WILD BRAIN IS THE PRODUCTION HOUSE BEHIND THE U.S. HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICE ADMINISTRATION'S "STOP BULLYING NOW" ONLINE AND TV CAMPAIGN "Take a stand, lend a hand, stop bullying now" is a slogan from a new campaign designed to reduce verbal and physical bullying among school kids. At the end of February Wild Brain's Denis Morella, the director of the animation for the project, and Amy Capen, the company's producer, were flown to Washington, D.C. for the ceremony that officially launched the campaign. They rubbed elbows with Vice Admiral Richard Carmona, the Surgeon General of the U.S.; Miss America Erika Harold and Washington Redskins star Darmerian McCants. Both Miss America and McCants said they had been bullied when they were younger.
Although the National Bullying Prevention Campaign is aimed at kids 9 to 12 Amy Capen said, "I've told a lot of people that we are doing the project and everybody said it's great that you are doing that. It seems that a lot of adults identify with the problem tooÉ We hope this campaign can affect a positive change."
Morella says, "After Columbine everybody started getting serious about bullies. In the past many people accepted the behavior as a step in the `rights-of-passage' for some people. Our society generally tolerated the idea that some kids are just going to be bullies. By the time of Columbine it appeared the problem was an epidemic getting out on control. After Columbine some people decided we had to do something about this problem. It became a timely issue as people became more aware of it. Sometimes it runs in families. If the fathers are bullies, the kids are usually bullies."
"We want to help people become aware of the problem. It is hard sometimes to tell bullying, especially among girls who can be very clever about how they do it. They do it with words instead of being physical. They can look like their playing with friends, but they can be awful to each other. It is creepy."
In 2002 The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, commissioned Wild Brain to create 12 two-minute webisodes for the Internet, plus two animated PSAs (a :30 and a :15 second message) and three live-action spots (two :30's and a :15) that will be on national TV. The animated characters for the campaign also appear in print and are being turned into plush toys.
It took over a year to complete the project as the government wanted to approve developments at various steps. They wanted to make sure that the project would sound like it was from the point of view of kids and not adults talking down to kids.
Denis had to test ideas with a focus group. The group consisted of 20 or 30 kids age 9 to 12 that came from different parts of our country. They were from different sized cities and towns and they came from different backgrounds. All had some experience as targets of bullies.
Almost everything had to be approved of by the kids according to Morella. He showed them all kinds of artwork including some original characters designed by Wild Brain. He needed to find out what their tastes in art were. He interviewed members of the group to find out what they liked and didn't like. "We discussed with the kids what the stories might be about and who the characters might be. The kids talked about their fondness for Sponge Bob." Denis was surprised to find out that many of the kids were not into Japanese animation.
The artwork Wild Brain created for the focus group included some characters that were all animal, some that were anthropomorphic and others that were human. There were also some unusual combinations shown to the kids including characters that were part animal and part plant. The kids really liked characters that are anthropomorphic (animals with human traits) so the campaign uses anthropomorphic ones designed by Achiu.
In developing the project Denis was surprised to find the English language doesn't have a good word for kids who are bullied. Target is one word he used when holding the focus group. They decided victim was too strong a word.
In developing the scripts for the series the bystanders do the most work. It turns out the TV spots, web series and print campaign are aimed at the bystanders as they can do the most good. Denis says, "They are the ones who can mediate. They can say `knock it off, stop it!' They're the ones who most likely can diffuse the situation. You can't tell kids not to bully because they are going to do it anyway and you cant tell kids who are being bullied that they have to learn to be clever, to joke their way out of the situation, to run fast or to avoid certain situations. These animated pieces don't really focus on that. They also don't give any finite answers. They simply help you out."
He continued, "We wanted to tell both a boy's side of the story and a girl's side of the story. We did it with two sets of characters that are interwoven in the script. They live in the same community rather than our showing one living in NY and the other in Peoria. We ended up with having them attend the same school."
Although Denis only met with the focus group once, "our clients met with some several times and put things online. I think there were about six points of approval with the kids." The group was sent board-a-matics for their approval. At another point some kids were sent VHS tapes while others saw work on the Internet. Most simply went to the Internet and logged on to a special website where they saw test footage and voiced their opinions about what they saw. Denis says they also tested the music for the series through the focus group.
The testing process also included "intercepts" where kiosks were set up in malls in 20 different locations throughout the country. Kids walking by were asked, "What do you think of these characters and other questions. It was a well-organize testing process to make sure the program was being properly developed for kids." Today this sort of testing goes on a lot with the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon when they are developing new shows.
