Animation World Magazine

EEdduuccaattiioonn && TTrraaiinniinnggJune 1997June 1997 VVol. 2 No. 3ol. 2 No. 3 MMAAGGAAZZIINNEE

Glenn VGlenn Vilppu on Theilppu on ThePower of Life DrawingPower of Life Drawing

The Digital DemandThe Digital Demand

Student PerspectivesStudent Perspectives

Interview WInterview With Jan Svankmajerith Jan Svankmajer

Richard TRichard Taylor on aylor on Education in the UKEducation in the UK

Table of ContentsJune 1997 Vol. 2, No. 3

Editor’s NotebookGreetings from AWM’s new Editor-in-Chief.

Letters to the Editor

From Humble Beginnings to the Makings of SuperstarsSteve Hulett of the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists’ Union (MPSC Local 839) reviews animation wages ofthe past, present and future

The Digital DemandTammy Glenn reports on California Governor Pete Wilson’s proposal for a scholarship initiative to feed theindustry’s appetite for talent.

Scouting For Talent:Where the Recruiters GoIndependent recruiter Pamela Thompson investigates where the industry’s top recruiters look for their nexthires.

Never Underestimate the Power of Life DrawingMaster teacher Glenn Vilppu muses on the importance of life drawing in animation.

One,Two,Three Steps to Success: Education in the UKRichard Taylor hosts a tour of Britain’s healthy animation education system.

Kassel:The Little School With a Big NameProfessor Paul Driessen relates his experience at the animation school of Kassel University in Germany.

An Interactive Teaching Tool Comes to LifeAlice Carter leads us through a day in the life of the groundbreaking collaborative educational program,the ACME Virtual Training Network.

Looking Back on the University Days: A Survey of AlumnaeTalents fresh from the world’s top animation schools reminisce about their educations.

The State of the Recruiting NationBoom or eventual bust? We hear from headhunters around the world.

The Surrealist Conspirator:An Interview With Jan SvankmajerWendy Jackson talks with the renowned Czech surrealist filmmaker upon the release of his new film andreceipt of a lifetime achievement award.

Festivals, Events:

NATPE’s ANIFXThe editors report on the first annual Animation & Special Effects Expo in Los Angeles.

Reviews:

Books: Susan Palmer reviews Mouse Under Glass: The Secrets of Disney Animation and Theme Parks.

Suggested Reading: A few recommended books for the aspiring animation professional.

Videos: Wendy Jackson rewinds The Animated Kid’s Songs of Woody Guthrie and Rose Bond’s A CelticTrilogy.

NewsGlen Keane renews his Disney contract, DIC opens shop in France, Oslo Animation Festival wraps up andmore.

On A Desert Island With. . . . EducatorsJules Engel, Paul Driessen, and Eric Ubben reveal their top ten teaching films.

AWN Comics

Dirdy Birdy by John Dilworth

Next Issue’s Highlights

Cover: Cover art compiled from drawings of Dawn Robertson of ACME Virtual Training Network.

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ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE June1997 3

First and foremost I would liketo say how happy I am to bejoining the Animation World

Network family. I’d like to thank RonDiamond and Dan Sarto for offeringme this exciting opportunity. WhileI have only been here for a fewweeks and still feel as though I amgrasping at straws, I have alreadyfelt very welcomed by not only thein-house AWN team but also bytheir supporters around the world.The virtual network of people thatI have been “introduced” to overthe ether is amazing, and I am solooking forward to becoming a partof this community. I am also look-ing forward to increasing the inter-action between animation profes-sionals, students and enthusiastsworldwide. By striving to accurate-ly portray the complete animationarena, I hope to present a livelyforum of ideas that leads to discus-sions about what is happening,both good and bad, in our medi-um. I always encourage you, thereaders, to take an active part in ourmagazine by contacting us and let-ting us know your comments orwhat topics you would like to see inthe future. Only with your input canwe truly meet your needs. This abil-ity to interact, directly and quickly, iswhat makes an Internet publicationso special. This is your magazine asmuch as it is ours.

It is fitting that the first issue I amworking on is dealing with educa-tion and jobs. In my former positionas Manager of ProductionInformation at Hanna-BarberaCartoons, recruiting talent was oneof my duties. It is interesting thatthe problems I saw time and timeagain have been echoed by manyvoices from around the world.Recruiters are in desperate need fortalented, experienced people.Students are desperate to break intothis business that has been labeleda “gold mine.” However, many ofthem fall short on basic drawingskills and the understanding of theprocess of animation and why it is

unique from other mediums. Oneof our articles, however, highlightsa promising trend. “The DigitalDemand” by Tammy Glenndescribes a new scholarship pro-gram that joins government andindustry together in order to pre-pare students for a career.

Not only are lawmakers beginningto see the usefulness of the arts butperhaps we are beginning to seesome much needed funding com-ing back to school art programs.Industry is also awakening andbeginning to ask how they canbecome more involved with edu-cation. Seventeen studios and enter-tainment companies collaboratedwith Santa Monica College in orderto create its new media program.Silicon Graphics has not only sup-ported schools like the University ofSouthern California and theUniversity of California at LosAngeles but has also embarked in atraining program in conjunctionwith Human Resources MarketingServices. The pair have ensured thatWarner Digital, Pacific Ocean Post,Four Media Company, MediaLaband Sony Pictures Imageworks willreview the work of top studentswho complete the course.

In this issue, Alice Carter also exam-ines the ACME Virtual Training

by Heather Kenyon, Editor-in-Chief

Greetings From the New(Really New) Editor

Heather Kenyon, Editor-in-Chief

June1997 4ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE

Network which proves that whilecomputer training is the talk of thetown, traditional skills are also stillin heavy demand. MCI, GTE, BellSouth, Pacific Bell, EDNet, VTELCorporation, schools and WarnerBros. Feature Animation haveteamed up to bring professionalsdirectly into classrooms. It is heart-ening to see that while everyoneagrees that computers are going toplay a prominent roll in the future,they also agree that strong draw-ing skills remain supreme.

Furthermore, I would like to addthat as the industry becomes moreinvolved in schooling, I hope thatour institutions do not become pro-duction lines pumping out auto-mated replicas. It was so refreshingto read the alumnae surveys thatwe received. Both Wendy Jackson,the Associate Editor, and I enjoyedthe excitement that leapt off thefaxes we received. These alumnaeloved their schools because theyloved the absolute freedom inwhich they could explore theexpression of themselves. Weshould always remember educationshould inspire and not just train.

On a sad note, a true friend to stu-dents, Phyllis Craig, has passedaway. A 45 year animation veteran,Phyllis was working at Film Romanin the color key department. Phyllisstarted the internship programthere, and through her involvementwith Women In Animation (WIA),headed up the Youth andEducation Committee. Numerousstudents have been counseled byPhyllis, and as a result have foundtheir way into studios all over town.She is a great example of how oneindividual can help students find theanimation community more acces-sible. Every time we got together,we would all wait to hear Phyllis’

most recent success story. Phyllis,always cheery, always helpful andalways sincere, would tell of a stu-dent who now had an internshipor had just been accepted into awonderful university or art program;and always Phyllis would say it wasbecause they were a great kid, notbecause she had arranged an inter-view or a tour or a lecture, etc. Witha student addition here, and a stu-dent addition there, I think we areall better off thanks to Phyllis. Nextmonth we will feature a tribute toher. If you would like to contributea remembrance, photograph ordrawing we would be more thanhappy to include it.

Please send us your materials byJune 10th.

E-mail: [email protected]:213-464-5914 Mail: Phyllis Craig TributeAnimation World Network6525 Sunset Blvd, Garden Suite 10 Hollywood, CA 90028

I look forward to hearing from youand speaking to you again nextmonth.

