FEBRUARY 2004

 

 

 

Local Screenings | National News | Festivals

 

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO PIXAR FOR 4 NOMINATIONS FOR "FINDING NEMO," TO BUD LUCKEY OF PIXAR FOR A NOMINATION FOR BEST ANIMATED SHORT AND TO ILM FOR BEST VISUAL EFFECTS ON "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" AND STEFEN FANGMEIER OF ILM FOR HIS EFFECTS WORK ON "MASTER AND COMMANDER" Nemo was nominated for Best Animated Film, Music (original score by Thomas Newman), Sound Editing (Gary Rydstrom and Michael Silvers) and Original Screenplay (Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Peterson). The ILM team that worked on Pirates was headed by John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and Terry Frazee.

            The 5 nominated animated shorts are BoundinÕ by Bud Luckey of Pixar, Destino by Domininique Monfery and Roy Edward Disney of Disney, Gone Nutty by Carlos Saldanah and John Donkin of Blue Sky, Harvie Krumpet by Adam Elliot (Australia), and Nibbles by Chris Hinton for Acme Filmworks (Canada/LA).

 

SELECTING THE NOMINATIONS FOR BEST ANIMATED SHORT Š TWO WORKS BY LOCAL DIRECTORS ARE IN THE RACE by KC In January I was invited by an Academy member to attend a screening of the "short lists" of animated and live action shorts being considered for nominations. Similar screenings were held in Los Angeles and New York. Prior to this screening a selection committee in Los Angeles had screened dozens of entries and had narrowed the field down to 8 animated shorts and 10 live action films.

            What a surprise to be handed a program and to see two familiar names on it. Among the eight films to be screened were The Hunger Artist by Tom Gibbons who works at ESC Entertainment, and Boundin', by Bud Luckey at Pixar. Bud worked at Imagination, Inc. in the days of flower power, then as a partner in Luckey-Zamora. After Luckey-Zamora it was on to Colossal and when they closed, Pixar.

Another surprise was that all 8 of the animated films were worthy of winning an Oscar. Some years there are obvious winners and a few duds, but how do you judge 8 works that are exceptional for different reasons. I was actually glad I wasnÕt judging them. (Only members of the Academy can vote.) The local members of the Academy selecting this yearÕs nominations included Steve Segal, who created Futuropolis and teaches at Expressions, David Andrews from ILM, and John Lasseter, Jan Pinkava, Pete Doctor, William Reeves, Eben Ostby and Andrew Stanton from Pixar. (The people voting in NYC are also highly respected animators including Bill Plympton, Michael Sporn, John Dilworth, Jimmy Picker, Frank Mouris, Candy and Vincent from Buzzco and people from Blue Sky.)

 

The program started with The Hunger Artist by Tom Gibbons. If you haven't seen it, it is a 16 min. stop-motion masterpiece based on a story by Kafka. It has exceptional direction, animation, sets, figures and music. There is no dialog and little action, yet it is a fascinating fast paced work that doesnÕt drag, even after repeated showings (IÕve seen it 15 or 20 times and IÕm still impressed.)

Next came Chris Hinton's Nibbles, a wonderful/silly adventure of a bunch of the guys going fishing. The events of the day are condensed into 5 minutes. Acme/Ron Diamond produced it and Ron showed it to us in his 35mm program at Delancey Street last fall. HintonÕs art is a joy to watch.

The third film was Boundin' by Bud Luckey. It was made at Pixar and is as fine as anything they have ever produced. It stars a good-looking fluffy lamb that gets

depressed when he gets clipped. A jack-

alope comes along and teaches him that it is what is inside that counts, not physical beauty. It is a charming warm-hearted production in the spirit of the films he used to make for Sesame Street.

Dali/DisneyÕs Destino was the fourth work shown. I admire it, but feel it is in a class by itself and that it shouldn't be judged with contemporary films. It is so different that it might win the Oscar, but the nominating committees in the 3 cities might also reject it as something too dated for their tastes. Perhaps it should be given a special award.

Eternal Gaze by Sam Chen is a wonderful film experience that brings Alberto Giacommetti's sculptures to life. I am quite familiar with GiacommettiÕs work, but I was never very interested in it. The film really gave me a new perspective on it and who the artist was. IÕm quite impressed with ChenÕs ability to convey this knowledge in such an elegant manner. Judging by the number of prizes the film has won, it appears his sophisticated and subtle work is appreciated by a great number of people.