Morella concluded, "At some point creative directors and executives have to contribute to the project, but we relied heavily on the kids in-put in developing it. The kids know what they like and they know what they are used to seeing. Some of the kids were pretty outspoken. Some shined in these groups. They are pretty savvy about what they see on TV. They talk like animation art directors. They know what they're saying when they talk about a character and its development. It's interesting to hear 12-year-old kids talk like this. All in all, it was a fun experience working on this yearlong project."
When Secretary Tommy Thompson announced the National Bullying Prevention Campaign he said, "By engaging the entire community in preventing bullying we can promote a more peaceful and safe place for children to grow."
For more information read our interview with Amy Capen in the October 2003 issue of the ASIFA-SF newsletter and visit the official website at stopbullyingnow.com.
NOW ON THE INTERNET - GENE HAMM'S DIRECTOR'S CUT SPECIAL EDITION OF "NO HAT, NO MASK, NO SERVICE" See his controversial work at: www.hammination.com/Hammarama.htm.
CREATIVES WANTED FOR POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY!
Animators, chart-makers, graphic designers and other volunteers needed for a get-out-the-vote doc premiering this summer. Flash, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Web streaming skills a plus. Also looking for streaming partners.
There's Something About W is a wry doc about Bush's policies, with juicy commentary by Molly Ivins, Paul Krugman, Al Franken, MoveOn.org's founders, Will Durst and many others. Email with resume, link to your work, and availability to John@SomethingAboutW.org, or mail sample reel to John Grimes, Co-Producer, Box 210606, SF, CA 94121. A non-profit project with fiscal sponsorship from the Film Arts Foundation.
Doc will be satellite broadcast to 30 million homes, be streamed over the Web, and be widely distributed on DVD. John is a cartoonist/illustrator, long-time ASIFA member and co-creator of ASIFA's Web site.
Pitch in and make a difference this November!
FRENCH JUDGE RULES AGAINST THE "FINDING NEMO" SUIT A judge dismissed part of a claim that would have halted sale of Finding Nemo merchandise in France. Author Franck Le Calvez claims Nemo looks too much like a fish in his book Pierrot Le Poisson Clown, 2002. The rest of the case will be heard in October.
ANIMATION DIRECTOR ED BELL HAS COLLABORATED WITH COMPANY CHADDDICK ON A DANCE PRESENTATION THAT IS PREMIERING THROUGH APRIL 3 AT THE ODC THEATER Company Chaddick, Ed Bell, and Bay Area composer Daniel Berkman are presenting the world premiere of Glances. "It explores the contradiction between the inner self's reality and external attitudes and body language. Ed Bell's illustrations are being projected onto screens, adding a layer of comments, attitudes, atmospheres, and moods that represent nonverbal, authoritative commentaries by the dancers. Through movement and projected imagery, Glances captures our self-image on the journey to find strength and power through attitudes, movement, and the visual impression of style." http://www.companychaddick.org.
THE ART AND CRAFT OF ANIMATION: A COMPREHENSIVE 6 WEEK WORKSHOP Meets Tuesday nights from 7 to 10 PM, April 20 - May 25, at Film Arts Foundation, 145 Ninth St. SF. Learn animation the fun and old-fashioned way with this intensive workshop that introduces students to many different styles of traditional, non-computer-generated animation including drawn, paper cutout, flipbooks, clay animation, stop-motion and zoetropes.
The fundamental elements of animation are emphasized including squash and stretch, timing, key-framing, in-betweening, anticipation, acting, storyboarding and the development of story and characters. Students will complete individual and group projects that they write and storyboard.
Fun and creativity are always the emphasis! The LunchBox multi-reel is used in class to capture and record animation. This device also allows the students to add soundtracks, narration and lip sync to their films. Films are recorded and shown in class. No prior animation experience required.
The instructor is Tara Beyhm. She received a B.F.A. in experimental animation from California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts). She has taught animation for many years in different locations, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, Zeum and the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. She is currently working on a short animated film.
Limited to 10. $140 FAF members, $170 others.
COLOSSAL'S `AEON FLUX' TO BECOME A LIVE ACTION FEATURE Peter Chung's Aeon Flux was animated in SF by Colossal Pictures for MTV. Now Oscar nominee Charlize Theron will get $10 million to star in it. It will be produced by Lakeshore Entertainment and Paramount Pictures. Karyn Kusama is the director. Production begins in Berlin in July. It is set 400 years in the future where humankind must live in bubbled cities due to a killer virus. The plot involves a female assassin who must kill the government's leader.
