a handful of the care- Williams & Imogen Sutton. California Institute of The Arts, fully selected original voice talents Director, L.A. Production: Fred and does a weekly cartoon strip have been replaced with other, less Calvert. Producer, L.A.: Bette L. Queen’s Counsel for The London suitable, actors. Even John Smith. Art Director: Roy Naisbitt. Times. Leatherbarrow’s superb camerawork Master Animator: Ken Harris. has been made to appear unre- Background Stylist: Errol LeCain.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 49 ReviewsReviews inin BriefBrief

by Wendy Jackson

Death Laughs Among Us: The Films of John Schnall

Independent animator John Schnall has put together a home video of his short films in asso- ciation with Poteet Mu- sic, an independent re- cord distributor based in New Jersey. Among the community of East Coast John Schnall. independents, Schnall is notably prolific; in this regard, his colleague Steve Dovas said that, “To me, what has been most admirable about his career has been the regularity with which he’s turned out his funny, wierd, and wholly singular, self-produced animated films.” All this abundance has driven Schnall to be able to release a 40-minute video collection at a relatively early age. Death Laughs Among Us features seven of Schnall’s 2-D animations, most of which, as the title indicates, are at once humorous and macabre. I Was A Thanksgiving Turkey and Goodnight Norma . . .Goodnight Milton reveal his dark sense of humor by present- ing atypical perspectives on everyday occurences. Buy My Film! and Opposing Views are like little animated punchlines to jokes formed in the depths of the filmmaker’s mind. Independents will particularly appreciate the humor in Buy My Film!, which portrays the feelings of any inde- pendent filmmaker seeking distribution for their work. My personal favorite is Frankenstein, which uses 35mm photography of live actors for an eerie, almost pixilated stop-motion effect. Death Laughs Among Us is available in the US for $20.00 each (including postage) from Poteet Music, Schnall Tape: AWN, 625 Washington Street #5, Hoboken, NJ 07030 USA, [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 50 Björk Gets Animated With John Kricfalusi.

Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi has made his first music video for Icelandic beauty Björk, who is an equally outrageous and innovative artist. Illustrating the song “I Miss You,” the video features John K’s stupid yet loveable character Jimmy the Idiot Boy cavorting with a bubbly ani- mated version of the singer. A variety of techniques are used, including traditional 2-D cel ani- mation by Kricfalusi’s own Spumco Productions and Colorkey Productions, 3-D computer animation super- vised by Charlie Gibson at Rhythm & Hues, real-time motion-capture animation by House of Moves, plus blue screen mattes bring- ing in live-action into the mix. (The live-action se- quences with Björk were shot in a Los Angeles stu- dio in just one day.) Björk, a long-time fan of Kricfalusi’s work, insisted that he do a video for her when they met at one of her concerts. She was so I Miss You. pleased when she first saw John’s storyboard that she apparently proclaimed, “It’s just like Christmas!” and did not ask for any changes. The video is becoming something of a novelty, since MTV edited the director’s cut to remove an end sequence featuring the animated Jimmy and Björk dancing underneath what look like a cross between rubber nipples and condoms on top of her actual (live-action) chest. It is iron- ic that the network cut that sequence while keeping shots of Björk violently ripping up a chick- en, and even Jimmy himself. But fret not, devoted fans; the director’s cut can be seen in rota- tion on that other music channel, The Box, as well as on MTV’s new alternative sister network M2. The video is also included in promotions of the new RealVideo technology, which enables full-motion video to be displayed over the Internet. John Kricfalusi and his production company Spumco are also turning heads with its new toy lines (see Toy Fair article, this issue). At this rate, maybe it’s time to stop calling him Ren & Stimpy’s creator and start calling him the creator of Jimmy the Idiot Boy . . . Yeah, I think there’s a nice ring to that!

Wendy Jackson is Associate Editor of Animation World Magazine.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 51 KLIC’s Online Animated Musical: Real-Time Animation on the Web?

by Jami Maloney

ids’ Light Intertainment ticipants visit and play. Children ages a character of their own out of a Channel (KLIC) has produced 8-12 are the target audience for the wild assortment of body parts and Kthe first animated musical for show. Some of the content is truly watch the assembled parts move. children on the Internet, using tasteless in a way kids giggle over, Several combinations of parts are Enliven Viewer, one of the hottest but is not violent and is intended to possible, so characters can be devel- new technologies available for cre- be good fun. oped and redeveloped until the per- ating interactive content on the Snitchragula, the title character, fect specimen takes form. Using Web. With Enliven, a plug-in appli- is an ancient fortune teller, who Enliven interactively to develop char- cation for Web browsers like greets viewers with a wary eye and acters might be a powerful tool for gaming companies looking for feed- back on successful character types, according to Wendy Robbins, pro- ducer for Kids’ Light Intertainment. Most people playing Alien Body Shop choose the same character composite initially, meaning that it has the most universal appeal. (This animation is available both as an Enliven and a Shockwave file.) Swampland of Gross, the por- tion of the site best fitting the description of animated musical, has a large cast of characters singing and moving through different areas of a bizarre and fantastically colored The Body Shop. world. The animation here is more extensive, involving more compli- Microsoft Internet Explorer and invites questions. Like a darker ver- cated interaction and has a multi- Netscape, the animation begins to sion of the hugely popular Magic 8 part story. (It also requires more run right away, using a streaming Ball game, Snitch varies her answers download time than the other seg- technology to play the first seg- in an amusing and scathing man- ments.) Recommended: View this ment, while the other segments ner. This animation, although fairly segment as a grand finale to your download in the background. limited, is a popular part of the site visit. Kids can engage in a slime fight Hardly a traditional musical, and has a quick download time. between two groups of characters, KLIC’s site features Swampland of Alien Body Shop, a Dr. Seuss pick some interesting objects out of Gross, Snitchragula, and Alien Body meets Goosebumps-style scene, is a variety of pulsating noses, and Shop, animated segments that par- a place where viewers can develop make a fart symphony. “Younger

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 52 kids like to see and play with, on the Web. Animations in this for- and their initial offering gives us mat are CD-ROM-quality, since indi- a vision of the range of multi- vidual elements of the presentation media content that will be avail- are decompressed as they are deliv- able within the next 12 months: ered to the browser. “Downloading Web-based animated games animation, people are patient for with sound and relatively fast about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, and then download times. The games are they move on,” noted Santinelli. relatively simple, and the ani- “Enliven is unique in the sense that mation is still somewhat limited you can download large animations compared with an 8x CD-ROM- and see them right away.” driven game, but the improve- ments in speed and interactivi- Some of the content is truly ty are tremendous compared tasteless in a way kids giggle with other products available on over, but is not violent and is the Web. intended to be good fun. The main menu. KLIC partnered with Narrative Communications dur- kids especially love to slime,” said ing Enliven’s beta testing phase in Although it competes with other Robbins. “They keep coming back 1996, and developed their animat- plug-ins like Macromedia’s to that part over and over.” ed segments as a way to showcase Shockwave and recently acquired their wildly colored and imaginative Flash, Enliven outstrips both in More From KLIC designs as part of the Narrative download speed and in streaming KLIC has recently added an gallery of animation. audio. For example, a 2.5 MB ani- online shopping area to the site, mation downloads in 30-40 sec- called the “Outta Space Store,” Enliven onds over a 14.4 kbps modem. The where shoppers can purchase such Enliven is the first product on same file run by other “download grossessities as slime chemistry sets, the market to stream Macromedia and run” plugins could require up to edible brains, squid spit, mucus- Director files, which is one of the 8 minutes to play. Macromedia making kits and Gurgly Gutz. most common multimedia formats Flash works in much the same way Plans for upcoming addi- tions to KLIC include a chat area for kids to meet and discuss ani- mation, the Internet, and sto- ries, and a mad libs page, where wacky and nonsensical stories are created by inserting random words into a prede- fined story. Additional animat- ed musical stories like Swampland of Gross will be added in the months to come. “KLIC is not stereotypical multimedia development,” said Paul Santinelli, product man- ager at Narrative. “It’s one of the most fun and engaging things out there for kids who are dial- ing up and looking for interest- ing sites.” KLIC is run by a tal- ented and energetic crew who The Swampland of Gross. have a strong sense of what

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 53 as Enliven to stream video, but ly for Macintosh or UNIX users, requires use of a separate plugin Kids can engage in a slime fight although a version for the Mac is such as Real Audio to deliver sound. between two groups of charac- planned when its new operating The Enliven suite of software, ters, pick some interesting system becomes available. System produced by Narrative Communi- objects out of a variety of pul- requirements for viewing the KLIC cations, includes the Viewer, Enliven sating noses, and make a fart site: a 14.4 kbps modem or higher, Producer, and Enliven Server. symphony. Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows Microsoft is now bundling the produce demos for the Web direct- NT, Netscape Navigator 2.0 or high- Enliven Viewer with ActiveX Internet ly from their existing products, er, or Internet Explorer 3.0. Narrative Explorer 3.0. “Enliven will enable which instantly gives them a much has just upgraded the Enliven view- more informative, entertaining and wider audience. Other potential er to eliminate a couple of bugs interactive multimedia content on applications include visual and inter- which caused download flows to the Web for Microsoft Internet active training and support appli- halt without warning. Explorer users,” according to John cations, engaging marketing and Programs like Enliven make Ludwig, Vice President of Microsoft’s developing more entertaining and innovative Web sites possible, fur- ther defining the Internet as an entertainment medium. With mil- lions of new users coming online this year due to the advent of Web TV, expectations are at an all-time high. “We’ve developed some great technology to make the Web more engaging,” said Santinelli. “We’re moving the animation trend onto the Web.”

KLIC: http://www.kidslight.com Enliven: http://www.narrative.com

KLIC. Produced & Written by Wendy Robbins & Miriam Cutler; Associate Producers: Tiffany The Swampland of Gross. Robinson & Michelle Emch; Music Internet Platform Tools Division. sales tools, and educational games. & Sound Effects: Miriam Cutler; Netscape users can download the The third portion of the Enliven Animation: Maja Aimskou; Artwork: new Viewer free of charge from product system, Enliven Server, is a Wendy Robbins, Shane Donohue, Narrative’s site. Enliven takes about high-performance server, providing Alex Kohnke; Programming & 1 MB of disk space to install. an industrial-strength platform for Design: Stefan Kosel; Enlivenizing Narrative runs a professional continuous multimedia streaming (& some Lingo Programming): The developer’s program for multimedia to thousands of simultaneous users, Fabulous Zeek; Voices: Wendy designers and online developers to while ensuring a high level of qual- Robbins, Miriam Cutler. learn about the Enliven suite of ity across large networks. A starter products and showcase their work package, including a three-stream on the Web. Enliven Producer, a license for Enliven Server and a copy post-production environment for of Enliven Producer, is available for developers, sells for $249, and $695 through Narrative. For high- Jami Maloney is a graphic design- allows programmers to create their performance sites, Producer is avail- work directly or translate files from er, animator, and writer living in able in 20, 50, or 100 stream con- the Los Angeles area. Macromedia Director. This technol- figurations starting at $5,600. ogy enables CD-ROM companies to Enliven is not available current-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 54 AnimatingAnimating WWebeb Sites:Sites: MacrMacromediaomedia FlashFlash

by Guillaume Calop acromedia recently acquir- movies, yet it is much easier to work skin feature. With motion interpo- ed FutureWave Software with then high-end and expensive lation, one drawing can be ani- Mcompany, and with it, programs like Macromedia Director. mated by following a path. You can added FutureSplash Animator to its Integrated lessons make learning also rotate an image while following Shockwave family of Web-based simple. To animate in Flash, you can the path, in a scaled regulation (for multimedia players. Now called either draw each frame and back- example, from small to big). Macromedia Flash, this animation ground, or import them from pro- The animated interactive but- authoring and viewing package is grams such as Illustrator, FreeHand, tons are a fun way to spice up web available to professional and ama- or any other vector-based graphic pages. They can be set to do sev- teur designers alike. AWN Webmas- product. Because it is a vector-based eral different functions, including ter Guillaume Calop gave the prod- changing shape when the mouse is uct a spin, and created a few ani- dragged over it or when it is mations in the process, pushed, stopping or starting an ani- mation, and of course, leading to Macromedia Flash is a versatile another Web page. multimedia authoring program for Embedding Flash files on Web Windows 95/NT, Macintosh or pages is easy, with different config- Power Macintosh, which allows you urations available; however, you do to draw, animate, move objects, need to set up your server to rec- and create interactive buttons for ognize the document, which can Web pages. Flash documents are be a problem depending on your small, thereby enabling to speed Internet service provider. At through standard modem connec- $249.00, the program is not cheap, tions. The animation is streaming, but compared to Director, it’s a steal. meaning it plays as it loads, so there is virtually no download time. The program, you don’t need to have Check out the Flash animations cre- Flash viewer plug-in is contained great drawing skills, or a graphic ated by the AWN Webmaster. within the “Shockwave Essentials” palette. You can easily smooth download package currently avail- curves, draw straight lines, rectan- Links to other examples: able; but for those who don’t have gles, circles, and of course, add col- http://www.macromedia.com/sh this package, the viewer plug-in is ors, solid or gradient. And, being ockwave/epicenter/ very light (80-150k), so download- vector-based, as there are no pixels, ing is a breeze. you can add plenty of details and As an authoring tool, Flash is zoom in indefinitely without sacri- somewhere between two sides of ficing quality. Guillaume Calop is AWN’s the spectrum; it offers a more pow- Placing the frames on different Webmaster and Animation World erful, high-quality alternative to sim- layers, you can still see all the Magazine’s Technical Editor. ple GIF animations or QuickTime images at once through its onion

