The Animation Pimp: Doofs

[1]

Illustration by Andreas Hykade. Courtesy of Chris Robinson. [1]

Guy I know recently took his film out of Annecy 2005 cause they had placed it in the Panorama section. This pisses me off… cause he seems to think that Panorama screenings are afterthoughts… a purgatory for the mediocre. The guy, frankly, is a doof.

First, for those of you who don’t know what panorama means, its well… getting a full view of a field. For our purposes, it’s a survey of the films that did not make a festival’s official competition. Last year, I started calling Showcase screenings or “Best of the Rest” (some sensitive types found that insulting, though).

Festivals have a limited amount of space for competition screenings. As I’ve written before, in Ottawa, we have six competitions at about 80 minutes each. Because Ottawa does not separate commissioned and independent films (as Annecy does) that means that almost 2,000 entries are fighting for 480 minutes of film.

In 2004, we took 16 films in the narrative short category and about nine in the first film/student category. You’re being judged on two levels in the end. On one level, you’re really judged ONLY against the other films in your category. However, you’re also up against the clock as well because — while we do give favor to independent work and ensure that the competition is primarily composed of personal films, indies are also, in terms of time/space, competing against commercials, TV stuff etc… so… at the end of the day the reality is that some GOOD indie work is getting pushed out of competition because of the commissioned categories.

So,” you say, “why not do what Annecy does and have a separate competition for commissioned and short films?” First, I simply like the idea that we always show everything together. All these films, no matter their category, are being judged from an aesthetic point of view. We look at their technique/design/conception and how it’s all executed — whether it’s Atomic Betty [2] or Paul Bush. In a sense, competition is like a panorama of the animation community… the best stuff being made internationally for TV and not-TV. Secondly, from a programming perspective, it’s nice to be able to put something lighter or shorter between longer “artsy-fartsy” films. It gives the screenings more flavor and can create a bit of a rollercoaster ride. One minute you might see Dog by Suzie Templeton… the next minute you’re watching Creature Comforts.

Thirdly, just from a logistical perspective, we don’t have the space to create another competition screening. We just have too much stuff going on as it is and frankly, unlike euro towns, the folks in Ottawa don’t leave their office cubicles until after 4:00-5:00 pm… so daytime screenings — in terms of the public — are a waste. And then... what happens… then I have to decide on “prime” spots. Feature competition (which is separate of course) goes at 7:00 pm. Shorts go at their traditional 9:00 pm. Where do I put the commissioned? I guess we could put them at 3:00 pm… and who the fug cares if the public doesn’t come cause it’s all TV shit anyway, right? Nah… I just can’t do that. I like it as is.

Okay… so that preamble was an attempt to explain the temporal/spatial realities that confront entrants. We’re not even dealing with the issues of taste. And I ain’t getting into that again… we covered that a few years ago and it still gives me a headache when I think about those “taste” articles. But okay… taste is relative and if an artist hasn’t figured that out, then let me be the first to explain it to you — not everyone thinks you’re the genius you think you might be; not everyone thinks your latest work is the masterwork you believe it to me. And hey, maybe they are full of shit and are wrong… but so it is my friend….

When you submit to a festival you know what you’re in for… you know that there are no guarantees with selection committees or festival organizers (hey… remember…all you folks who think I have a hard-on for all things Estonian… I didn’t take Priit Parn’s Karl and Marilyn [3] for competition). Selection committees are especially tricky because they’re all coming from different cultural backgrounds… and then you factor in the normal baggage of culture, economics, socialization, education… all the ingredients that go into forming the tastes of an individual and you’re really into uncertainty. And hey… let’s say that two out of three committee members LOVE your work, the other guy/gal might be SO incredibly abhorred by it that his/her passion could win out over the other two. See… those are the moments when deals are made… the guy/gal might agree to go along with another film if he can ensure that the one he hates is removed.

I’ve already written about juries and all this stuff, so I’m not gonna rehash it all again here, but look, animators have to realize that festivals are — as I’ve said so many times — like going to a casino: it’s entirely out of your hands and you just have to trust and respect the process. Not everyone is gonna see things your way and ya just gotta live with that.* I make decisions about films in competition and retrospective and juries each year… that not everyone is going to agree with or even understand, but most of the time they seem to respect my right to make these choices… and also understand that right or wrong (is there such a thing?) I do try to do the best that I can. I might seem like a reactionary person at times (in person, I am), but I put a lot of fuggin’ energy and time into programming. And yeah… I make mistakes. So be it.