April 3, 7:30 PM, PREMIER OF SIMONE MASSI'S "PICCOLA MARE" (ITALY) AND OTHER NEW WORKS WITH MUSIC BY NIK PHELPS AND THE SPROCKET ENSEMBLE Includes Slow Bistro from Russia, The Love Nest from England, The Story of Kolobok from Holland, Penguin Parade from Estonia and other works. Sanchez Concert Hall, 1220 Linda Mar Blvd., Pacifica.
TUESDAY APRIL 13, 7:30 PM OPTICAL POETRY: OSKAR FISCHINGER CLASSICS In celebration of the publication of William Moritz's eagerly anticipated book on Oskar Fischinger (1900-1967) and in memory of Moritz, The Pacific Film Archive is presenting a program of Fischinger's most celebrated films. Moritz's book, Optical Poetry: The Life and Work of Oskar Fischinger (John Libbey Publishing, 2004), will be on sale at the screening.
Moritz wrote, "Oskar Fischinger must count among the greatest artists of the twentieth century. His films and paintings achieved the status of cult icons, influencing a whole generation of younger artists, and providing anonymous models for the music videos and computer graphics of the last quarter of the century." John Cage has said, `Fischinger's whimsical notions about sight and sound opened a new door for me,' while Norman McLaren declared him `one of the great formative influences of my life.' His work was an influence on Walt Disney's Fantasia and an inspiration for many Disney films of the 1940s. Orson Welles hired him to design animation for jazz by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington and for Brazilian samba."
Tonight's program of Fischinger's astounding visual music includes 35mm prints of films restored by the Academy Film Archive from the original nitrate. The program: R-1 (1927, 7 mins, Cinemascope). Study No. 1 (c. 1929, 2 mins). Study No. 2 (c. 1930, 2 mins). Study No. 6 (1930, 2 mins). Study No. 9 (1931, 5 mins). Liebesspiel (1931, 1.5 mins). Study No. 11A (1934, 3 mins). Kreise (1933, 2 mins). Composition in Blue (1935, 4 mins). Allegretto, 1st Paramount version (1936, 2.5 mins). Paragretto, 2nd Paramount version (1936, 2.5 mins). Allegretto, Fischinger's final version (1943, 2.5 mins). An Optical Poem (1937, 6.5 mins). American March (1941, 3 mins). Radio Dynamics (1942, 4 mins). Motion Painting No. 1 (1947, 11 mins). The total running time is about 60 minutes, 35mm, prints from the Center for Visual Music, in association with the Fischinger Archive.
The Pacific Film Archive Theater is located at 2575 Bancroft Way near Bowditch Street, Berkeley, California (510) 642-1412 http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu
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ANIMATION AT THE S.F. FILM FESTIVAL
Saturday April 17, 1 PM, Kabuki and Friday April 23 at 10 AM Three animated shorts in a program of 7 films called Circus Cinematicus. CIRKUSTOUR is a 16-minute stop-motion film about a colorful circus made with metal windup toys. By Michael Varming, Denmark. TARZAN is a 1-min. joke about gridlock in the jungle when 4 vine-swingers meet. By Torben Meier, Germany. A WORK IN PROGRESS, a shy girl tells a story about a shy bear who tries to make new friends. By Wes Ball, USA, 8-min. GGA prize winner.
Saturday, April 17 at the Pacific Film Archive I:30 PM
Sunday, April 25 at the Kabuki in SF at 1 PM
Thursday, April 29 at the Kabuki at 10 AM
THE BOY WHO WANTED TO BE A BEAR
a charming animated feature based on an Eskimo legend about a boy stolen from his mother and raised by a bear. It was directed by Jannik Hastrup, one of Denmark's great animators. The film won a special jury prize at the Berlin Film Festival, 2003 and the top feature prize at the 2003 Nordic Film Festival. Print has subtitles. 75 min.