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 55 Imagina 97

by Jean Segura par Jean Segura rom its start, Imagina has been organized by the epuis 15 ans, Imagina est une manifestation French National Audiovisual Institute (INA) to coin- organisée par l’Institut National Audiovisuel Fcide with the Monte Carlo Television Festival (this Dfrançais (INA) dans le cadre du Festival de year celebrating its 37th anniversary). The 16th annu- Télévision de Monte-Carlo (37e édition en 1997) sur al Imagina conference was held from February 19-21 le thème des nouvelles technologies de l’image et de in Monaco and highlighted new imaging and com- la communication. munications technologies. La seizième édition d’Imagina s’est tenue du 19 au Traditionally, Imagina, like the American SIGGRAPH 21 février à Monaco. Traditionnellement Imagina, conference, has been devoted entirely to computer comme le Siggraph aux Etats-Unis, a toujours été con- graphics and special effects for film and television. sacré au graphique par ordinateur et aux effets spéci- Gradually, it has added such areas as virtual reality, vir- aux pour le cinéma et la télévision. Puis peu à peu elle tual communities on the Internet, new mediums of s’est enrichie de thèmes comme la réalité virtuelle, les communication between man and computer, interac- communautés virtuelles sur Internet, les nouveaux tive games and Internet games, and complex model- modes de communication homme machine, les jeux ing techniques for creating virtual characters or envi- interactifs et les jeux en réseau, les techniques de mod- ronments. élisation complexes des personnages ou des scènes Among computer graphic professionals, the event virtuelles, etc. attracts artists, animated and live-action film producers Aux côtés des professionnels de l’image informa- and writers, game and multimedia publishers and writ- tique au sens large on trouve des artistes, producteurs ers, website users and creators, as well as architects, et auteurs de films de fictions ou d’animation, des édi- designers, doctors, military personnel, etc. teurs et auteurs de jeux et de produits multimédias, A modest-sized event when it began in 1988 (1,400 des concepteurs et utilisateurs de sites web, mais aussi people), Imagina 97 topped 7,000 visitors, confirming des architectes, designers, médecins, militaires, etc. it as the most important European conference in the De taille modeste à ses débuts (1400 personnes field. en 1988), Imagina a reçu près de 7000 visiteurs en Imagina itself revolves around three subdivisions: 1997. Imagina a réussi ainsi à s’affirmer comme le plus the professional exhibition, the conferences, and the grand rendez vous européen dans son domaine. Pixel-INA competitions awarding prizes to the best com- Imagina s’articule en trois sous ensembles : l’expo- puter-generated work—animated films and special sition professionnelle, les conférences et les compétitions effects. des Prix Pixel-Ina récompensant les meilleures œuvres créées sur ordinateur: films d’animation et effets spé- Several Works Seen at Imagina 97 ciaux. Virtual Monaco: A virtual flight through Monaco and its harbor was presented by Intel at the Intergraph Quelques réalisations vues à Imagina 97 stand. This project was undertaken by the Marseilles Monaco Virtuel : Présentée par Intel sur le stand

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 56 company VSM using Division dVise software for Intergraph, la promenade virtuelle sur le rocher de Windows NT. The hardware was the Intergraph work- Monaco est un projet en mode réalité virtuelle réalisé station TDZ-410 with a dual processor Pentium Pro 200 par la société marseillaise VSM avec le logiciel dVise de MHz, equipped with a Z25 GT graphic accelerator and Division, version Windows NT. Ce dernier tourne sur sta- geometric accelerator. This interactive model is the pre- tion Intergraph TDZ-410 à bi-processeurs Pentium Pro liminary step to the creation of a future protected walk- 200 MHz équipé de l’accélérateur graphique Z25 GT way at the port of Condamine (Monaco). et d’un accélérateur géométrique. Cette maquette Delphi Reincarnated: EDF, Imagina’s official partner, virtuelle interactive vise à prévisualiser l’implantation presented a 3-D reconstruction of the monuments that de la future digue de protection du port de la once stood at the present day archeological site in Condamine dans le paysage côtier monégasque. Delphi, Greece. These monuments date back to the Delphes Reconstitué : EDF, partenaire officiel 4th century B.C. Sponsored by the MÈcÈnat Tech- d’Imagina, a présenté une reconstitution 3D en relief nologique et Scientifique of EDF for the Athens French des monuments disparus de Marmaria, site School, the project is the result of a collaboration archéologique de Delphes en Grèce datant du IVème between the Nancy School of Architecture, the siècle avant JC. Cette reconstitution réalisée dans le Bordeaux Museum of Archeology and EDF. cadre du Mécénat Technologique et Scientifique d’EDF Madracers, the new au profit de l’Ecole Française simulation film done with d’Athènes est le fruit d’une col- computer graphics by laboration entre l’Ecole d’Archi- France’s ExMachina, de- tecture de Nancy, la Maison de picts an interplanetary l’Archéologie de Bordeaux et la chase in a rococo style, DER d’EDF. which is quite a change Madracers, nouveau film from the everyday space de simulation en images de syn- rockets à la Star Wars. This thèse réalisé chez ExMachina, film is expected to come met en scène une course pour- out in Iwerks theaters using suite de vaisseaux interplané- 3-D projection, as well as taires au look plutôt rococo qui in a game version. The Green Man, by Jodi Whitsel change des habituels avions- 2nd World is a multi- (Texas A&M University Visualization Lab) fusées à la “star wars”. Notons media game consisting of a que Madracers, qui est prévu pour une projection en virtual online walk. The product of Cryo Interactive relief pour les salles du réseau Iwerks, devrait aussi être Entertainment, it is published by Canal+ Multimedia (a décliné sous forme de jeu. subsidiary of Canal+ TV company). It contains a graph- Le 2eme Monde est un jeu multimédia de prome- ic database of a virtual city (a 3-D reconstitution of Paris nade virtuelle en ligne conçu et réalisé par Cryo and its streets, with virtual buildings and apartments, Interactive Entertainment et édité par Canal+ etc.) on a CD-ROM (for Windows). First, a user selects Multimédia. Les données graphiques de la ville virtuelle how their personalized digital avatar will look, then (une reconstitution 3D de Paris avec ses rues, des connects via the Internet to the 2nd World server. One immeubles et des appartements, etc.) sont stockées can explore the different Parisian districts from any direc- sur un CR-Rom (version Windows). Pour s’y promener, tion one chooses: streets, stores, monuments, as in any on choisit d’abord son apparence sous la forme d’un real city. It is hardly a rare occurrence to encounter avatar numérique personnalisé, puis on se connecte via other avatars out for a virtual walk at the same time. Not Internet sur le serveur “2eme Monde”. On peut alors only is 2nd World a meeting place, there are other ser- explorer les quartiers déjà modélisés de ce Paris virtuel, vices available: games, activities, a newspaper and even et ce dans la direction que l’on veut: rues, magasins, a polling place. A new democracy is born! monuments se succèdent comme dans la vraie ville. Au Tian an Men is a short 3-D film made by Pasquale gré de cette promenade il n’est pas rare de rencontr- Croce and Arnaud Lamorlette (Buf Compagnie) for er les avatars d’autres “flâneurs” branchés sur le serveur Amnesty International. This short has hardly been seen au même moment. Non seulement le 2eme Monde since it has been banned. It depicts the famous Chinese est un lieu de rencontres et de communication, mais demonstration, where one person stopped a tank cold il possède en outre des services, des jeux, des anima-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 57 in Tian an Men Square. A mix of real images (provided tions, un journal, et même un bureau de vote. Pour la by the BBC) and 3-D computer graphics that replicate naissance d’une nouvelle démocratie! the other tanks and the rest of the square take us into Tian An Men est un film très court réalisé par the heart of the action, besides the student confront- Pasquale Croce et Arnaud Lamorlette (Buf Compagnie) ed by a tank, as if all in one single camera movement. pour Amnesty International, un clip que presque per- The new 3-D images combine perfectly with the orig- sonne n’a vu, puisqu’il est interdit. On y voit la fameuse inal sequences to give an illusion of a real newsreel, scène du manifestant chinois arrêtant à lui tout seul even to the point of integrating the identical “white une colonne de chars pendant les manifestations de noise.” Tian an Men received the Imagina jury’s special la place Tian An Men. Par un enchaînement subtil entre mention. images réelles (source vidéo de la BBC) et images de synthèse 3D (qui reproduit les chars et la place Tian An Men), on se retrouve comme transporté à côté de l’étudiant face aux chars, le tout semblant filmé en un seul mouvement de caméra. La partie 3D donne l’il- lusion d’être également une bande d’actualité car maquillée avec le même bruit de fond qui caractérisait la vidéo d’origine. Tian An Men a reçu la mention spé- ciale du jury d’Imagina.

Six sessions de conférences “Narration. Interaction” - De plus en plus, des médias interactifs (CD-ROM, Internet) combinent le récit et l’intervention active du public : changement du cours de la narration, apparition de nouveaux per- sonnages et de situations nouvelles. Bob and Scott , by Oliver Bonnet and Laurent Bounoure Orateurs : Greg Roach (Hyperbole Studios, USA), (Protécréa/TF1). Andy Cameron (Antirom, RU), Troy Bolotnick (LightSpeed Media, USA), Chris Crawford (Chris Six Conference Sessions Crawford Games, USA), Ramesh Jain (University of “Narration. Interaction”—More and more, interactive California, San Diego, USA) et Gilberte Houbart (MIT, media (CD-ROM, Internet) are mixing narrative with USA). active public intervention: possibly to change the story “Communautés virtuelles et jeux vidéo: la 3D à la line, to add new characters and situations. Presentations rencontre du réseau” - A travers quelques unes des by: Greg Roach (Hyperbole Studios, USA), Andy réalisations les plus récentes ou des projets les plus Cameron (Antirom, UK) Troy Bolotnick (LightSpeed ambitieux, on découvre de nouveaux univers de com- Media, USA), Chris Crawford (Chris Crawford Games, munication qui permettent à des joueurs du monde USA), Ramesh Jain (University of California, San Diego, entier de se connecter entre eux à l’intérieur de mon- USA) and Gilberte Houbart (MIT, USA). des virtuels partagés. “Virtual Communities and Video Games: 3-D on the Orateurs : Yuzo Naritomi (Sega, Japon), Greg Network”—A journey into some of the more recent cre- Richardson (3DO Company, USA), Robert Rockwell ations of some of the ambitious projects take take one (Black Sun Interactive, Allemagne), Gurrminder Singh into new realms of communication, where players from (Institute of System of Singapore), Philippe Ulrich (Cryo all over the world plug into shared virtual worlds. Interactive Entertainment, France) & Alain LeDiberder Presentations by: Yuzo Naritomi (Sega, Japan), Greg (Canal+, France). Richardson (3DO Company, USA), Robert Rockwell “De l’image au modèle” - De nouvelles techniques (Black Sun Interactive, Germany), Gurrminder Singh d’analyse et de reconnaissance d’images, d’échantil- (Institute System of Singapore), Philippe Ulrich (Cryo, lonnages d’objets vus sous plusieurs angles, d’analyse France) and Alain LeDiberder (Canal +, France). de séquences d’images, de morphing ou de manipu- “From Image to Model”—New techniques, analysis lation des représentations faciales de manière prévisi- and image identification, sample objects seen from mul- ble permettent désormais de créer des modèles virtuels tiple angles, analysis of image sequences, morphing directement à partir d’éléments de la réalité.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 58 or foreseeable manipulation of facial aspects. It is now Orateurs : Takeo Kanade (Carnegie Mellon University, possible to create virtual models directly from real ele- USA), Thomas Vetter (Max-Planck Institut, Allemagne), ments. Presentations by: Takedo Kanade (Carnegie Luc Robert (INRIA, France), Steven Seitz (University of Mellon University, USA), Thomas Vetter (Max-Planck Wisconsin, Madison, USA), Duncan Rowland & Michael Institute, Germany), Luc Robert (INRIA, France), Steven Burt (St-Andrew University, Ecosse, RU) et Fabio Pettinati Steitz (University of Wisconsin at Madison, USA), Duncan (Apple, USA). Rowland & Michel Burt ( St. Andrew University, Scotland) “Mises en mouvements” - Après avoir modélisé les and Fabio Pettinati (Apple, USA). formes, on modélise le mouvement (danse, marche, “Setting in Motion”—After the shapes are modeled, sourire et grimaces) pour donner vie aux personnages the movements then must be modeled (dancing, walk- et scènes virtuels. On utilise pour cela des techniques ing, smiling, frowning) so as to animate the virtual char- d’analyse des mouvements complexes, de captures de acters and environments. This requires the use of com- la gestuelle, des expressions du visage et des mouve- plex movement analysis techniques, capturing the ges- ments du corps entier à l’intérieur de l’espace, ou tures, facial expressions and full body movements with- encore des techniques de création pure de mouve- in a given space, or even creative techniques to invent ments. the movements. Presentations by: Hal Bertram (Jim Orateurs : Hal Bertram (Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, Henson’s Creature Shop, UK), Ken Perlin (New York RU), Ken Perlin (NY University, USA), Kazuyuki Ebihara University, USA), Kazuyuki Ebihara (ATR, Japan), Gilles (ATR, Japon), Gilles Dietrich (INSEP, France), Michiel Dietrich (INSEP, France), Michiel Van de Panne Van de Panne (University of Toronto, Canada), Agnès (University of Toronto, Canada), Agnès Saulnier & Pierre- Saulnier & Pierre-Emmanuel Chaut (INA, France). Emmanuel Chaut (INA, France). “3D pour connaître. 3D pour comprendre” - La 3D, “Knowing and Understanding in 3-D”—Three-D, désormais accessible sur le web, est un instrument sup- now available on the Web, is a supplemental instru- plémentaire de navigation dans l’Internet. Sous des ment for Internet surfing. Whether educative or fun, formes heuristique ou ludique, la 3D (hors ligne ou en 3-D (on or offline) is a form of exploration and discov- ligne) reste aussi un moyen d’exploration et de décou- ery into our world of knowledge: medicine, archeolo- verte des différents champs de la connaissance: gy, and museum technology were the examples elab- médecine, archéologie ou muséographie sont orated on. Presentations by: Fabio Pettinati (Apple, quelques uns des exemples donnés ici. USA), Jack Lancaster (Research Imaging Center, USA), Orateurs : Fabio Pettinati (Apple, USA), Jack Christian Laroche (Ecole Française d’Athènes, Greece) Lancaster (Research Imaging Center, USA), Christian & Guillaume Thibault (EDF, France), Emmanuel Forsans Laroche (Ecole Française d’Athènes, Grèce) & Guillaume (Cryo Interactive Entertainment, France), Dennis Thibault (EDF, France), Emmanuel Forsans (Cryo Cosgrove (University of Virginia, USA), Delle Maxwell Interactive Entertainment, France), Dennis Cosgrove (Silicon Graphics, USA). (University of Virginia, USA), Delle Maxwell (Silicon “Subtle and Spectacular Effects”—An annual favorite Graphics, USA). at Imagina, this session is devoted to special effects in “Effets subtils et spectaculaires” - Evénement annuel movies: obvious effects that result in the invention of the d’Imagina, cette session est consacrée aux effets spé- most unimaginable creatures, or invisible effects that ciaux pour le cinéma: effets évidents qui permettent render the scene in all its realistic splendor. Presentations d’inventer les créatures les plus insolites de l’imaginaire, by: Jan Kounen (director) & Rodolphe Chabrier (Mac ou effets invisibles qui permettent de composer avec Guff Ligne, France) for the feature movie Le Dobermann une grande maîtrise des scènes à l’apparence réaliste. (director Jan Kounen), Kelley Ray (Sony Pictures Orateurs : Jan Kounen (Réalisateur) & Rodolphe Imageworks, USA) for the feature movie The Craft (direc- Chabrier (Mac Guff Ligne, France) pour le film Le tor Andrew Fleming), Stefen Fangmeier (Industrial Light Dobermann (réalisateur Jan Kounen) , Kelley Ray (Sony & Magic, USA) for the feature movie Twister (director Jan Pictures Image Works, USA) pour le film The Craft (réal- De Bont), Valérie Delahaye (Digital Domain, USA), isateur Andrew Fleming), Stefen Fangmeier (Industrial Antoine Simkine (Duboi, France) for the feature movies Light & Magic, USA) pour le film Twister (réalisateur Mordbüro (director Lionel Kopp) and Didier (director Jan De Bont), Valérie Delahaye (Digital Domain, USA), Alain Chabat), Mike Boudry (Computer Film Company, Antoine Simkine (Duboi, France) pour les films UK). Mordbüro (réalisateur Lionel Kopp) et Didier (réalisa- teur Alain Chabat), Mike Boudry (Computer Film

