NOVEMBER 2003

 

Local Events | Coming in December | National News | Gifts | KROK 2003 | Festivals | Jobs |

 

 

 

CHRIS LANIER HAS A ONE-PAGE COMIC STRIP IN THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF ÔNICKELODEONÕ The magazine has a comic-book insert where "alternative" cartoonists get a shot at warping young minds. Chris has a one-page strip called "Aha! The One-Eyed Detective.Ó He suggests you Òloiter at your local kiosk and check it out.Ó

           

If you missed his last job for the Chronicle, you can check it out on the web. It was a full page in color commemorating the impact of Aug. 6, 1945 on our world (Uncle Sam dropped a new kind of bomb on Hiroshima). The page notes Last Gasp has published a 284 page reprint of Keji NakazawaÕs powerful comic Barefoot Gen, about his experience that day and how it changed his life. Chris includes ironic comments on his page including how the US post office attempted to ÒcommemorateÓ August 6, 1945 by reducing the image of the mushroom cloud down to the size of a stamp in a series of stamps they created in 1995 on the 50^th anniversary of the end of WWII. The Hiroshima stamp was withdrawn after protests. http://www.chrislanier.com/gen_color.jpg

 

Chris was in Ottawa from Oct. 15 Ð 20 attending the Ottawa Student Animation Festival, where he presented a screening of Flash animation. He plans to write an article about his trip for our December newsletter.

 

 

JOHN ATKINSON KNOWS SOME REAL MONSTERS Or did he create them using computers? In any case his ÒauthenticÓfootage is in the TV show  America's Loch Ness Monster that airs on the Discovery Channel. He created the work for Indigo Films. He writes, ÒI did a lot of the graphics work for the show, including some animations of the Wisconsin Glacial ice flow (from the last ice age), and of some underwater dinosaurs (a plesiosaur and a tanystropheus). Also, the Ôdigital effects expertÕ they interviewed in the documentary may look a tad familiar to you...  :) Check it out if you get a chance!Ó Airdates for repeats coming up can be found at:  www.atkinsonproductions.com

 

ÔNY TIMESÕ SAYS DISNEY-PIXAR TALKS CONTINUE AS THEY SEEK A COMPROMISE At this point there is lots of talk, but until something is signedÉ Time will tell us how this business deal will end.

 

CARLÕS FINE FILMS COMPLETES WORK FOR HERSHEYÕS, HASBRO AND AN OPENING FOR A TV SHOW Since opening its doors in January, Carl Willat and his associates have created two spots for HersheyÕs Kisses, animation for two Hasbro toy commercials, and a 2D-3D hybrid animated opening for Courteney CoxÕs home decorating show for the WomenÕs Entertainment cable network.

 

Willat has been creating tasty ads for HersheyÕs for 15years. That must be close to some sort of longevity record in a very fickle business. His long association with the product is due to his excellent reputation and association with Ogilvy & Mather New York.

 

The two new spots mark the debut of HersheyÕs Dark Chocolate Kisses.  In Masterpiece, two traditional silver Kisses interact with a purple-foiled dark chocolate Kiss and a gold frame. The result is like a segment from a silent comedy, reminiscent of Buster Keaton. In Tailor, two silver Kisses measure an unclothed dark chocolate Kiss for its new purple foil, using their flags as measuring tapes. The works were animated in XSI by Lee Greenwood, David Brandt and Ronan Debrun. The spots were lit by Adam Gravois and David Brandt using Mental Ray. Brandt served as technical director.

 

In their first foray into 2D animation, Willat and company wrote and produced an opening for Mix It Up, featuring cartoon versions of Courteney Cox and David Arquette.  The opening embodies the idea behind the show in which couples with decorating tastes that are different from one another are shown ways to combine their design styles into a harmonious hybrid.   Courteney is shown in a sleek 1950Õs tiki style, and David has a messier style thatÕs reminiscent of underground comic books of the mid 60Õs.  A magical transformation literally turns their house upside down, Òmixing it upÓ by sending some items of furniture out the window and reorganizing others.  Ugly wallpaper rolls off the wall, and bad paintings flip over to reveal better artwork on the other side.  It was directed by Carl Willat and  designed by John Korellis and Charlie Canfield. The animators were Ty Bardi, Canfield, Sam Hood and Ken Kaiser, with 3D animation by David Brandt.  The studioÕs producer is Sasha Houdek, and Sandra Kimberly is their executive producer.  CarlÕs Fine Films is located at 577 2nd Street, Suite 103, San Francisco, CA 94107 415-543-0880

 

HI/LO FILM FESTIVAL INCLUDES WORKS BY TWO BAY AREA ANIMATORS Notes from a recent screening of the touring festival in Seattle said, ÒA touring film festival of high-concept low-budget media for adventurous audiencesÉ  The show includes some animation films: I'm With Stupid (Ben McCormick, San Francisco): Various inanimate objects - a tortilla, an apple, a glass of orange juice - confront their fears and plan their future; Making Love (Out of Nothing At All) (Michelle Dean, San Francisco): Animated hot dogs fly through the universe singing along to Air Supply.Ó

WEBSTER COLCORD SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT In the last issue of our newsletter we used a quote from the Portland Indy Festival website that we assumed he provided to the festival. That was a wrong assumption on our part. In regards to his excellent Extreme Man and Insane Boy from his ÒMad Doctors of BorneoÓ series, he says the quote about the 6-minute stop-motion film, Òis not my quote.  I think that a film fest organizer said it on their website. I would never say that.  For one thing, I make a living doing digital animation and I have worked with some very dedicated, hard-working people.  Most importantly, I would never have said the word Ôpussies.Õ  Really.  I might say something like I doubt that many cg artists have the strength of will that it takes to do stop-motion or to finish a film in traditional ink-and-paint; both are a form of chronic self-imposed torture.  CG can be torture too, but in CG you discover if something is working or not much sooner."