Saturday, April 17 at the Castro Theatre, SF at 6:30 PM
SKY BLUE This feature from South Korea is a science fiction thriller that combines 2D character animation with 3D computer backgrounds and live action miniatures. The visual elements were composited with a HD digital system. The film has been called a massive technical achievement. It is set in the future in a world ravaged by war. It revolves around the struggle between the ruling class who live in a fortified city and the working class who live outside the city in the wastelands. It has "high impact action" and Variety calls it "a must-see for Anime fansÉ During many stretches, the pic plays like one long chase." Known on video as Wonderful Days. The English version premiered at Sundance 2004. www.skybluethemovie.com
Wednesday April 21, 2:30 PM and Friday April 23 at 12:45 at the Kabuki, the program Reality Dreams (7 shorts) includes: THE WAY, a sensitive tale of an old railroad crossing-gate guard who witnesses a serious accident. Jung Min-Young, South Korea, 15-min. and DAD'S DEAD, about a young man tries to piece together fragmented memories from his past. Chris Sheperd, England, 7-min.
Thursday April 22, 3:45 PM and Wednesday April 28 at 3:30 PM, Kabuki, the Conscious Journeys program of 6 shorts includes ORIGIN OF THE WORLD, a 22-minute stop-motion film based on a Brazilian creation myth. It took 5-years to complete. By Peter Kerekes, Slovakia, 22-min.
Thursday April 22, 6:30 PM, Kabuki, the Motion Studies program includes THE HAPPY THREE FAMILY, a delightful surreal spin on the 3 wise men story. Based on a Flemish painting. Karen Vanderborght, Belgium, 16-min.
Friday, April 23, Kabuki, 9:45 PM and Sunday April 25 at noon, THE MATCH by Ursula Ferrara from Italy, a hand-painted 5-min. work that captures the emotions and rhythms of a soccer match. Shown with the Brazilian feature The Man Who Copied.
VISIT US AT ASIFA-SF.ORG
Sunday, April 25, 2 PM, CAREERS IN ANIMATION with Dylan Brown from Pixar, Lippy from Mondo Media, a surprise speaker from Tipprtt and Delio Tramontozzi and Shawn Kelly from ILM. Presented by SF State's Animation Club and ASIFA-SF. Coppola Auditorium (Fine Arts 101), free, public invited.
Friday, April 30, 6 PM, ART DECO ANIMATION ACCOMPANIED BY NIK PHELPS AND THE SPROCKET ENSEMBLE at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in connection with their art deco exhibit and the Art Deco Society. Show includes Page Miss Glory, Merry Mannequins, Otto Soglow's Little King, Hoppin and Gross' Joie de Vivre and other works plus two Busby Berkeley production numbers. A 2 hr. show in 16mm and on DVD. Free with regular admission to the museum (the art deco show has an extra admission fee).
FOR A DELIGHTFUL TIME SEE RICHARD CONDIE'S ANIMATION ON THE INTERNET Condie won an Oscar nomination in 1985 for The Big Snit. His web work has some of that humor along with amazing off-the-wall surprises. It may not be a hit with Sick and Twisted fans, but I think it is some of the
nicest animation on the web. Just click on the musical notes and enjoy. Thanks to Marcy Page for directing us to www.linklater.ca/richard/
.
NEW CLAY ANIMATION SITE created by Bill Ochs. It contains lots of useful information about stop-motion animation. ClayAnimator.com
XETH FEINBERG'S The Old Man and the Skyscraper,
"Ponder the meaning of existence." By the creator of Bulbo.
http://www.mishmashmedia.com/oldman.html
SPIKE AND MIKE HAVE SOME OF THEIR FAVORITES ONLINE TOO at www.upwardrising.com
SPIKE TO PAY ANIMATORS WHO DIDN'T GET PAID FOR BEING IN THE SICK AND TWISTED SHOW Last month we reported a member was never paid for the use of his work in a Sick and Twisted show. In March I presented a program at San Jose State and was told one of their students wasn't paid for her film. I called Spike's office and left a message. The next day Jessica called and explained the office had been poorly run by a series of inexperienced office managers from 2001 until she was hired last year. She confirmed errors were made and said she wants to correct the problems she inherited. She asked for additional information and said payments would be made ASAP. If they owe anyone else contact Jessica@spikeandmike.com KC
DISNEY CONTROVERSY ISN'T OVER On March 3 owners of 43% of the stock voted that they wanted changes in the running of the company (it is rumored that over 70% of the votes cast by stock holding employees were for changes). A lot has been written about the situation since then and the company has been meeting in private with major investors. Roy Disney and Stanley Gold continue to work to oust Eisner. He may not be on the company's board any longer, but his friend on it will do his bidding and he is still head of the company. For details about Roy's efforts to dump Eisner visit www.savedisney.com
FORMER DISNEY ARTISTS FROM ORLANDO FORM FIREFLY AND FUNNYPAGES PRODUCTIONS Disney animators Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley have formed Funnypages Productionss which will be part of their comic book publishing company, Funnypages Press. The Orlando Company will offer a full range of animation services.