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 59 The Professional Exhibition Company, RU). This year there were about 100 participants, of which I would like to point out the following: L’exposition professionnelle • Graphic workstation manufacturers: Digital Cette année l’exposition regroupait une centaine Equipment, Intergraph, Silicon Graphics. d’exposants. Nous avons retenu : • Two-D and 3-D software publishers: Alias Wavefront, • Constructeurs de stations de travail graphique: Animation Science Corp. Autodesk, Discreet Logic, Digital Equipment, Intergraph, Silicon Graphics ; Softimage. • Editeurs de logiciels 2D et 3D: Alias Wavefront, • Three-D object database publishers: Rem Infografica, Animation Science Corp, Autodesk, Discreet Logic, Viewpoint DataLabs ; Softimage ; • Suppliers of motion capture systems: Motion Analysis • Editeurs de banque de données d’objets 3D : Rem Corp., Qualisys AB. Infografica, Viewpoint DataLabs ; • Hardware suppliers : Barco, Tektonix Theta Scan. • Fournisseurs de systèmes de capture des mouve- • Regional and institutional companies: ElectricitÈ de ments : Motion Analysis Corp, Qualisys AB France ( EDF), VallÈe de l’Image (The Regional • Fournisseurs de matériel : Barco, Tektronix, Theta Council of Burgundy) ; Scan ; • TV stations: Canal +. • Compagnies institutionnelles et régionales : Electricité de France (EDF) Vallée de l’Image (Conseil Pixel-INA Awards Régional de Bourgogne). More than 500 works from almost 30 countries • Chaîne de TV : Canal+ were entered in this competition. The Imagina jury selected 67 works to be screened, representing the production of 25 different countries.

Jury Prizes • Grand Prix Imagina: Joe’s Apartment: Funky Towel by Jon Payson and Chris Wedge (Blue Sky Studios), USA. • Media Prize for Best European Creation: Superstition by Ray Spencer and Sylvain Delaine (New Wave International/Movida), Belgium. • Special Jury Mention: Tian An Men by Buf Compagnie, Pasquale Croce & Arnaud Lamorlette (Buf Compagnie), France. Down In the Dumps by Philips Media. • 3-DAnimation: Mars Attacks by Tim Burton and Industrial Light & Magic (Tim Burton/Larry Franco), USA. Prix Pixel-INA/Pixel-INA Awards Plus de 500 oeuvres provenant de près de 30 pays The Pixel-INA prizes based on votes by attendees ont concouru dans la compétition. Le jury d’Imagina at the end of the two official conference screen- a sélectionné sur ce nombre 67 oeuvres représentant ings (10 categories): la production de 25 pays. • Music Video: Whatever You Want (Tina Turner) by Stéphane Sednaoui (Propaganda Communications) Prix décernés par le Jury d’Imagina 97 : & Stéphanie Lang (Cinesite Europe), (Propaganda • Grand Prix Imagina: Joe’s Apartment : Funky Towel Communications), UK. de Jon Payson & Chris Wedge (Blue Sky Studios), • Credits: Homage to Jessie Owens & Carl Lewis by USA. Pitof Duboi (Wind Luc Dayan Productions, Canal • Prix Media de la meilleure création Européenne : +), France. Superstition de Ray Spencer & Sylvain Delaine (New • Fiction: ADN by Patrick Cherau and Marc Thonon Wave International/Movida), Belgique. (Okenite), France. • Mention Spéciale du Jury :Tian An Men. de Buf • Games: Tomb Raider by Core Design (Eidos Compagnie, Pasquale Croce & Arnaud Lamorlette.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 60 Interactive), France. (1ère Heure/Buf Compagnie), France. • Special Effects: Joe’s Apartment by Jon Payson and • Animation 3D : Mars Attacks. de Tim Burton & Chris Wedge (Blue Sky Studios), USA. Industrial Light & Magic (Tim Burton/Larry Franco), • Commercial: GMEV1: Appliances by Joe Johnston USA. (ILM/Kip Larsen), USA. • Visualization: Fibonacci and the Golden Mean Prix Pixel-INA décernés par le public d’Imagina à (excerpt) by David Fisher (The Palladian Group), la suite d’un vote à la fin des deux sessions de pro- USA. jection officielle (10 catégories). • Art: Sakuratei by Koji Matsuoka (Links Corp./Imagica • Video-clips :Whatever You Want (Tina Turner) de Corp.), Japan. Stéphane Sednaoui (Propaganda Communications) • Theme Parks: Superstition by Ray Spencer and & Stéphanie Lang (Cinesite Europe), RU. Sylvian Delaine (New Wave International/Movida), • Génériques : Hommage à Jessie Owens & Carl Belgium. Lewis. Réal : Pitof (Duboi). Prod : Wind Luc Dayan • Schools & Universities : Dust City by Sébastien Production/Canal+ (France). Droiun, Cristoph Mutin & Oliver Dumont (Universite • Fiction : ADN. Réal : Patrick Cherreau, Marc Thonon. de Provence), France. Prod : Okenite (France). • Jeux : Tomb Raider de Core Design (Eidos Interactive), France. • Effets spéciaux : Joe’s Apartment : Funky Towel de Jon Payson & Chris Wedge (Blue Sky Studios), USA. • Publicité : GMEV1 : Appliances de Joe Johnston (Industrial Light & Magic/Kid Larsen), USA. • Visualisation : Fibonacci and the Golden Mean de David Fisher (The Palladian Group), USA. • Art : Sakuratei de Koji Matsuoka/Links Corp. (Links Corp./Imagica Corp.), Japon. • Parc D’attraction : Superstition de Ray Spencer & Sylvain Delaine (New Wave International/Movida), Belgique. • Écoles & Universités : Dust City de Sébastien Drouin, Christophe Mutin & Olivier Dumont (Université de Down In the Dumps by Philips Media. Provence), France.

Others Prizes & Special Mentions Autres Prix & Mentions • Soundtrack, presented by the Commission • Mention Bande Sonore Commission Supérieure Supérieure Technique: Dust City by Sébastien Technique :Dust City de Sébastien Drouin, Droiun, Cristoph Mutin and Oliver Dumont Christophe Mutin & Olivier Dumont (Université de (Universite de Provence), France. Provence), France. • Ricard Prize for Creativity: Sticky Business by Ed Taylor • Bourse de la Création Ricard : Sticky Business de (Kingston University), UK. Ed Taylor (Kingston University), RU. • SCAM Prize for 3-D: Cahin Caha by Michel Bret • Prix 3e Dimension SCAM: Cahin Caha de Michel (Univerity of Paris), France Bret (Université Paris 8), France. • SACD Prize for Script: Joe’s Apartment: Funky Towel • Prix International du Scénario de la SACD : Joe’s by Jon Payson and Chris Wedge (Blue Sky Studios), Apartment : Funky Towel de Jon Payson & Chris USA. Wedge (Blue Sky Studios), USA.

Jean Segura is a scientific journalist and consul- Jean Segura est auteur, journaliste scientifique et tant, specialized in scientific imaging, computer consultant. Spécialiste de l’imagerie scientifique, de graphics and virtual reality. His book, Du Scanner l’image numérique et de la réalité virtuelle. Son livre : aux images numériques (From Scanners to Digital Du Scanner aux images numériques est publié Images), was published by Agfa Gevaert/Nathan. chezAgfa Gevaert/Nathan, Paris.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 61 16th Brussels 16e Festival Cartoon and du Dessin animé Animated Film de Bruxelles Festival by André Joassin par André Joassin

The sixteenth edition of the Brussels Cartoon and La seizième édition du Festival du Dessin animé Animated Film Festival, organized by Folioscope, was de Bruxelles, organisée par Folioscope se tenait du 4 held from February 4-16, during the Mardi Gras school au 16 février, période de congé scolaire du Mardi Gras. holiday. Mis à part une rétrospec- Apart from a retrospec- tive sur les pionniers du genre tive held at the Museum of au Musée du Cinéma, la mani- Cinema, this year’s event festation belge était circonscrite was limited to one movie cette année dans une unique theater (Passage 44). The salle (celle du Passage 44). organizers, essentially, had L’organisateur en effet, n’était not been able to reach a pas parvenu à reconduire un satisfactory agreement with accord satisfaisant avec le the Botanique (a publicly- “Botanique” (centre culturel subsidized cultural center) pourtant subsidié par le secteur that had served as the public) qui, lors des éditions venue for specialized pro- précédentes accueillait les pro- grams for previous editions. grammes les plus spécialisés. Festivalgoers neverthe- Les festivaliers n’ont cepen- less didn’t suffer because of dant pas pâti de cette restriction this, because the team of car l’équipe de Philippe Moins et Philippe Moins and Doris Doris Cleven avait adapté la grille Cleven managed the sched- horaire de façon à préserver la ule so as to maintain the consistance et la diversité qui ont event’s reputation for fait la réputation de la manifes- strength and diversity. The Brussels logo by Johan DeMoor. tation. Le public ne s’y est public acknowledged this d’ailleurs pas trompé en gar- by filling the house for both evening and afternoon nissant une fois encore généreusement la salle lors screenings (these were especially oriented toward des séances de soirée et d’après-midi (celles-ci étant young people, who always enjoy the festive ambiance, plus particulièrement orientées vers le jeune public thanks to the presence of theater troupes, brass bands, qui y trouve toujours une ambiance festive grâce à la clowns and live broadcasts for children by Belgium présence de troupes théâtrales, de fanfares, de clowns television). et grâce aux décrochages en direct d’émissions pour The programming for young people and for an enfants de la télévision belge). informed public, shorts and features, auteur films, mak- Les programmes pour jeunes côtoyaient donc ceux ing of films, and series all found their place next to adressés au public averti, et les courts et longs talks given by representatives of several animation stu- métrages, films d’auteur, “making of” et séries trou- dios (Disney, Clayart, Acme, Hibbert Ralph, Ex-Machina),

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 62 producers of children’s videos (Ubisoft), and special effects (Industrial Light and Magic, Softimage, Medialab, McGuffligne) . . . .

Feature Films Unlike other interna- tional festivals that have strict definitions of what ani- mation is, Brussels uses a much broader definition, which otherwise might seem secondary; for exam- ple, it includes live-action films where computer ani- mation clearly plays a part in the creation of special The 3D screenings. Photo by Marc Bo. effects. This explains the presence among the Belgian premieres of Jonathan vaient leur place à côté de conférences données par Frakes’ Star Trek: First Contact, whose visual concep- des représentants de plusieurs studios d’animation tion seems more successful than it’s somewhat scat- (Disney, Clayart, Acme, Hibbert Ralph, Ex-Machina) de tered script. sociétés productrices de jeux vidéos (Ubisoft) ou d’ef- Also on the menu was Institute Benjamita, a live- fets spéciaux (Industrial Light and Magic, Softimage, action feature which allowed us to get a deeper knowl- Medialab, Mc Guff Ligne)... edge of Stephen and Timothy Quay’s universe, for which the festival had paid attention to in the past. Les longs métrages These British brothers have made a difficult work, Contrairement à d’autres manifestations interna- strange but fascinating, much like David Lynch’s early tionales qui préfèrent prendre en compte les seuls films films, on human relationships, hierarchies and d’animation au sens strict, le Festival de Bruxelles se Kafkaesque mysteries of a boarding school for the less veut ouvert à toutes les acceptions du genre, fussent- bizarre. elles secondaires, y compris par exemple les films “live” où l’infographie intervient simplement dans la réali- Unlike other festivals that have strict defini- sation des effets spéciaux. Cela explique la présence tions of what animation is, Brussels uses a parmi les avant-premières belges de Star Trek: First much broader definition, which otherwise Contact de Jonathan Frakes, dont la conception might seem secondary. visuelle apparaît plus aboutie que son scénario quelque peu dispersé. Overall, one of the outstanding aspects of the 1997 Au menu également Institute Benjamenta, long edition was the significant proportion of features which, métrage en prises de vue réelles, qui permettait d’ap- “as a rule,” are of the type more suitable to the the- profondir la connaissance de l’univers de Stephen et ater’s size. But to judge by the titles (previews and Timothy Quay sur lesquels le festival avait attiré l’at- revivals), which are being distributed in Belgian, the tention les années précédentes. Les frères britanniques market remains determined by the stubborn prejudice signent là une oeuvre ardue, insolite mais fascinante that tends to reduce animation to a diversion for kids. comme l’étaient les premiers David Lynch, sur les inter- For instance, Pinocchio, a tender psychological ver- actions humaines, les hiérarchies et les mystères sion of Collodi’s novel, directed by Steve Barron, ben- kafkaïens d’un pensionnat pour le moins bizarre. efited from a remarkable integration of the puppet into Plus généralement, l’un des caractères marquants a world of real actors. On the other hand, the ani- de cette cuvée 1997, résidait dans son importante mation of some of the secondary figurines seemed proportion de longs métrages, calibre “en principe” more rudimentary. plus propice à la diffusion en salle. Mais à en juger