 

If you donÕt know his work you can check it out at Atom films. Extreme Man and Insane Boy just went live at  http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/af/content/extreme_man_insane_boy

 

WILD BRAIN WILL TEAM UP WITH CORSHAM, A BRITISH FIRM, TO MAKE ÔNATURAL BORN KITTENSÕ They will turn out 26 half-hour episodes of a ÒTeenage comedy, anime series about four ancient Egyptian cat goddesses posing as teenage schoolgirls. They find the inhabitants of our modern world are weirder than they are. The kittens get hip using a combination of bad language and globe-threatening violence.

 

GARY SCHWARTZ RECOMMENDS TARA BEYHM AS AN EXCEPTIONAL TEACHER OF ANIMATION WORKSHOPS Gary has taken a full-time position teaching animation at a school in Detroit. He can no longer travel as often to the 4 corners of the globe teaching workshops. In his place, providing he canÕt drop everything and fly to Paris or Modesto, CA, he recommends Tara Beyhm, a graduate of Cal Arts who ÒHas LunchBox, Will Travel.Ó She lives in SF and has taught kids and adults at Zeum, The Cartoon Art Museum, LA Unified School District, and at other locations. Her workshops are structured so students can achieve rewarding results regardless of their backgrounds and abilities. Her classes cover flipbooks, paper cutouts, clay animation stop-motion and zoetropes. She covers the fundamentals and has students work together on group projects. Tara can help any student decide what technique is most suited to his/her artistic background.  She just wrote us, ÒMy equipment is portable so I can teach animation anywhere!!! Spread the word, tell your friends! Animation is Fun!Ó Tara Beyhm is the sole proprietor of FunnyBunny Creations - traditional animation workshops Ð (415) 846-8355  funnybunnycreations@yahoo.com Gary is still at: gary@singleframefilms.com

 

CARTOON ART MUSEUM TO OPEN ÒLIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!!  From the Printed Page to the Silver Screen November 15, 2003-February 15, 2004. This is a look at commercial hits and flops based on comics. The show explores the long, rich, and sometimes strange history of live-action movies based on comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels from the 1920s silent film Bringing Up Father to such recent big-budget spectaculars as The Hulk.  Some filmmakers have produced faithful adaptations of characters like Popeye and The Rocketeer while others have presented looser interpretations of their original source material as seen in Blade and From Hell.

 

Lights, Camera, ACTION!!! covers more than 100 works of original comic art and movie memorabilia, including vintage lobby cards, posters, costumes, props and storyboards. Among the artists in the exhibit are Alfredo Alcala (Conan), Mark Bagley (Ultimate Spider-Man), John Byrne (Superman), Eddie Campbell (From Hell), Al Capp (L'il Abner), Dave Cockrum (X-Men), Gene Colan (Blade), Robert Crumb (American Splendor), Jim Davis (Garfield), Dan Jurgens (Superman), George McManus (Bringing Up Father), Dale Messick (Brenda Starr), Frank Miller (Daredevil), Eduardo Risso (Batman), Alex Ross (The Punisher), E.C. Segar (Thimble Theatre/Popeye), Walter Simonson (Batman), Dave Stevens (The Rocketeer), Mark Texeira (Ghost Rider), Herb Trimpe (Incredible Hulk), Chic Young (Blondie) and Mike Zeck (The Punisher).The Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94105  (415) CAR-TOON  www.cartoonart.org Hours: Tues.- Sun. 11 to  5, $6, Student/Senior:$4, Children 6-12:$2

 

ÔTHE NEW YORK TIMESÕ BUSINESS SECTION RAN A BIG ARTICLE ABOUT ELECTRONIC ARTS The almost full page article appeared October 5, 2003. It covered their opening their new LA studio, the overall success of the company and talked about how lots of seasoned animators from Disney and other companies are now joining their staff (which may help improve the quality of the games). The article says EAÕs sales in fiscal year 2002 was $2.5 billion (up from $1.7 billion in 2001) and that EA now has 4 of their video games in the top ten list that ranks them on units sold. The article claims the entire game industry sold about $6.9 billion in games (console/portable and pc software) in 2002 and over $5 billion in hardware. The game sales for 2003 are projected to be about $8 billion.

LOCAL EVENTS

 

THURSDAY, NOV. 6, ÔTOO HOT TO HANDLE: CREATING CONTROVERSY THROUGH POLITICAL CARTOONS,Õ OPENING RECEPTION 6 Ð 8 PM, Cartoon Art Museum, free, public invited This is a show of more than 60 works considered too subversive, tasteless, offensive or all of the above by some critics. Details about this interesting sounding exhibit were in our Oct. newsletter.

 

THURSDAY, NOV. 6, RARE HARRY SMITH FILM #18 MAHOGANNY 2 & 7:30 PM Castro Theater

 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, NIK PHELPS WILL BE ON CHANNEL 5ÕS EVENING MAGAZINE talking about Sprocket Ensemble, 7 PM

 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, shows at 7 and 9 PM. SPROCKET ENSEMBLE at the Red Vic on Haight Street. NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF WORK FROM EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA Nik and Nancy are back from  the KROK International Festival of Animation with lots of exciting works to share with us.  The program includes: THE LOVE NEST by Shelly Wain (UK), ÒA reclusive manÕs possessive love for a beautiful song bird has unexpected consequences, and answers the age old question, why does the caged bird sing?Ó THE PENGUIN PARADE by Julia Pihlak and Riho Unt (Estonia), ÒA young man in an absurd situation.Ó GERANIENFRIEDE (GERANIUM PEACE) by Marcel Hobi (Switzerland), ÒAn eccentric mosaic.Ó DADÕS CLOCK by Dik Jarman (Australia), ÒAfter he is diagnosed with cancer, Dad builds a clock.Ó (Nancy is still amazed by the filmÕs visuals.) SLOW BISTRO by Ivan Maximov (Russia). ÒHow people behave in boring suspense.Ó BIRD BRAINED by Caroline Maure (France),  ÒThe story of a feather robbery.Ó THE STORY OF KOLOBEK by James M. Boekbinder (Netherlands) ÒAn updated ancient Roman folk tale: a humble bun runs away from a baker to avoid being eaten.Ó Plus SEE THE TRUTH by Gerald Howard from San Francisco.

