editor@awn.com
An Open Letter to the ASIFA-Hollywood Awards
and Nominating Committees
Okay, here's the problem voting members
of ASIFA-Hollywood have:
How do they vote on Individual Achievement Awards if the example being
submitted has more than one name on the credits? The logical answer? The
multiple credit example does NOT qualify for an individual achievement
award. YET, I see in ASIFA-Hollywood's house newsletter, The Inbetweener,
that there are many "individual" award nominees that have two
or more names attached.
An example: "Outstanding Individual Achievement for PRODUCING IN A
FEATURE PRODUCTION" (I can only wonder what the criteria is for this
judgment call!). This category shows three producers for the Hercules
feature.
Come on, people! That's not an INDIVIDUAL achievement! It's a TEAM achievement!
Another example: "Outstanding Individual Achievement for MUSIC IN
AN ANIMATED TELEVISION PRODUCTION." Under Boo! To You Winnie The
Pooh, I see listed two names under the title: songwriter.
Excuse me. That's songwriters...plural. No individual achievement here.
Two people collaborating. A TEAM achievement again.
Another example: "PRODUCING IN AN ANIMATED TELEVISION PRODUCTION."
Two names again under this nomination for The Simpsons, "The
Springfield Files." Yet, when you look at the credits or see the vast
amount of people that go up on stage to receive a Prime-time [Emmy] award,
it obviously takes more than those two folks to produce a show of that
caliber. So, are the two people nominated here the REAL producers and everyone
else who got credit FAKE producers? Doesn't matter, two or twenty, it's
a TEAM again.
Why are the categories of "individual achievement" created if
not to acknowledge the exceptional personal effort of an outstanding individual?
By "ganging" up the credits like this you minimize the achievement.
I'm not suggesting that the credits in those categories are bogus. Film
is often, I'd say usually, a team effort. Other awards reflect this. Why
muddy up a competition with examples that don't fit the very basic qualification
of being INDIVIDUAL?
Nominating committees, ignore the temptation to nominate your friends whether
they qualify or not. Save yourself a lot of work by eliminating all credits
in the "Individual" categories that have more than one name attached.
Awards committee, the idea of an individual achievement award is a good
one. Don't make it a farce by allowing this type of competition. Judge
teamwork against teamwork and individuals against individuals.
(And what were you thinking of when you created the "Producing for"
category?)
Larry Huber
Executive Producer, Oh Yeah! Cartoons, Nicktoons
cc: ASIFA-Hollywood
Dear Mr. Huber:
Thank you for copying your letter to Animation World Magazine. I am sure a number of our readers will be interested in this letter and we encourage this to be an open forum for discussion.
Sincerely,
The Editors
Another New School
In regards to where and what is the best animation school to learn character animation may I add to the list, NBCC Miramichi, New Brunswick. With it's animation and graphic technology course, it is the East Coast solution. This new program has only just been initiated, but it does offer traditional animation and drawing courses, as well as computer animation training. In fact, NBCC presently has state of the art equipment for training.
It is a two year program with the second year emphasis on an entrepreneurial business aspect of animation, where the student is to secure a client to produce a product. NBCC also offers programs in virtual reality, electronic game design, artificial intelligence and multi-media. I would highly recommend this course, but then again, I'm one of the instructors.
Harold Duckett
Classical Animation Instructor
Miramichi College
Dear Mr. Duckett:
Thank you for the information! We appreciate hearing from our readers and I'm sure students out there are taking note.
Sincerely,
The Editors
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