-Heather Kenyon

ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK6525 Sunset Blvd., Garden Suite 10

Hollywood, CA 90028Phone : 213.468.2554Fax : 213.464.5914Email : [email protected]

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE [email protected]

PUBLISHERRon Diamond, President

Dan Sarto, Chief Operating Officer

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFHeather Kenyon

ASSOCIATE EDITOR/PUBLICITYWendy Jackson

CONTRIBUTORS :Alice Carter

Paul DriessenTammy I. Glenn

Steve HulettWendy JacksonHeather Kenyon

Susan PalmerRichard Taylor

Pamela Kleibrink ThompsonGlenn Vilppu

Annick Teninge

Le WEBMASTERGuillaume Calop

DESIGN/LAYOUT :

John Parazette-Tillar

Guillaume Calop

IMP Graphic

ADVERTISING SALESNorth America : Bart VitekUK: Roger Watkins

Note From an Author

Dear Editors,

Could you please pass on my thanks to Fred Patten for the favorable and very complete review of my book,Samurai From Outer Space, in the May edition. I enjoy all favorable comments, but those that come from some-one who obviously knows what he’s talking about, like Fred Patten, are especially pleasing.

Yours truly,

Antonia Levi

Recalling Inspirations

Dear Mr. Diamond,

For what it’s worth, the PBS program that you refer to as The World of Animation in your “Words from thePublisher” article (Animation World Magazine, May 1997 issue) was actually titled International AnimationFestival. As I recall, there were two seasons of 13 shows and the producer was Sheldon Renan. I remember itwell, because it also affected me quite a bit. It would be nice if someone could revive this program.

David Kilmer

For the Record

Hi, ho!

Have you guys seen the article about new cartoon history books in the May12 issue of TIME magazine? Thishas got to be one of the more extensive spreads I’ve seen in a national magazine on animation. The best funfact: UbIwerks sold his 20% share of Disney for $2,920. back in 1930! This makes me feel a little better aboutmy own financial decisions!

Cheers,

Paul Etcheverry


Letters to the EditorJune 1997


I n the Seventies, when GeraldFord was president and homecomputers were just gleams in

Jobs’ and Wozniak’s young, forward-looking eyes, “film animation” waspretty much the same as it hadbeen since the Twenties—cartooncharacters drawn on paper, paintedon cels, and then photographedagainst a painted background by afilm camera mounted on a heavymetal stand. The animated productwas, as it had been for decades,divided between television anima-tion, which was, in the mid-Seventies, still done predominantlyin the U.S., and theatrical anima-tion, which basically referred toDisney’s animated features, turned

out at the rate of one fully animat-ed, 82-minute film every two to fouryears.

Way back then, weeklysalaries were relatively cut and dried.If you were starting out, you workedat a union minimum rate that ranfrom $200.-$400. per week,depending on the job. If you werea veteran, you worked above scale,maybe even $200. or $300. aboveminimum per week! But nobodywas making a huge killing, not eventhose “stars” of animation that hadworked with Walt since theHyperion Studio days. My father,Ralph Hulett, a Disney backgroundartist, began his Disney career in theThirties, and by the time of his deathin 1974, had negotiated a princelysalary of $500. per week. TopDisney animators were making afew hundred dollars more perweek. Long-time company staffersdid not get rich from high salaries.They got rich, or at least comfort-ably fixed, from company stockoptions.

From the Twenties andThirties onward, folks who workedin animation had never been high-salaried Hollywood employees. Toplive-action Hollywood writers mightpull down from $1,000. to $5,000.per week in the late ‘30s. The bigtalents at Disney, like Fred Moore,Bill Tytla and Art Babbitt, earned$300.-$400. each payday, and con-

sidered it big money for animation,which it was. Many employees atDisney made fifteen dollars a week.Art Babbitt, in fact, was so upset thathis assistant was making only $25.per week that he supplemented theman’s salary out of his own pocket.Young Ralph Hulett, all of twenty-five years old, pulled down $15.every payday.

The Union Comes to TownThe coming of labor unions

to Hollywood had a large impacton the pay envelopes of many ani-mation workers. It’s seldom focusedon, but when the ScreenCartoonists Guild organized theDisney studios in 1941, the lowest-paid workers saw their salaries dou-ble overnight. The paltry $15. pay-checks were suddenly $25. or $30.

But in the late thirties andearly forties, the heavy-duty cash incartoon-land was not being paid inCalifornia. The place where anima-tors, assistants and layout peoplelived like kings was in the sun-kissed

From Humble Beginnings to the

Makings of Superstars: Animation

Wages Past, Present and Futureby Steve Hulett

Illustration by Tom Sito. © Tom Sito.

My father Ralph Hulett, aDisney background artist,

began his Disney career in theThirties and by the time of his

death in 1974, had negotiated aprincely $500 a week salary.


city of Miami. The Fleischer broth-ers had fled south to Florida aftertheir New York Studio had beenunionized. The irony was, whileescaping “exorbitant” union mini-mums and working conditions, thebrothers were forced to pay bigmoney to lure artists to Miami.Assistants were paid the outlandishsum of $100. per week.Inbetweeners and breakdownartists made double or triple whatthey would have pulled down atDisney.

That first Golden Age lasteduntil the Fleischer studios closedduring the war, a victim of the lack-luster performance of its second ani-mated feature, Mr. Bug Goes ToTown, and Paramount Picture’sreluctance to foot the studio’s esca-lating bills. When the war ended,artists were mustered out of the ser-vice and back to their light boards.Once again, pay rates fell back intotheir regular ruts.

The New Golden AgeWhich brings us to the new

golden times in animation—thehigh-flying present. Cartoon-mak-

ing has always been a roller-coast-er industry, moving upward inwages and employment whenhuge successes like Snow White rolldown the tracks, and dropping likean overloaded ore bucket when amovie bombs. In the late fifties,Disney’s $4 million opus, SleepingBeauty tanked at movie box offices,and the 1,200-person Disney ani-mation staff was cut to 200. IfHanna-Barbera had not been gear-ing up to supply a steady quarter-century of television animationemployment, many artists and tech-nicians would have been perma-nently out of the cartoon industry.Shortly thereafter, an equilibriumdeveloped between feature andtelevision animation that lasted forthe next twenty years. Televisionrose as theatrical work leveled offor fell and it helped to keep wagesat a steady, but relatively low, alti-tude. Low, that is, until the animat-ed market place exploded in the late‘80s.

And why suddenly the bigka-bang? Two things happenedduring Ronald Reagan’s last term toblast animation wages through theroof, for the first time since Fleischermoved to Florida. Television ani-mation expanded and then expand-ed again, driven by the success ofsyndicated cartoon shows in after-noon time-slots and the voraciousappetite for product by expandingcable networks. Even more impor-tantly, with the release of pictureslike An American Tail, The LandBefore Time, Who Framed RogerRabbit, and Beauty and the Beast,theatrical animation suddenlybecame a high-profit center forDisney and Steven Spielberg.Animation producers discovered, totheir amazed delight, that not onlydid they rake in big bucks with theirtheatrical releases, but when thefilms were distributed on video-cas-

sette, every eight-year-old inAmerica had to have one. The cor-poration that owned the latest ani-mated blockbuster could almostopen its own mint.

Animation was suddenly“hot” in ways it had never beenbefore. Companies who had nevercontemplated cartoon productionwere suddenly falling all over them-selves to get into the game.DreamWorks, Warner Bros. and Foxwere anxious to grab the ball awayfrom the large, wealthy mousenamed Disney. Unfortunately forthem, and ultimately Disney, therewas a limited number of qualifiedartists in animation. Adam Smith’slaws of economics were just as iron-clad for cartoon studios as car partfactories; when supply is low anddemand high, prices rise.

So,Who’s Making What?As I write, wages for experi-

enced animation workers are at anall-time high. Not too many years

Ralph Hulett animating on the left, with acolleague at Disney Studios, 1939.

Art Babbit. Photo courtesy of MPSC.

It’s easier to educate an experi-enced artist to use a Silicon

Graphics machine than train acomputer wizard the skills of

Rembrandt or Picasso.