 

FRIDAY, NOV. 14, 6 PM, TOM TOMORROW, CREATOR OF THIS MODERN WORLD at the Cartoon Art Museum  $4, seating is limited, reservations recommended, call 415-227-8666, ext. 314 to reserve a seat. He will discuss and sign his most recent book, The Great Big Book of Tomorrow (St. Martins Press, 2003).  The 240-page book contains the best of his previous five anthologies, new cartoons from the last several years, and many cartoons previously only published in rare comic books or zines.  www.thismodernworld.com

 

SUNDAY & MONDAY, NOV. 16-17, THE BROTHERS QUAY, 9 short films, Red Vic on Haight St.

THURSDAY, NOV. 20, 7 PM, DON THOMAS TRIBUTE, a screening of his award winning films, speakers and Don's family will be present to announce the new Gordon Thomas Scholarship available to junior and senior animation students at SF State.  This event is free and open to the public with a reception to follow.    

Tax deductible donations to the Gordon Thomas Scholarship may be sent to: SFSU Foundation, c/o Jennifer Severin, San Francisco State University, Office of Development, 1600 Holloway Ave.  San Francisco, CA 94132.  Please make the check payable to SFSU Foundation (Gordon Thomas Scholarship).  A tax receipt will be mailed to you from that office.

 

NOVEMBER 28 Ð DECEMBER 4, ÔTAMALA 2010, A PUNK KITTY IN SPACEÓ ÒImagine a mutant hybrid of Hello Kitty and Philip K. Dick, animated in the 1950s TV style of Osamu Tezuka, and you have some idea of the incredible strangeness of Tamala 2010É.Ó At the Castro in SF

 

 

 

 

COMING IN DECEMBER

 

 

OPENING NOV. 21 IN PARTS OF THE U.S. AND IN DECEMBER IN THE BAY AREA, ÔTHE TRIPLETS OF BELLVILLEÕ BY SYLVAIN CHOMET - IT COMES CLOSE TO BEING A TRUE MASTERPIECE OF ANIMATED COMEDY FOR ADULTS reviewed by Karl Cohen The fun starts with a wacky 1930Õs women trio singing an up tempo tune in a nightclub. We next meet an odd short fat woman (3Õ high?) with a clubfoot (it becomes a useful weapon at one point) who is raising a grandchild. They live in a very strange house next to train tracks and have a large lazy dog that becomes a hero later in the film. Quickly we become absorbed by one of the freshest comedy plots in years. The film isnÕt your typical American fast paced comedy that is full of jokes and play on words. Instead, it is a sophisticated work inspired by Mr. HulotÕs Holiday, the wacky inventions of Rube Goldberg, the Marx Brothers and many other masters of visual comedy. The resulting work isnÕt full of loud belly laughs, but it has lots of brilliant moments and I suspect I was smiling and chuckling to myself for almost the entire film. I donÕt know for sure, I was too absorbed in the film to really notice.

 

This charming film was made in Montreal, Canada, with some work sent to Latvia and Paris. Sylvain Chomet, the director, has a background doing comic books and TV commercials. His first film was The Old Lady and the Pigeons (Ocsar nomination 1998 and the grand prize at Annecy). His latest work is a marked advance in writing and direction. I hope Chomet has a successful career in animation ahead of him as his timing is excellent, the characters really act well and he kept me fascinated with his yarn from the first frame until the final moments of the film. There is even a final gag if you sit through the end credits.

 

This new work is probably as un-Disney as a commercial animated feature can get. Nobody in the film is good looking and none of the sets are picture book palaces. Instead we enjoy wonderful inventive looking characters (wait till you see the mafia) and sets that Disney would hate. There is real dirt, filth, litter and disgusting things to be seen. It isnÕt Disneyland. Some of the sets reminded me of City of Lost Children and Brazil.        

 

Chomet loves caricatures so part of the fun is noticing Josephine Backer, Jacques Tati, Fred Astaire, Django Reinhardt, Charles Trenet and other stars from the past. He also includes real monuments among his images from a famous bridge in Canada to an enormously overweight Statue of Liberty.

 

The design of the work is a fine mix of 2D characters that exist in a space that is a combination of 3D and 2D art. He makes excellent use of computer compositing. At times there are elements that appear to be real, like the ocean, but he adds 2D elements to the shots so they belong and do not stick out.

 

The film is mainly for adults looking for an alternative to Disney or imports from Japan. I suspect some kids will enjoy it, but it doesnÕt play at all to their sensibilities. Since it doesnÕt look like Disney or Sponge Bob they may not know what to make of it at first. Also, like Jacques Tati in Hulot, there is very little dialog. That may be hard for some kids to relate to in a culture used to low budget TV animation that relies heavily on the voice track to make the show interesting.

 

My only negative criticism is that the final comic chase doesnÕt match the brilliance of Nik ParkÕs The Wrong Trousers. The finale let me down, but getting there was so much fun, I look forward to seeing it again.

