Alfred Molina will lead a contingent of actors including Chris Coppola, Jonathan Lipnicki and Bruno Kirby as they join a panel of animators, directors and visual effects experts in an informative dialogue on the evolution of animation, "The Animated Performance: Animation Invades Live Action," on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 pm at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Science and Technology Council, the evening will be moderated by Academy member Barry Weiss, svp of animation for Imageworks, and also will include panelists Henry Anderson, John Dykstra, T. Dan Hofstedt, Richard Hollander, Bill Kroyer, Bob Kurtz, Anthony LaMolinara, Rob Minkoff, Steven Poster, Robert Presley and Ken Ralston.
The program will feature clips from animated and live-action features including SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, MARY POPPINS, STUART LITTLE, THE HULK and LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, and will present case studies on the use of blending animated characters with live action casts, digital doubles and motion and performance capture.
The accomplishments of animation talent, coupled with new technology, enable the entire filmmaking community to create characters and stories that were impossible even 10 years ago," said Weiss.
Molina will discuss his experiences on acquiring an octet of digital arms as Doc Ock in SPIDER-MAN 2. "Animation, in conjunction with all other facets of digital imaging, has become so sophisticated as to make it indistinguishable from reality, added Dykstra, the Academy Award-winning digital effects supervisor for SPIDER-MAN 2.
Coppola, the vocal and motion capture performer behind the character of Toothless Boy/Elf in THE POLAR EXPRESS, and Kirby, the vocal performer of Reggie Stout in STUART LITTLE, will discuss their experiences in working with evolving animation technology.
Of the special guests, three are Oscar winners: Dykstra (STAR WARS), LaMolinara (SPIDER-MAN 2) and four-time winner Ralston (COCOON, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, DEATH BECOMES HER, FORREST GUMP). Anderson, a visual effects specialist, and Kroyer, an animator, have earned Academy Award nominations.
Established in 2003 by the Academy's Board of Governors, the Science and Technology Council provides a forum for the exchange of information while promoting cooperation among diverse technological interests within the industry as well as sponsoring publications, fostering educational activities and preserving the history of science and technology of motion pictures.
Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid I.D. Doors open at 6:30 pm. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California. Free parking is provided in the garages located at 8920 and 9025 Wilshire Boulevard. For more information, call the Science and Technology Council at 310-247-3000 ext. 351.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
