Dan:  Last question.  At this time of year, between the Annie Awards, the Oscars and many other entertainment industry awards, our industry takes time to recognize its own work.  Even though it’s a completely subjective process, things have to be judged, whether by a jury or an entire academy.  When you sit down and watch an animated film, what is it that you look for, what is it that you enjoy, what is it that makes you say, “That was a good film?”

David:  Oh, that’s a tough one. A lot of things come to mind.  Being surprised, I guess, is a big one.  I want to have a feeling about the characters. I want to feel. I want a story that not only has great characters but ones that I care about. 

Dan:  What about a non-narrative film?

David:  Well, in a non-narrative film they’re going to do something visual that I hadn’t expected.  That would mean some sort of surprising thing.  I think good non-narrative films have a sense of story to them.  There is a rhythm to them that’s sort of the story.  The best non-narrative films are done by people who are still storytellers.  They don’t tell [stories] in the traditional sense but they tell in terms of art and rhythm.  And they do surprising things.  That’s probably why, for example, I like Norman McLaren films.  He made a lot of narrative films and a lot of non-narrative films.  There was something about them…they had a completeness to them.  Begone Dull Care feels like you’ve seen a movie.  It’s fast paced but at the end of the day you felt like…there are things in the film that sort of felt like characters.

Dan:  I completely agree. That’s a tremendous film and a great example.

David:  By the way, it’s one of the most aptly named films.  Begone Dull Care. That’s how you feel at the end of that film. Watching it is like, well, all my cares are gone.

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Dan Sarto is editor-in-chief and publisher of Animation World Network.