 

 

NATIONAL NEWS

 

AWN REPORTS A ÔDESTINOÕ THEATRICAL RELEASE IS PLANNED AND A DVD IS COMING OUT NEXT YEAR The most logical time to release the short would be before members vote on the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. (Voting deadline is Feb. 29, 2004.) Nobody says Disney has to do something      in     a     logical manner. There is a rumor (not from awn.com) some top brass at Disney dislike the short so it may get paired with a more adult feature from one of the Disney owned releasing companies like Miramax.

 

As for the DVD, it will also include a documentary on the making of the short. ÒAWN has learned that although a director has not been signed, Buena Vista Home Entertainment has already begun significant work by shooting interviews with legendary animators John Hench and Joe Grant. The DVD will additionally contain a Disney gallery featuring Dali's Destino artwork, which the studio now owns.Ó

 

SHREKÕS FATHER HAS DIED Ð WILLIAM STEIG WAS 95  He had published 25 books. His first New Yorker cartoon appeared in 1930. He eventually created 117 magazine covers and over 1,600 published drawings in magazine (and many more in his books). His last book, published in June, was When Everybody Wore a Hat, a book about his childhood. Long before Shrek was turned into a movie, Michael Sporn had turned his books Dr. DeSoto and AbelÕs Island into successful animated shorts.

 

MICHAELA PAVLATOVA SENDS GREETINGS TO ASIFA-SF FROM PRAGUE Since her first live action feature opened in Prague with excellent reviews and crowds, she has only had a few moments to relax.  She is busy doing animated jingles for TV, teaching animation and preparing to shoot a feature for TV next year. She will be teaching at Harvard next spring and Òmaybe I could come to SF to visit.Ó A mutual friend who saw her in Prague a few months ago says she looks great.

 

LINDA SIMENSKY SAID ÒTHATÕS ALL FOLKSÓ TO THE CARTOON NETWORK IN OCTOBER Ð NOW SHE IS HEAD OF THE KIDS PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT AT PBS She has moved to Alexandria, VA where she will oversee programming and development. She wrote me, ÒAs you can imagine, this was a very difficult decision to make.  I have been lucky in that I have been able to work with some truly talented people and to work on some projects that have changed the face of television animation.  My eight years at Cartoon Network have been incredibly rewarding, and I am grateful for being part of Cartoon Network's amazing success. Luckily, none of this should affect my involvement with ASIFA.  In fact, I may end up with a little more time and I will certainly be closer to NY now.Ó She was president of ASIFA-East for 10 years.  As of November 3rd, she can be reached at LSimensky@pbs.org. 

 

CARTOON NETWORK SEEKS PROPOSALS, POSSIBLY FROM YOU Ð THEY WANT TO PRODUCE 20 ORIGINAL SHORTS Linda Simensky got the project started while she worked in Atlanta. She discovered several great talents in the past and developed several hit shows for them before moving to her new position at PBS.

 

Now is your chance to impress the network with your ideas for a short that might grow into a series. Artists should contact Heather Kenyon (former editor of awn.com, another cool person) at Cartoon Network Studios.The Cartoon Shorts Program will produce your short at their 45,000-square-foot production facility in Burbank, California.  http://CartoonNetwork.com  heather.kenyon@turner.com)

 

ASIFA-NW PREMIERED THEIR NEW MEMBERSÕ REEL IN PORTLAND AND SEATTLE IN OCTOBER Their brand new DVD reel is approximately 85 minutes long and includes an inspired collection of work by Northwest Animators, compiled by ASIFA-Northwest. The program: "Cartoon Network: Fire Flies" (Bent Image Lab/Chel White/Ray DiCarlo), "Insect Poetry" (Marilyn Zornado), "Surface Dive" (Joanna Priestly), "Disparate Measures" (John Haugse), "Hike Hike Hike" (Anouck Iyer/Film Study Center), "Woke up Dreaming" (Chad Essley), "Oregon Coast Aquarium" (Happy Trails Animation/Amy & Andy Collen, "Sesame Street: 7 Cats" (Film DiTrapani/Laura DiTrapani), "Salmon in the City" (Wendy Jackson Hall), "Cartoon Network: Origami" (Bent Image Lab/Chel White/Ray DiCarlo),"Sheldon the Clown" (Brian Larson), "Lithos" (Mike Smith), "SNL: The Narrator that Ruined Christmas" (Chel White Films/Chel White/Ray DiCarlo), "Dance Before You Go" (Nancy Benner Roberts), "What is Art?" (Bill Stand), "Stodgy and Starchy" (Glow in the Dark Productions/Robin Ator & Laura DiTrapani), "Stroid 56" (Happy Trails Animation/Amy & Andy Collen/Steve Hess), "The Exciting Life of a Tree" (Bill Plympton), "Installation: Illuminations I" (Rose Bond).

 

PORTLANDÕS ROSE BOND NOW HAS A WEBSITE She is a master of camera-less animation. www.rosebond.net

 

BRUNO BOZZETTTO ON THE WEB He has a web page at http://www.bozzetto.com/ and several Flash movies on the web.http://www.infonegocio.com/xeron/bruno/olympics.html Links to others are at that address. Thanks to Paul Naas for sharing this useful information with us.

 

DISNEY CLOSES STUDIOS IN FRANCE AND JAPAN WHILE SONY IS OPENING ONE IN JAPAN. Just as Disney closes their studio in Tokyo, Sony Pictures talked about opening a new studio. It will produce animation for Japan. Hopefully two animated features a year.

 

CASE AGAINST DISNEY OVER THE WINNIE THE POOH RIGHTS HAS A NEW TWIST, PLAINTIFFS' LAWYERS HAVE DROPPED OUT OF THE CASE The case has dragged on for 12 years. Daily Variety reports the Slesinger family can no longer afford the law firm's services. The family hasnÕt appointed new attorneys yet. Will Disney win by bankrupting the Slesingers?