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 63 I don’t need to introduce Space Jam, which cata- par les titres (avant-premières et reprises confondues) pulted—literally—NBA star Michael Jordan into Warner de la sélection bénéficiant d’un diffuseur belge, le Bros.’ toon world. Then again, it’s an undeniable tech- marché reste déterminé par le préjugé tenace qui tend nical accomplishment which helps a script of no par- à réduire l’animation au divertissement pour enfants. ticular signficance. Among the productions benefitting from this type Contrairement à d’autres manifestations of exposure, one can citeLa freccia azzura (The Blue internationales qui préfèrent prendre en Arrow) by the Italian Énzo d’Alò, an attractive tale for compte les seuls films d’animation au sens children done with a lucid graphic style, but which strict, le Festival de Bruxelles se veut ouvert à suffers from being a bit long. toutes les acceptions du genre, fussent-elles Contrary to those noted above, many other fea- secondaires. tures haven’t found a Belgian distributor. Thus, their presentation here presented a rare chance for the Citons Pinocchio, version doucement psychanaly- Brussels public to (re)discover them. This was the case tique du conte de Collodi, mis en image par Steve with Isao Takahata’s poignant Tomb of the Fireflies, Barron et qui bénéficie d’une remarquable intégration whose imagery and subject—children and war—dis- de la marionnette dans un univers d’acteurs. Par con- tinguish it from run of the mill anime. tre, l’animation de certaines figurines secondaire sem- ble parfois plus rudimentaire. Faut-il encore présenter Space Jam qui catapulte – au sens propre – la vedette de la NBA Michael Jordan dans l’univers des toons de la Warner ? Là encore, l’indéniable accomplissement technique sert un script d’une profondeur thématique toute relative. Parmi les productions bénéficiant d’une diffusion commerciale assez large, on peut encore épingler La freccia azzura de l’italien Enzo d’Alò, joli conte pour enfants au style graphique limpide mais qui pâtit de sa longueur excessive. Contrairement à ceux déjà cités, bien d’autres longs Thomas Schneider (Clayart). Photo by Marc Bo. métrages n’avaient donc trouvé de diffuseur belge. Leur présentation au festival constituait donc pour le Among the feature films specifically aimed at adults, public bruxellois une occasion rare de les (re)découvrir. there wasWerner II, which presents a new chapter in C’est le cas du poignant Tombeau des lucioles de Isao the comic book hero’s adventures, which is very pop- Takahata que ses aspects visuels et son sujet – les ular in Germany, and Drawn From Memory, an unique enfants et la guerre – distinguent du tout-venant du autobiographical experience by the Czech-American manga. Paul Fierlinger: The filmmaker recounts his childhood, Parmi les longs métrages plus spécifiquement des- his youth, his escape from Europe at the start of World tinés aux adultes notons Werner mords la poussière, War II, his return to Prague where his father became nouveau chapitre des aventures du personnage de a Communist Party dignitary, and his attempts to fight BD très populaire en Allemagne et aussi la singulière the regime. Animation may not seem appropriate for expérience autobiographique du tchèque d’Amérique such a topic, but as the title suggests, the filmmaker, Paul Fierlinger: Drawn From Memory. L’auteur racon- in a style that wavers between impressionism and gen- te son enfance, sa jeunesse, son départ d’Europe au tle caricature, profits from the graphic possibilities to début de la seconde guerre mondiale, son retour à show things as he remembers them and not with Prague où son père devint un dignitaire du parti com- objectivety. muniste et ses tentatives pour fuir ce régime. Le dessin animé pourrait sembler peu aproprié à un tel sujet. Shorts Mais comme le titre le suggère, dans un style oscillant Ron Diamond, producer of Drawn From entre impressionnisme et caricature légère, l’auteur Memory, was also at the festival representing Acme profite des possibilités graphiques pour présenter les Filmworks, a studio which was honored with a retro- choses telles que sa mémoire les a retenues et non

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 64 spective. It was the occasion to show how just a com- telles qu’elles furent objectivement. mercial and advertising campaign on preventative medicine could exhibit the characteristic style of a film- Les courts makerr who was given creative freedom. And for a Ron Diamond, producteur de Drawn From good reason: Acme has called on the talents of the Memory, était également venu au festival pour caliber of Bill Plympton, Paul Driessen, Richard représenter Acme Filmworks, unité de production à Goleszowski, Gary Bardin, and even Raimund Krumme, laquelle une rétrospective était consacrée. L’occasion who was the subject of a separate tribute. de mesurer à quel point un spot publicitaire, une cam- pagne d’information ou de prévention médicale, un The filmmaker, in a style that wavers générique . . . peut manifester le style caractéristique between impressionism and gentle carica- de son auteur tout autant qu’une création libre. Et ture, profits from the graphic possibilities to pour cause : Acme fait appel à des talents de la trempe show things as he remembers them and not de Bill Plympton, Paul Driessen, Richard Goleszowski, with objectivety. Garry Bardine ou encore Raimund Krumme auquel le festival rendait un autre hommage particulier. This German filmmaker, whose drawings seem to Chez ce créateur allemand, c’est l’image dessinée inspire the scenario and not vice versa. The actions qui semble induire le scénario et non le contraire. Le and predicaments of his characters are, in effect, con- comportement et les embarras de ses personnages ditioned by the graphic characteristics, geometries, sont en effet conditionnés par le caractéristiques perspectives and optical illusions in his barren and dis- graphiques, géométriques, les perspectives et les illu- tant world. sions visuelles de son univers dépouillé et distancié. As one can see, short films were also shown in restrospectives, as there were six programs dedicated to films of new directors. For instance, festivalgoers could discover The Grey-Bearded Lion directed by Andrei Khrajnovski, from a script by Tonino Guerra, celebrated collaborator of Francesco Rosi, Antonioni, Fellini, the Taviani brothers, Théo Angelopoulos and Andrei Tarkovski, among others. The formality of this metaphysical allegory on the human condition gives it a grave and austere tone, but its aesthetic splendor along with several well-crafted techniques do not leave one indifferent. Other films worth noting include: The Tale of the L-R:Antonio Costa Valente (Animegas), Enzo d’Alo (The Blue Cat and the Moon, an affectionate black and white Arrow),Alfio Bastiancich (Cartoons on the Bay, Sacis),Yolanda poem by Portugal’s Pedro Serrazina, the deliciously Hornman (CARTOON), Michel Roudévitch (Libération). Photo by Marc Bo. impertinent DNA by Giorgio Valentini, Trainspotter fea- turing the black comedy of Jeff Newitt and Neville Comme on peut en juger, le court métrage n’était Astley, and, once again, the last Cartoon d’Or winner, pas en reste avec ces rétrospectives et six programmes Tyron Montgomery’s Quest, with its arid world con- consacrés à des films d’auteur récents. Les festivaliers sisting of sand, stones, metal and water. ont notamment pu découvrir Le Lion à barbe blanche Graham Ralph’s children’s fable, The Forgotten Toys, conçu par Andrei Khrajnovski sur un scénario de is at once funny and touching, also profited from the Tonino Guerra, célèbre collaborateur de Francesco work of Bob Hoskins, who lends his voice and tem- Rosi, Antonioni, Fellini, des frères Taviani, Théo perament to one of the heroes. This Christmas road Angelopoulos et Andrei Tarkovski, entre autres. La movie, made for British television, was presented in a solennité de cette allégorie métaphysique sur la con- 25 minute format particularly well suited to young dition humaine donne au film une tonalité grave et viewers. austère, mais la majesté esthétique de l’ensemble où plusieurs techniques se fondent en un tout homogène, Series ne laisse pas indifférent. The dynamism of English broadcasters was as Autres réalisations remarquées: L’histoire du chat et

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 65 incredible as ever. Among the series honored at the la lune, caressant poème en noir et blanc du portugais festival, two were from programs destined for Britain’s Pedro Serrazina, le savoureusement impertinent DNA small screens. Gogs, by Deinol Morris and Michael de Giorgio Valentini, Trainspotter porté par l’humour Mort, which uses puppet and plasticine animation, is noir de Jeff Newitt et Neville Astley ou encore, cela va a prehistoric comedy in the slapstick spirit of naughty de soi, le dernier “Cartoon d’or” en date: Quest de students and has an unbridled scatological tone, Tyron Montgomery et ses mondes arides successifs de though perhaps too schematic to be fully effective. sable, de caillasse, de métal et d’eau. One finds the same “taste” in Crapston Villas (anoth- er work in 3-D) by Sarah Ann Kennedy, a devastating Le dynamisme de chaînes anglaises ne se soap opera parody, which offers a “hideous, dirty and dément d’ailleurs pas.

Destiné aux enfants la fable à la fois drôle et émou- vante de Graham Ralph Les jouets abandonnés béné- ficie du travail de l’acteur Bob Hoskins qui prête sa voix et son tempérament à l’un des héros. Ce road- movie de Noël, produit par la télévision britannique se présente en “format” 25 minutes particulièrement bien adapté aux tous jeunes spectateurs.

Les séries Le dynamisme de chaînes anglaises ne se dément d’ailleurs pas. D’entre les séries mises à l’honneur au L-R: Philippe Moins (Festival, recherché par la justice),Anne festival deux étaient ainsi des programmes destinés Dautane (Medialab), Doris Cleven (Festival). Photo by Marc Bo. aux petits écrans des îles britanniques. Gogs, anima- tion de poupées en plasticine de Deinol Morris et nasty” vision of British society, which isn’t reticent about Michael Mort est une comédie préhistorique à l’esprit neurotics, delinquents, depressives, vulgarians, or senile slapstick mal élevé et aux tonalités scatologiques people. Even the small house cat is known to be débridées, trop systématiques peut-être pour s’avérer depraved and suffering from an incurable digestive pleinement efficaces. On retrouve ces mêmes “saveurs” problem; the miniature sets, remarkably, do not omit dans Crapston Villas (autre travail en 3D) de Sarah any sordid details: traces of rust on the sinks, wallpa- Ann Kennedy, ravageuse parodie des “soap opera”, per peeling off because of humidity, endemic disor- qui offre une vision “affreux, sales et méchants” de la der, etc. The variety of characters and situations gives société britannique en n’en retenant que les figures the show a certain political incorrectness, a comic névrosées, délinquantes, dépressives, vulgaires ou strength and a provocative new life to each episode. séniles. Même le petit chat de la maison s’avère vicieux et atteint de problèmes digestifs incurables, et les The dynamism of English broadcasters was décors miniatures, -remarquables- n’omettent aucun as incredible as ever. détail sordide: trace de rouille sur les éviers, papiers peints décollés par l’humidité, désordre endémique etc. La variété des personnages et des situations donne Computer Animation à cette série politiquement incorrecte, une puissance For scheduling reasons, the ‘97 festival could not comique et provocante renouvelée à chaque épisode. present, as it did before, a program from Imagina 97. But even so, the sessions dedicated to computer ani- Les images de synthèse mation maintained their popularity. Their success tes- Pour des raisons de calendrier, le festival 97 ne tifies to the curiosity computer graphics continues to comprenait pas, comme les précédents, de décen- elicit. With several exceptions (including Toy Story, tralisation d’Imagina. Mais même sans cela, les séances which was revived at the festival, Jerzy Kular’s Krakken, consacrées aux images de synthèse comptaient encore the Insektors series . . .), we must admit that comput- parmi les plus courues. Ce succès témoigne de la er animation remains a subject in itself, and is thus not curiosité que l’infographie continue de susciter. A used enough as a full means of expression in the ser- quelques exceptions près (dont Toy Story repris au fes-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 66 vice of specific personal creations. tival, Krakken de Jerzy Kular, la série Insektors . . .), This opinion doesn’t deny the convincing results force est pourtant de constater que dans de nom- created by these virtual images. But we can still ask breux cas, cette technique reste un sujet en soi et n’est oneself the following question: Beyond comedy, can donc pas assez utilisée comme un moyen d’expres- the texture of computer images engender an emo- sion complet, au service de créations personnelles spé- tional range equivalent to those produced by tradi- cifiques. tional means and allow it to have equal effectiveness Cette opinion ne remet évidemment pas en cause in as many genres? les résultats probants obtenus grâce aux images Nevertheless, the large selection shown at the virtuelles dans le domaine des effets spéciaux ou dans Brussels Animation Festival did not elicit a definitive celui de la publicité. Mais il est encore permis de se answer to this question. poser la question suivante: au-delà du trait humoris- —Translated from the French by Harvey Deneroff tique, la texture même des images de synthèse peut- elle engendrer une gamme d’émotion équivalente à P.S.: Although the Brussels Festival is a noncompeti- celle produite par l’image traditionnelle et permet-elle tive, it did award an audience prize, voted on by “spe- d’aborder avec efficacité autant de registres ? cial pass” holders based on viewing the short films in the international selection.The winner was Noël gour- Dans un style oscillant entre impression- mand, a Belgian student film made at La Cambre by nisme et caricature légère, l’auteur profite Corinne Kuyl. For the record, films that placed second des possibilités graphiques pour présenter les through eighth were: Quest (Germany, Thomas choses telles que sa mémoire les a retenues Stellmach & Tyron Montgomery), Pas de Kadeaux pour et non telles qu’elles furent objectivement. Noël (France,Georges Lacroix), Estoria do Gato e da lua (The Tale of the Cat and the Moon) (Portugal, Pedro La sélection pourtant large du Festival du Dessin Serrazina), There is More Than One Way to Kill a Cat animé de Bruxelles n’apportait pas encore de réponse (United Kingdom,David Westland), Barflies by Greg définitive à cette interrogation. Holfeld (Australia), Capriccio (Hollan, Ellen Meske), Bride of Resistor (USA, Mark Gustafson), and Bernol’s Nota: Bien que le Festival de Bruxelles soit non com- Family (Belgium, Luc Otter). pétitif, il a décerné un prix du Jury [voté par les festi- valiers titulaires de la carte “passeport”] parmi les films du programme de courts métrages internationaux. André Joassin is a Brussels-based journalist for Le gagnant est Noël gourmand film belge de fin d’e- Le Soir and Canal +. tudes, par Corinne Kuyl de l’Ecole de la Cambre. Pour information, les films ayant obtenu le plus grand nom- bre de voix sont, par ordre décroissant: Quest (Allemagne, Thomas Stellmach & Tyron Montgomery), Pas de Kadeaux pour Noël (France,Georges Lacroix), Estoria do Gato e da lua (L’histoire du chat et la lune) (Portugal, Pedro Serrazina), There is More Than One Way to Kill a Cat (Royaume-Uni, David Westland), Barflies by Greg Holfeld (Australie), Capriccio (Hollande, Ellen Meske), Bride of Resistor (USA, Mark Gustafson), Bernol’s Family (Belgique, Luc Otter).