Another group of Disney Orlando character animators have formed Project Firefly Animation Studios. The new 2D and 3D studio will have offices on the Universal Studios' back lot in Florida. Much of their production work will be outsourced. The 4 co-founders are Paulo Alvarado, Gregg Azzopardi, Dominic Carola and John Webber. They say, "We're grateful to Disney for the training and experience we had there. They honed our gifts as animators and skilled artisans, which prepared us for this tremendous opportunity." (407) 224-6730 or (800) 264-0266.
Meanwhile awn.com recently carried a story that Disney is looking into outsourcing feature and TV animation work to India.
A 3D IMAX TRIP TO THE MOON IS PLANNED WITH SOME COMPUTER GENERATED IMAGES Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman's Playtone has reached a deal with Lockheed Martin to have the aerospace company sponsor a forthcoming IMAX 3D film. Magnificent Desolation will be a 45-minute space documentary about the 12 men who walked on the moon. The film is scheduled for release in 2005.
JJ SEDELMAIER PRODUCTIONS PRODUCED A SPOOF OF MEL GIBSON'S "THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST" FOR SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE It aired in March.
BILL PLYMPTON APPEARED IN AN EPISODE OF NICKELODEON'S "CHALKZONE" Awn.com reports that in the episode called "That Thing You Drew," "The show's star, Rudy Tabootie, meets his favorite comic-book artist, Drew Yerface (Plympton) and invites him to speak at his school's career day. When Drew disappears Rudy must use his magic chalk to track him down, and along the way he meets a bunch of characters from Drew's drawing board, including several 1950s-style teens with very high hair."
"ANIMATION LEGEND" HOWARD BECKERMAN HAS A NEW EDITION OF HIS "ANIMATION: THE WHOLE STORY" OUT (ALLWORTH PRESS) He did a talk and signing at Barnes and Noble in NYC in March and has one planned April 14 at 6:30 PM at the School of Visual Arts in their 3rd floor "amphitheatre (209 E. 23rd, NYC)
NINA PALEY IS SHOWING HER NEW FILM IN LATVIA She writes, "I'm going to the Bimini animation festival in Riga, Latvia with Signe Baumane. They're showing The Sitayana. Bill Plympton will be there too, as a judge."
PORTLAND'S ROSE BOND HAS CREATED A MULTIMEDIA WORK THAT ILLUMINATES THE FA‚ADE OF A HISTORIC NYC SYNAGOGUE Rose Bond's Gates of Light is a 12-minute work being shown on the facade of the Eldridge Street Synagogue (built in 1887). It includes animated images that depict the history of the National Historic Landmark building and its neighborhood. The films, projected on the Synagogue's grand front windows, can be viewed by passersby from the street much like an illumination project she did last year with Portland's historic Seaman's Bethel Building in Old Town.
The work covers over 100 years of local history, from Jewish immigrants in the 19th Century to the current Chinese immigrants living in the neighborhood. The sound track includes Jews at prayer, the voices of the current neighbors and other slices of local life.
"Bond's work presents the history of the Lower East Side community and portrays stories of the immigrants who founded the Eldridge Street Synagogue and the following generations who sustained the building. Using still and moving images, and an accompanying sound track, Bond's animated projections evoke the layers of memory attached to the building and its gateway neighborhood."
The work can be seen March 27 - April 4: Wed, Sat and Sun evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 pm and from May 19 - August 1 on Wed, Sat and Sun evenings from 9:30 to 10:30 pm The short work will be shown 5 times each evening. The event marks the 350th anniversary of Jewish life in the U.S.
DIRECTORY OF SHORT FILMS SEEKS PEOPLE WHO MAKE AND USE THEM Short Films Wanted! is a directory "of opportunities for short films and their creators. It includes big names as well as unknown but very interesting short films opportunities... In this directory you will find: calls and announcements from short film buyers and distributors, who are looking for your shorts; traditional and online showcases, who want to have your short films; cinemas and festivals, who need your short movies; investors and financiers, who want to give you money to produce your short films; foundations and funds, giving grants to short filmmakers; TV stations and TV channels, seeking for shorts; and others. All together they create a huge directory of excellent opportunities for short films and filmmakers. And you can have it for only $9. The first 200 buyers will get it for only $5. So, hurry up!" For more information: http://www.shortfilmswanted.com If you are looking for short films they can include you in the next "SFW" directory if you qualify. Find out if you can get a free listing. http://www.shortfilmswanted.com/index.php?cat=announcers.