 

THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART IN NYC IS HONORING POLISH ANIMATORS From October 23 to November 2 they will show  "A Short History of Polish Animation" and "A Short History of Polish Avant-Garde and Experimental Film." The eight programs of 82 short films cover 50 years of work including surrealist films by Jan Lenica and Walerian Borowczyk, Witold Giersz's vibrant calligraphies of oil-based paint (1960s), Jerzy Kucia's jarring juxtapositions of sound and image (1970s), Piotr Duma's plaster-plate innovations (1980s and 1990s) and Tomek Bagiyski's computer-generated fantasy Cathedral (Oscar nomination  2002). Four programs of Polish animation from this series will be shown at the Pacific Film Archive in November. See local events section for details.

 

THE WELL-ORGANIZED QUICKDRAW ANIMATION SOCIETY IN CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA HAS BECOME AN ASIFA CHAPTER We have exchanged newsletters for many years and IÕm constantly impressed by their dedication to teaching animation and to presenting workshops and programs. They are a grassroots organization that has raised funds to buy a lot of equipment and to have studio spaces where members can meet, study and work. They have a professional animation stand, computers, etc. and their newsletter suggests several interesting films are completed there each year. Their membersÕ work in many techniques including cameraless animation. Their latest newsletter mentions members works being shown at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, the Los Angeles Short Film and Video Festival and at other events.

 

THE OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL WILL BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT Their two bi-annual events that alternated between student films one year and work by independents and professional studios the next, will be combined in coming years according to Animatoon, an excellent color magazine published in Korea.

 

AWN.COM HAS PUBLISHED AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE ON THE MAKING OF ÔFAST FILMÕ It is by Chris Robinson and it gives a lot of information about the complex structure and technique. Oct. 16, 2003, article #1890

 

ASIFA-HOLLYWOODÕS TOM SITO HAS ORGANIZED A BUS TOUR TO THE LOCATIONS OF FORMER TOONTOWN STUDIOS His Magical Mystery Tour to the spots where Walt, J. Ward, Clampett and others once turned out great cartoons takes place Sunday, Dec. 17 at 1 PM. For info. visit www.asifa-hollywood.org

FINANCIAL FIGURES ABOUT ANIMATION FROM INDIA, BUT ARE THEY CORRECT? A brochure for the upcoming CgAWorld 2004 conference in India is full of statistics. Among them: ÒIn 2001 major Hollywood and European studios outsourced (work) worth US $300 million to IndiaÉ. The global film industry is expected to grow at 6.6% to US $93 billion in 2005É The global animation industry is expected to boom to US $70 billion by 2005É Animation production by India is forecast at US $1.5 billion by 2005É As a result of the above information we can estimate the global Computer, Graphics and Animation market to be US $130 billion.Ó

 

A few days after reading the above I had dinner with a studio executive who is quite familiar with the animation business in SE Asia. He gave a very different picture of their industry. While it is growing and getting some work from Europe and the US, he estimated the outsourced income to be around $100 million a year and most of it comes from work being done for other SE Asia countries. I assume his comments are more reliable and the other figures are inflated. Even so, India, both Koreas and several other countries in SE Asia are becoming major producers of animation. A lot of money is changing hands.

 

MAJOR LAYOFFS REPORTED IN HOLLYWOOD The LA Times reports that due to declining profits, Sony Corp. has ordered Sony Pictures Entertainment to layoff as many as 300 employees. There is also an unconfirmed rumor that Klasky Csupo has been letting go a lot of employees (200 to 300).

 

A REALLY BIZARRE TALE ABOUT ANIMATORS HELD CAPTIVE IN HOLLYWOOD HAS OPENED IN NYC The Village VoiceÕs mini-review of SUSPENDED ANIMATION may be more than you need to know about this feature that opened October 31. ÒAlternately tense and cheesy, Suspended Animation returns its director, John Hancock, to the blood-soaked turf he spaded 30 years ago with his ageless nail-biter Let's Scare Jessica to Death. A Disney animator (Alex McArthur) held hostage by two cannibal sisters promises to film their lives as a kind of elves-and-faeries allegory in exchange for freedom. The demented siblingsÑone slight, the other bloatedÑtentatively buy it, introducing him in the meantime to their pantry full of emasculated trophies. After a riveting snowmobile escape, he channels his

unshakable trauma and disastrous curiosity about the rest of the family into a Don Bluth-y animated feature. Lensed on murky HD video with no-name actors, Animation hauls out an unapologetic EC Comics Grand Guignol style to uplift the real guest stars: pickled dick, scalpel, severed finger, and well-rouged neck pimples.Ó EDWARD CROUSE

 

A $1000 ANIMATION SCHOLARSHIP IS OFFERED BY WOMEN IN ANIMATION The Phyllis Craig Scholarship Fund is managed by Women In Animation International, Inc. WIA founding member Phyllis Craig is known throughout the animation industry for her commitment to young people interested in learning the art and techniques of animation. Every year, a $1,000 scholarship is given to one deserving animation student who demonstrates artistic talent and has a passion for animation.  The scholarship is available to U.S. citizens only. The deadline is March 31,Ô04. The winner will be notified on Phyllis' birthday, April 29, 2004. http://www.womeninanimation.org/

 

GIFTS

 

 

 

 JOHN CANEMAKERÕS LATEST BOOK IS A SPARKLING TRIBUTE TO MARY BLAIR The Art and Flair of Mary Blair, an Appreciation from Disney Editions, is a handsome, beautifully written volume honoring a woman whose artistic sensibilities helped shape the look of Disney features from the 1940Õs to Ô60Õs. As I flipped through the pages I was constantly delighted by her inspirational sketches for Disney, by work produced for other clients and for her own enjoyment.

