The Animation Pimp

[1]

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

Part 2:
Pierre
Hébert
and
the
Work
of
Anima
tion in
the
Age of
Digital
Repro
ductio
n

WHEN
I
FIRST
THOU
GHT
OF
THIS
MODE
ST
PROP
OSAL
TO
ELIMI
NATE
FILM
PROJE

CTIO
NISTS
A
FEW
YEAR
S
BACK
, IT
WAS
FOR
THE
MOST
PART,
A
JOKE.
I WAS
TAKI
NG A
MILD
POKE
AT
THOS
E
ANIM
ATOR
S
WHO-
HAVI
NG
FAILE
D TO
READ

WALT
ER
BENJ
AMIN
WHIL
E
STAN
DING
IN
LINE
TO
BUY
AN
ASIFA
MEM
BER
SHIP -
WERE
CAUG
HT UP
IN
THAT
STAL
E
BELIE
F OF
THE
ARTIS
T AS
GOD
AND
ART

AS
SOME
PRECI
OUS
THIN
G.
WELL
SORR
Y TO
DISAP
POINT
YOU
FOLK
S,
BUT
YOU
AIN'T
AS
PRECI
OUS
AS
YOU
THIN
K,
ESPE
CIALL
Y
WITH
OUT
THE
TECH
NOLO

GY
NEED
ED TO
MAKE
YOU
SACR
ED
CART
OONI
ES.
AND
IF
YOU
WERE
A
GODD
AMNE
D
GOD
YOU'
D
HAVE
NO
PROB
LEM
BEIN
G
EVER
WHER
E AT
ONCE.
AS

SUCH,
PROJE
CTIN
G
YOUR
OWN
GODD
AMNE
D
WOR
K
WOUL
DN’T
POSE
MUC
H OF
A
PROB
LEM.

THIS
BRIN
GS
ME
BACK
TO
PIERR
E
HÉBE
RT,
THE
MAN

WHO
INDIR
ECTL
Y
MOTI
VATE
D MY
PROP
OSAL.
SINCE
THE
EARL
Y
1980S,
HÉBE
RT
HAS
BEEN
DOIN
G
SCRA
TCH
ANIM
ATIO
N
PERF
ORM
ANCE
S.
SOME
TIMES
,

HÉBE
RT
PERF
ORME
D
SOLO,
BUT
OFTE
N HE
WOR
KED
WITH
MUSC
IANS.
BY
THE
MID
1980S,
PERF
ORM
ANCE
ELEM
ENTS
BEGA
N TO
APPE
AR IN
HIS
FILMS
(LA
METR
O, O

PICAS
SO)
AND
IN
1988
HÉBE
RT
MADE
LETTR
E
D’AM
OUR,
A
FILM
VERSI
ON OF
A
MULT
I-
MEDI
A
PERF
ORM
ANCE.

IN
1999,
HÉBE
RT
LEFT
THE
NATI

ONAL
FILM
BOAR
D OF
CANA
DA
AFTE
R
BEIN
G
THER
E FOR
OVER
THRE
E
DECA
DES
AS AN
ANIM
ATOR
AND
PROD
UCER.
SINCE
THAT
TIME
HE'S
CONC
ENTR
ATED
ALMO
ST

EXCL
USIVE
LY
ON
THE
PERF
ORM
ANCE
ASPE
CT OF
HIS
WOR
K.
THRO
UGHO
UT
THE
LAST
TWO
YEAR
S,
HÉBE
RT
HAS
TOUR
ED
HIS
SCRA
TCH
ANIM
ATIO
N

PERF
ORM
ANCE
S
AROU
ND
THE
WORL
D.
THE
PERF
ORM
ANCE
GENE
RALL
Y
INVO
LVED
LIVE
SCRA
TCH
ANIM
ATIO
N
WITH
A
MUSI
CAL
COLL
ABOR
ATOR.
EACH

PERF
ORM
ANCE
WAS
UNIQ
UE
AND
CONT
AINE
D
A
LEVE
L OF
ENER
GY
NOT
OFTE
N
FOUN
D AT
A
FILM
SCRE
ENIN
G.
THE RESU
LTS
WERE
MIXE
D
(INSE
RT

MILD
GRUN
T
AND
CASU
AL
SHRU
G OF
THE
SHOU
LDER
HERE)
.

NO
GRUN
TS
HOWE
VER
FOR
HÉBE
RT'S
LAST
PERF
ORM
ANCE
PIECE
(WITH
AVAN
T
GARD
E

MUSI
CIAN
BOB
OSTE
RTAG
)
BETW
EEN
GARB
AGE
AND
SCIEN
CE.
FOR
THIS
HOUR
LONG
PERF
ORM
ANCE
ABOU
T THE
DISPO
SABIL
ITY
OF
CULT
URE,
OSTE
RTAG
IS
EQUIP

PED
WITH
A
MAC
POWE
RBOO
K. ON
IT
ARE A
WIDE
ARRA
Y OF
SOUN
DSCA
PE
SAMP
LES
THAT
OSTE
RTAG
CAN
MANI
PULA
TE
THRO
UGH
A
PROG
RAM
CALL
ED
MAX.

