Directors Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski talks about the inspiration for the train in their film Madame Tutli-Putli at the PDI/DreamWorks Q&A.

After screening at Sony, the next stop of the tour was 20th Century Fox. After Ron Diamond, publisher of AWN, introduced the filmmakers to the studios execs in the audience, the group took the chance to walk around the back lot and grab a couple of coffee.

Suzie Templeton, director of Peter and the Wolf, has taken some time to answer The Six Questions. Like many of the other nominees, she is passionate about filmmaking, not about receiving awards. However, she hopes the Oscar experience gives her a chance to expand the scope of her work.

While you wait for more details from the San Fran leg of the tour. Here’s some more pics to check out from Skywalker Ranch and Pixar, courtesy of Ron.

SF’s Dolby Laboratories in Potrero Hill hosts tonights screening of the Oscar-nominated shorts for SF’s ASIFA chapter.  As if I’d had any doubts that I was among serious animation fans,  chapter president Karl Cohen’s next announcement, that the Balboa Theater will be screening some Gumby shorts in honor of the recently-deceased Art Clokey earns an audible gasp from the audience.  This group loves animation, and lives animation.

The Walt Disney Family Museum. And some cars.

Written by Dan Sarto

Like intrepid but warmly dressed explorers venturing into mysterious but GPS-identified territory, our group set forth into the crisp morning air in search of our first tour stop, the new Walt Disney Family Museum.  We caught a break – the rain had stopped, at least for a few hours, leaving behind a beautiful sunny sky.  No traces of the hail that had pounded our motel earlier that morning. Max Lang, Jakob Schuh, Geefwee Boedoe, myself, Ron and his daughter Sara (who is also my niece and our photographer) all drove together.  Teddy Newton drove separately and met us later in the day at Skywalker Ranch. 

Patrick Doyon (Dimanche/Sunday) and his co-producer Michael Fukushima beside two very famous movie rides. The Ghostbusters Ectomobile is a working model, while the Green Hornet's Black Beauty has no engine.

By Zoe Chevat

 Bright and early on Wednesday morning, the directors and producers from three of this year's Oscar-nominated animated shorts joined AWN and tour organizer Ron Diamond on the Sony Pictures studio lot. The nominees, some still recovering from jet lag, were nonetheless eager to see what another full day in Hollywood had in store for them. After a quick promotional video on the studio lot's history and its decades of hand-changing, the group was off, blue windbreaker-clad guide speeding us through screen legend past and present.

First up was the restored Deco facade of the Columbia Pictures building, once home to the plush, all-white office of famed producer Louis B. Mayer. Its lobby serves an equally illustrious purpose now; showcasing the studio's 12 Oscars, from 1934’s It Happened One Night up to 1987's win for The Last Emperor. Such splendor does not sit idle, either. As we were informed, this particular building, like many other administrative offices on the lot, has been used in the studio's productions. Take away the sign over the doorway, and you might recognize Peter Parker's high school from the first trilogy of Spider-Man movies. As one might expect, the lot is full of such pieces of film history both classic, and esoteric. We paused at the original MGM studio gates, kept in pristine condition, and protected by the city of Los Angeles as a historic landmark. Just past the familiar wrought-iron and gold were a couple things even more familiar to some; shooting cars from the Ghostbusters franchise, and the studio's recent Green Hornet.

Sign in foyer outside the screening room announcing the Oscar-nominated animated shorts program. All images courtesy of Dan Sarto.

By Dan Sarto

With a full afternoon planned at Disney Feature Animation, the group wasted no time getting started.  Our host, Stephanie Morse, toured us through the maze of halls, with stops every now and again to check out walls adorned with artwork from Frozen, their upcoming feature set for release this coming November 27^th.  Soon, however, it was back to the screening room for audience Q&A. 

Once again, our filmmakers displayed great patience as they answered mostly the same set of questions they’ve been answering at numerous screenings, interviews and meetings ever since they were nominated.  I enjoy these Q&A sessions because though the questions may be the same, each time a filmmaker speaks, they add something new, share greater details or a new story you haven’t heard before.  You never know what tasty tidbits they may share in a moment of fatigue.

A group shot in front of the doors of Sony.

Sony was the second stop on the L.A. leg of the Oscar Showcase tour this year. See the day in pics.

The filmmakers meet the George Lucas.

It's been a busy an exciting three days, but such a wonderful time. Some highlights and pictures. I’ll sketch in details tomorrow.