January 1997 Vol. 1 No. 10 AnimationAnimation FestivalsFestivals HistorHistoryy byby BrBrunouno EderaEdera MusingsMusings ofof Annecy’Annecy’ss Jean-LucJean-Luc XiberXiberrasras JohnJohn R.R. DilworDilworthth onon GiannalberGiannalbertoto BeavisBeavis andand Butt-headButt-head BendazziBendazzi onon DoDo AmericaAmerica TheThe BlueBlue ArArrrowow Table of Contents 3 Editor’s Notebook by Harvey Deneroff 5- Animation Festivals: A Brief History 8 Bruno Edera probes the history of international animation festivals, showing their origin goes back fur- ther than most people think. [Eng] [Fr] 13 The Changing Face of Festivals Tom Knott, the former director of the Ottawa Festival, takes a look at how festivals have changed over the past few years, in terms of quality, independent filmmaking, and as a venue for the major studios. 16- Rendezvous In Annecy: An Interview With Jean-Luc Xiberras [Eng] [Fr] 20 Annick Teninge talks with the current director of Annecy, the granddaddy of all animation festivals, about how and why it has changed over the years. 24 To Be or Not To Be An ASIFA-Sanctioned Festival Chris Robinson, Director of the Ottawa Festival takes a hard look at the relationships between festivals and the international animators’ association which accredits them. 27 Festival Programming Many time festival programmer and juror Otto Adler provides his viewpoint on the ins and outs of select- ing and programming films. 29 Confessions of a Festival Juror © Animation W Maureen Furniss recounts her experiences as a member of the Ottawa 96 selection committee, provid- ing some friendly advice from her and her fellow jurors. 33- Brussels, the Festival 36 Philippe Moins, the Festival’s founder, presents the whys and wherefore’s of the event which starts off orld Network 1996. All rights r each festival year. 39 Mancia Musings Wherein the Museum of Modern Art’s Adrienne Mancia reminisces to Mark Langer about her past efforts in animation programming and her thoughts about the state of the craft today. 42 Festival Reasonings A international selection of filmmakers, executives and others share their thoughts about why anima- eser tors should consider sending their works to festivals. ved. No part of the periodical may be r 46 Yvette Kaplan On the Beavis and Butt-head Watch Janet Benn provides a case study of the role played by Animation Director Yvette Kaplan on Beavis and Butt-head Do America, while saying more than a little about who Yvette is. Film Reviews 50 Beavis and Butt-head Do America by John R. Dilworth 53- La Freccia Azzurra (The Blue Arrow) Giannalberto Bendazzi [Eng] [It] 55 57- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (French Release Version) by Arnaud Laster [Eng] [Fr] epr 60 oduced without the consent of Animation W 63 Mars Attacks! by Wendy Jackson Video Reviews 66- Il Paese degli animali (Animaland) Giannalberto Bendazzi [Eng] [It] 69 72 Desert Island Series . Festive Festivalers Make Their Picks Tom Knott, Gigi Hu, Chris Robinson, Philippe Moins and Yvette Kaplan. The Dirdy Birdy by John R. Dilworth January 1997 74 75 News 81 Highlights of Next Issue orld Network. 1 Cover: Beavis and Butt-head Do America. © 1996 MTV Networks. ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1997 2 by Harvey Deneroff Festival Matters box office of the Beavis and Butt- Today’s international animation head film gives the lie to the festivals traditionally started in 1960 assumption that only animated in Annecy, France; the same time features aimed at a family audi- and place also saw the birth of ence can make money. And as the L’Association Internationale du Film following statistics that the d’Animation (ASIFA), the interna- National Association of Television tional animator’s organization which Program Executives (NATPE) pro- now serves as the sanctioning body claims, in advertising for its 1st for the major festivals. Annual Animation & Special Effects It is important to remember that Expo, the animation industry is a both organizations were conceived lot broader than ever. To wit, they and nurtured in a world where ani- note that: mation was largely a marginal activ- “The Digital Visual Effects busi- ity vis-à-vis the film and television ing number of movie theaters and ness [which uses animation tech- industries. For instance, in the television outlets (both terrestrial nology and talent] is doubling every United States, the glory days of and satellite); another part is due to year. Computer Video Games Hollywood’s Golden Age were the increasing popularity of anima- account for $1 billion in sales each mostly past, with the spectacle of tion, ranging from theatrical fea- year. Animation Production and inexpensive, Saturday morning ani- tures to video games. Distribution for television is grow- mation threatening to take the rai- Some veteran observers warn ing at upwards of 500-900% per son d’être of animation as we knew of the disastrous consequences if year. With CD-ROM capabilities, 3-D it away. one or more of the new feature ani- and 2-D Character Animation is But animation of a different sort mation operations that the becoming a multi-billion dollar mar- was starting to appear around the Hollywood studios are building in ket. Roughly half of the movies world. Not content to produce pale the Disney mold collapses. released in 1995 utilized digital visu- imitations of Disney, a small but sig- However, it seems unlikely that such als of some sort, while 90% used nificant number of individuals and an event will necessarily be cata- digitally recorded sound. This con- studios went their own ways. It was strophic. After all, the American trasts with “maybe” 10% for each the works of these individuals and industry survived when NBC category in 1993. Animated studios that found their home in fes- stopped programming Saturday Feature Film grosses exceed $2 bil- tivals like Annecy and often domi- morning animation in 1992 with- lion over the past ten years. $17.22 nated ASIFA on both an interna- out a whimper, and looks to do the billion in US revenues are generat- tional and local level. same when CBS follows suit later ed by sale of entertainment mer- Today, animation is no longer a this year. chandise [implying that much of it marginal activity. In the commercial If the market for Disney-style is animation-related].” world, it is fast being absorbed into musical extravaganzas diminishes As animation becomes an inte- the mainstream of the global enter- (as it has to a certain degree over gral part of the film and video indus- tainment industry. As such, anima- the past few years), there is little rea- tries, its destiny becomes increas- tion is growing at a pace and son not to believe that other genres ingly integrated into the entertain- breadth unheard of before. A part will not come to the fore. After all, ment industry as a whole—subject of this expansion is due to anima- Toy Story, Space Jam and Beavis to the same ups and downs, rather tion riding the coattails of a world- and Butt-head Do America are all than going its own course.Thus, wide boom in film and television basically straight comedies; in addi- while the current boom will cer- that has resulted from an increas- tion, the surprising success at the tainly end one day, that does not ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE January 1997 3 mean that the bubble will burst as organization, this need not be the it did in the US at the start of World case anymore. War II or when animated commer- In addition, this March, cials lost their enormous populari- Animation Magazine is reviving the ty at the end of the 1950s. All this Los Angeles Animation Celebration has had and will continue to have as part of its new World Animation its effect on festivals and ASIFA. Celebration. The festival, which ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK As noted elsewhere in this issue, was once a rather modest affair 6525 Sunset Blvd., festivals are getting away from their before it was suspended a few Garden Suite 10 innocent begin- years back, Hollywood, CA 90028 nings as havens will now be Phone : 213.468.2554 for personal ani- part of what Fax : 213.464.5914 mation and inde- looks to be Email : [email protected] pendent-minded an annual filmmakers. While three-ring, attempting to Hollywood continue this tra- extravagan- ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE dition, commercial za; among [email protected] interests continue other events, PUBLISHER to “trample” on it will include Ron Diamond, President this hallowed ground. Studios (large an independently produced ani- Dan Sarto, Chief Operating Officer and small) and networks now look mation technology exposition, as EDITOR-IN-CHIEF to them as prime venues to recruit well as an expanded version of Harvey Deneroff talent and find new ideas. Talent ASIFA-Hollywood’s Opportunities ASSOCIATE EDITOR/PUBLICITY which once went into making inde- Expo, that will include a series of Wendy Jackson pendent films now come to festi- Animation Industry Seminars run by CONTRIBUTORS : vals looking for work. This has Women in Animation! Otto Adler indeed changed, to varying Interestingly, ASIFA-Hollywood Giannalberto Bendazzi degrees, the very nature of the way was approached by both NATPE Janet Benn festivals are run and financed. It has and Animation Magazine to have John R. Dilworth also changed ASIFA’s membership. its Opportunities Expo be part of Bruno Edera Maureen Furniss (For example, ASIFA-Hollywood, the their respective events. One of the Tom Knott organization’s largest chapter, has reasons ASIFA-Hollywood decided Mark Langer seen its once strong base among to seriously consider these propos- Arnaud Laster, fans dwindle, while at the same als was the fear that one or both of Wendy Jackson time its professional ranks have these organizations would start its Mark Langer increased exponentially.) own job fair instead.