André Joassin est un journaliste basé a Bruxelles. Il ecrit pour Le Soir and Canal +.

Recordings of Bla Bla (RTBF show) took place every evening. Photo by Marc Bo. Enregistrement en direct de l’émission pour enfants “Bla Bla” (RTFB), tous les jours de 18 à 19 heures. Photo by Marc Bo.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 67 ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 68 The Tail That Wags The Dog, and Other Tales From the 1997 American International Toy Fair

by Marcy Gardner

he 1997 American Inter- of the biggest names in animation- Harvey character franchises includ- national Toy Fair is where an related merchandising. ing Casper the Friendly Ghost, Testimated 20,000 toy manu- Richie Rich, Baby Huey, Hot Stuff, facturers, licensers and buyers came Little Audrey and Wendy the Good to wheel, deal, and play with toys. Little Witch.) At a reception to cele- Exhibitors set up showrooms in the brate the partnership, I decided to New York Toy District (23rd Street talk to the most approachable-look- and Fifth Avenue) and the Jacob ing guy in the room wearing a Javits Convention Center. After see- Harvey name tag. This approach- ing so many men in business suits, able-looking guy turned out to be I had to keep reminding myself that Harvey President and CEO Jeffrey we were here to see toys! But if Montgomery. there was any question that the toy Montgomery (now 32) took industry is big business, figures from over the then-dormant Harvey at the Toy Manufacturers of America the ripe age of 24. His goal for the estimate $20 billion in retail sales in company is to reintroduce the 1996 alone. Harvey stable of classic characters So what happens at Toy Fair to a new generation of fans, Casper anyway? Buyers come to check out being the first. Following on the what toys they want to buy, heels of the successful Casper fea- licensers come to find licensing part- ture and # 1 rated Fox animated ners for their properties, toy manu- series (co-produced by Universal facturers come to attract both Cartoon Studio), Harvey will release potential licensers and buyers. Casper, The Beginning, in Chuckie doll from Nickelodeon’s Rugrats Fortunately, there were things to September ‘97. A co-production of remind us that Toy Fair was indeed Harvey and Saban, Casper’s nonthe- about the business of play. And play The Tail Wagging the Ghost atrical release will allow delivery of is a serious business. On the scene, Harvey Entertainment Company product to the fans within a year’s scoping out the latest in animation- and Trendmasters co-hosted an time, instead of two. Casper was related toys for AWM, I saw The industry reception to celebrate the first produced by Famous Studios Mask keychains, plush Scooby and launch of Harvey’s new toy line and as theatrical shorts. Harvey Scrappy dolls, and even a board preview the up-coming Casper Entertainment bought the rights in game you play while watching car- direct-to-video release. (Trendmas- 1958. toons . . . all while speaking to some ters is the master toy licensor for Montgomery believes that a

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 69 high-quality, animated show is (personal fave) that has a little globe humor based, not merchandise filled with glitter that swirls around Get Ready for the based and must operate on two dif- when you launch the doll, and Sky Next Baby Boom ferent levels; “If it doesn’t make me Dancers that are characters from So say the signs on New York and my friends laugh; then it’s not the show. buses and subway platforms, and going to make children laugh either. I would really like to see how they’re not referring to a new movie Casper is not designed to be a half- kids play with these toys; like dolls, starring Diane Keaton. Nickelodeon hour commercial.” With Casper or like the semi-sporting goods that unveiled it’s new Rugrats merchan- scheduled for a fall 1997 release, they are? Gentile feels the success of dising program at Toyfair, kicking it Harvey Consumer Products Division the show and its related toys is all off with a sort of inaugural ball. is now gathering new licensees and based on children’s fantasies about The party was a festive celebration preparing for heavy promotions flying. “When I was a little girl I (and ironically the only event all with both major fast-food and bev- always wanted to know what it was week where I saw any kids!) com- erage companies. Look for Casper like to fly. I think these toys allow plete with larger-than-life Angelica on the most recent Cap’N Crunch children to pretend that they too and Tommy walkarounds, Rugrats- Boxes featuring an offer for a Casper can fly.” shaped Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Squiggle Giggle Pen (a motorized Also in the works at AGE is a and Klasky-Csupo animators on pen that makes wiggly lines—one new part live-action, part computer hand to draw guests their favorite of which I am now proud owner.) animation series, Vanpires, about Rugrat. derelict cars that come to life after a Sky Dancers Family Fun’s giant meteor crashes into earth and Already in the works is a “Toy of the Year” tries to drain the planet of all the Vanpire car from Galoob that Providing one of the season’s gasoline. Toyfair provided an initial drives and flys. major animation/licensing success forum for licensers to become famil- stories is Abrams/Gentile Entertain- iar with this new property. The ment. The creators of Sky Dancers licensing show in June is where Nick’s comprehensive new and Dragon Flyz were on hand at most of the licensing deals will be Rugrats merchandising program, Toyfair to offer me the inside scoop made for Vanpires. Already in the with Mattel as master licensee, is the about these successful properties. works is a Vanpire car from Galoob cable network’s largest line of con- According to Jenny Gentile, senior that drives and flys. Now this I gotta sumer products behind a single vice president of licensing, Sky see! property to date. Although the Dancers was actually a toy for one full year before it became an ani- mated series. “We always look to develop a property as a complete package. An animated series was taken into account at the develop- ment stage with the backstory for the characters being developed at this time.” The animated series (which debuted in the US this fall) is co-produced by Gaumont Multimedia, who has just complet- ed production on 15 new episodes. New this season from master toy licensee Galoob are Pretty Scent Sky Dancers (bubble gum, strawberry and watermelon), Rainbow Ribbon Sky Dancers that have iridescent rib- bons that shimmer as the doll takes “flight,” Sparkle Dome Sky Dancers Aardman collectibles

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 70 I caught up with Traci Johnson, a Irwin’s Wallace and Gromit line Blues Clues producer and co-creator features vinyl figurines and plush at the Nick party to get a creator’s geared towards children, and cold- perspective on licensing. cast resin figures aimed at adults. “Ideally” says Johnson, “kids The vinyl figures come four to a would be able to play along with pack and will retail for around the toys like they would the show. $3.99. Look for them at both spe- I want to produce real toys that cialty shops and larger retail outlets. preschool teachers would love to The more substantial resins will sell have in their classroom.” Already, for around $10.99 and can be parents have expressed a demand found mainly at specialty shops. for the merchandise connected to Collectors will enjoy this line, as both the show by downloading the vinyl and cold-casts figures retain image of Blue (the show’s main the same feel and texture as the ani-

The Mask action figures character) from the Nickelodeon mated clay characters. Web site and printing their own T- show has been airing in 1991 and shirts. Spumco’s Latest Idiot is Nick’s # 1 rated show, they have Also in Nick Toyfair news . . . Well if you think Ren &Stimpy proceeded with caution in devel- Nick President Herb Scannell creator John Kricfalusi has been rest- oping licensing connected to the announced an expanded partner- ing on his laurels (or on The Log), show. Says Maureen Taxter, Vice ship between Nickelodeon and think again. He has been hard at President and General Manager of Mattel giving the toy manufacturer work developing and merchandis- Licensing for Nickelodeon exclusive licensing rights to the net- Consumer Products, “We have care- work’s major properties, including fully managed to build this mer- its live-action and animated series. chandising program with a long- This greatly expands on the current term view—not a flash-in-the-pan Nickelodeon -branded activity toy effort often associated with licens- line produced by Mattel which ing. It is our intent to see Rugrats includes Gak, Floam, and Smud. grow into a classic licensed proper- ty.” And it is a great looking line that Wallace and Gromit really retains the style of the anima- Take Manhattan tion featuring: Rugrats animation Irwin Toys debuted their new cels, bubblebath, backpacks, pen- line of Wallace and Gromit mer- cil toppers, talking Tommy, Angelica chandise based on the characters and Chuckie dolls (a must have from the Academy Award-winning item), and fruit snacks. shorts from Aardman Animations. Paul Waxman, product manager for “Ideally, kids would be able to the Toronto-based toy company, play along with the toys like says “The Wallace and Gromit series they would the show. have had five years of longevity in England and it’s success is only The party also helped to draw speeding up.” The video series did attention to it’s #1 rated Nick Jr. very well in the US this past preschool program, Blues Clues, an Christmas, ranking fourth in interactive play-along show for Children’s video sales and tenth preschoolers combining a live-action overall. Waxman feels the series is host and computer-generated ani- able to cover this multiple demo- mated characters. A licensing deal graphic “due to it’s tongue-in-cheek for the one-year-old Clues is in the British humor and wonderful clay- Sky Dancers’ “Pretty Scent” figure preliminary stages of development. mation style.”

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 71 ing his latest character, err . . . shall wrong. It can even take a turn too. I say characters: Jimmy of the Future There is a genetic engineer Here’s how it works (to the best of and Jimmy the Idiot Boy. I per- named Dr. Jean Poole who my IQ): There is a transmitter that suaded Spumco Vice President decides to create the perfect plugs into the gameport on a PC Kevin Kolde to try to set the record human, the result is Jimmy the that transmits a wireless RF signal straight. Who is Jimmy anyway? Idiot Boy. to a receiver in Barney’s head. This “The closest thing I’ve ever heard to allows the plush to interact with the the origin of Jimmy is actually from software. The transmitter sends dig- Cyber Barney another show called The Ripping itally encoded signals to tell the doll If you ever suspected Barney Friends who are these really manly when and how to react to what is was like the Wizard controlling your superheroes. There is a genetic going on onscreen. Barney has a children’s thoughts and ideas, you engineer named Dr. Jean Poole 14,000 word vocabulary. Be afraid, weren’t far off from what Microsoft who decides to create the perfect be very afraid and look for this at had in mind. With the new human, the result is Jimmy the Idiot Toys R’ Us this fall. The elements are Actimates Early Learning System, Boy. In Jimmy of the Future he’s a all sold separately with the featuring the Microsoft Realmation “freelance space idiot” who works Interactive Barney retailing for Animation Technology, Microsoft for the smartest man in the world, $109.95, the PC transmitter for combines children’s love for the pur- Professor Longbrain, testing all of $64.95 and the software titles his inventions. Jimmy of the Future for around $34.95. is about to become an animated The Interactive Barney also children’s series produced by Media works as a stand alone toy— Lab, a division of Canal+. “This is the touch various parts of his body toned-down Saturday morning and he’ll sing one of his14 Jimmy”, says Kolde. Look for Jimmy classic hits, play peek-a-boo, of the Future, the computer ani- or give you his signature mated series in about 12 months. chuckle. At the showroom Also in development is an orig- they said that in tests inal interactive Web comic on the Interactive Barney survived Microsoft Network featuring Idiot repeatedly being dropped on Jimmy, George Liquor, Cigarettes his head from 7 feet and tum- the Cat, and Dirty Dog. The bling for 14 hours in the dryer. webzine will be online in about Now there’s something I’d like three months and can be found to see! within the MSN site called Spoken Word. Mr. Men Makes US Debut Whoever Jimmy is, he is avail- Leisure Concepts, Inc. (LCI), able for purchase. The Jimmy of the a division of 4Kids Entertain- Future and Jimmy the Idiot dolls ment, is currently developing retail for about $40 and can be licensing programs for two Annie, a new show in development by AGE, found at Spencer gifts, through currently looking for licensing opportunities animated children’s series: Spumco’s Web site and at Oscar’s Orchestra and Mr. Musicland. “John is a huge toy fan Men, based upon the award-win- ple dino with the absolute latest in and a collector.” This is apparent in ning book series by illustrator Roger software technology. (Oh ,and just his new Three Stooges doll line, Hargraves. I spoke with Al Kahn, to say I warned you, production of where careful attention to detail has LCI’s Chairman and CEO, about the a Barney movie will begin this sum- been paid. Says Kolde, “John spent challenges of predicting what prop- mer, with a spring ‘98 release from weeks just getting the fabric on the erties will be lucrative licenses. He Polygram Filmed Entertainment.) dresses right (the dolls are in drag). noted that a successful property But first, imagine this: a stuffed ani- He tortured the sculptors until every may not be a successful license. mal that interacts with you as you detail was exact, down to the scar “There are certain things,” Kahn play a game at your computer. It on Curly.” says, “that kids will watch that they tells you when you get something