HOW TO MAKE OBSCENE AMOUNTS OF MONEY IN ANIMATION Nickelodeon has had a series of hit shows over the years and somehow the characters usually end up as toys, games, on the covers of cereal boxes, etc. Their latest hit, The Fairly OddParents, now averages 2.6 million viewers (mostly kids aged 6 - 11). The show's ratings are second only to SpongeBob Squarepants. In February it was announced that Nickelodeon is exploiting the good name of the show and had $50 million worth of tie-ins and cross promotions. Their partners are Burger King, Procter and Gamble's Pringles and Kraft Foods. Images from the show will soon be on 35 million packages of Kraft food items.
Of course the creators of the show probably have standard contracts that gives them little or no income from these profitable deals. When you create a show for US networks you now have to gives the network the right to your creation. That is why Wild Brain took Poochini to a German distributor. They retained US rights and are now getting money from the show by syndicating it in the U.S.
Unfortunately ratings have dropped for most shows in recent years due to the increase in the number of TV channels in each market. Except for major hits, local stations are paying less now than they did a few years ago.
"THE DENNIS NYBACK FORBIDDEN ANIMATION FESTIVAL: BEYOND SPIKE AND MIKE!" was recently shown in Portland and Seattle with Dennis introducing each program. Dennis is a dedicated 16mm collector/archivist who has traveled to numerous parts of the globe to present his unique programs. In March he presented a weeklong tribute in each city of "shamefully offensive, extremely rare and rightfully suppressed animation from Hollywoods hilariously ignorant darkest side."
The 7 programs presented were OFFENSIVE EXPLOITATION ANIMATION, STRANGE AND VICIOUS WAR CARTOONS, CARTOONS TOO VIOLENT FOR CHILDREN, CULT, ODDBALL, AND RUBBER HOSE TOONS; CORPORATE ANIMATION AMOK: THE SHAME OF A NATION, JAZZ JAZZ JAZZ CARTOONS; and THE DARK SIDE OF DR. SEUSS. "Racist, sexist, politically incorrect and totally out of control. Not to mention screamingly funny." -Lewis Beale, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
To give you an idea of the content, the following is from his program notes for THE DARK SIDE OF DR. SEUSS. "During World War II, Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss) supported the war effort by scripting and directing training and propaganda films for the troops. This program shows those films. They include Private Snafu cartoons, which only troops saw, and are consequently much racier than standard theater fare. Since this was a time of war, they are also racist in showing the enemy. In addition to writing for Private Snafu, Dr. Seuss had time to write the great American propaganda film Your Job In Germany. It was shown only to troops, but was edited and re-titled Hitler Lives in 1947, and won the Academy Award. It was directed by Frank Capra. Finally, he both wrote and directed Our Job in Japan. All of this in jaw-dropping material from the beloved creator of children's books."
Dennis once showed me a selection of 1930s Dr. Seuss ads for Flint bug spray. They included negative images of Blacks (and some used the "N' word). There really was a dark side to the man being honored by the Cartoon Art Museum.
MATT STONE AND TREY PARKER HAVE A NEW SHOW ON TRIO PLUS, A BROADBAND WEBSITE The new animated show by the creators of South Park is Princess. It was originally made for Shockwave.com, but they never screened it due to "controversial sexual content."
TV IN ISRAEL IS RUNNING A SOUTH PARK-LIKE SPOOF OF AL QAEDA. Keshet Formats has produced Military Base 22 for a comedy channel in Israel with a $2 million budget. There are 10 episodes in the animated series. Awn.com says, "The show is set in a secret nuclear missile base, run by a bunch of `stupid, almost criminal soldiers.' It's very dark comedy, very edgy, very South Park." The characters include "a wheelchair-bound Israeli combat volunteer, a womanizing Italian corporal, a sergeant with an inferiority complex and an Arab terrorist named Abed Bin-Jihad, who is the America-loathing son of a wealthy Saudi sheik and an Al Qaeda member, who hero worships Osama Bin Laden." There is talk of selling it to a US network.