 

Mary studied at Chouinard Art School in LA in the early 1930Õs, and had developed a successful career doing illustrations for magazine and other forms of commercial art before joining Harman-Ising as a color director (they produced animated cartoons for MGM). In 1940 she did her first work for Disney (her husband Lee was on his staff) and was hired as a sketch artist at $60 a week. She joined Walt on his trip to South America in 1941 and resulting images inspired by the trip can be seen in background designs for Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros and other works. She later influenced the look of Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Cinderella and other works. Canemaker writes, ÒAlthough veering towards abstraction, her artworks were admired by Walt Disney, who responded to the storytelling aspect of her paintings.Ó

 

Much of what she produced for Disney wasnÕt used in his films, but it helped him focus his sensibilities. She was a muse who influenced his tastes through her playful, colorful images. In the early 50Õs she left Disney for a career as a freelance designer. One fascinating project she worked on was an unproduced Broadway production of Snow White that was going to have a musical score by Duke Ellington.  She returned to Disney in the 1960Õs to design ItÕs a Small World and murals for Tomorrowland.

 

Mary BlairÕs work is far removed from the mainstream art of her period. It might not be your taste, but it deserves a second look. It is a rich, charming and delightful aesthetic experience.

 

NOTE: JOHN CANEMAKER WILL GIVE A LECTURE ON HIS NEW BOOK AT THE LA COUNTY MUSEUM ON FRIDAY, NOV. 7 The colorful and profusely illustrated  multimedia presentation on The Art And Flair of Mary Blair, will be at 7:30 PM followed by a book signing, plus a rare 35mm screening of Disney's Alice in Wonderland, the 1951 cartoon feature principally art directed by Mary Blair (1911-1978). For ticket info call: 323-857-6010

 

 

ÔOUTLAW ANIMATIONÕ BY JERRY BECK IS A NICELY DESIGNED, QUIRKY, LOW BROW, FAST READ COFFEE TABLE BOOK THAT SHOULD BE THE IDEAL GIFT FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS ENJOYED THE AMBIENCE OF SPIKE AND MIKE SHOWS This is a fine picture book with 300 or more illustrations and a minimal amount of text. It honors both exceptional works of animation and some of the crudest. DonÕt expect to learn much serious stuff, but the text does explain how two dopers fell into a cool business and have had a blast promoting their brand of entertainment for over 25 years. I loved the fun stories of wild parties (even real horses in their living room) and their goofy antics. It also includes one or two moments that were awful. There was one party at their hippie pad that ended with a police raid.  Mike went to jail for having some weed and a gun in his room. A lawyer sprung him. 

 

The most useful information in the book is probably found in 9 interviews with artists whose careers Spike and Mike helped. While most of the interviews with Bill Plympton, Marv Newland, John Lasseter, Mike Judge, Craig McCracken, Don Hertzfeldt, Peter Lord, Danny Antonucci and Andrew Stanton include some interesting information about the artists, all end up telling fun stories about the promoters.

 

Marv Newland tells us, ÒThe first time I met Spike was in a motel room in SeattleÉ and there was this big guy lying down on the floor on the phone, with food all around him. Cash money lying around in wads. Flyers and so on. And he was talking on the phone for about fifteen minute while I was sitting around waiting for him.  And thatÕs kind of how itÕs been ever since. I donÕt think IÕve ever been in SpikeÕs presence when he hasnÕt been on the phone for a portion of the time.Ó

 

John LasseterÕs first meeting with the duo was at CafŽ Sport in North Beach in the 1980Õs. ÒSpike and Mike showed up in full cowboy regalia. Spike had on the ten-gallon hat, the black-and-white chaps andÉÓ Later he tells of traveling with them and tells us ÒMike was the worst snorer IÕd ever heard in my life. He would just make the house rattle.Ó

 

My favorite Lasseter, Spike and Mike moment was watching the three of them at a large party in S&MÕs rented high-rise apartment on Russian Hill. They were tossing pizza box panels  out   the   window   (along with a few beer cans) and trying to sail them as far as possible out into space. They also tried to hit people and cars on the street. I was later told the management asked them not to rent there in the future.

 

There are lots of flaws with the book, but should anybody care? Some of the color plates are poorly printed while others are sharp and the colors are excellent. Prescott Wright and The Tournee of Animation arenÕt recognized for pioneering traveling shows of quality animated shorts long before Spike and Mike fell into their business, but then Spike was never (or rarely) polite to Prescott. Prescott used to tell how Spike once spoke to him on the phone like a member of the HellÕs Angels and threatened him with a gun. Prescott claims he called his bluff as his collection of weapons was probably bigger than SpikeÕs. Fortunately they didnÕt restage High Noon.

 

For me the pleasure of the book is looking at the illustrations. Seeing images from The Man Who Planted Trees, Face Like a Frog, Quasi at the Quackadero, Father and Daughter, Two Sisters, The Cat Came Back, The Big Snit, Screenplay, Body Beautiful, Broken Down Film, Your Face, The Great Cognito, Bambi Meets Godzilla, Lupo the Butcher, Tin Toy, Creature Comfort and hundreds of other fine films is the reason you or a friend will want to keep it on the coffee table. The book is full of great memories. KC

ÔTHE PIRATES AND THE MOUSE: DISNEYÕS WAR AGAINST THE COUNTERCULTUREÕ IS A BIZARRE TALE ABOUT COUNTER CULTURE COMIC ARTISTS WHO DARED TO DO PARODIES OF DISNEYÕS SACRED STARS Bob LevinÕs new book is about how the Air Pirates (Dan OÕNeill, Gary Hallgren, Ted Richards and friends) took on one of the most sacred cows of pop culture and dared to deface its sacred image. Their scandalous Air Pirates Funnies #1 and #2 are now expensive rare collectors items. The new book is a finely researched and masterfully written account of this strange counter-culture story. It is both a serious study of the culture, values, lifestyles and world of the artists who dared to take on Disney and a clear discussion of a complex legal case that went to the Supreme Court (Disney sued them of course).