For fast-paced insane humor Gone Nutty from Blue Sky is tops. It is an outrageous treat that will get laughs from even the most-sour Academy members. The simple story works and Blue SkyÕs computer work is superb.

 

Harvie Krumpet is Adam ElliotÕs stop-motion film that won multiple awards at Annecy in 2003 (three grand prizes as voted upon by the jury, the audience and the press). It lives up to all the praise IÕve read about it. I think it has a unique charm to it and despite its length (23 minutes), I didnÕt want it to end. What amazes me is that I love it although it is barely animated. It is an illustrated soundtrack. When Elliot was in San Francisco he said his earlier films were biographies of other members of the Krumpet family, and he has yet to animate a walk cycle.

The final film was Rockfish from Blur Studios. I was quite impressed with it, but it is not my cup of tea. It is an excellent thriller that

gets you sitting on the edge of your seat. In a less competitive year for the prize I could see it coming out the winner. Blur Studio in Venice, CA could become a major producer of computer features in the coming years. They produced the funny short Aunt Luisa that Ron Diamond showed us 2 years ago (she keeps hearing Guy Lombardo playing the same tune over and over in her house, but she can never find him).

So there you have it, 8 films worthy of the top prize. When the above was written I had no idea of which of the 8 would get nominated and who will win the big statue. .

 

 

"LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD" THE DIRECTOR, TIMOTHY BJORKLAND, WORKED AT COLOSSAL PICTURES IN THE 1980ÕS Š HE JUST DIRECTED "TEACHERÕS PET" FOR DISNEY A local director who was TimÕs guest at the world premier at the El Capitan in Los Angeles, says the film is a fast paced gem. He also believes that before ad costs and studio overhead, the film cost under $10 million. Tim is a staff director with DisneyÕs TV animation unit in Burbank and was not laid off in the recent staff reductions. The film has gotten rave reviews. See national news section for quotes from reviews. (note: When TimÕs ancestors came to the US the familyÕs name was changed to Bergland by US immigration officers. Since leaving Colossal he has changed his family name back to its original spelling.)

 

CHEL WHITE, ANOTHER FORMER SF ANIMATOR, DID A VISUALLY EXCITING COLLAGE THAT PROMOTES A SERIES ON THE LEARNING CHANNEL Chel worked and studied in SF and finally settled in Portland. He is the creator of the amazing short Photo Copy Cha Cha Cha. His new promo for Resident Life was made at Bent Image Lab in Portland for Curious Pictures (NYC) and the Discovery Channel. It was featured in the December issue of Millimeter.

 

JAMES CAMERON TO PRESENT THE VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO GEORGE LUCAS The 900 member group will honor Lucas at the Hollywood Palladium on Feb. 18. www.visualeffectssociety.com

ILMÕS NEW TINKERBELL WAS FEATURED IN THE JANUARY ISSUE OF "MILLIMETER" Their version of Peter Pan's friend Tinkerbell is a combination of an actress' performance with CG body parts and movements. ILMÕs visual effects supervisor on the project was Scott Farrar.

 

COMING FROM A LOCAL PRODUCTION COMPANY TO A THEATER NEAR YOU Shrek 2 from PDI/Dreamworks in Redwood City, CA is rumored to have an $80 million budget. It will open May 21. Dreamworks has ordered its writers to begin work on a script for Shrek 3. AWN says it will include material borrowed from ye old legend of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. PDI/Dreamworks has Madagascar in production and it is scheduled to premier May 27, 2005. They were also working on Tusker, but they are no longer mentioning when or if it will be released.

Dreamworks has another CG animation division in the Los Angeles area. Their next release is Shark Tale. It is an undersea gangster story set to premier on October 1.The script for Shark Tail 2 is already in development. The Los Angeles studio is also producing Over the Hedge, scheduled to come out late in 2005.

The next Dreamworks special effects film is Europetrip, to be released Feb. 20. Terminal, directed by Steven Spielberg, will be released by Dreamworks on June 18.

            Tippett StudiosÕ Starship Troupers 2 will come out as a direct to DVD/video feature from Sony in March. Tippett, with 2 other companies, has created special effects for Hellboy, to be released April 2. They are working on The Stepford Wives, a film directed by Frank Oz with a June 11 release from Paramount. Tippett is also creating images for Cats and Dogs 2: Tinkles Revenge for a summer, 2005 release.

            PixarÕs The Incredibles, directed by Brad Bird, opens Nov. 5. John Lasseter is directing Cars and it should come out in 2005. Disney, PixarÕs partner in Burbank, is releasing Hidalgo on March 5 with special effects by ILM. What may be DisneyÕs last hand-drawn film for a while is Home on the Range. An April 2 release has been announced.

            ILMÕs work will also be seen this year in Van Helsing, a Universal production with a May 7 release; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a Warner Bros. production coming out June 4 and The Thunderbirds for Universal (no date set). In May, 2005 the final film in George LucasÕ Star Wars saga, Star Wars; Episode III is coming out. ILM is also doing work on Steven SpielbergÕs Indiana Jones 4 to be released in 2005 on the 4^th of July.

            Other big name special effects films coming out this year include Garfield on June 25 with effects by Rhythm and Hues; Spider-Man 2 on July 2, directed by Sam Raimi with effects by Sony Imageworks, The Brothers Grimm directed by Terry Gilliam (Fall release), Clifford The Big Red Dog (no date yet) and Exorcist: The Beginning directed by Paul Schrader and Renny Harlin (no date yet).

            Other animated films include Jimmy Neutron 2 for Paramount (a summer release from DNA and Nickelodeon) and The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, a Nickelodeon Pictures production for Paramount, with a November 24 release date. DragonÕs Lair: The Movie by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman is in production. The film is seeking a distribution contract.

 

ASIFA-SAN FRANCISCOÕS ANNUAL OPEN SCREENING FOR STUDENTS AND INDEPENDENT ANIMATORS WAS FULL OF WONDERFUL SURPRISES by KC The evening program was a wonderful display of emerging talent. There was lots of solid humor and a wide variety of styles and techniques seen. One nice surprise was seeing fine character animation by students from San Jose State University and De Anza.

Karen Lithgow, a Flash artist who delighted us last year with a funny trip to a French cafˇ, showed Howard's Wild Ride. This year Howard rides a big lawnmower. Her film has an excellent music track by Nik Phelps.

Don Albrect presented Animation Animation, a snazzy reel that showed interesting things you can do with titles. His 2^nd work Botox Fantasy is a funny film that shows an aging woman getting carried away with the miracle wrinkle remover.

Paddy Holland did Daybreak in Dixie, a lively abstract film that moved nicely to a banjo soundtrack by the Stanley Brothers. This lovely film is a tribute to Norman McLarenÕs early Canadian work. It captures the spirit of works like Hen Hop and Fiddle De Dee without it copying his style.

Guillermo Gomez, a student at De Anza College, did his best to shock us with his minute long pencil test for Insult to Injury. Did he?

Tim Elston showed three experimental corporate projects he did a few years ago. He had worked in the LA animation industry in the 70s and 80s. He runs Plasmadyne Animation.

Lorraine Weese showed Speckled Bird Pie, a 10-min. film made on an antique Amiga computer. In the late 1970Õs she created Lilian LaRoo, with a tough animated feminist star. (www.Reelmind.com/Lorraine)

Gene HammÕs Guardian Angel Puddy is a short comedy with animation and effects. He also showed a silly Outtake From The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Bum Wrap, a Charles Adams-ish visual pun.

Courtney Granner brought an excellent compilation reel of student work from San Jose State that shows off their talents with rendering figures and backgrounds. He also brought a short documentary about teams of animation students creating short animated segments that illustrate the UNÕs Rights of Man. The competition was held in Kalamazoo last year at their annual animation festival. His students won the top prize.

Derek Kurimoto showed a work-in-progress of a girl blowing soap bubbles on a playground. The movements and optical qualities of the bubbles were quite impressive and the work tells a sensitive story of the relationship between the girl and a boy who is in a bad mood.

Devon Damonte brought the only work on 16mm film (the rest of the show was on tape or DVD discs). His experimental Duct + Cover was made by adhering clear reinforced packing tape and other things to 16mm film.

Alan Orcutt showed The Three Nanny Goats Gruff. It is an ambitious stop-motion project and he has a nice sense of humor.

Jamie Galatas, a student from SF State, brought The Highwayman, a lip-synch project with a pompous TV news reporter. He depicted a feeling of self-importance.

Marty McNamara presented nine examples of the work being done by De Anza students. James PeoplesÕ Theseus pencil test demonstrated his excellent drawing skills as his character lifts and moves a huge rock. You felt the weight and muscles straining in his work. Izabela MelameaÕs Tooth Fairy was an excellent pencil test that showed a young child sneaking into an old ladyÕs bedroom and cautiously taking her false teeth out of a glass and replacing them with windup chattering teeth. Her expressive drawings captured the feeling of mischief. Samantha PattersonÕs Free as a Bird showed she is gifted at drawing a cat and birds. Her pencil test was long enough to show she can develop character traits in animals and tell a story. Roxie LiaoÕs IRS E-File is a successful demonstration of her abilities to produce commercial quality images. Her work stars three little pigs who once again outsmart the wolf. I was later told she has a degree from MIT.

One of the funniest films of the evening was 25 Ways to Die. It was a group project with people who have different drawing styles. It illustrates 25 humorous ways to die. Unfortunately I do not know the names of the artists, but IÕm told they were from San Jose State. In any case their work was quite clever and memorable.

Congratulations to all who brought work and much thanks to all for making this a very special event.

 

RON MERKÕS ANIMATED FEATURE "MARCO POLO Š RETURN TO XANADU" TO BE RELEASED ON DVD AND VHS BY WARNER BROS. THIS MONTH The DVD will be in surround sound and will retail for  $14.97. The VHS will retail for only $6.93. (Warner Bros. didnÕt say why the price

dropped from $12.94 to $6.93 before the VHS tape was released, but it may reflect the general decline of the VHS market.)  The film should be on the shelves at Wal-Mart, most video chains and many independent video stores shortly after that date.  It will also be available online at sites like Amazon and other big e-commerce websites that specialize in DVDs and videos.  I saw it in 35mm on the CastroÕs screen and recommend it as a really nice family film. Ron Merk, who lives in SF, is the filmÕs producer, director, writer and lyricist.

 

MARGARET HALE Š ALMOST A YEAR LATER She died almost a year ago and at that time we ran a long obituary. In January Tom Sito asked for information about her for the annual remembrance event held in Los Angeles by their film community. I asked Geraldine Clark, who worked with Hale for many years, if she wanted to add anything to my notes. She sent back, "I think what you've written about Margaret is wonderful.  The only thing I might add is that she was a Glenda Jackson look-and-sound-alike and that no matter how pressing the deadline, her department always took time for their 3 o'clock teatime.  Her Ink and Paint department had to be the most civilized one in the world.  God, I miss her." Margaret was born and educated in England.

            Margaret and Jeff Hale ran Imagination Inc. here in San Francisco in the late 1960s and through much of the 70s. They were founders of our ASIFA chapter along with Prescott Wright. Jeff, who lives outside of Los Angeles, animated Thank You Mask Man and worked with Norman McLaren at the National Film Board of Canada before coming here.

JOHN LASSETER TO RECEIVE AN HONORARY ART DIRECTORS GUILD AWARD for his "Contribution to Cinematic Imagery" The award will be presented Feb. 14 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.  Past recipients include Clint Eastwood, Blake Edwards, Robert Wise, Frank

Oz and Norman Jewison.

 

ASIFA-SF MEMBERS WILL BE INVITED TO SELECT PRIZE WINNERS OF AN ANIMATION COMPETITION BEING HELD IN INDIA This event hasnÕt been finalized yet, but if all goes well we will screen the films in April or May. Bill Dennis, who runs Toonz India writes, "I believe within 90 days we'll have a compilation tape of entries for the ASIFA-India awards of excellence for you and your members to review.  I think we have around 50 entries, which is fantastic considering that not much original animation is done in the country.  We'll have ASIFA-India members vote on the 50 and will be sending you around 10-15 for final selection."

 

LOCAL SCREENINGS

 

THURSDAY, FEB. 12, A PARTY HONORING BILL PLYMPTON presented by Nik, Nancy and ASIFA-SF, 5-7 PM, 111 Minna Gallery, 111 Minna (off 2^nd between Howard and Mission). Come by for a chat, a chance to network, a chance to buy cool things from the Plympton boutique and have him autograph it. You can also enjoy drinks from the galleryÕs bar, free snacks, etc. Have fun! Free, everyone 21 and over is welcomed. (415) 681-3189

 

OUR FRIDAY THE 13^TH ASIFA-SF ANNUAL OPEN SCREENING FOR COMMERCIAL ANIMATION AND SPECIAL EFFECTS COMPANIES, 7:30 PM is at the Exploratorium. See work from Wild Brain, ILM and other companies plus a surprise short from Ron MerkÕs new DVD. Our annual report for members will be presented at 7:20 PM. Learn where your dues money went. Tell us your ideas for future programs, etc. Volunteer to help mail out our newsletters or to take on another project.

 

SATURDAY, FEB. 14, 7 PM, WEST COAST PREMIERE OF BILL PLYMPTONÕS "HAIR HIGH" (75 min., 35mm) at the Roxie, with Signe BaumaneÕs Woman (10min., 35mm, Latvia). BILL PLYMPTON IN-PERSON! Hair High is a 1950s teen romantic triangle with the lovers kissing one last time as their hot rod sinks to the bottom of a lake. OH, NO! The dead couple come back to get evenÉ Bill says, "This humorous gothic tale will appeal to the same crowd that loved Scream and Scary Movie." Features the voices of Keith Carradine, David Carradine, Matt Groening, Don Hertzfeldt, Martha Plimpton, Ed Begley Jr., Sarah Silverman, Eric Gilliland and Beverly DÕAngelo. "Hair High is like taking drugs through the optic nerve." Chris Gore, Film Threat. Presented by SF Indie Fest.

 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 8 PM, IDEAS IN ANIMATION PRESENTS A SPECIAL SHOW FEATURING BILL PLYMPTON LIVE, FOLLOWED BY THE CLOSING NIGHT PARTY OF THE SF INDIE FEST (at no extra cost!) Sprocket Ensemble will perform (live) music set to contemporary animation including several films by Mr. Plympton. He will also hold a Q&A session and draw on the screen using an overhead projector while Nik plays music. $10 includes performance and party at the hot new club, Mighty, 119 Utah St. at 15^th St., S.F. (415) 681-3189. sprocket@laughingsquid.com

 

ANIMATED SHORTS AT THE SF INDIE FEST (Feb. 5 Š 15, at several locations) there will be four programs that include fine animated shorts:

¤ Fast Film by Virgil Widrich and Subway Salvation by Carolyn and Andy London at the Roxie, Sun. Feb. 8 at noon, Thurs. Feb. 12 at 5 PM and Fri. the 13^th at 5 PM. (on film)

© The warped mind program (on video) includes Roof Sex by Pes, Paper Cut by Eric Towner, Weed the People by Dean Kendrick and Fear and Fun with Fish by Niffer Desmond. At the WomanÕs Building (3543 18^th St., SF) Sunday Feb. 8 at 2:15 PM and Friday the 13^th. at 5 PM. Also on Sun. Feb. 15 in Oakland at the Metro (2^nd and Broadway) at 12:30 PM.

» Fowl Play! by Christopher De Santis, Baby Eat Baby by Jeremiah Zager and Extreme Bible Stories: "DonÕt Eat Elisha!" by William Ross, Fri. Feb. 6 at 5 PM and Sat. Feb. 14 at noon at the WomanÕs Building plus Fri. Feb. 13^th at 4:45 in Oakland at the Metro. (a video program)

¬ Tunanooda by David Zachin (on film) at the Roxie. Sat. Feb. 7 at 2:15 PM, Tuesday Feb. 10 at 5 PM and on Sunday, Feb. 15 at noon.

į Also, The Toll Collector by Rachel Johnson will be shown before Bettie Page Š Dark Angel, a documentary on the famous girlie model. www.sfindie.com for more information.

"LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA" OPENS WITH UB IWERKS "SKELETON FROLIC" (1937) ON FEB. 13 at Landmark theatres in SF and Berkeley.

 

ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO IS SAT. & SUN. FEB. 21 & 22. A BENEFIT BASH AT THE CARTOON ART MUSEUM IS FEB. 21 FOR THE COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND Mingle with dozens of the finest stars in comics as they gather to celebrate the comics medium and support the legal defense fund. The party will be held from 8 to 11 PM at the Cartoon Art Museum, where over 300 pieces of original art spanning 100 years of comics history are on view, including works by contemporary legends Alex Ross and Frank Miller, underground masters R. Crumb and Justin Green, rare pieces by pioneering cartoonists George McManus and E.C. Segar, and comic strip icons Walt Kelly and Charles Schulz. Refreshments will be provided and there will be drawings for rare, signed comics and original art. Admission is $10 or $5 for members of the Cartoon Art Museum or Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. All proceeds will benefit The Cartoon Art Museum and The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. For information please call (415) CAR-TOON, ext. 314

ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO FEB. 21 & 22 It will be at the Concourse Exhibition Center, 620 7th Street in San Francisco. The event drew over 3,400 attendees last year and will have over 200 exhibitors. www.comic-con.org

 

TUESDAY, FEB. 24, COLLAGE FILMS BY JOSEPH CORNELL including works made with Larry Jordan, a Bay Area film artist/animator who taught at the SF Art Institute for many years. 7 PM with CornellÕs Goofy Newsreels at 9 (edited by Larry Jordan) LARRY JORDAN IN-PERSON. Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley.