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 72 about. These characters are basi- not a kid anymore, maybe it was all cally the personifications of those those men in suits, but the toys I emotions. Kids see them and liked the best were the well-made know who they are. That will ones that looked like they might last. drive recognition and kids to get Give or take the occasional involved with the characters and Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kid, most collect them (there’s about 80 of of the animation-related toys I saw them). were well designed and well craft- Kahn spoke about the risks ed. The fact that there is a well- involved in bringing a European thought out story behind the mer- property into the US market (Mr. chandise makes it no wonder that Men is a long-established series toy manufacturers flock to these in France). There is the percep- properties. I admit I want the tion, he senses, that European Johnny Quest action figures by properties are “softer.” In the Galoob, just because they are so United States, “soft properties” well made, maybe even a Sky aren’t as successful. Kahn says Dancer or two. There is something that, “You have to be either very very interesting about this period in male-skewed (action/adventure) animation, merchandising and mar- or very female-skewed; if it’s keting, and the fact that they cannot neuter, it’s too young and no one be divorced from each other. Will Vanpires watches it. Mr. Men, although this trend continue? Despite the it’s soft, both boys and girls can naysayers, the licensers that make don’t necessarily want to live. The relate to a character.” their fortune from the next big prop- key to make a license really work is LCI’s other animated series, erty are willing to bet it will. when the kids want to become one Oscar’s Orchestra, teaches children Well, even God was rewarded with the characters and have their about music. Starring Dudley Moore on the seventh day . . . At the end existence peppered with them. Kids as the voice of the show’s hero, of my week of investigative report- need to be immersable into the Oscar the Grand Piano, who along ing, I finally got to go to the show- character group.” with his musical friends battle the room floor and saw all the toys. Mr. Men is a classic property that evil dictator Thadius Vent, who is Row after delicious row of babies, has been in France for 25 years. on a mission to rid the world of frisbees, stickers, stampers, squig- Kahn plans on using toys to intro- music. Oscar’s debuted to in the US gly, glow-in-the dark, scare the duce a new generation to the Mr. last fall, but with stronger promo- pants off you TOYS! And I didn’t Men characters. A comprehensive tion and 13 new episodes this sea- even have to share. back-to-school program and the son, the award-winning British rerelease of the books by Price, Stern series is looking for a stronger sea- and Sloan will coincide with the son. Toyfair presented an opportu- show’s fall debut in the US. “Any nity to meet with potential licensees. exposure of these characters (tele- “What’s good about Oscar’s is if you Marcy Gardner currently works in vision or merchandising) will help look at everybody’s toy lines, there’s the Children’s Programming the character get seated.” Kahn feels always musical instruments in those Department at WGBH, Boston that both the series and the licens- lines—generic instruments. With where she answers Arthur’s fan- es have a strong chance of doing Oscar’s, we give them an opportu- mail and is compiling a library of well. nity to put a real handle on a gener- kid’s ideas, art, films/videos, and “The storyline is very important ic category. projects for the new ZOOM to kids getting involved with the So the big question is, How do show. Previously, she worked on characters,” Kahn points out. “In this you predict the next Tickle Me Elmo? Sesame Street. Marcy would love property, the characters are the sto- I mean, who knew that a convuls- to hear from anyone interested in ryline. When I say Mr. Happy you ing, hysterical red monster would ZOOM and can be reached at: know exactly what I’m talking cause such an uproar? Maybe I’m [email protected].

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 73 The Oscars Are Coming!

by Wendy Jackson

n March 24, the Academy along the way it was a labor of love. an Oscar. I get the feeling that any- of Motion Picture Arts and A small dedicated crew gave their thing is possible.” OSciences will put on its time and talents to the project, —Timothy Hittle annual Academy Awards presenta- wanting to make something beau- tion. If you’re like me, you’ll be tiful. What is great about stop- First introduced in Hittle’s 1991 watching long-winded speeches motion filmmaking is pulling all the short The Potato Hunter, main char- and expensive commercials all parts together: the movement, the acters Jay Clay and Blue the dog night, just waiting for that fleeting sound, the music and every last are back again in Canhead, anoth- moment of glory when the Oscar thing. We build the world from the er clay animated film by the San for Best Animated Short Film is pre- ground up. And in these days, Francisco-based animator. The film sented. For that brief couple of min- when so much is going digital, it is takes place on a seemingly endless utes, millions of people catch a a sweet pleasure to have Canhead table top, where Jay and Blue are glimpse of what you and I already stomping around out there, all stranded without food. When the know is one of the greatest art wood and metal and clay. I am two become separated, fear and forms; animation. With three of this lucky to have been able to work worry bring about Canhead, a fero- year’s nominees done in stop- together with people who love their cious metal giant set for destruction. motion, and one with computer, craft the way that I do. It is glorious Jay faces his foe in a battle, and this year’s slate is proof positive that to have this film be nominated for turns the situation around to reunite the art form is alive, well, and being him with his lost dog, Blue. used in very creative ways by inde- Tim Hittle is currently working at pendents around the world. Here’s Pixar. a look at this year’s nominees; read the synopsis’ and director’s state- La Salla by Richard Condie ments, download the movie clips, “I found out about the nomina- then express yourself by voting for tion on the Internet. I woke up at your favorite film in the first ever exactly 8:30 and logged on to “Animation World Magazine’s Un- www.oscar.com . . .with a shaking Official Oscar Race”! hand on the mouse, I scrolled down the page. Then the phone just start- Canhead by Timothy Hittle ed ringing and ringing, and it did- “Canhead took nearly three n’t stop until 11:30 at night.” Timothy Hittle years to see completion, and all —Richard Condie

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 74 my diploma film which will be a cel animation.” —Thomas Stellmach, producer

Co-created by Thomas Stellmach, and an animator who goes by the name of Tyron Montgomery, Quest is a mixed- media, stop motion film which uses materials not commonly used in ani- Richard Condie mation. In a quest for water, a sand Timothy Hittle’s Canhead puppet leaves the sand world in which it lives. It wanders through La Salla is Richard Condie’s first other worlds made of paper, stone film produced in 3-D computer ani- and iron, following the sound of mation, and his second Oscar nom- dripping water. In the end, the sand ination in this category (the first was puppet manages to reach the water for The Big Snit in 1986). Produced . . . in a very tragic way. by Condie and Ches Yetman for the National Film Board of Canada, it is Wat’s Pig by Peter Lord an eight minute comic opera, exam- Produced for Channel Four by ining what happens when we try Aardman Animations, the British stu- to become masters of our own des- dio that took home this award last tiny. Softimage developed the soft- year, and two years before that, and ware used to create this film. Tyron Montgomery and Thomas two years before that,Wat’s Pig Stellmach’s Quest marks the company’s sixth Oscar Quest by Tyron Montgomery nomination in this category. Shot in “I heard about the nomination clay animation, using a split-screen via a radio station on Tuesday night technique, the film gives new mean- while I was working at Kassel ing to the term “parallel editing,” by University. After all the long and literally presenting both sides of the hard work on the film, this was a story at the same time. recognition that broke the tension, The film tells the tale of two and which may change my life from brothers separated at birth, who live one moment to the other. There as neighbors, never knowing of was suddenly a great rush by the each other’s existence. In a castle media. Images of the future are on the hill, one lives as a powerful going through my head. and wealthy earl. Meanwhile, his Nervousness, even panic and fear brother Wat, who has been raised followed. How will life go on? Will Peter Lord’sWat’s Pig since childhood by a friendly pig, the next steps be the right ones? scrapes together a living in his hum- For the German public and media, ble hovel. When a nearby baron the Academy Awards have become threatens the earl with war, fate more and more important. There is unexpectedly brings these two lives much more interest in the nomina- together again. tion of Quest than there was seven years ago when the German Oscar The author would like to thank winner, Balance was in the compe- everyone who made this report pos- tition. Many people in Germany sible. look forward to the ceremony on March 24. There is a lot of tension. Until then, I am trying to work on Richard Condie’sLa Salla

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 75 MTV Signs Fred Seibert to both animated and live-action pro- Exclusive Independent Produc- jects for Disney, on an exclusive tion Deal. Former Hanna-Barbera basis. president Fred Seibert has entered an exclusive independent produc- Animated Documentary in tion deal with MTV Networks, a divi- Africa. EntreActe Productions in sion of Viacom. MTV, Nickelodeon France is completing production on and VH1 will have exclusive rights Archipel, an animated documentary to all animated and live-action pro- made in collaboration with children jects he develops for television. from the Ivory Coast in Africa. The Seibert will also consult on aspects film is a portrait of Abidjan society, of programming and promotion for through the eyes and imagination the networks. This is actually Seibert’s of Abidjan children ages 8 to 15. licensing and merchandising. Bob return to MTV, as he points out in The 52 minute live-action/anima- DeLellis, president of Fox Home commenting, “I started working tion documentary film will be Video North America, was quoted with MTV Networks in 1980, and released in June, together with an in Daily Variety as having said, “Our after five years away, it is thrilling to exhibition of the film artwork and a goal is to build a larger presence in be accepted into their generous musical CD. the kids marketplace, and there is amnesty program.” At that time, no better partner or proven leader Seibert was involved in the launch in that arena than Saban. of MTV, and played an integral role This is a huge opportuni- in the development of the animat- ty to build a brand that ed MTV and Nickelodeon logos. has significant long term “Fred has had tremendous experi- potential.” ence and success in the worlds of Meanwhile, Saban animation and brand-building, two has cleared sale of its 3 cornerstones of our company,” said new kids shows in 75% MTV Networks chairman and CEO of the US, including all of Tom Freston. “As we now accelerate the top 5 markets. X-Men our investment in animation, we are has been sold to 61 sta- tapping a huge talent with Fred.” tions reaching 75% of the Seibert will remain in Los Angeles, US. Marvel Super Heroes with his office based at Nickelodeon has been sold to 64 sta- Animation Studios. tions. The All New Cap- DESIGNefx’s Alice In Wonderland spot. tain Kangaroo has been sold to 74 Saban and Fox:Another Big Deal. Designfx Animates Chesire Cat. stations. Oliver Twist was renewed Twentieth Century Fox Home Atlanta-based commercial produc- for its second season with clearance Entertainment has just inked a tion company, DESIGNfx, recently from 57 stations. seven figure deal to market, sell and created a 30 second spot for the distribute Saban Entertainment’s Atlanta Ballet’s production of Alice Disney Gets Savage. Walt Disney huge library of titles. The two com- in Wonderland. The fully animated Television has signed a multi-year panies have also started a joint pro- commercial features the Chesire Cat development deal with writer/pro- duction agreement to create and character. Spot director Jai Husband ducer Savage Steve Holland, whose distribute a branded home video used Toon Boom software to create credits include animated kids shows line, banking on Fox’s power in mar- the animation, and the Harry sys- Eek! The Cat, The Terrible Thunder keting and Saban’s expertise in tem to synchronize it with the spo- Lizards and Klutter. He will develop

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 76 ken track. has a new interactive art game for countries, is planned for April 24- children called Orly’s Draw a Story. 27. This is an annual competitive The Universal Miss Spider. David The game enables the player to cre- festival, which is a nonprofit orga- Kirk, author of the popular children’s ate characters which are then ani- nization supported by ASIFA Nordic. storybooks Miss Spider’storybooks, mated into a story. . . Humongous 170 films have been chosen by the has sold rights to the character and Entertainment, a division of GT preselection committee, which property to Universal Pictures, who Interactive, has released two new includes Per Tönnes Nilson, Kjersti plans to develop a feature film, a educational animated children’s Alver, Barbro Björkfelt, Phil Mulloy, home video line, CD-ROMs, music games, Freddi Fish and Luther’s Pritt Pärn, Georges Lacroix, Michaela and theme park attractions based Water Pavlatová, and Paul and Menno on the character. In the last two DeNoojier. years, Kirk’s Miss Spider books have sold more than one million copies Zlín Animation Festival will take in the US. The books are pub- place in the Czech Republic May lished by Kirk’s partner, pub- 19-23. The noncompetitive, lisher Nick Callaway. international festival will fea- Together, they founded ture animated films for chil- Callaway & Kirk, described dren, presentations of as “a family entertainment Czech and Slovak student company.” Callaway said, films and a separate com- “Universal is the perfect petition of animated fea- partner for us because ture films. they share our imagina- tion, energy and vision for Visual Effects Society the incredible growth Formed. In response to potential of our character.” the increasing expansion in the field of special effects, Olive Jar Gets Fruity. Olive a group of leaders in the Jar Animation, the Boston- industry has banded together based studio known for its inno- to form a new professional non- vative stop-motion style, has cre- profit organization called the ated a new spot for General Mills Visual Effects Society(VES). Fruit by the Foot product. Entitled Dedicated to the “advancement Beary Scary, the commercial fea- Humongous Entertainment’s character, Luther. and promotion of the art and sci- tures clay-animated characters ence of visual effects,” there is spec- telling ghost stories around a camp- Worries and Freddi Fish and ulation that VES could be an answer fire, who are attacked by a grizzly Luther’s Maze Madness. . . to the current overcrowding of bear hungry for their snacks. The Activision is in production on Zork, recognition for the craft in the spot was animated and directed by Grand Inquisitor as the latest in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & is directed by Tom Gasek. Hallmark Zork franchise, a series of Sciences. The society’s mandate interactive games involving magic focuses on three primary areas: Electronic Arts Invests in and myth. Zork Grand Inquisitor is information, education and recog- Stormfront. The huge interactive scheduled to be released in Fall ‘97. nition. Jim Morris, elected VES chair- software company has just person and president of Lucas increased its capacity by placing an The Following News items are Digital said, “The formation of the investment in Stormfront Studios, a reprinted from the February 21 VES is a culmination of the signifi- software development company edition of the AWN Animation cant evolution that has occurred in based in San Rafael, California. Flash email newsletter. the effects industry. The creative artists and the technology of the Game News Oslo Animation Festival, the only effects world have become a key Brøderbund’s Imagimaker Series animation festival for the Nordic force shaping film, television and