HIS
LAPT
OP IS
CONN
ECTE
D TO
HÉBE
RT'S
POWE
RBOO
K
WHIC
H HAS
ABOU
T
FIFTY
IMAG
ES
STOR
ED
ALON
G
WITH
A
FEW
QUIC
KTIM
E
MOVI
ES
(PRIM
ARIL

Y
NEWS
FOOT
AGE).
LIKE
OSTE
RTAG,
HÉBE
RT
CAN
MAN
IPULA
TE
THE
PACE,
TEXT
URE
AND
SEQU
ENCI
NG OF
HIS
MATE
RIAL.
THIS
MEAN
S,
FOR
EXAM
PLE,
THAT
HE IS

NOT
REQU
IRED
TO
PRES
ENT
IMAG
ES AT
24
FRAM
ES
PER
SECO
ND.
BESID
E THE
COMP
UTER
HÉBE
RT
HAS A
DIGI
TAL
VIDE
O
CAME
RA
AFFIX
ED TO
THE
TOP
OF A

PORT
ABLE
HOME
MADE
ANIM
ATIO
N
STAN
D
WITH
A
DIGIT
AL
VIDE
O
CAME
RA
AFFIX
ED TO
THE
TOP.
THE
CAME
RA IS
CONN
ECTE
D TO
HÉBE
RT'S
COMP
UTER
SO

THAT
HE
CAN
MAKE
AND
INCO
RPOR
ATE
LIVE
ANIM
ATIO
N
WITH
THE
ARCH
IVED
MATE
RIAL.

THE
MOST
ASTO
NISHI
NG
ASPE
CT OF
THE
PERF
ORM
ANCE,
FOR
OUR

PURP
OSES,
IS
THAT
NO
PROJE
CTIO
NIST
IS
REQU
IRED.
IN
FACT
THE
ARTIS
T
CREA
TES
AND
PROJE
CTS
THE
IMAG
ES
SIMU
LTAN
EOUS
LY.
WHIL
E NOT
ALL
FILMS

WILL
BE
IMPR
OVISE
D IT
IS
CERT
AIN
THAT
WITHI
N A
DECA
DE
WE
COUL
D BE
SEEIN
G
FESTI
VAL
COMP
ETITI
ONS
PRES
ENTE
D IN
THE
SAME
MAN
NER.
FUTU
RE

COMP
ETITO
RS
CAN
TAKE
A
SEAT,
OPEN
UP
THEIR
LAPT
OPS
AND
PERF
ORM.

HURR
AY!
HURR
AY, I
SAY.
THE
DAYS
OF
LUMB
ERIN
G
TECH
NOLO
GICA
L
PROC

ESSES
ARE
OVER.
NO
MORE
PROJE
CTIO
NISTS
(I
WILL
MISS
THEM
)! NO
MORE
APE
SHOW
S (I
WON'
T
MISS
THEM).
NO
MORE
24
FRAM
ES
PER
SECO
ND!

HÉBE
RT'S

PERF
ORM
ANCE
ASKS
US TO
RECO
NSIDE
R THE
WAY
WE
CREA
TE,
PRES
ENT
AND
EXPE
RIENC
E
ANIM
ATIO
N.
THER
E IS
NOTH
ING
REVO
LUTION
ARY
IN
THIS.
MUSI
C HAS

BEEN
DOIN
G IT
FOR
YEAR
S.
HOLL
YWO
OD
HAS
ALRE
ADY
MADE
A
DIGIT
AL
FEAT
URE
FILM.
BUT
IN
TERM
S OF
INDEP
ENDE
NT
ANIM
ATIO
N,
WHAT
HÉBE
RT IS

DOIN
G IS
UNFO
RTUN
ATEL
Y
QUITE
RADI
CAL.
I
SAY
'UNFO
RTUN
ATE
LY'
BECA
USE
THES
E
TECH
NOLO
GICA
L
DEVE
LOPM
ENTS
COUL
D
HAVE
BEEN
EMBR
ACED

EARL
IER.

ASIFA
IS
PART
LY TO
BLAM
E.
THEY
WERE
FOUN
DED
TO
PROT
ECT
AND
PROM
OTE
ARTIS
TIC
ANIM
ATIO
N,
BUT
INSTE
AD
CREA
TED A
MONS
TER.
ASIFA

QUIC
KLY
BECA
ME
AN
INSUL
AR
GROU
P OF
INDIV
IDUA
LS
WHO,
NAME
LESS
AND
NEGL
ECTE
D,
FORM
ED
THEIR
OWN
OLYM
PUS
WHER
E
THEY
COUL
D BE
GODS.
IN

THE
MEAN
TIME
THE
WORL
D
MOVE
D ON:
THE
POLIT
ICAL,
SOCI
AL
AND
CULT
URAL
LAND
SCAP
ES
SHIFT
ED AS
TECH
NOLO
GICA
L
DEVE
LOPM
ENTS
EMER
GED.
BY
THE

1990S,
ASIFA
HAD
GONE
,
LARG
ELY
UNA
WARE
S,
FROM
OLYM
PIAN
GODS
TO
CAST
AWA
YS ON
GILLI
GAN'
S
ISLAN
D.

IT'S
TIME
TO
GET
OFF
THE
ISLAN
D.

Hottie
Anima
tor of
the
Month

Janie
Geiser
has
been
making
some
beauti
ful
contem
plative,
nourish
ing
cut-
out/sto
p-
motion
films
that
have
been
strange
ly
absent
from
animati
on

festival
s.

Chris
Robin
son
is a
write
r,
festi
val
dire
ctor,
progra
mmer,
junky
and
has
been
call
ed the
John
Woo
of diplo
macy.
His
hobb
ies
incl
ude
horse
back

ridi
ng,
pud
pulli
ng,
cano
eing
and
goat
thum
ping.