NOW… as for this Panorama stuff… see… I don’t think being selected for Panorama is an insult in the least. In 2004, for example, almost every film in Panorama was worthy of competition… but hard decisions had to be made. Panorama is very important to me… these are films that I remain very confused about… films that I feel maybe I could be wrong about… so Panorama, for me, is not just a survey of the international animation world, it’s like a sneak peak at the “deleted” scenes in a sense (okay… I know that most deleted scenes are deleted for good reason!... but that’s not what I mean here)… you can see 4-5 programs of films that I was uncertain about… films that I thought were good… films that I felt strong enough about to want to show.

Let’s remember that panorama films are being shown in the same venues, for the same audience. It’s not like you’re being tossed on a video monitor in a corner of my basement. So, really, aside from the fact that you don’t get offered a free hotel room, (you still get a comp. pass — something that TOO MANY OF YOU take for granted), and you’re not competing for a shiny trophy, what’s the problem? Buyers, recruiters, festival programmers etc.… are all there watching your work all the same.

And you know what? I can’t tell you HOW many times I’ve had people say to me at a festival (whether it’s Ottawa or Zagreb or Annecy) that they thought the Panorama screenings were better than the competition. I’ve said so many times that separating the GREAT and the SLOP is easy… it’s the work in the middle, the good stuff that is the toughest part of selection… that’s when it’s such a crapshoot and ultimately it boils down to personal taste… and, like life, YOU can’t control that. Comes down to individual psyche I guess. Do you roll with the uncontrollable or do you let your ego fight a fight of futility? In the end, it’s a battle ya ain’t never gonna win.

[4]

Crass and vulgar or raw and honest? Judge Gary Panter’s poster for this year’s Ottawa festival for yourself. © 2005 Ottawa International Animation Festival/Gary Panter. [4]

So folks… let’s clear the air here. Panorama is an important component of a festival. It’s NOT there to be a slap in the face of the animators, it’s there because, although the programmers didn’t take it for competition, they still REALLY believe in the film and WANT their audiences to see it… Panorama shows are an admission of doubt on the part of the programmers. They could easily say… forget it… it’s competition or nothing… that way they cover their asses… but they don’t… (and okay… wait… NO we can’t simply just call the 4-5 Panorama screenings “competitions” and be done with the issue… cause it ain’t that easy — see logistics above).…

If you are one of these people who think that being chosen for Panorama is a slap in the face, you best be asking yourself some questions — Who did you make your film for? Did you make it to win trophies or did you make it because you had something to express and you want people to see it?

Competition or Panorama, your work is being seen. Why you would take this as an insult and choose not to be seen makes me immediately wonder about the motivations and mental health of the filmmaker. What other art form gives you this possibility? I can tell you that when I have a manuscript rejected by a publisher, they sure as hell don’t give me the option of a “Panorama” publishing category. Or hell, man… do you think that the hockey player who gets told that he’s MADE the team as a spare or fourth liner is gonna bitch and moan and say… no thanks… I’d rather be cut or sent to the minors? I don’t think so.

In case there is any doubt about my feelings here, let me say for the record that if you consider having your film shown out of competition an insult and would never accept it, do NOT submit your film to Ottawa. Doofs need not apply.

Chris Robinson is little more than a man. In his spare time he cares for the elderly. www.animationpimp.com.

*In another DOOFUS moment, this year our poster was created by a pretty fine artist named, Gary Panter. We were lucky to get him… and he was extremely generous with us… the result, in my view, was a fine poster… a work that combines Panter’s so-called “punk art” style with folk art. It’s colorful, playful… and it’s got that raw feeling that really, for me, captures the spirit of the Ottawa festival and, in particular, my tastes (or lack of). I like raw, honest, faulty works… and Panter’s graphic books are right along those lines (by the way, a big thanks to Richard O’Connor for leading me to Panter).

ANYWAY… this year we got a savage letter from a veteran animator out of Vancouver who absolutely LOATHED the poster and felt that we’d gone and sold our souls to the demons of all that is crass and vulgar. First, I was pleased that we got a damn letter about the poster! I have NEVER in my years in Ottawa had anyone write with such passion about our poster.

That being said, the guy was, in my view, full of shit… speaking from his ass (he seemed to think we are a govt. institution and, as such, we were spending Joe Canucks money on this American created crap — not so, most of our money is from the private world), not his head… BUT it’s his right to say he doesn’t like the poster (even if he’s wrong).