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 77 interactive media.” technology before offering classes AMPnyc Creates Cartoon Net- Serving as paid executive direc- to members and the general public. work Spots. One-year old New tor is Tom Atkin, an independent Bill Stewart, who coordinated the York-based AMPnyc, a new inde- marketing consultant for over 25 acquisition, said, “We will be pendent animation studio, recent- years, who has worked on ad and approaching agencies to fund us in ly completed two major projects for marketing campaigns for order that we can buy more work- the Cartoon Network. Big Paramount, Universal and Sony. To stations. We can’t really offer cours- Wednesday is a series of 23 inter- date, there have been 28 people es with only one PC.” MSIA is a non- stitials promoting the network’s new named to the board of directors, profit organization established in Wednesday night lineup, which representing the leading VFX com- 1987; members include Oscar nom- showcases a “cutting-edge style” panies, including Cinesite, Dream inees Cordell Barker and Richard using multimedia animation tech- Quest Images, Digital Domain, Condie. nique spots, and the new “O Industrial Light & Magic, Pacific Data Canada” series of National Film Images, Sony Pictures Imageworks Buzz Goes Pop. Pacific Ocean Post, Board of Canada shorts. and Will Vinton. For more informa- a post-production company based The company’s second project tion on VES, contact 818.789.7083. in Santa Monica, has has acquired is a series of four one-minute shorts Buzz F/X, a computer-generated called Cartoons That Never Made Real-Time Animation Associa- imaging facility formerly operated It, which parody various styles and tion Formed. The Performance by Buzz Image Group in Montreal. concepts. The shorts—Rupert the Animation Society (PAS) is a new The new studio will be called POP Grouper, Frothy Dawg, Heidi and organization for professionals work- Animation, and will double its staff the Yodelers and Salt and Slug—will ing in the realm of real-time and of 10 computer graphics artists and all be airing by mid-March, and will motion-capture animation. Found- animators already employed at the also be showcased at various ani- ed by Richard Cray and co-directed Santa Monica facility. mation festivals, including the by Gregory Peter Panos, the asso- upcoming World Animation ciation is open to all types of pro- Duck Soup Makes Alphabet Celebration in Pasadena. AMPnyc fessionals in this rapidly-evolving Soup. Duck Soup Producktions and was founded in April 1996 by craft, from computer animators and their independent new media/live- Michael Adams, whose partners are composers to actors, dancers and action production arm, The Front, Ted Minoff and Greg Pair. puppeteers, as well as game devel- have animated a new series of com- opers and real-time system engi- mercials for the US West Yellow Renegade Relocation. Burbank- neers and designers. With the Pages Directory. The first spot, The based Renegade Animation has recent opening of Medialab’s Los Big Sweep uses computer anima- moved their office again, this time Angeles studio, and the expansion tion to portray a janitor sweeping just a mile down the road. The of local companies such as Modern letters off the cover of the book, move was necessary to accomodate Cartoons and House of Moves, the while the second spot, Doodling their growing staff. With 8 rooms organizers felt that time was right Around, features the book being and an artist’s bullpen area capable for a professional group in this area. flipped like a huge flipbook to form of housing up to 12 people, the The first PAS meeting was held in the campaign logo. Other recently larger facility will lend room for new February in Santa Monica. For more completed spots by the Los Angeles- Renegade personnel include ani- information, visit the PAS web site: based production company include mators Ken McDonald, David http://members.aol.com/PAsociety Wizard, Personal Trainer and Vamos and Ashby Manson, anima- Barber, three in a series of animat- tion checker Dora Yakutis, and pro- MSIA Goes Digital. The Manitoba ed duck (how appropriate) spots for duction coordinator Laura Velkei. Society of Independent Animators the Cadillac Catera campaign; a “Now we can do more work in- (MSIA) has invested in a PC system “stick-figure style” animated spot for house and keep tighter control over to run 2D and 3D computer ani- Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, as well costs and the creatuive aspects of mation programs AXA, Autodesk as the live-action and animation each project,.” said Darrel Van and 3D StudioMax. MSIA technical combo spot, Genie for Alpha-Bits Citters, Renegade president and committee members plan to spend Cereal. director. the next few months learning the

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 78 Space Jam Now in Europe, Soon between Seinfeld and Comedy ly in conjunction with our licensees in UK. Warner Bros.’ Space Jam has Central’s Dr. Katz, and said” the fact and retailers, to design the big pic- hit the screens in Europe, grossing that our target audience is the older ture together as partners and think a total of $8.7 million in opening teen and young adult audiences about eachother in a very compre- weekend alone (Feb 7-9). Box (18-35) cinches this deal. Bob hensive way.” said Susanne Lee, offices raked in the following gross- Dorough’s style is exactly what we senior vice president of Licensing es: $2.7 million in Germany, $2.4 are looking for.” InVision has just and Merchandising for Saban. million s in France, $1.7 million n completed production on Bandai America, Mattel, Toy Biz, Spain; the film is also playing in Streetfighter for the USA Network. Disguise, S. Goldberg, and Gordy Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and are among Saban’s licensing part- Portugal. The Museum of the Cinar Partners With Readers ners. Moving Image in London will pre- Digest. The animation producer sent an exhibit on the making of and the publisher have signed an Four Media Co., which recently Space Jam,”featuring animation art- agreement to jointly produce and partnered with French company work from the film. The exhibit, run- distribute animated programming Medialab, sold about 5 million ning March 14-June 1, opens with for children around the world. The shares of common stock, bringing in the premiere of the film in the UK. first project, an adaptation of the about $28 million in their initial pub- children’s story, The Country Mouse lic offering. David & Alison to Make “Bob & and the City Mouse Adventures will Margaret”?? British animators be a Cinar co-venture with France DreamWorks Signs First-Look Alison Snowden and David Fine are Animation, in association with With Weitz and Weitz. Paul and currently optioning the rights to Ravensburger of Germany and Chris Weitz, the screenwriters of develop their Oscar-winning ani- Reader’s Digest. All 26 episodes will Ants (the DreamWorks/PDI com- mated short Bob’s Birthday into a feature the Reader’s Digest brand puter-animated feature currently in half-hour TV series. Canada’s name, as will any home videos production), have signed a one- Nelvana is looking into developing based on the series. “The partner- year, non-exclusive first-look deal the Bob and Margaret Show based ship brings us together with a glob- with DreamWorks SKG. The devel- on the middle-aged couple in Bob’s al leader who shares our vision of opment deal will include both ani- Birthday. If the project moves for- responsible and entertaining chil- mation and live-action scripts. ward, it will be a Canadian-UK co- dren’s programming,” said Cinar DreamWorks Pictures co-head Laurie production ,with the participation president Ronald A. Weinberg. MacDonald said, “These guys have of Channel 4 in England. “We are style, substance and a truly original really excited.,” Fine told AWN. Saban Restructures Licensing & voice . . .we’re thrilled that they’ve Merchandising Division. Mega- decided to make DreamWorks their Too Much Coffee Man Will Be entertainment company Saban home.” “Schoolhouse Rocked.” Bob Entertainment announced a new Dorough, composer, lyricist and “category management partnership Hollywood Shuffle. vocalist of the pop culture classic program” which puts the process of Kathleen Helppie-Shipley has ABC short series Schoolhouse Rocks, licensing, developing and mer- been promoted from vice president will lend his talents to the new Too chandising a property under the to senior vice president at Warner Much Coffee Man animated series, management of one person or Bros. Classic Animation, where by writing and recording the theme team, rather than having the vari- she will executive produce and over- song. Currently in development by ous stages of responsibility divided see production of classic character InVision Entertainment, Coffee Man among different departments. “After animation sequences for theatrical is an “edgy” animated series for meeting one-on-one with many of shorts, TV specials and promotion- adults, based on the underground our licensees and retail partners, we al spots. Kathleen has been work- comic by Shannon Wheeler, hop- redesigned our infrastructure to bet- ing in animation at Warner Bros. ing to be on air by mid-1998. ter enable us to focus all of our since 1980. . . Marjorie Randolph InVision Entertainment executive licensing resources on a particular has joined Walt Disney Feature vice president Michael Hack category. Now, in lieu of dictating to Animation as vice president of describes Coffee Man as a cross our licensees, we work strategical- human resources, where she will

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 79 oversee all aspects of recruiting, ject with Microsoft to develop orig- ated most of the special effects on contract negotiations and employ- inal online programming. . . . the film. While this may not sound ee relations. And over at one of Nickelodeon Latin America has like a big deal, these days getting Disney’s acquired companies, named Stephen Grieder vp and due credit is an increasingly hot Pamela Thompson has started creative director, and Tony Fadel topic with effects studios negotiat- recruiting full-time for Dreamquest program director for the network. ing contracts for feature film work. Images. The Los Angeles’ SIGGRAPH chap- Cori Stern has been promot- Meta Tools to Acquire Fractal. ter recently held a panel discussion ed from the position of manager to Visual design software companies called “How to Get A Credit,” which director of program development Meta Tools Inc. and Fractal Design featured speakers from Rhythm & at Saban Entertainment, where Corp. will soon merge when Meta Hues, Novocom, and Hammerhead she will continue to oversee devel- Tools acquires Fractal for $145 mil- Productions, as well as a founding opment of new animated and live lion in stock. The as yet to be member of the Academy of Motion action programming, reporting to renamed combined company will Picture Arts and Sciences Visual senior vp of development Joel account for about 270 employees, Effects branch. Andryc. How did Stern get into such and will bring together a large col- a great position? Take a look back lection of professional computer Home Video Releases. at her tips on the trade column, graphics, animation, video, pho- Walt Disney Home Video entitled “So You Wanna Be An tography and digital imaging soft- released an all-new line of Winnie Animation Executive?, published in ware. the Pooh home videos Pooh Animation World Magazine’s Friendship, in celebration of what September ‘96 issue. Saban has also Digital Domain Gets Top Line the Disney marketing folks have added two more development Feature Credit. TV advertisements named “the year of friendship”. The executives to the department; Kim for the new effects-laden Universal titles, Pooh Wishes,Tigger-ific Tales Christiansen, who moved over Pictures feature film Dante’s Peak and Clever Little Piglet are priced at from Walt Disney TV Animation pro- includes prominent top-line credits $12.99 each. Promotional tie-ins gramming, and John Luiso, who for Digital Domain, the Venice, include a mail-in rebate for free moved over from MCA/Universal California-based studio which cre- Pooh lithographs. merchandising. Disney will also release its 34th David L. Simon has taken on animated feature, The Hunchback the role of heading up operations of Notre Dame, on video March 4, for DreamWorks TV Animation. priced at US$26.99. Promotional tie- Simon migrated from Walt Disney ins include licensing and merchan- TV, as did DreamWorks TV dise rebates with General Mills, Animation division head Gary Krisel, Nestle and Hasbro. Hunchback is who will supervise Simon in his new nominated for an Academy Award role. DreamWorks Interactive in the Original Musical Score has named Craig Relyea head of Category. marketing and Jeff Nuzzi as lead Central Park Media will release marketing manager (he was former three anime titles on home video in Disney Interactive marketing man- April. Battle Arena Toshinden, avail- ager). Meanwhile, Dan Kaufman, able April 15, is based on the former DreamWorks Interactive PlayStation and Sega Saturn video head of business development, has games of the same name. Big Wars, left the company to pursue other available April 8, is a science-fiction interests. outer space adventure. Venus 5: Eddie Dombrower has been The Inma Ball, available April 8, is a promoted from director to vice pres- “dark erotic horror film.” ident of Jim Henson Interactive in Los Angeles. Part of his responsi- The Following News items are bilities will be to oversee a joint pro- © Disney Enterprises Inc. reprinted from the February 7

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 80 edition of the AWN Animation ViaSat+ DBS cable package. Plans of who will be showing what in the Flash email newsletter. to dub Nick programming into way of animation: Norwegian, Finnish and Danish lan- Fox Broadcasting’s Saturday Voice of Snow White Now Silent. guages are in the works. morning lineup will become effec- Adriana Caselotti, the legendary tive in parts starting in fall of 1997. voice of the heroine in Walt Disney’s Cartoon Network Nears 40 It will include four new animated first feature-length animated film Million Subscribers. Cartoon programs Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Network is approaching the 40 mil- • Steven Spielberg’s Igor, a takeoff passed away in her home on lion mark in the US, with a recent on the classic story of January 19th at the age of 80. “This acquisition of 8 million subscribers— Frankenstein which will be the is certainly the end of an era for all 85% of which came from from Tele- first cartoon TV series produced of us at the studio and for Disney Communications Inc. (TCI) cable sys- by DreamWorks Television; animation lovers the world over. We tems, which owns a 9% stake in • Home To Rent, a co-production really feel as if we’ve lost a member Time Warner (the parent company effort of ProSieben, Gaumont of the family.” commented Roy E. of Cartoon Network). In order to Multimedia, France 3 and Disney, current chairman of the Walt make room for the channel, TCI has Britain’s Channel 4: Disney Company. eliminated several other channels, • The Adventures of Sam & Max: including E! Entertainment Freelance Police, Nelvana’s Warner Bros. Pushes Quest Television and Comedy Central. The comic book-based show about Release Back. Warner Bros. Feature new broadcast area for Cartoon animal detectives; and Animation has pushed back the Network includes Los Angeles, • Silver Surfer (replacing X-Men), release date of their first fully ani- Tuscon, San Francisco, San Jose, the first new series in a produc- mated feature film, The Quest for Denver, Baltimore and Boise. tion/distribution deal between Camelot, from November 1997 to Marvel and Fox partner Saban. the summer of 1998. Although this King Of The Hill to Rule For “We recognize that as our hits change throws a wrench in the Another Season. The Fox age, we need to infuse new and works of merchandising and pro- Broadcasting Co. has ordered a full fresh programming into our sched- motional plans tied to the film, it season of 22 episodes of King of the ule.” commented Margaret Loesch, was necessary to give the produc- Hill, Mike Judge’s new animated president of Fox Kids Network, tion team more time to complete series which is being paired with which has recently been aggres- the animation on Quest, after many The Simpsons in the Sunday sively promoting itself in the indus- key animators were pulled away to evening lineup. The decision had try as “the number one” kids net- frantically finish Space Jam last fall. to be made after the show had work. Fox is still in active pursuit of The new release date means that been on the air only a few weeks, a cable opportunity to air their kids Quest will be competing for audi- and ratings were available from just programming 12 hours a day, ences against Disney’s Mulan, also two episodes; but the network is seven days a week. scheduled for summer ‘98 release, confident that they have finally Kids WB president Jean rather than Fox’s first animated fea- found the perfect show to fill the MacCurdy announced two new ani- ture Anastasia, which is sticking with slot between The Simpsons and mated shows that will air on the its ‘97 holiday season release. Married . . . With Children. network in 1997-98, as part of their overall increase in daily kids pro- Nickelodeon Goes Nordic. This Networks Announce Program gramming hours up from 9 to 19. month, the Nickelodeon cable net- Schedules. This is the time of year The 10 additional hours will include work has finally launched their when the TV networks present their Umptee-3 TV is an educational broadcast in the Nordic territories schedules to advertisers, in prepa- series about a pirate TV station for with a commercial-free channel air- ration for pre-selling ad space in kids, produced by Norman Lear and ing six hours of kids programming their program blocks. Saturday former Disney animator Jim George. per day. Currrently the program- morning and afternoon kids blocks Calamity Jane is an action/adven- ming is available in both Swedish are generally presented to ad buy- ture series set in the wild west, and and English in Sweden, Denmark, ers from cereal, toy, and fast food The Bugs and Daffy Show is hop- Norway and Finland through the companies. Here’s some highlights ing to bank on the success of