 

There are over 40 pages of excellent illustrations (some in color) of the artists discussed in the book and the artwork that got them in trouble, plus additional artwork that OÕNeill and others published underground in ÒpirateÓ editions. The 266-page book should make an excellent gift for anyone who is or was into alternate/underground comics or who enjoys reading books about our countryÕs counter-culture in the 1960Õs and Ô70Õs. It is available in a hardbound edition from Fantagraphics Books for $24.

 

COMING SOON ÔTHE BEST OF NYC INDEPENDENT ANIMATIONÕ ON A DVD It is being self-published and self-distributed by 11 top artists: Bill Plympton, George Griffin, John Dilworth, John Schnall, Alex Budovskyi (first prize winner at our screening of  the ASIFA-East 2003 winners), Jesse Schmall, Mike Overbeck, Pes (Roof Sex, a very popular film), Fran Krause, Signe Baumane and Pat Smith. We will keep you informed about how to purchase this fine selection of animation when it becomes available.

 

TEX AVERY 5 DISC DVD SET is great news except it is only coming out in France in December, not in the USA.

 

THE LOONEY TUNES: THE GOLDEN COLLECTION, a 4 DVD disc set of beautifully restored gems. The prints are said to look exceptional and the selection of the cartoons is also excellent. Watch out for good sales prices on this item.

 

DISNEY IS RELEASING 4 DVD SETS IN THE ÒDISNEYÓ LIMITED EDITION TREASURES LINE They come out in early December. One set will be on WWII propaganda films including Victory Through Air Power. Another is on their films promoting space exploration.

 

FRANK CAPRA'S BELL SCIENCE SERIES, WITH ANIMATION BY SHAMUS CULHANE, IS AVAILABLE ON DVD These early TV sciences programs were part of most school film libraries for many years. The 16mm prints are mostly worn out and the colors have faded, but they live on in a nice DVD set. The two disc set is $14.99 from Image Entertainment. Vol. 1 contains Hemo the Magnificent and Unchained Goddess (on the weather). Vol. 2 contains Our Mr. Sun (Emmy for editing) and The Strange Case of Cosmic Rays.

 

Mel Blanc and June Foray did some voice work for the series (uncredited) and the directors were Frank Capra and Bill Hurtz. Note: these are hour live action shows with animated segments, not fully animated programs.

 

KROK 2003   

by Nancy Phelps

 

For the past three years Nik and I have been invited guests at the KROK International Animated Film Festival, which is a jointly sponsored by the FilmmakersÕ Union of Russia and the Filmmakers Union of the Ukraine.  The festival takes place on a ship that alternates every other year between the Dnieper River and Black Sea in the Ukraine and a river and canal that connects St. Petersburg and Moscow in Russia.

 

The 2003 KROK (the Ukrainian word for step) was an exceptional mixture of fabulous animation, good friends (old and new) and a 10-day trip down the Dnieper River from Kiev to Odessa. The opening night festivities took place at the Red Hall of Kiev Dom Kino.  We were treated to Les Triplettes de Belleville, a French-Canadian-Belgian production that also screened at Annecy and was a top ten box office hit in France the 2^nd week after itÕs release.  It is a delightful film that is slated for a US theatrical release date soon. The opening night screening was followed by a celebration on board ship where the vodka, wine and food flowed in abundance.

 

Everyday from 9 AM until late in the afternoon we watched the competition screenings as we sailed down the Dnieper River and across the Black Sea to Odessa.  As difficult as it was to leave the sun and beautiful scenery on the top deck, our time in the screening room was well rewarded with high quality animation that represented a wide range of techniques and styles. It was also a treat to get to spend ten days getting to know the animators whose works we were watching. There were lots of chances to discuss their work with them.

 

In the evenings there were informational programs as diverse as a documentary celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Puppeteers Association of the Soyuzmultfilm Studio in Russia and Japanese Experimental Animation to a midnight Spicy Animation program that included Paul Bush's Busby BerkeleyÕs Tribute to Mae West, Natasha by Signe Baumane and Joshua Rechnitz, SigneÕs Five Fucking Fables, and The Age of Ignorance by Jimmy Picker.

 

This year the International Jury did an exceptionally fine job in awarding prizes.  It is never an easy job to sit on a jury but in talking to several of the jurors we came to understand the difficult task of watching over 157 films in competition and 66 works in the Panorama section.

 

One thing that makes KROK special is that each juror presents a retrospective show of their work.  This is a great help in giving us insights into the jurorsÕ award selection.

 

As in previous years there was an after midnight Reanimation CafŽ. The screening room is turned into a club with dancing, talent nights and a Carnival. Nik played several times with juror Igor Volcheck of Belarus who is a pianist.  Even though we did not quite live up to last yearsÕ KyKy performance (KyKy is the name of a Russian condom), an international group of us made a respectable showing singing an old Scottish porridge song, dressed in improvised kilts made from table clothes borrowed from the dinning room and led by Allen Foster of the Glasgow Animation Festival.

 

The press attended KROK. Nik was interviewed for Hello, Goodbye, a radio program hosted by Dexter Bentley on Resonance FM in England. He was also interviewed by Ukrainian journalist Anton Yakovina for Ego, the Ukrainian equivalent of Playboy.  Anton has just completed an interview with Leonard Cohen and participates in bringing American musicians to the Ukraine to perform in large stadium venues.