When the Screen CartoonistsGuild organized the Disney

studios in 1941, the lowest-paidworkers saw their salaries dou-

ble overnight.


ago, key assistant animators wereearning a scale of $950. per week.Today, they often make twice that.Lead key assistants were oncehappy earning $1,100. or $1,200.each payday, now they feel cheat-ed if they’re only making $2500.Animators take home anywherefrom the current $1,170. scale upto $6,500. per week. And a fewhigh-falootin’ tyros—supervisingdirectors, lead animators, art direc-tors, key designers—earn over a mil-lion dollars per year with stockoptions and handsome bonusesthrown into the bargain.

All these wages have cometo pass in the last half decade. Someof the higher cartoon pay-rates,frankly, seem slightly ludicrous, butin an industry that pays a formeragent $90 million plus for fourteenmonths of mediocre work, nothingis ludicrous. This is, after all,Hollywood. A place where execu-tives fail and become multi-million-aires. A place where balding actorspull down ten or twenty million a

picture, even while their last “block-buster” goes down in flames.

The Future’s Digital TwistWhere will wages be in five

years? Common wisdom would tellus lower rather than higher, butthere are too many variables to pre-dict the future with any accuracy. IfDisney releases two or threeSleeping Beautys in a row, wageswill likely fall. If Disney’s competitorsfind the animated releases from theirnew cartoon divisions still-born atthe box office, departments willshrink and wages will certainly fall.But the steady march of computersand technology will probablyenable animators with skills in tra-ditional animation to swing over tolive-action epics such as Jurassic ParkIII and Titanic IV. After all, it’s easierto educate an experienced artist touse a Silicon Graphics machine thantrain a computer wizard the skills ofRembrandt or Picasso.

However, if wages are sud-denly lower at animation houses,they might well be higher at vari-ous industry effects houses like SonyPictures ImageWorks, DreamQuest,and Industrial Light & Magic. TheAlliance of Motion Picture andTelevision Producers recently pub-lished a report stating that over 300Californian animation and digitaleffects companies will be needingmore than a few trained artists incoming years. I have also been reli-ably informed that in the year 1996,

seasoned computer animatorsmade $4,000. to $7,000. per weekworking on the Michael J. Fox ghostfilm, The Frighteners, in NewZealand. It’s kind of hard to resistworking in a business that payssalaries like that!

So, what will animationartists and technicians be making in2002? Come back in December,2001 and I’ll tell you. The news willprobably be music to your ears.

For a more detailed wage survey,visit the MPSC web site inAWN’s Animation Village(http://www.awn.com).

May 17, 1941.The Schlesinger lockout.Photo courtesy of Ben Shenkman.

Caricature of Steve Hulett by Scott Sackett.

Steve Hulett, currently BusinessRepresentative for the M. P. S. C.Local 839 IATSE, was born and

raised in Southern California. Heworked at Disney from 1976 to1986, where he labored on TheFox and the Hound, Winnie ThePooh and A Day For Eeyore, TheBlack Cauldron, The Great Mouse

Detective, and Oliver andCompany. He later worked as ananimation writer for Warner Bros.TV Animation and Filmation; atthe latter studio, he was one of

the hardy band of cartoonemployees who was present atthe company’s demise in 1989.He is of the opinion that it’s far

easier being laid off from a com-pany that is folding than from acompany that is thriving but justdoesn’t want you around any

more.

And why suddenly the big ka-bang?

Where will wages be in fiveyears? Common wisdom would

tell us lower...but...


Ashortage of digital artists inHollywood has led CaliforniaGovernor Pete Wilson to pro-

pose a new pilot Cal Grant scholar-ship program. A CalGrant is a gov-ernment-funded scholarship grantedto economically disadvantaged stu-dents who exhibit great potential.Wilson’s proposed pilot would pro-vide $1.2 million in grants to as manyas 500 students who show promisein the field of digital animation. Thisproposal comes in response to thecurrent outcry by entertainment andmultimedia executives who are goingoutside of the United States to fill localjobs.

According to Rosalie Zalis,senior policy advisor for GovernorWilson, current estimates indicate thatabout 60 percent of entertainmentindustry digital animators are beingrecruited from outside of the UnitedStates. This number translates intoseveral thousand jobs and has anoticeable impact on the Californiatax base. Predictions also indicate thatthe demand for digital artists willgrow by 20 percent every year forthe next five years.

“This is the field for studentsto be in,” enthuses Mary Jo Maxwell,president of the Rowland UnifiedSchool Board. “If they have the skillsand the training, they can basically

write their own contract.” RowlandHeights High School has had an ani-mation training program in place forthe past 18 years and Maxwell saidanimation is a seller’s market for peo-ple who have the correct skills.

A New DealAll the more reason for the

Governor’s pilot program to vie forapproval in the state legislature.However, once the program is inplace, it will take approximately twoto four years before students are pre-pared to enter the job market. “The

way this program works, they’ll notonly be equipped with education tolast them for the next six months,they’ll have such a well-groundededucation, they will be able to adaptthemselves to the industry as itchanges in the future,” Zalisexplained. “The need today may notbe the need in two years.”

California State University,Northridge career counselor, JohnArany’s greatest concern is whether ornot the demand will sustain itself.Artists with the right skills and trainingare seeing “sizzling, skyrocketingsalaries” for digital animation careers.Audiences can be fickle, however,and Arany points out that what’s hottoday may not be tomorrow.Therefore, it is important for programsput into place to address the needs ofthe future as well. “That’s not true fora lot of government training pro-grams,” Arany said. “When studentscome out of school, a lot of times themarket is saturated.”

Beefing Up the ArtsAssemblywoman Kerry

Mazzoni (Democrat, San Rafael,California), chair of the State Assembly

The Digital Demand:

California Governor Pete Wilson

Proposes A Scholarship Initiativeby Tammy Glenn

California Governor Pete Wilson.

“This is the field for studentsto be in.”


Education Committee, believes thatstatewide arts programs have tendedto go on the chopping block whenit comes to appropriate resources.Since the arts have been cut at theK-12 level, it’s forced many schools torely on outside agencies to provideart education.

“As far as I’m concerned, artsare part of the core curriculum,” statesMazzoni. “I’ve been concerned for anumber of years that we haven’t hadthe quality of arts programs thatwe’ve needed.” Mazzoni realizes thepotential of the Cal Grants initiativeto impact positively all educational

levels - from university all the way toelementary level. She is a proponentof the governor’s proposal and hasvoiced her opinion at recent hearingsregarding the issue. She emphasizedthat this Cal Grant program promisesto open up numerous opportunitiesto students, especially students who


may not be academically inclined.

Industry Involvement“It’s a win-win-win for every-

body. This is a scholarship opportu-nity that will open the door to theeconomically disadvantaged,” Zalisstates. The proposed Cal Grant pro-gram is unusual in that it is based onartistic promise and problem-solvingability, not solely GPA. The awardswill also rely on industry professionalsand academic experts to determinewhich students will be awarded thegrant monies.

Also unique to the programis that it calls for matching grants fromthe multimedia and entertainmentindustry in the amount of $1 million.Sony was the first to step forwardwith $150,000. in matching funds.DreamWorks SKG, Disney and 20thCentury Fox have also announcedmatching grants.

This dramatic response is partof the reason why AssemblywomanMazzoni supports the program. “Ithink it’s appropriate for the state toencourage industry,” Mazzoni said.In fact, Mazzoni claims that many ofher region’s multimedia jobs are filledby Pacific Rim and Canadian citizensthat have been secured to meet ourdemand. In light of this Mazzonithinks that the governor’s proposal “isanother way to involve industry ineducation. This program is based onmatching grants. It’s not the kind ofhand-out schools have been knownto ask for. We’re looking at tangiblereturns that will come back to indus-try.”The Small Print

Before being fully approved,this initiative has to go through sev-eral hearings, including a full budgetcommittee hearing, where$200,000. in administrative costsmust be endorsed. Because the ini-tiative requires an expenditure of statefunds, it is part of the state budget

which must be approved by the statelegislature.