ANIMATION SCHOLAR BILL MORITZ DIED AFTER A LONG BATTLE WITH ILLNESS Bill, a major contributor to animation scholarship and education, passed away on March 11. He taught at CAL Arts for about 30 years and was a world-renowned expert on animation, especially on experimental film and visual music. He wrote hundreds of articles, book chapters and program notes. His definitive biography of Oskar Fischinger is the culmination of more than 30 years' work with the Fischinger Estate. OPTICAL POETRY: THE LIFE AND WORK OF OSKAR FISCHINGER was just published by John Libby. Bill had book signings scheduled in the LA area in the week after he died..
Moritz curated dozens of film shows, preserved historical animation and amassed an impressive research collection. In 1998 the Iota Center in LA assumed the stewardship of his extensive library and collections of animation art, film and video, which became the basis of their study center. He was past president of the Society for Animation Studies, and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to visual music by the Royal Academy of the Netherlands in 1993.
He came to the Bay Area several times to lecture and present films. The program he organized for the launch of his book will be shown April 14 at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley and copies of his book will be available.
I hope you had the pleasure to meet Bill. He traveled the world over with Elfriede Fischinger, sharing their love of visual music and abstract animation at film festivals, art museums, universities, and at theaters that recognize animation as a great art form. He was a really wonderful friend of animation and will be missed by those of us lucky enough to have known him. KC
PS A personal experience. I once asking Bill about a prewar German animator named Peroff. He provided me with some information and much to my surprise I was sent a tape with one of the artist's work on it along with other rare gems! Steve Segal told me he had a similar experience. He too had a conversation about an obscure film and Bill surprised him with a wonderful tape sent in the mail. Steve added, "So as you watch that video have a pleasant thought for the very generous Bill Moritz."
RENE LALOUX HAS DIED Rene Laloux (b. 1929) directed the surreal features Fantastic Planet (1973), Idle Time (1964) and The Masters of Time (1982 with Moebius). His shorts include Escargot (Snails, 1965), about a farmer whose tears produce oversized vegetables and then giant snails that rampage over the country-side.
ANIMATION FANS USE THE INTERNET TO DISCUSS "THE SPACE EXPLORERS," A FORGOTTEN ANIMATED SHOW One well known animator wrote, "I for one am tired of such people as Fred Ladd gaining publicity over cynical efforts to produce cheap TV animation for the boom times of the early 1960s. The Space Explorers (1957) is definitely no classic of early television. Fred's other `credits' include colorizing the Looney Tunes by cheap Korean labor, then doing the same to the Betty Boop Fleischer cartoons, and introducing Japanese animation to the American market by dubbing Dr. Tezuka's Tetsuwan Atom episodes in English and calling them Astro Boy. The best that can be said of Fred is that at least he was his own man, a lone entrepreneur. Hanna-Barbera and Filmation sold out to the networks and big toy companies in the late 1960's, and effectively squeezed out the small producers from the TV marketplace for many years."
Apparently his comment was a reaction to another person asking about www.thespaceexplorers.com It turns out the show was made using excerpts of Weltraumschiff 1 Startet, a 1939 German B&W film that Ladd dubbed into English and
distributed before cutting it up for the TV series. His partner in the Space Explorers adventure was William Cayton who left animation after this project to become the co-manager of prizefighter Mike Tyson.
ZAGREB 2004 This year's event sounds exciting. The films in competition and in the panorama programs were selected by Deanna Morse, Otto Alder and Kine Aune after watching about 1,500 films from about 60 countries. The retrospectives this year will include tributes to Hayao Myjazaki who will receive the Zagreb Life Achievement Award, Cuban animation, and animation from Slovenia. There will also be several international student animation programs. Donald Crafton will get a Special Award for his work as an animation historian. Bill Dennis is presenting a workshop for young animators and for animators from developing countries.
DISNEY'S MUPPETS TO MAKE THEIR VERSION OF "THE WIZZARD OF OZ" FOR ABC-TV It will be produced by Jim Henson Prods. and Fox TV Studios.
STUFF FOR SALE
"HANNA-BARBERA GOLDEN COLLECTION" Jetsons: The Complete First Season and Jonny Quest: Season One will be release on May 11 The four-disc DVD collectors' sets include lots of extras.
"LOONEY TUNES Ñ BACK IN ACTION" IS OUT ON DVD.Lots of extras. From Warner Home Video, $27.95.