 

NATIONAL NEWS

 

"MONSTER ROAD," A DOCUMENTARY ON CLAY ANIMATOR BRUCE BICKFORD, HAD ITS WORLD PREMIERE AT SLAMDANCE Bickford is an underground hero who is best known for his dark animation made for Frank Zappa in the Ō70s. He is a recluse living in the Seattle area and most of his work remains unseen by the public. Brett Ingram from North Carolina directed this 80-minute look at Bickford and his work. http://www.brighteyepictures.com/

                  At Slamdance the film won the Grand JuryÕs Sparky

Award for Best Documentary, which includes $2500 in services from a Seattle film lab. A friend who saw the film says Brickford is a "fascinating guy" and that he attended the premiere. The film hypes Brickford as ZappaÕs animator, but it doesnÕt show any of the work he did for Zappa. It also fails to mention animators who influence him and his work.

 

"FINDING NEMO" WAS THE DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE CHAMPION IN 2003 It grossed $340 million in the US. In 2^nd place was Lord of the Rings: Return of the King ($329.75 million), Pirates of the Caribbean ($305.4 million) was 3rd, The Matrix Reloaded was 4^th ($282 million), X2:X-Men United was in 6^th ($215 million), Terminator 3 was in 8^th place ($150 million), The Matrix Revolutions was 9^th ($138 million), Hulk was 13^th ($132 million), Brother Bear was 31^st ($84 million), Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World was 32^nd ($83.4 million), Haunted Mansion was 37^th ($72.5 million), Jungle Book 2 was 57^th ($48 million), Rugrats Go Wild was 70^th ($39.5 million), PigletÕs Big Movie was 99^th ($23.1 million) and Looney Tunes: Back in Action was in 106^th place ($20.7 million).

 

FRENCH CHILDRENÕS AUTHOR SUES PIXAR OVER NEMO STORY Franck Le Chavez, author of Pierrot the Clown Fish claims his story was copyrighted in 1995 before he pitched it to animation studios without success. It isnÕt clear if he showed it to Pixar or Disney before they started their film. Disney says the case is without merit. A hearing concerning the case will be held in France this month.

 

DISNEY CLOSED THEIR STUDIO IN ORLANDO ABOUT 258 JOBS WERE LOST Some of the artists will move and work for Disney in California, but most are unemployed. Lots of angry articles have been published about the closure and it has added momentum to Roy DisneyÕs attempt to oust Michael Eisner as president of the companyÕs board. Roy has been interviewed by NPR radio and dozens of article have been printed about his cause. savedisney.com

 

ALTHOUGH DISNEY BIG WIGS SEEM TO FEEL 2D ANIMATION IS ALMOST DEAD, "TEACHERÕS PET" WITH 2D CHARACTERS IS DOING OK AT THE BOX OFFICE AND IS REALLY WELL LIKED BY REVIEWERS Elvis Mitchell in The New York Times loved TeacherÕs Pet and called it "marvelously quick-witted and gloriously goofyÉ incredibly enjoyable." Jerry Beck calls it, "The ŌcartooniestÕ Disney release since The Three Caballeros (1945)... A frantic, fast paced adventure that pokes fun at Disney Conventions." It stars the voices of Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer and even Paul "Pee Wee" Reubens.

                  Critics have noted that despite Michael Eisner claiming the public is tired of 2D animation, both Brother Bear and TeacherÕs Pet are doing well at selling tickets (Brother Bear had grossed $84 million by mid-January and Lilo and Stitch, also with 2D characters and made at the now closed Florida studio, sold $146 million worth of tickets). Several critics have noted the public wants good scripts and isnÕt that concerned about technique. At least one writer felt EisnerÕs decision was about as well grounded as BushÕs decision to go after weapons of mass destruction as a rational for a war.

                  Home on the Range, possibly the last hand-drawn film from Disney for a while, will be released April 2. Computer generated films in various stages of production at DisneyÕs Burbank studio include Chicken Little due in theaters in 2005 and the just announced feature A Day with Wilbur Robinson, based on the best-selling William Joyce book Rolie Polie Olie. It is currently a Disney Channel series. The feature will be released in 2006.

 

OSCAR NOMINATIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED JAN. 27, THE BIG EVENT IS FEBRUARY 29 The eleven films that were considered for the three nominations for Best Animated Feature were Brother Bear, Finding Nemo, Jester Till (Till Eulenspiegel), The Jungle Book 2, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Millenium Actress, Piglet's Big Movie, Pokиmon Heroes, Rugrats Go Wild!, Tokyo Godfathers and The Triplets of Belleville.