The state fiscal year ends andbegins on July 1st. However, the statebudget is often not approved by thisdate. According to Zalis, this particu-lar Cal Grant initiative has bi-partisansupport and shouldn’t have toomuch trouble negotiating the admin-istrative process but will not go intoaction until the state budget isapproved.

Students receiving grantmonies would be eligible for up tofour years based on financial needand satisfactory academic progress.

The amount available per studentranges from $530. at a communitycollege up to $7,164. at private insti-tutions, and can be used to covertuition as well as fees and livingexpenses. By the academic year2000/2001, the program aims to befunding about $6 million in grants tostudents annually.

Another plus for Californiaeducators is that the Digital Arts andMultimedia Initiative will be based onnew monies to fund the scholarshipsand will not take away from existing

Cal Grant reserves. Applications forthe 1997 Fall term are already beingaccepted through the CaliforniaStudent Aid Commission, pendingapproval of the 1997/1998 budget.

Furthermore, grants are onlyeligible for use in Californian schools,which should create a demand forlarger, more enhanced programs.Students do want to be prepared fortheir careers, and if the state can help,in conjunction with industry, thenCalifornia is paving a path for the artsto drive the future. What a change itwill be when the arts are showcasedas an active ingredient to a thrivingeconomy.

“It’s a win-win-win for everybody.”

Tammy I. Glenn is the creativedirector of Glenn Productions

Children’s Books & Music and afreelance writer based out of the

Los Angeles area.

Kerry Mazzoni


The international box officebonanza of recent animatedhits such as The Lion King has

prompted every other major studioto develop and produce animatedfeatures. Animation has also returnedto the small screen’s prime time aswell as to the expanding cable andsyndication markets. Studios special-izing in interactive product, com-mercials, and special effects are alsoincreasing their demand for anima-tion talent. We have all heard aboutthis incredible boon to the animationindustry which brings plenty ofopportunity for those who want acareer in animation and plenty ofcompetition among companies forthe best talent.

The Hot SpotsJacquelyn Ford Morie, a train-

er at VIFX and former technologiestraining manager at Disney FeatureAnimation, listed several of the Disney“feeder schools.” These are schoolsthat have programs coinciding withthe type of fundamental art trainingnecessary for Disney animators, andthat currently participate in the DisneyAnimation “Boot Camp” InternshipProgram. Unless otherwise noted,these schools are especially strong inthe areas of traditional animation: ArtCenter College of Design, Columbus

College of Art and Design, New YorkSchool of Visual Art (both traditionaland CGI), Rhode Island School ofDesign (RISD), Academy of Art SanFrancisco, Canada’s Sheridan Collegeof Applied Arts and Technology,California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts),Kansas City Art Institute, Pratt Institute,Ringling (both traditional and CGI),and the Fashion Institute ofTechnology. Morie also recommendsVancouver’s Emily Carr College of Art& Design for traditional animationinstruction. These schools are target-ed by almost all of the companiesincluded in this article because of theirstrong fine arts programs.

With new studios being builtaround the world, are there enoughtraditional animators to fill the desks?Jo Hahn, the supervising producerat TSC Trickompany in Hamburg,Germany, noted that it’s “hard to findtalent in Europe.” The big problem isthe competition from companies inthe United States who can offer ahigher rate to artists because the typ-ical budget of a feature in the US isabout four times higher than inGermany. One of the solutions to thisproblem is training more people. AtTrickompany, many of the artists learnon the job. The artists may be graph-

ic designers or fine art painters who,when they are hired, know very littleabout animation. Hahn also attendsthe animation festivals in Stuttgart,Annecy, Ottawa and Pasadena toseek out artists. Moreover, schools inLuxemborg, Paris, Denmark, andIreland’s Sheridan College (yes, thereare two) are also scoured for emerg-ing talent. Trickompany artists plan toteach animation at a new animationschool in Hamburg, which will be afuture source of employees to thecompany. With 220 artists inHamburg, and 40 at Tooncompanyin Berlin, Trickompany attracts newtalent by doing feature films withedgy, sexy, funny material.Trickompany advertises in a newslet-ter published by the EuropeanAssociation of Animated Film as well,but their best resource for findingnew staffers is through the talent theyalready have. “The main thing is net-working,” adds Hahn.

A Great Portfolio Is...Deborah Fallows, production

recruiter at Nelvana Ltd., stressed thatit’s essential for applicants to have for-mal art training. Without training inbasic drawing skills and classical ani-mation, an applicant is “unlikely to bequalified for a position in production.”Many of the 400 artists on staff at theCanadian animation company came

Scouting For Talent: Where the Recruiters Go.

by Pamela Kleibrink Thompson

Pamela K.Thompson.

“The computer is just a tool.Toomany people become entrenchedin the box.A CG animator must

have training in the basic principlesof life drawing and animation.” -Brad Reinke,DreamWorks SKG

Without training in basic draw-ing skills and classical animation,

an applicant is “unlikely to bequalified for a position in pro-

duction.”


from Sheridan College, which is only20 kilometers from Nelvana’s Torontobase of operations. Other schoolswith potential recruits includeCapilano College in North Vancouverand the Ontario College of Art.Fallows urged students to “alwaysshow their best work in their portfo-lio” and that the portfolio shouldreflect strength and a variety of styles.Sometimes students are not aware ofpositions for which they might besuited. “We like to work with them todetermine their strengths.” When stu-dents apply to Nelvana, they shouldsubmit a resume and five to tencopies of their best work. Applicantsof interest will be asked to do anappropriate test, which will bereviewed by supervisors and direc-tors. “The test is to determine the artis-tic strength as well as artistic style,because the shows that Nelvana pro-duces are very diverse.”

Sunbow Entertainment, ananimation studio with offices inCalifornia and New York, finds can-didates by placing ads in trade pub-lications. Twenty to thirty portfoliosare received and reviewed weekly. “Agood portfolio speaks for itself,” stat-ed CJ Kettler, president of Sunbow inNew York. In production on twoseries, Sunbow finds that many peo-ple are attracted to the companybecause it is a terrific place to work,providing artists an environment witha “small company feeling.” The inde-pendent animation house does workfor hire at a competitive cost forclients. Kettler’s advice for strugglingartists is, “It’s a great business. Stay init.”

Saban Entertainment, withoffices in Southern California and

France, focuses their recruiting effortson the ASIFA Job Expo, part of theWorld Animation Celebration, andtheir own “recruitment day,” whichbecame a recruitment week due totremendous response. Producersspent 15 to 20 minutes with eachartist, reviewing the portfolio andinterviewing the candidate. However,some specialized jobs are extremelydifficult to fill, and Saban is planningto start a training program for timingdirectors. Dana Booton, vice presi-dent of animation production atSaban, advised industry newcomers,“Show versatility in your portfolio. Askfor tests and include them in yourportfolio. Also include life drawings.These show expression, attitude andline style, which is important.”

CGI is Smokin’CGI is undergoing phenom-

enal growth, with the demand fortalent far exceeding the supply.Vancouver Film School offers a CGIprogram, as does Ohio State, GeorgiaTech, and the University of CentralFlorida (UCF). VIFX’s Morie enthusi-astically discussed UCF’s Digital MediaInstitute, and particularly their Instituteof Simulation and Training, which isa visual simulation lab specializing inreal-time graphics and virtual reality.It should be noted that Orlando andMiami are the fifth largest markets foranimation artists after Los Angeles,New York, Chicago and SanFrancisco.

The department head of com-puter graphics at Warner Bros.Feature Animation, Tad Gielow, saidthe Ringling School of Art and Designin Sarasota, Florida is “turning out stu-dents who can get jobs right away.There are at least five that are imme-diately hirable for features or liveaction effects. Students there aredoing excellent work.” Gielow looksfor character performance in demoreels from applicants. This subtlety in

animation is harder to teach than soft-ware. A stand out demo reel wouldshow an understanding of anima-tion basics, such as timing andweight, with some storytelling skills.

Pauline Ts’o, vice president ofRhythm & Hues, a computer anima-tion facility in Los Angeles, says thatcompetition for animators oftenmakes it necessary to hire from over-seas. Since the beginning of the year,three of Ts’o’s seven hires have beenfrom abroad. Rhythm & Hues is nowhiring people with strong technicalbackgrounds to add to their staff ofover 200. Ts’o looks for talent fromTexas A&M, the above namedschools, and post-production hous-es. “Working at a smaller company isoften good training,” said Ts’o. Heradvice to those entering the field isstraightforward. “For artists, do notbe afraid of the technical aspects.Learn it. And for programmers, donot be afraid of the art. Learn it.”

According to Brad Reinke,senior technical/artistic recruiter forDreamWorks SKG, many new schoolsare not teaching the basic principlesof animation: weight, squash andstretch, etc. The industry needs artiststrained with these basic skills. He seesstrong talent coming from several

A student at School of Visual Artsin New York.

With new studios being builtaround the world, are there

enough traditional animators tofill the desks?

With new studios being builtaround the world, are there

enough traditional animators tofill the desks?


trade programs as well as the schoolsalready mentioned. “The computeris just a tool. Too many peoplebecome entrenched in the box. A CGanimator must have training in thebasic principles of life drawing andanimation.”

The Idea FolksBefore anything is drawn on

paper or computer screen, there hasto be an idea, a treatment, a script.Where are the creative executivesfinding the new hot ideas and writ-ers? Janice Sonski, vice president ofcreative affairs at DIC Entertainment,found writing talent through a varietyof sources including agents, recom-mendations from networks, con-temporaries in the industry, and view-ing television shows. Children’s pic-ture book authors, standup comics and writers oflive action shows have allwritten for DIC. Sonskinoted that most writershave an agent, manageror attorney, but once awriter becomes well-known, they no longerneed an agent to getthem work. “Productioncompanies tend to hirethe same writers becausethey deliver the goods,are good with clients andare great storytellers. Thewriter and productioncompany have to be veryresponsive to the client’sneeds. A writer must havevery good people skillsbecause a lot of diploma-cy is needed.” So manyskills are required to be an

animation writer that “it’s almost likedirecting,” noted Sonski. Animationis so visual that an understanding ofcharacter development, storytelling,dialog, sightgags, camera angles andstaging are all musts for the success-ful writer.

The Toughest FindTranslating the script into a

final product requires the vision andtalent of a director. David Starr, exec-utive producer at Curious Pictures inNew York, explained that directorsare discovered in a variety of ways.Through word of mouth, trade pub-lications, and Annecy, Ottawa andother festival screenings, Curious hasgradually expanded their roster to 16directors who are exclusive to thecompany. He noted that they “lookfor specific stylistic approaches to ani-mation” when they expand theirdirecting roster and wants to insurethat directors “don’t overlap stylisti-cally.” In business since February1993, Curious Pictures attracts many

people who want to workin cel animation, stopmotion animation, comput-er animation or live actionspecial effects. Now, thecompany is often soughtout by directors, for instance,“Flea Circus in New Zealandfound us.” With a new officein San Francisco thatemphasize cel animation,Curious is accessible to a tal-ent pool in NorthernCalifornia and the WestCoast.

Experimental InsightThere is also ample

opportunity for experimen-tal animators, according toChristine Panushka, formerassociate director of experi-mental animation at Cal Artsand now a faculty member

at the University of SouthernCalifornia’s (USC) Animation andDigital Arts Program, “There is no setpath,” she comments, “so sometimesit takes a little longer for them to findwork.” Experimental animators workat every level and in every area of theindustry from music videos to featurefilms. From Wes Archer and MarkKirkland, directors on The Simpsons,to Henry Selick, director of James andthe Giant Peach to Peter Chung, cre-ator of Aeon Flux to MichaelPatterson who experiments in musicvideos, each animator finds work thatfits his temperament and brings tothe industry “fresh ideas and newways of looking at animation fromdifferent points of view.” Panushkaadded that experimental animatorsdevelop their own voice and owntalent. “They are creative problemsolvers,” Panushka reminded.“Animation is the art of timing, ofmovement.”

If your passion is to exploremovement, then animation might bethe right career for you. Hopefully,this industry input will help you findyour path to the artistic niche forwhich you are looking.

Recruiters from all ofthe major studios

attend Cal Arts’ annual“producers’ show”screenings, to get a

glimpse of the best stu-dent animation work.

Jo Hahn, the supervising pro-ducer at TSC Trickompany in

Hamburg, Germany, noted thatit’s “hard to find talent in

Europe.”

Since the beginning of the year,three of Ts’o’s seven hires have

been from abroad.

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is an inde-pendent recruiter specializing in artists,producers and programmers in the

entertainment industry. Former clientsinclude Disney Feature Animation,

DreamQuest Images and FoxAnimation Studios. She is a foundingmember of Women in Animation, anactive member of ASIFA, and speaks

regularly on animation at industry con-ferences including the ASIFA Job

Opportunities Expo, New AnimationTechnology Expo and NAPTE’s ANIFX

in 1997.


I t always comes as a bit of a shockfor students and artists preparingportfolios for animation industry

positions that, almost withoutexception, what the studios firstwant to see are figure drawingsfrom life. They don’t want to see car-icatures, cartoons, or copies of thestudio’s characters. They want tra-ditional, classical figure drawing.

Why traditional figure draw-ing? First, let us look at what skillsare needed in good animationdrawing. At the top of the list is theability to communicate movementand personality through drawing.By using simple lines an artist shouldbe able to give a figure a real senseof life and individuality, not just anaction pose or stereotypical expres-sion. Next on the list is to be ableto draw three dimensionally, tomake the characters feel like theyare not only individuals, but thatthey exist in a real world. Since thecharacters we create and work withare products of our imagination, the

animation professional has to beable to draw from his imagination.Next on the list is the ability to con-sistently draw the same characterusing the same forms, proportionsand details in the particular style thathas been set for the production. Asyou can see, the list is asking for ahigh level of skill, and we haven’teven touched on imagination, storytelling and inventiveness yet.

Modern Renaissance DrawingSo, how do you know an

artist has these skills? Figure draw-ing has been the standard mea-surement of an artist’s skills for hun-dreds of years, probably from themoment we first started capturingthe living world around us. TheRenaissance artist was judged bymuch the same standard as the ani-mation artist is today. The great mas-ters of the past were first story tellers.They had to be able to create fig-ures that the viewers couldempathize with so that stories werebrought to life with a sense of real-ism and believability. Animationdrawing is, in essence, the closestthing we have to classicalRenaissance drawing today.

The Renaissance artist pri-marily created figures to fit an idealof perfection using simple volumes

to construct figures. The construc-tions of Raphael are no differentthan many model sheets you seefor classical animation. In tradition-al drawing, this is referred to as plas-tic drawing, or “using syntheticforms”. This allowed the artist to cre-ate fantastic imaginary worlds peo-pled with figures, in the most part,drawn from imagination. The begin-ning compositional sketches of allartists are more similar than they aredifferent. The goal is the same, tocapture the sense of the abstracttotal. A compositional notation bythe Mannerist artist Tintoretto wouldfit in quite well with rough layoutand story sketches from our currentmajor studios. The artists of the pastare the inspiration and yard stick of

quality that we still use.To draw the human figure

well from imagination you must firstbe able to draw the simple forms ofconstruction — the sphere, box,cylinder and cone — from memory,in any position and combination.

N e v e r U n d e r e s t i m a t e t h eP o w e r o f L i f e D r a w i n g

by Glenn Vilppu

Glenn Vilppu.

Geometric volumes are the fundamentaltools of good figure drawing. Drawing by

Glenn Vilppu.

They don’t want to see carica-tures, cartoons, or copies of thestudio’s characters. They want

traditional, classical figuredrawing.


The famous Flemish artist Peter PaulRubens said that “you can drawanything using a sphere, box, andcone.” These simple volumes are thefoundation of good figure drawing,and are the fundamental tools offigure construction. These “tools”not only help you to draw the fig-ure from imagination but to see theforms of the model. A portfolio willalmost automatically be rejected ifthe figures inside do not have aclear sense of volume and unam-biguous space based on modelobservation.

Form and TechniqueIt is important to understand

the difference between animationdrawing and drawing for illustra-tion. As I have already mentioned,in animation we draw almost exclu-sively from imagination, and henceneed to be able to construct a fig-ure from the mind’s eye. In illustra-tion, the artist will generally acquirea model or use photographs towork from if needed. The illustratoralso only needs the one particular

view that he or she is going to use.As such, the training tends to devel-op a strong ability to copy a modelas well as different techniques forcommunicating the image. In myFigure Drawing for Animation class-es, I am continually telling the stu-dents that we don’t copy the model.We analyze the model. As for tech-nique, the animation artist mustfocus on describing form with as lit-tle individual technique as possible.An animation is a collective workfrom many artists. Each artist’s workmust blend in with the direction ofthe total production and not drawattention as an individual style.

Of course, another reasonfor requiring a degree of skill athuman figure drawing is that a lotof animation is based upon humancharacters. The ability to change realforms into animation forms requiresknowledge of the former. You can-not draw something if you don’tknow what it looks like.Consequently, an animation candi-date’s figure drawings must show afair degree of human anatomy com-prehension. Problems while draw-ing from a human model, bring intoquestion not only the artist’s under-standing of the figure, but also theability to be able to follow a modelsheet.

As humans, we are so tunedinto the subtleties of our forms thata high level of skill and developmentare needed by an artist to createforms that may seem childish. Infact, this feat is often the culmina-tion of many drawings of thehuman figure by a talented artistwhose skills have been fully devel-

oped.Of course, there are many

exceptions to the above. We haveall seen the success of characterscreated by artists with very little for-mal training. While our industry isbetter for these exceptions, I, per-sonally, would bet my career on myartistic skills while I tried to developthat next Saturday morning super-star. However, keep in mind thatwhenever asked a question about aparticular drawing, my late friendDon Griffith, the former head of theDisney layout department, wouldfirst tell you what he would do, andthen he would invariably shrug hisshoulders and say, “Its your career!”

Gesture sketch by Glenn Vilppu.

Figure drawing has been thestandard measurement of anartists’ skills for hundreds of

years....The Renaissance artistwas judged by much the same

standard as the animationartist is today.

The famous Flemish artistPeter Paul Rubens said that

“you can draw anything using asphere, box, and cone.”

The artists of the past are theinspiration and yard stick of

quality that we still use.

Glenn Vilppu teaches figuredrawing at the American

Animation Institute, the Mastersprogram of the UCLA Animation

Dept., Walt Disney FeatureAnimation, Warner Bros. FeatureAnimation and Rhythm & HuesStudios. Vilppu has also workedin the Animation industry for 18years as a layout, storyboard andpresentation artist. His drawing

manual and video tapes arebeing used worldwide as coursematerials for animation students.


Let’s get one thing clear. IfDisney and Hanna-Barbara arethe Ford and General Motors

of animation, British productionhouses are closer to the sort ofworkshops that turn out four carsa week. Even companies that havehad periods of successful series pro-duction have suffered from swingsbetween boom and bust, and theiroutput has never been sure of aninternational market. Thus, the UKhas never had a settled system fortaking trainees into an industry witha continuous demand for them.Only in the last few years haveBritish studios banded together toprovide a training course for assis-tant animators. But even this hasbeen made possible only with thehelp of the EC organization CAR-TOON, and in order to be enrolledin this program, trainees mustalready be employed by a studio.

Entry into an animation stu-dio, or even making any attempt toget animation experience, is muchmore common through one of theart colleges. We have a lot of artschools, and any reputation the UKhas as a source of “cool” comes fromthings that have happened there,from fashion to bands.

Cool, Cool Art SchoolsIf I had to make a list of

schools, apart from the RoyalCollege of Art (RCA) and theNational Film and Television School(NFTS), that have stood out as nurs-eries of animators, it would be: WestSurrey, the first college to offer a BApurely in animation, Gwent inWales, Liverpool, Harrow, St Martin’sin London, and also Middlesex. Allthese schools change their officialtitles and their organization fromtime to time, but I have used thenames by which they are generallyknown.

In these schools’ twoor three-year animation, ormore often, graphics courses,students have to produce afilm as evidence of successfulstudy for their degree. This tousually a complete film, madevirtually single-handedly. As aresult, these students tend tolearn only the technicalitiesand skills necessary to that

one work, and they learn them notaccording to the production meth-ods current in professional studios,but in a more haphazard andchancy way.

The animator who is trainedin a production studio has to earn,usually over several years, the rightto be in sole control of a film. Thestudent animator, on the otherhand, has the necessity forced onhim or her of exposing their solowork without, perhaps, enoughpreparation.

Both student and studio ani-mators do not grow food. They donot make useful pots or pans, motorcars or airplanes. They heal no ill-nesses. What good are they? Well,society tolerates and supports thembecause it needs the job they do.They communicate. They share withan audience a piece of work in pic-ture and sound, which entertainsthem, informs them or persuadesthem.

The Student AnimatorThat being the job they do,

it follows that the main purpose of

One, Two, Three Steps to SuccessThrough the UK Educational System

by Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor.

The Monk and the Fish by Michael Dudok de Wit.

Many students, after their firstdegree, however, choose to goon to either the RCA or the

NFTS and then seek broadcastcommissions.


educating animators must be tohelp them communicate better. Thiseducation is not just a matter ofinstructing and instilling skills andtechnical knowledge. A much larg-er part is played by giving studentsthe circumstances for self-discovery.The progressive steps that occur inthe UK are: a first degree course inone of the local art colleges, thena post-graduate period at either theNFTS or the RCA, then perhaps oneof the commissioning schemes sup-ported by Channel Four, MOMI(Museum of the Moving Image) andthe Arts Council. Finally there is theprospect of the enlightened patron-age of Channel Four and the BBC.Together these steps provide aunique climate for animators todevelop into filmmakers.

Perhaps I need to say some-thing more on this idea of self-dis-covery. Many students, particularlythose with whom I dealt with at theRCA, come to animation with astrong and vivid pictorial imagina-tion but little sense of joining imagesand ideas together in time. Theyhave to learn how to build what isgenerally described as “story.” Even

the most abstract, moody and allu-sive films require a story structure.Although a teacher may emphasizethis in the formal instruction that heor she gives, I have found that thisis not as convincing to students astheir own experience.

The trainee in a productionhouse learns from watching thedevelopment of the films he or sheworks on and the eventual successor failure of those films. This learn-ing comes with years. With studentsin colleges, you have to try to pro-duce that effect quicker. Only byseeing their completed works —not tests or experiments, but com-pleted pieces — can filmmakersbegin to appreciate what an audi-ence sees and feels. As an exampleof this theory in practice, we foundat the RCA that it is useful for everystudent in the ten weeks of theirsecond term to complete, throughevery technical stage, a coherentone-minute film. The subject of thefilm is either given to them or pro-posed by the student. The successof the work is judged by how wellthey achieve their stated aim. Thesefinished, complete and publicpieces, are then outside of the stu-dents. As a result, it came directlyhome to them how well they andtheir fellow students had succeededin their stated aim of communica-tion. That is the essential elementof self-discovery. It is the discovery ofyourself in relation to your audience.

GroundworkMore than twenty UK first

degree art colleges have, or had,courses which allow or encouragestudents to try animation. Thesecourses began in the Seventies andEighties either within a normalgraphic design course or as an off-shoot from them. Sometimes theonly provisions were no more thana video line tester and some avail-

able time. (Tutors of graphic designare not always tolerant of the heavydemand on time that animationmakes.) The development of thevideo line tester was a vital ingredi-ent to this kind of animation learn-ing. Formal teaching by experi-enced professionals was uncom-mon. Many students finished theircourse with animated work in theirportfolios but found themselvesseen as unemployable by studioswho expected the schools to havetrained them in conventional meth-ods. Talent will succeed however,and many such graduates havedone well with unorthodox meth-ods that have, in fact, influencedthe mainstream. Of course, recentyears have also seen the introduc-tion of computer use, which hassimilarly brought change to everystage of filmmaking.

Of those who have pro-gressed straight from their firstdegree to gaining broadcast com-missions, I would cite Joanna Quinnwhose Girls’ Night Out, begun atMiddlesex University, and led toBody Beautiful and then Britannia.She has recently directed FamousFred for TVC. Michael Dudok deWit, another West Surrey student,worked in the Richard PurdumStudio for some years before makinghis name with The Monk And TheFish.

Many students, after theirfirst degree, however, choose to goon to either the RCA or the NFTSand then seek broadcast commis-sions. Both can be regarded as hav-

NFTS’ star student, Nick Park.

We have a lot of art schools,and any reputation the UK has

as a source of “cool” comesfrom things that have hap-

pened there, from fashion tobands.

If Disney and Hanna-Barbaraare the Ford and General

Motors of animation, Britishproduction houses are closerto the sort of workshops that

turn out four cars a week.


ing post-graduate courses, in thatapplicants must have previous ani-mation work to show. The RCA is adefinitely academic institution andawards a masters degree, while theNFTS graduates receive no officialdiploma.

The National Film andTelevision School

The NFTS is a school relatedmore closely to the film and televi-sion industries. As its name implies,it trains students for all aspects offilmmaking. Besides producing anddirecting, the school also has cours-es in camera work, sound record-ing, editing and so on. Before theycan concentrate on their own cho-sen technique, all students, eventhose intending to specialize in ani-mation, are required to spend partof their first year learning aboutevery aspect of filmmaking. For ani-mation, there is no formal teachingin the technique, but each studenthas an allowance of money, apartfrom his or her production budget,to pay for visiting teachers. (Ibelieve, however, that this way ofdoing things is now changing.)Until recently the school allowedstudents to stay on for an unlimit-ed time to work on their produc-tions; the budget provided forthem, however, remained fixed.Some students stayed attached tothe school for several years whilefrom time to time they worked inprofessional studios. Nick Park, forinstance, remained at the school foraround six years while finishing AGrand Day Out and working parttime at Aardman Animation. The

course is now limited to three years. All work done at the school

is expected to be a collaboration,and so the animators benefit fromthe support of editors, script-writ-ers, sound experts and other “pro-duction” staff. This factor, and thegeneral tooling of contact with thepractical film and television world,has given the student animationwork of the NFTS a strength inentertainment beyond the usual runof student work.

What sort of animators hasthis system produced? I must be for-given for bringing up Nick Parkagain, but he is a perfect exampleof what I describe. Starting from aprovincial art school, he gained aplace at the NFTS. During his stu-dent time on A Grand Day Out, hereceived good industry experiencewith Aardman Animation. ThenChannel Four came into the picturewith a commission for CreatureComforts. The success of that filmawakened the BBC’s interest, andthe other two Wallace and Gromitfilms were the result. Other NFTSgraduates had similar transitions toprofessional work. Derek Hayes andPhil Austin created Animation City.David Anderson worked both withOccam Productions and Redwing.Mark Baker went from West SurreyCollege to production work, thento the NFTS where he had successwith The Hill Farm which in turn ledto Channel Four commissioning TheVillage. Tony Collingwood’s film

Rarg, made at the NFTS, led direct-ly to a commission of a children’sseries by an American company.

The Royal College of ArtThe course at the RCA is the

one of which I can speak moreaccurately since I was for someyears its director. The college is aunique school of art and design. Itattracts very high quality students,not only from Britain, but also fromthe rest of the world. Courses inengineering and car design co-existwith painting, fashion, photogra-phy, film and animation. The stu-dents are there for two years, andcompared with the NFTS, filmmak-ing budgets are small. As a com-parison, an NFTS student wouldexpect an average of £18,000 forhis or her production, while at theRCA a tenth of that would be a gen-erous estimate. In spite of that, wewere able in the two years to givestudents the opportunity to enlargetheir knowledge and develop theirskills so that each of them could pro-duce, upon graduation, arespectable film. In some cases thefilms were outstanding. The num-bers in the course are low, with anaverage of ten students in each

Mark Baker’s The Hill Farm.

Karen Kelly’s Stressed.

He told them to ignore anytechnical misgivings, and sentthem into the streets, parks

and pubs to draw and animatedirectly from life.Animators do not grow food.

They do not make useful potsor pans, motor cars or air-

planes.They heal no illnesses.What good are they?


year. A personal tutorial systemensured that every one of them wascontinually advised on the progressof his or her production. We, theteachers, were in essence producersfor the students.

All of the teaching staff arealso working professional animators,with a clear idea of what graduatesneed in order to survive in theworld. The course was designedfirst, to eliminate technical gaps andshortcomings, and then second, todevelop strengths in picture-makingand communication.

Graduate work from the RCAhas also achieved some notice. Withsmaller budgets and less directindustrial contact, the films have nat-urally been more personal and eso-teric. The recognition they havegained has often been at animationfestivals to an audience of enthusi-asts, but many have earned them-selves broadcast distribution fromboth Channel Four and otherEuropean TV stations. An Vrombaut,whose first degree was from Gent inBelgium, produced Little Wolf, a stu-dent film that was not only profes-sionally competent but also enter-taining.

Susan Young with her filmCarnival, and Jonathan Hodgsonwith Menagerie, both Liverpoolgraduates, started themselves on asteady professional career. Liverpoolhas sent many students onto theRCA. The course director there, RayField, inspired a generation ofyoung people. He told them toignore any technical misgivings, andsent them into the streets, parks andpubs to draw and animate directlyfrom life. The resulting work lackedpolish, but sparkled with vitality.Besides Young and Hodgson, Iwould mention Stuart Hilton, JohnParry, Corrina Askin, Sarah Cox andDebra Smith. All of those had theirRCA work bought for broadcasting

and went on to gain Channel Fouror Arts Council commissions.Students from other colleges whosework at the RCA attracted noticeand later commissions, were KarenKelly (Harrow) with Egoli andStressed, Phil Hunt (St. Martine) withSpotless Dominoes and Ah Pook IsHere and Anthony Hodgson(Harrow) with Hilary andCombinationSkin. SarahKennedy’s stu-dent work hasled eventuallyto her pro-ducing aseries forChannel Fourc a l l e dC r a p s t o nVillas. EmmaCalder and Petra Freeman are twoRCA students whose nominal stud-ies did not include animation, butwhose work there has led to ani-mation commissions. Emma was aco-founder of the Pearly Oyster pro-duction house, and Petra has madeThe Mill for Channel Four, andJumping Joan for the Arts Council.

All of the RCA work I havelisted has earned its makers rafts ofprizes at international festivals, somelimited notice from broadcasters andfragile careers as independent film-makers intermittently involved incommercial or series production. Ithas not made any of them bigbucks.

Past the ClassroomFinally, there are two factors

which have influenced the devel-opment of young animators in theUK over the last twenty years. Thefirst is the advertising industry whichhas funded a variety of witty andstylish studios, so that there areadventurous models to follow. Theother is the enormous influence of

Channel Four Television. In the truespirit of the Channel’s official remit toencourage experimentation andinnovation, Paul Madden, followedby Clare Kitson, have commissioned,purchased and shown the best inanimation from all over the world.Their names are rightly honored byall animators.

A commission to completeone’s own filmis ana d m i r a b l egoal. Its com-pletion is notlikely to lead toa pile of richesbut will add tothe world’swealth of ani-mation and

probably somestudio work for the filmmaker. Weare fortunate in the UK to havethese opportunities to create avibrant and active independent ani-mation culture.

Anthony Hodgson’s Hilary.

Richard Taylor has been an ani-mator since 1953. He is the cur-

rent president of ASIFA UK.Beginning as a maker of commer-cials, he later specialized in infor-mation and educational produc-

tions. In 1987 he joined BobGodfrey as head of animation atthe Royal College of Art, and suc-

ceeded him as professor from1992-94.


After two Oscars, people(including myself) are start-ing to wonder if there is any-

thing that Kassel does that mostother schools don’t.

The animation department,part of the “Visual Communication”faculty within Kassel’s art school, wasfounded by my illustrious prede-cessor, Jan Lenica, who in the mid-eighties moved to Berlin. His stu-dents then started to visit animationfestivals, looking for a new teacher,when they happened to stumbleupon me.

The art school, which is partof the Kassel university but locatedin a different building, is based onan open system called “FreieHochschule” (Free School). Weallow students within a certainschool to move freely amongst thecourses of their choice. Part of the

school’s philosophy is that theirtutors should spend time in the realworld, improving their craft. Thisconcept fits in nicely with my ownworking pattern, and the idea thatthe kind of animation I would try tocommunicate was going to need alot of self-discipline from the stu-dents.

Style And StructureMy teaching takes the shape

of workshops in which I explain myview of animation. I show my stu-dents the wide range of possibilitiesthat techniques offer them, andthink up some basic but essentialexercises, mainly involving story-telling and movement. I then try toget them excited to do their ownthing, in a personal, original style.

Finding that personal styleproved to be most difficult. Most stu-dents are so burdened with the bar-rage of global TV output that theyfind it hard to discover where theirown qualities lie. The era of relativeisolation in which I grew up madethe development of an originalstyle, both in design and way ofthinking, much easier, and it helpsme to sort out other people’s dilem-mas.

With no previous experiencein teaching, I am still wondering

about the mechanics of it. It is inter-esting for me to observe how, aftera few hints of what could make aninteresting story, some students sud-denly catch on and come up withsomething really good. I wouldalways stress the point that a goodanimation film doesn’t necessarilyneed a story, as long as it has astructure, a defined plan, a senseof direction; at least something thatmakes it not only a work of art, but,more importantly, a film. Most of theKassel students, though, focus onstory, which is where I feel I canhelp out best. This commitment tostory is usually a first step towardthat weird phenomenon, a localprize the whole world knows about,the Oscar.

Giving your film a soundstructure before you start the pro-ject is the best guarantee to avoidspending the rest of your life onyour first film. Even so, the time andeffort spent on the student filmsoften exceeds what we anticipate.

Kassel: The Little School With a Big Name

by Paul Driessen

Paul Driessen.Kassel students celebrating Christoph

and Wolfgang Lauenstein’s 1990 Oscar forBalance.

Most students are so burdenedwith the barrage of global TV

output that they find it hard todiscover where their own quali-

ties lie.


Quest is a good example of whatseemed to be a never ending story.But then again, it did quite well andwas worth the wait!

Tools and TechnologyWe should keep in mind that

these are student projects. Giventhe fact that our means are ratherprimitive, as is the case in mostschools, students simply need moretime to figure out how to accom-plish the goals they set.

The Kassel animation depart-ment has two 16mm Cras cameras,the Take-Two Amiga line-test systemand three 16mm editing tables,which we share with theDocumentary Film department.One of the tables has been attachedto a mix panel by the indispensableKazimierz Bendkowski. Bendkowski,a well known photographer in hisyounger years, now teaches thetechnical aspects of film making at

the school.Most of our equipment is old

and certainly not up to today’s stan-dards, so some students have takenthe initiative to go more profes-sional. Thomas Stellmach recoveredan old 35mm stop-motion cameraand Steenbeck editor, fixed them upand then got himself a decentsound computer. Quest came outof this investment. Of course, fellowstudents got excited, and started toborrow his equipment. This mademe a little uneasy, for I always advo-cated the idea that a school shouldbe a place to learn and our meansshould therefore be affordable; inother words, 16mm should begood enough. However, after twoAcademy Awards, I’m not so sure ifthat lofty idealism still stands.

Because of our latest Oscarfor Quest, chances are that we can

update our equipment somewhat;there is even talk of acquiring theToonz or Animo computer systems.These are the kind of tools that ani-mation students should getacquainted with for life after school.

A Need to Grow?Another badly needed com-

modity at Kassel is space. We havevery little of it and if, for instance,someone wants to do model ani-mation, a lengthy retreat to somecramped basement room is their

only option now. Repeatedly, poorThomas Stellmach and TyronMontgomery had to move theirelaborate sets for Quest to differentcorners of the building, under theconstant threat of expulsion.

As long as our class is keptsmall, we kind of manage.Currently, we have about ten stu-dents spread out over the roughlyeight semesters it takes to finish thecourse. If our popularity rises,because of the second Oscar andthis year’s “Documenta,” an inter-national modern art exhibit whichwill be held in our back yard, wewill have to withdraw even morefrom the reality of life and focus onwhat we are good at, the art ofmake-believe.

Editor’s Note: The one thing thatPaul does not directly attribute tothe success of Kassel is his teachingmethods and experience in anima-tion. To hear what his students sayabout their education, please referto “Looking Back on the UniversityDays” in this issue.

Tyron Montgomery setting lights on thelarge (120 square feet) 3D set of Quest.,which was re-built several times for the

different scenes. “All details were done inforced perspective, so the set looked big-ger than it was,” describes the student

director.

Giving your film a sound struc-ture before you start the pro-ject is the best guarantee to

avoid spending the rest of yourlife on your first film.

Repeatedly, poor Thomas andTyron Montgomery had to

move their elaborate sets forQuest to different corners ofthe building, under the con-

stant threat of expulsion.

For Quest, a small set in the cellar wasused for close-ups. Notice the Arri cam-era on an old animation stand, for which

Montgomery wrote a motion control pro-gram. On the left is the line-tester used

to check the animation.

Paul Driessen is an interna-tionally recognized animator,

originally from Holland,whose more than 20 shortanimated films have beenscreened at festivals and in

classrooms around theworld. He currently divides

his time between teaching atKassel in Germany, and

working with the NationalFilm Board of Canada in

Montreal.


I t is 3:00 a.m., and the lightsare still on in the animationroom at San Jose State

University. Rick Servande, RyanCarlson, Rachel Kane andMartin Gee are making finalcorrections to the pencil teststhey will show to Warner Bros.Feature Animation (WBFA) laterthat morning. In an adjacentroom, more of their classmatesare flipping through stacks ofanimation paper, waiting fortheir turn to transfer drawingsto video tape. It is not unusu-al for these students to be upso late. The art of animation is

demanding, and now thatthey know what is required toget an industry job, they arewilling to put in the extra time.Not only that, they have allbeen captured by the magicof watching their ideas growfrom a single sketch on a pieceof paper to an animated testwith a life of its own.

At 11:30 a.m., all of thetests are finished.The students aresitting behindmicrophones ,watching them-selves on a 55”video monitor,and waiting foranother adjacentmonitor to light-up with theWBFA logo thatsignals the begin-ning of anotherlesson. Welcometo the mostunique class-room in the coun-

try, the ACME Virtual TrainingNetwork. This program breaksevery educational paradigm inthe book and gives students acompletely new way to learn.“A non-traditional classroom”is probably too confining alabel for this pilot programwhich teaches animation tohigh school and college stu-dents across the country simul-taneously. The weekly adven-ture begins for these 40 SanJose State University animationstudents when they are con-nected to top animators at theGlendale Studios of WarnerBros. