Angel Terre de Chair.

Some production problems could be overcome by a greater emphasis on working in teams. It is the rare individual who has strengths in every area, so it is not surprising that a crew of two or more artists with skills in different aspects of the production process is more likely to produce a film that is successful on all levels. Actually, this advice applies not only to novice filmmakers, but also to more experienced animators whose entries sometimes seemed uninspired, or too reliant on worn-out techniques. A fair number of entries were bypassed because they seemed only to rest on past laurels; we did not feel there was much merit in a repetitive formula appearing in what might be called a technically-proficient and/or mildly entertaining film. In some cases, we were greatly disappointed to not include the work of a well-known artist, but we felt we had to judge each film on its own merits. Having a "name" was not enough to assure anyone entry into competition, though apparently some people thought it was. I was surprised by the number of complaints received from animators and institutions citing past achievement as a reason why they should have been accepted into the Ottawa festival.

The selection committee agreed that productions (particularly first films) demonstrating a high level of technical innovation tended to be given a bit more leeway. In contrast, it seemed that a work made with a more traditional (cel-animated) process had to be exceptionally strong to even make it into the panorama. But no matter what technique is used, it is vital that you be brutal with editing during pre- and post-production. Avoid the tendency to keep in extra footage just because "it took a whole weekend to do," "it cost me a bunch of money," or "it looks really cool." We have all been there, but it still does not work. There is a lot of truth in the statement that many films can be "saved in the edit."

Having said all this, I hope you found the title of my article to be intriguing, and its content to be both skillfully presented and well-edited (the same criteria I used in judging successful works for Ottawa). If not, I am sure you stopped reading this essay well before the end, which of course is your prerogative. However, if you are still reading, please feel free to e-mail comments to me at furniss@chapman.edu.

The Jury, Annecy 95.

Maureen Furniss is the Editor and Publisher of Animation Journal, a scholarly journal based at Chapman University, in Orange, California, where she is an Assistant Professor in the School of Film and Television. Animation Journal's home page is http://www.chapman.edu/animation.