                  The 8 films that were considered for the 3 nominations for visual effects were The Hulk, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and X2. A maximum of three films can be nominated in a year in which the field of eligible entries numbers is less than sixteen.

 

HERE IS WHAT ASIFA-NW HAS TO SAY ABOUT "THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE" "Don't miss the theatrical run of the first feature film from Sylvain Chomet, director of the acclaimed animated short ŌThe Old Lady and the PigeonsÕ from a few years back. ŌThe Triplets of BellevilleÕ is a visually exquisite and curious film that has a special appeal to animators, with gorgeous 2-D animation that is the best blend of digital and traditional animation I have seen (unlike most digital 2D today you CAN see the artist's delicious pencil line in the finished product). But don't just take it from me; read the reviews, which have been good to this film, with some critics even predicting an Oscar." Wendy Jackson-Hall

 

ALEX BUDOWSKYÕS "BATHTIME IN CLERKEN-WELL" AND "HARVIE KRUMPET" WIN AT SUNDANCE Budowsky won the Viewers Award and Eliot won an honorable mention for Harvie.

 

NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA IS FEATURING A NEW CHRISTMAS SPECIAL AT THE NATPE CONVENTION IN LAS VEGAS Š ONE OF THE PRODUCERS WAS MARCY PAGE Noel Noel is described as a great fairy tale. It was directed by Nicola Lemay and produced by Marcy Page and Jacques Leduc. Marcy taught animation at SF State in the 1980s, worked at Mill Valley Animation and at Colossal and was an officer of ASIFA-SF before moving to Canada. Work from the NFB has been seen recently in the US on the Sundance Channel, HBO Family, and on VOOM, a HD satellite service that runs the HD kidsÕ channel Animania.

MONSTER DISTRIBUTES IS AN INTERNATIONAL TV DISTRIBUTOR WITH THE RIGHTS TO "HARVIE KRUMPET" AND OTHER FINE ANIMATION They recently sold Harvie Krumpet to VPRO Netherlands, Arte in France, TSR Switzerland and Madman in Australia. They sold The Toll Collector (shown in a 35mm program last year by Ron Diamond) to Canal Plus Scandinavia, Sogecable Spain, Arte France, TSR Switzerland and Showtime in the U.S. They also represent Give Up Yer Aul Sins and several TV series including Why, Hop! and The Lost Caterpillar (made in Iceland).

 

A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD HERO FOR A LOT OF US HAS PASSED AWAY Bob Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo died Jan. 24. He was 76. His program Captain Kangaroo showed Tom Terrific by Gene Deitch for several years. It was one of the first low budget animated series made for TV. Keeshan was also the first Clarabelle Clown on the Howdy Doody Show.

 

THE. ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURES HAS SENT ANIMATION TEACHING KITS TO 18,000 SCHOOLS The teaching kits for high school students were produced by Youth Media International Ltd., of Easton, Connecticut, with the assistance of animators who are members of the Academy. This is the 5^th time they have produced animation kits as past kits have proven to be popular with students. The kits help students to become more visually literate and to understand the animator's art. www.oscars.org/teachersguide.

 

"DAVY AND GOLIATH GO TO SIN CITY" WAS AN AWN.COM HEADLINE The TV show by Art Clokey and his wife was made for the Lutheran Church and it taught moral lessons. Now, some 30 years after the last episode was produced, the church has produced a Christmas special. They will be at NATPE looking for commercial outlets for the special and the old series. Art Clokey is better known as the creator of Gumby.

 

ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD ANNIE NOMINATIONS GO TO: The awards will be presented Feb. 7 at the Alex Theater in Glendale. The nominations for best picture went to Brother Bear, Finding Nemo, Looney Tunes: Back in Action; Millennium Actress and The Triplets of Belleville. The nominations for best short went to Ananda from Vinton Studios, BoundinÕ by Bud Luckey of Pixar; Boys Night Out by Teddy Newton and Bert Klein, Destino from Disney and Nibbles by Chris Hinton (Acme). Wild Brain was nominated in the best commercial category for their Lamisil ad. Individuals working on Finding Nemo were nominated for best character animation, character design, effects animation, directing, music production design, voice acting and writing. A complete list of nominations can be found on the Internet at www.annieawards.org

 

LA CRITICS AWARDS GAVE MULTIPLE HONORS TO "THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE", "AMERICAN SPLENDOR" AND "THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING" The Los Angeles Film Critics Association named American Splendor, based on the life of underground comic artist Harvy Pekar, the Best Picture of the Year and they awarded the filmÕs writers the Best Screenplay prize. The Triplets of Belleville was awarded prizes for the Best Animated Feature and for Best Music/ Score. A special citation was given to Disney for the Walt Disney and Salvador Dali short, Destino. The Lord of the Rings won Best Director and Best Production Design prizes.

 

MOTION ANALYSIS PUSHES THE LIMITS OF MOTION CAPTURE TECHNOLOGY For a Nike TV commercial they recently worked with a 50 by 50 foot area and recorded up to 6 football players in a shot. The footage was turned into a football game on a snow-covered field with "22 growling opponents." Motion Analysis used 50 cameras to cover the set.

 

A NEW ANIMATION COMPANY IN ORLANDO IS OFFERING OUT OF WORK DISNEY ARTISTS JOBS, BUT I SUSPECT THE WAGES ARE LOWERÉ Raven Moon Ent. Inc. has formed Raven Animation Inc. They plan to hire people who were laid off when Disney closed their animation operations at Disney/MGM studios in Orlando, Florida on Jan. 12.

                  Raven has several TV shows lined up for production including Mr. Bicycle Man, The Bobo Blocks and The Cuddle Bug. The companyÕs CEO says, "Picking up these out of work animators is a good move for Raven Moon." Mike Gibilisco, the new director of the studios says, "We believe that Raven Animation will be able to produce high quality animated projects from our studio in Orlando at a fraction of the cost that many of the Hollywood-based production companies are paying." It sounds like they are undercutting the prices of other studios and that means lower wages for artists. Is that something to be proud of? www.ravenmoon.net.

                 

DISNEY AND THE MILNE HEIRS LOSE ANOTHER ROUND IN THE WINNIE THE POOH SAGA Clare Milne and Disney teamed up in a scheme to get the rights away from the Slesinger family. The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals denied their case in January. That makes it slightly easier for the Slesingers to proceed in their battle with Disney over royalties on Pooh merchandise. Why bother? Pooh merchandise brings in estimated sales between $3 and $6 BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY!!!

 

AN UGLY RANT ABOUT THE STATE OF ANIMATION EMPLOYMENT BY AN OUT OF WORK ANIMATOR It might be of interest to some members. It can be found at: http://www.idleworm.com/rnt/anm/rnt01.shtml

 

HEAR GENE AND KIM DEITCH TOGETHER AGAIN ON THE RADIO They gab and spin rare jazz discs on WNYC radio. It went out live on January 9, 2004 on David Garland's show "Spinning on Air." Hear the complete 2 hour show: http:www.wnyc.org/shows/spinning/episodes/01092004

  

NEW STOP-MOTION SOFTWARE Review by Gene Hamm.   Boinx is stop-motion software for the Mac that works with the iSIGHT camera or any digital camera with a firewire.  The cool thing about it is the onion skin that lets you see the frames ahead of you and behind you.That means that instead of the traditional way of straight ahead animation, you can do pose to pose in stop motion.  You can do the extremes and then add or subtract inbetweens to adjust the timing.  You can edit out and redo single frames without having to reshoot the whole shot.  Pretty cool.  It all outputs to Quicktime. For details www.istopmotion.com.

 

FESTIVALS

 

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON WANTS INDEPENDENT FILMS The giant comic book convention will be held July 22 Š 25. Deadline to enter this non-competitive program is May 1. They are looking for shorts for the Star Wars Fan Film Awards, in conjunction with Lucas Film Ltd. and Atom Films. To be eligible: films should be genre-related (comics, science fiction, fantasy, animation, adventure), films should be appropriate for an all-ages audience (no nudity, excessive violence or swearing) and at least one filmmaker or member of the cast or crew must be available to make an appearance with the film to talk about the making of the project. In 2003, 45 of approximately 75 submitted films were selected. For more information, contact cci-info@comic-con.org. Please type "Independent Film Festival" in the subject line.

Enjoy free snacks with Bill Plympton Thurs.

Feb. 12 at 111 Minna Gallery, 5-7 PM, Free

 

 

 

 

 

2004 IFP LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL DEADLINE IS Feb. 20 for shorts. Prefers to show premieres. $45 entry fee. 8750 Wilshire Blvd. 2^nd floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

 

 

 

ASIFA-SAN FRANCISCO

P.O. Box 14516

San Francisco, CA 94114