Vol. 3 Issue 2 May 1998 Visual Effects & Experimental Animation Monsters of Grace: High Art Meets High Tech Rotoscoping on Titanic New York’s Indy Scene Animating Under the Camera Plus: MIP,Stuttgart and Zagreb Table of Contents May1998 Vol. 3 No. 2 4 Editor’s Notebook Varying degrees of separation: visual effects and experimental animation. 5 Dig This! Take a jaunt into the innovative and remarkable: this month animation meets performance... 7 Letters: [email protected] VISUAL EFFECTS 8 How to be Furrific! Bill Fleming takes us back in time and traces the history of computer generated fur and hair creation techniques through to today’s sophisticated plug-ins and tools. 11 Rotoscoping in the Modern Age: Titanic How did they create Jack and Rose’s frosty breath? Marian Rudnyk describes the rotoscoping process that was used to bring the Titanic experience to life. 15 In Peril: France’s 3-D Industry Georges Lacroix’s open letter to the French Minister of Economy, Finances and Industry and to the French Minister of Culture and Communication alerts us all to the peril that France’s successful 3-D industry is currently facing, espe- cially Lacroix’s Fantôme which is in danger of closing. Available in English and French. EXPERIMENTAL ANIMATION 21 Declaration Of Independents Melissa Chimovitz discovers that independent animation is alive and well in New York when she profiles: George Griffin, John Canemaker, Kathy Rose, Debra Solomon, Steve Dovas, Lewis Klahr and Janie Geiser. 30 Eight Point Star:A Mind Experience in Animation Brazilian director Marcos Magalhães relates his experiences teaching the animation process to renowned artist Fer- nando Diniz, creator of Eight Point Star and a patient in a Rio de Janeiro mental hospital. Includes Quicktime movies. In English and Portugese. 36 Animated Films In Psychiatry Nag Ansorge discusses his teaching experiences at The Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Lausanne and describes the patients’ animation production process as well as the films that they created. In English and French. THE STUDENT CORNER 42 Animating Under the Camera Animating under the camera with sand or paint on glass is a tricky feat. Here a host of experts offer their tried and true methods. FESTIVALS, EVENTS: 47 The RealFlash Festival Winners May 1998 The RealFlash Festival Winners are in! 48 Inside Zagreb:The Preselection Process Independent animator John R. Dilworth describes his experiences as a preselection committee member for the 1998 Zagreb Festival of Animated Films. 52 MIP-TV:Animation in Crisis? Julien Dubois reports on the 1998 MIP-TV in Cannes, revealing a troubled international marketplace for animation. Available in English and French. 57 Stuttgart:A Splendid Festival William Moritz reviews the ninth Stuttgart Animation Festival which took place from April 3 through April 8, 1998 in Stuttgart, Germany. © Animation World Network 1998. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE May 1998 2 Table of Contents May1998 Vol. 3 No. 2 FILMS: 61 General Chaos: Uncensored Animation Mark Segall reviews Manga Entertainment’s first collection of shorts and reveals that they are going for something a little more than sick and twisted. BOOKS: 64 The Entertainment/Marketing/Exploitation Relationship:Two Takes Buzz Potamkin takes a look at two new books on the kids’ biz: What Kids Buy and Why: The Psychology of Market- ing to Kids, by Dan S. Acuff and The Business of Children’s Entertainment, by Norma Odom Pecora. 66 The Anime! Movie Guide: Different But Equal Brian Camp reviews the 1998 book The Anime! Movie Guide by Helen McCarthy, former editor of Anime UK and author of Anime! A Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Animation. 68 Anima Animus Animation Wendy Jackson reviews the 1998 book Anima Animus Animation , a collection of creative works by the Czech surre- alist filmmaker Jan Svankmajer and painter Eva Svankmajerová. HIDDEN TREASURES 70 The Association of Moving Image Archivists Gregory Lukow introduces The Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), the world’s largest professional asso- ciation for film, television and video archivists and a tremendous resource. NEWS 72 Animation World News Simpsons Voices Settle, TV Summit Supports Co-Production, NATPE Cancels ANIFX, and more. IN PASSING... 87 Pierre Ayma: Educator Annick Teninge introduces a collection of tributes and remembrances by friends and students of this dynamic French educator. Available in both English and French. DESERT ISLAND 98 On A Desert Island With....Visionary Experimenters and Effects-Makers Phil Tippett, Richard Reeves and Daina Krumins reveal their favorite animated films. AWN COMICS May 1998 100 Dirdy Birdy by John Dilworth 101 Next Issue’s Highlights 16 This Month’s Contributors Cover: Kleiser-Walczak Construction Company (KWCC) created stereoscopic 3-D computer animation for Philip Glass’ and Robert Wilson’s new multimedia performance, Monsters of Grace, featured in this issue’s “Dig This!” This specially-rendered image is courtesy of IPA. © Animation World Network 1998. All rights reserved. No part of the periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Animation ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE May 1998 3 by Heather Kenyon Varying degrees of separation: edge visual effect or a uncharted waters. visual effects and experimental new animated visual, One way we, at Ani- animation. emotional experience, mation World Maga- o once again another month the artist understands zine, would like to see goes by and it looks as if we the final impact they visual effects and Sare putting two very different wish to depart to the experimental anima- areas or types of animation togeth- audience but they are tion come together er. However, this month proved to never quite sure, in the more often however, be another interesting month as we beginning, just how to is in creative and sto- explored from visual effects to exper- create the phenome- rytelling ways. It imental animation. One thing that non. However, would be great to see we clearly found was that both visu- through tests, trial and artists working with al effects supervisors and experi- error, spontaneity, computer generated mental animation directors begin “Mickey Mousing” and experimen- imagery delving more into the their process only knowing the end tation, they end up creating what world of experimental animation. result that they wish to achieve. they had intended. Whether it is We would like to see the stories that Whether it is an incredible cutting Bärbel Neubauer using homemade this new technology could unleash rubber in less traditional forums. As John stamps, or R. Dilworth pointed out after being Digital a member of the preselection com- Domain’s mittee at Zagreb, many student newest pro- films using computer animation are prietary soft- still tests of technology, rather com- ware, success- puter aided storytelling. As our ful, innovative cover shows...the merging of these artists have a two worlds offers an entire new way of fash- realm of possibilities. ioning what And exactly what is that works. Two image on the cover? Find out in a completely new monthly section called, Dig separate are- This! Every month we will feature nas, using dif- the coolest thing that comes into ferent tech- our office. Be it a toy, a person, an niques and idea, a new invention, an interest- tools toward ing animation technique...Whatev- very different er comes through our door and means, still rises to the top. With this new fea- have the ture we will be able to shine a same creative monthly spotlight on something process and new, fresh and interesting. determination toward the Until Next Time, end result, Heather while plying ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE May 1998 4 Dig This! Monsters of Grace : High Tech Meets High Art by Wendy Jackson ere at Animation World Mag- Beta Testing azine, during our daily con- Monsters Htact with the world anima- of Grace 1.0 tion community, we see countless held its world videos, books, games, toys, tools premiere on and products as well as films, per- Wednesday, formances and themed events April 15, 1998 at employing animation. Every so UCLA’s Royce often, among the volumes of mate- Hall in Los Ange- rial we see, something or someone les. Playing on that truly stands out as innovative the metaphor of or remarkable. With this new software releas- monthly feature, “Dig This!,” Ani- es, the opening mation World Magazine’s editors will show is dubbed filter the volumes of material to pro- the “Beta 1.0” file for our readers what we think is version because the latest and greatest “new thing” the production is related to animation. a work in progress which will change as it The production, described as tours to audi- Organizers of Monsters of Grace’s premiere at UCLA’s newly ren- “a digital opera in three ences around ovated performance space, Royce Hall, staged this photograph of dimensions,” includes live the audience outfitted in polarized lens 3-D glasses used for the world. The music, stage actors and a viewing the stereoscopic 3-D animation. Photo courtesy of IPA. opening perfor- 70mm computer-animated motion-capture technology for one mance which we saw featured film, viewed stereoscopically of the as yet uncompleted scenes eight animation scenes (about 35 through custom-designed featuring multiple characters. minutes of film) which have been polarized glasses. completed for the 13-scene show. High Tech Meets High Art As more animation is completed, “We usually deal with com- We start this series with Mon- film will replace live stage scenes. mercial projects which are very short sters Of Grace, a new, experimental The animation was and is being cre- in length and high in cost,” said film production combining the theatri- ated on Silicon Graphics O2 work- co-director Jeff Kleiser, whose com- cal direction of Robert Wilson, the stations using Alias/Wavefront’s pany, Kleiser-Walczak Construction music of composer Philip Glass and Maya as well as Alias, TAV, Explore, Company (KWCC), specializes in the 3-D stereoscopic animation of Dynamation, Kinemation and Com- high-end computer animation for Kleiser-Walczak Construction Com- poser software.