SIGNED SPONGEBOB ART AVAILABLE The collection of cels and drawings are from various episodes. Each piece is hand-signed by the voice of SpongeBob Ñ Tom Kenny (why not by the artist, director, designer or ???). American Royal Arts is located at 546 N.W. 77th Street Boca Raton, Florida 33487, (561) 869-0600 or (800) 888-9449 www.americanroyalarts.com
ACTION/CUT SHORT FILM COMPETITION DEADLINE IS MAY 15 This international contest has an animation category, more than $30,000 in prizes (75+ awards including cash prizes, distribution contacts and sponsor awards). Finalists will be announced on August 15 and the winners on Sept. 1 http://www.actioncut.com.
34th MARIN COUNTY FESTIVAL OF SHORT FILM AND VIDEO deadline is April 16 for a July 1 - 5 event. It is part of the Marin County Fair so people walk in and out of the screenings constantly. Not a comfortable situation, but there is prize money for animators and your friends can go see your work on their big screen. For students and independent films under 30 minutes. $35 ($40 Foreign) entry fee. The Marin County Festival of Short Film and Video, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, California 94903; tel.: (415) 499-6400 cbarboni@co.marin.ca.us; www.marinfair.org.
ASIFA-SAN FRANCISCO
P.O. Box 14516
San Francisco CA 94114
TWO CHARACTERS FROM WILD BRAINS NEW ONLINE AND TV CAMPAIGN FOR THE US HEALTH DEPARTMENT - BRICK (Age 11) bullies other kids at school, especially Milton. He has lots of friends and his buddies support his bullying behavior. MILTON (Age 10) is a quiet short boy who dreams of becoming the world's best tuba player. He has few friends and is bullied a lot.
MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FEST GIVES WINNERS A FEATURE FILM "DEAL" Deadline is July 31 for a Sept.18 event. The festival is held outdoors in Union Square Park. The winner will be awarded all the necessary equipment to create a feature film. Selected films are displayed on three giant screens and are judged by filmmakers. For more information www.Msfilmfest.com.
OTTAWA DEADLINE IS JULY 2 No entry fee. www.animationfestival.ca or www.awn.com/ottawa, e-mail
info@animationfestival.ca or call (613) 232-8769.
IMAGINE CUP GIVES STUDENTS A CHANCE TO WIN $85,000! The Imagine Cup 2004 in Sao Paulo, Brazil has a May 1 deadline for a June 15 event. Student teams, representing more than 70 countries, will compete regionally and online for six months, in a range of categories, from mobile device application design to filmmaking. The finalists will meet in Sao Paulo, Brazil for a gala awards ceremony. The winning teams will receive more than $85,000 in prizes. The finalists will be flown to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the finals.
http://www.imaginecup.com/shortfilm.aspx.
There is also a computer graphics event for 3D movies and games. http://www.imaginecup.com/rendering.aspx.
ARE WE HEADED TOWARDS ANOTHER REPRESSIVE ERA? HOW WILL FEAR OF $500,000 FINES AFFECT THE CONTENT OF ANIMATION? It looks like the over-reaction to seeing Janet Jackson's nipple on TV is playing right into the hands of conservative Christian groups wanting a squeaky clean America. Broadcasters will have to rethink how adult their adult animation gets if the Senate approves the legislation already passed by the House. There was a time when it was against the law to say "pregnant" on TVÉWill South Park be a hour of bleeps?
ASIFA-SF AND S. F. STATE'S ANIMATION CLUB PRESENT:
CAREERS IN ANIMATION WITH DYLAN BROWN, SUPERVISING ANIMATOR ON "FINDING NEMO"AT PIXAR
LIPPY, FREELANCE DIRECTOR, PRESENTLY WITH MONDO MEDIA
SHAWN KELLY, CHARACTER ANIMATIOR ON "STAR WARS: EPISODE III" AT ILM
DELIO TRAMONTOZZI, CHARACTER ANIMATOR ON "VAN HELSING" AT ILM
SURPRISE SPEAKER FROM TIPPETT STUDIOS
SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2:00 PM
At San Francisco State, August Coppola Auditorium (Fine Arts 101,
between Creative Arts and the Student Union), free, public invited
Careers in Animation is an event designed for people who want to know how to find
employment in the local animation industry. Representatives from the industry will
discuss the kinds of work they do, how to contact companies, who gets hired, what
training you need to get a job, how to impress people who are in a position to hire
you (portfolio tips) and other basics. Our panel includes animators who have created
games, character animation for features, and other kinds of animation and effects.
This is your chance to get all your questions answered about careers in animation.