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 81 Warner Bros.’ Space Jam released to launch ABZ, a cable network to last year. Kids WB Network will con- The Money-Go-Round complement the Disney Channel. tinue to air Animaniacs, Pinky & the This is also the time of year Although Disney’s stake will Brain, Batman, Superman and The when publicly-traded companies undoubtedly have influence on E!’s Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries. release their earnings reports for the programming, sources say that the The American Broadcasting past year. Here is a rundown of entertainment news format will Company (ABC) will add at least where the money is. Fourth-quar- remain, since the network has only three new animated series to its ter earnings for Pixar have exceed- recently become profitable. Saturday morning lineup, The sub- ed the expectations of analysts, with ject matter covers its bases in terms an annual net income of $25.3 mil- Paragon & Lacewood Deal Nears of age groups, with Pepper Ann, a lion (54 cents per share), a huge Closing. Toronto-based Paragon show about a spunky red-headed increase over 1995, during which Entertainment has finally signed its pre-teen and Recess, which is about Pixar’s net income was only $1.6 mil- agreement to acquire a 75% stake a fifth grade student. The new 101 lion (4 cents per share). Not bad for in Ottawa-based animation pro- Dalmatians series being produced a company which only went public duction company, Lacewood by Disney-owned Jumbo Pictures a little over a year ago. The majori- Productions. Lacewood, which until will also premiere in the fall, and will ty of Pixar’s ‘96 profits can be attrib- now has been controlled by its undoubtedly ride on the wave of uted to sales of the Toy Story CD- founder, Sheldon Wiseman, plans success of the live-action feature film ROM, not from the Toy Story video, to use the extra financing to devel- remake released this year. as one might assume, because op more proprietary productions. Children’s Television much of the revenue from the Wiseman decided to maintain his Workshop (CTW) is expanding October home video release won’t 25% interest so as to participate in its development effort with two new even get to Pixar until the first half the company’s growth. animated programs in development of 1997 has passed. for CBS’ Saturday morning slots and Canadian animation producer The Hollywood Shuffle. other outlets. Problem # 13, writ- Cinar Films Inc. announced a ten by Nick Hollander (Tiny Toons, 1996 revenue of $57.9 million, a Animaniacs) and developed from a 38% increase over the previous year. concept by Eric Weiner, will be a Gross profit increased 48% to $15.5 half-hour comedy adventure series million. Cinar also recently donated with an educational focus on teach- an estimated $8.1 million of ani- ing everyday mathematics. Dragon mation artwork to the Cinéma- Tales is a pre-schooler series for CBS thèque Québecoise, with the result- which is currently in development ing tax deduction bringing earnings with Columbia TriStar, for debut in share up 45% to 32 cents per share. the 1998-99 season. CTW is also Cinar president Ronald Weinberg developing a show with Flying attributes the revenue to the Rhinosceros, Inc. ( a company increased production activities of the recently founded by co-creators of company, which produced 171 the California Raisins) on a series half-hours of programming in 1996. that will teach children to draw car- toons. Dolores Morris, Vice President The Big “D” Takes On E! to Start of Program Development at CTW ABZ?? The Walt Disney Company said “We are reaching out more to has purchased Time Warner’s 58% Mary Harrington. Hollywood’s creative community as majority interest in E! Entertainment CTW begins to undertake more Television for $320 million. There Nickelodeon has signed Mary ambitious projects…We are devel- has been some speculation that Harrington to an exclusive pro- oping cutting edge and break- Disney would change the enter- duction deal to identify, develop through programs, projects that the tainment news channel into a chil- and produce animated properties company has not traditionally been drens channel, after Disney/ABC’s for the network. The former vice known for.” recent announcement of their plan president/executive producer of pro-

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 82 duction and development for Cartoon Network World web site. slime onto willing guests. This part- Nicktoons will offer first look rights “In working with Sam I am most nership with the Hollywood to television and feature projects, impressed by his grasp of branding Universal Studios is an expansion of both animated and live action. and a universal backwards and for- the Nickelodeon section of the Harrington will continue to act as wards knowledge of cartoon ani- Florida Universal Studios, which has Executive Producer on Hey, Arnold! mation characters.” commented hosted a Nickelodeon attraction and the upcoming series Angry George Evelyn, senior creative direc- since it opened in 1990. Beavers, which she developed. tor. Launching this week is Colossal “Nicktoons is my baby, [but] they’re Interactive’s latest project, a collab- Gabor Csupo Opens L.A. Rest- getting the best out of me and now oration with Broderbund Software aurant. Animator Gabor Csupo, co- I’m doing more of what I like to do.” entitled Koala Lumpur: Journey to founder of Klasky Csupo Animation, said Harrington. Albie Hecht will the Edge. The studio’s next project has opened a combination bistro serve as acting head of Nicktoons in development is an new web and art gallery in Hollywood. while Nickelodeon searches out her show for Microsoft Network (MSN). Lumpy Gravy, as the restaurant is replacement. named, after a Frank Zappa album, Atlanta-based animation and EAI To Make Inter- special effects studio DESIGNefx active Products For has added two new animation tal- IBM. Iowa-based ents to its staff; animation director Engineering Jai Anthony-Lewis Husband and Animation has been CGI animator Rod Brunet. Both are contracted by IBM’s experienced in the field; Husband’s Consumer Division background includes animating for to produce a series Disney and Turner Interactive while of four Crayola 3D Brunet comes from the video game interactive products, industry giant Electronic Arts/Origin which will give chil- Systems. . . . Walt Disney Motion dren an opportunity Pictures Group has promoted for- to customize 3D mer VP of business affairs Philip scenes using Crayola Muhl to senior vice president of art tools. “This agree- EAI’sCrayola Magic 3D Coloring Book. business affairs for the division. ment is another ex- With the staffing crunch facing ample of how “Highly realistic 3D is a non-traditional venue featuring the animation industry these days, technology is not currently available a gallery, performance space, stage, even recruiters are being recruited in children’s multimedia creativity and restaurant. Current exhibitions away from rival companies. Brad products, and this series will set the include artwork by Igor Kovalyov Reinke has taken over CG Technical new visualization standard for the and Mark Mothersbaugh among recruiting for DreamWorks category.” said EAI president and others. 7311 Beverly Blvd, Los Animation, after a short stint as CEO Matt Rizai. Angeles. (213) 934-9400. Recruiting Manager for effects house Digital Domain. Reinke pre- Universal to Host Nickelodeon viously headed up recruiting at Theme Park Attraction. Universal Compiled by Wendy Jackson Rhythm & Hues. Studios Hollywood is partnering with Nickelodeon to create Totally Colossally Interactive. San Nickelodeon, a permanent attrac- Submissions of newswordhy idems Francisco-based (Colossal) Pictures tion of interactive games based on may be sent to [email protected] has announced the expansion of their kids TV shows. Opening in their Interactive Division with the March, the attraction will include a appointment of Sam Register as cre- 1,200 seat “theatrical playground” ative director, who joins the com- and The Sliminator, which will pany from Turner New Media, the dump hundreds of gallons of division which is producing the Nickelodeon’s trademark green

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his month we asked our Alex Williams inevitable question of, “If 1. The Thief and The Cobbler (original director’s cut) Tstranded on a desert island, 2. The Wrong Trousers by Aardman Animation which ten films (animated or oth- 3. A Christmas Carol by Richard Williams, 197, featuring the voice talent erwise) would you want to have of myself as Tiny Tim. with you?” of four people involved 4. Pinocchio by Walt Disney with children and animation: 5. Title sequence from The Return of The Pink Panther, animated by Nicolas Bellanger, director Alice, a Richard Williams short based on children’s drawings 6. The animation interludes from The Charge of The Light Brigade (Tony and their voices; Arlene Sherman, Richardson, 1967) by Richard Williams film and animation producer for 7. The Jungle Book by Walt Disney Children’s Television Workshop’s 8. A Close Shave by Nick Park Sesame Street; Yvonne Andersen, 9. Bambi by Walt Disney animation teacher and founder of 10. What’s Opera Doc? by Chuck Jones. The Yellow Ball Workshop. We also queried Alex Williams, who is cre- Yvonne Anderson ating something that will be seen “A list of 10 animated films to have with me on a desert by millions of young eyes next year, island? This is hard. In 2 minutes, I had 30 essential films!” as an animator on Warner Bros.’Quest for Camelot, and has 1. Hen, His Wife by Igor Kovalyov been known to help out with his 2. A Black and White Movie by Stanislav Sokolov father’s films. 3. Ubu by Geoff Dunbar As in any classroom, there 4. The Son by Ryszard Czekela will always be kids who want the 5. The Devils Ball by Ladislaw Starewicz (an same toys or have the same birth- excerpt from The Mascot) Arlene Sherman day. Thus, it is no surprise that sev- 6. Hunger by Peter Foldes 1. Fantasia by Walt Disney eral titles inevitably show up in more 7. The Hedgehog in the Mist fromThe Tale of 2. The Wrong Trousers by than one top ten list. This month, Tales by Yuri Norstein Nick Park the luck of the draw favors The 8. The Owl Who Married a Goose by Caroline 3. Frank Film by Frank and Wrong Trousers, Tale of Tales, Leaf Caroline Mouris Pinnochio, and the animated 9. Dreamland Express by David Anderson 4. Pinnochio by Walt sequences from The Charge of the 10. The animated sequences by Richard Disney Light Brigade, which all got count- Williams in the live-action British feature 5-10. Betty Boop cartoons, ed twice. The Charge of the Light Brigade. or anything else by Max Fleischer.

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 84 Nicolas Bellanger “When I was 5 or 6 years old, I was “Quand j’avais 5 ou 6 ans, j’étais un “enfant qui dessine”. Les ‘a child who drew.’ Each of my drawings dessins étaient chacun la cristallisation d’une histoire qu’un crystallized the essence of a story that an adulte pouvait légender selon mes indications. Ces histoires adult would title according to my explana- comprenaient des actions et pouvaient donc impliquer des tions. These stories dealt with actions and mouvements. Depuis longtemps, trotte dans ma tête l’idée de thus could involve movements. faire vivre un dessin d’enfant par l’animation. Parallèlement, I had been thinking for long time Jérôme Coullet, le musicien, désirait créer un opéra consitué about trying to animate a child’s drawing. de bruits et sons du quotidien. Nous nous sommes donc asso- At the same time, Jérôme Coullet, the com- ciés avec la société de production Entracte et nous nous poser, wanted to create an opera using sommes baignés dans le monde des enfants de 2 et 3 ans, everyday noises and sounds. So, we decid- dans une crèche. Nous avons capté les éléments de la partie ed to work together with Entracte, the ani- sonore en gardant comme trame scénaristique un axe doc- mation studio, and plunged into the world umentaire : rester auprès des préoccupations des tout petits. of 2-3 years olds and a crèche. We captured Ensuite, pour l’image, nous avons sollicité des enfants de 5 et some elements in the soundtrack and built 6 ans. Ils ont écouté notre bande sonore et ont dessiné. Je me the screenplay as if for a documentary: we suis inspiré de cette production pour réaliser Alice, dont vous wanted to remain close to the young chil- pouvez voir un extrait.” dren’s concerns. “J’ai écrit cette liste de films, mais il en manque plein. For the images, we worked with 5-6 Il est très difficile de choisir. Si je recommencais une telle liste children, who listened to the soundtrack and demain, elle serait sans doute différente.” drew. I used the results to direct Alice, of which you can see an extract here. “I came up with this list but it was very hard to choose. If I had to do another one tomorrow, it would certainly be different.” —Translated from the French by Annick Teninge

Nicolas Bellanger’s Alice. 1.La Règle du Jeu (The Rules of the Game) by Jean Renoir 2.Le Roi et l’Oiseau (The King and Mr. Bird) by Paul Grimault and Jacques Prévert 3. Les Demoiselles de Rochefort by Jacques Demy 4. Les Temps Modernes (Modern Times ) by Charles Chaplin 5. A Bout de souffle (Breathless) by Jean-Luc Godard 6. La Joie de vivre by Hector Hoppin and Anthony Gross 7. Meet John Doe by Frank Capra 8. Felix the Cat films by Otto Messmer 9.Le Herisson dans le Brouillard (The Hedgehog in the Mist, from The Tale of Tales ) by Yuri Norstein 10.The Village by Mark Baker

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 85 AWN Comics

The Dirdy Birdy by John R. Dilworth

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 86 Animation World Magazine 1997 Calendar

Next Issue’s Highlights

For the April 1997 issue, Animation World Magazine celebrates its and AWN’s first birthday. Being in the mood to sing “Happy Birthday,” we will focus on Music and Animation, a topic that will also allow us to explore both sound design and voice acting. Articles will range from Andrea Martignoni’s take on Pierre Hébert’s latest movie La Plante Humaine, where he interacted with his musicians in entirely new ways, to an interview with voice actor (and Star Wars hero) Mark Hamill. In other stories, John Lent will provide an interview with Thai animation pioneer Vayut Ngaokrachang, Nedd Willard will examine the current state of Swiss Animation, there will be a review of Turner Feature Animation’s second and last film, Cats Don’t Dance, and much, much more.

Music & Animation (April)

Commecials (May)

Education (June)

Comic Books/Strips & Animation (July)

Computer Animation (August)

Television (September)

Licensing & Merchandizing (October)

Home Video (November)

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE March 1997 87