 

KROKÕs staff arranged for several trips ashore along the way. We visited Balaclava, one of the most ancient settlements in the Ukraine and the base of the British Army during the Crimean War. We saw The National Preserve of Khersones of Taurida, which is recognized by UNESCO as one of the most significant ancient monuments of human civilization. We also visited the Alupka Palace which resembles the feudal English aristocratic castles and Bakheisarai, the former residence of Crimean Khans who ruled in the 15^th and 16^th centuries.

 

Other highlights included an afternoon swimming in the Black Sea at Sebastopol, a visit to a Cossack Horse Show and a trip up the river delta to Kherson where we once again were treated to a marvelous meal cooked by the local Bubus from food grown in their gardens.

 

At the Cossack village, we enjoyed a demonstration of horsemanship, sword and whip work complete with audience participation. Nik was selected from the audience to be blindfolded and have a hat removed from his head by a whip wielding Cossack among other demonstrations of Cossack prowess.  NikÕs bravery was rewarded with the presentation of a glass of vodka for him to drink without hands from a sword blade.

 

An important aspect of KROK is their support for people in the towns we visited. In the industrial town of Dnipropetrovsk, we visited an animation program for kids. We screened their work and I was given a tape of this exceptional work to bring back to the States. The 7 to 15 year old animators and their instructors gave us a tour of their facilities and showed us models for projects that they are working on. Then they surprised us with a lovely spread of food, vodka, and wine.

 

In Sebastopol, a city that was closed even to Russian citizens for many years because it is where the Russian fleet is docked, Nik performed for members of the Naval Academy with Yakov Yanov, a well-known Russian singer who now lives in New York City.

 

Although we did not sleep very much Ð often seeing beautiful sunrises - we still made it to the 9 AM screenings. The 10-day journey sailed by all too fast.  The closing night awards ceremony took place in Sebastopol at the modern Russe cinema followed by a gala party on board ship.

 

KROK continues to be one of the best times we have ever had. Ukrainians are really warm and wonderful people. The return home is always accompanied by a flurry of e-mails and shared photos from shipmates who are also missing newfound friends.  We have remained in contact with friends we made on our first voyage in 2001 and have visited some of them in Europe. Others have found their way to our home in San Francisco.  Last year one of our Italian friends and an American woman he met on the ship visited us. They had become engaged!

 

Sprockets will be performing with some of the wonderful animation we brought back from KROK over the next few months. If you attend one of our events please feel free to talk to us about our KROK experiences.

 

We want to encourage animators to enter films in KROK and attend this terrific festival. It gives all participants free rooms, 3 meals a day and all the animation you can watch!

 

FESTIVALS

 

THE 42^ND ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL is a great event for experimental and personal films Ð they love showing animation. They have lots of cash prizes and a tour that pays rental fees for works included. This is a good place to show work as it gets noticed and some gets written about. They accept 16mm, DVD, and ½Ó video in several formats for preview, but do not show video in the event (they show 16mm, 35mm, Beta SP and DVD). The entry fee is $35 until Nov. 15 and $40 until Dec. 10.  (734) 995-5356  PO Box 8232, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48107 www.aafilmfest.org

 

THE 11^TH SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL deadlines are Nov. 15 ($30 for 1 or 2 works), Dec. 15 ($40) and Jan. 9 ($50). Event is in February. Forms at www.sfai.edu click on ÒwhatÕs hot.Ó

 

 

SIGGRAPH 2004, TO BE HELD IN LA AUGUST 8-12, SEEKS WORK BEFORE MARCH 3 DEADLINE for their computer animation festival.  www.siggraph.org/s2004/.

 

A FESTIVAL THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON ÒNO ENTRY FEE, NO MESSY PAPER WORK!Ó It is the Arizona State University Art MuseumÕs 8th Annual Short Film and Video Festival and the entry deadline is February 13, 2004. Complete guidelines for entering work and a history of the festival can be found online  http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/filmfest/  The museums is located at Tenth Street and Mill Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85287-2911  (480) 965-2787

 

 

ASIFA-SANFRANCISCO

P.O. Box 14516

S.F., CA 94114

 

 

 

 

THE 23^RD BLACK MARIA FILM+VIDEO FESTIVAL  HAS NOV. 20 DEADLINE Cash prizes and a 6-month tour of winners to well known institutions (Smithsonian, etc.)$35 entry fee. www.blackmariafilmfestival.org

 

MORPH 2003 IS A FESTIVAL FOR SHORT STOP-MOTION FILMS The entry deadline is December 18, 2003 and the films will appear on the Internet on January 2, 2004. They seek 2-minute films by student, independents and professionals. http://www.stopmotionfilm.de.

 

JOBS

 

TOONZ INDIA IS OPENING AN ANIMATION ACADEMY IN CALCUTTA and there may be a Toonz Academy-Trivandrum in the future. Toonz Academy-Calcutta will offer one-year degree programs as well as certificate courses in specialized areas. Bill Dennis, president of Toonz is looking for a person who can serve as the primary instructor/leader for the Calcutta school.  The job would entail heavy teaching and overseeing of other instructors. He writes, ÒLike most jobs in India, it doesn't pay a lot of money, but the wage is exceptional by Indian standards and, of course, there are a lot of perks not to mention the unbelievable cultural experience. The ideal candidate would be single (families traveling and living in India can be difficult), will have worked in the industry as an artist, and will have had at least 5 years of experience teaching animation.  Male or female. The curricula is now being put together and design of the academy is underway.Ó

 

He adds, ÒToonzÕs Week with the Masters is quickly approaching (November 4-8).  This year we are very fortunate to have Wendy Tilby, Jimmy Murakami, Paul Driessen, Joel Slayton, Clifford Cohen and John Cary.Ó If you are interested in discussing the opening contact toonzindia@aol.com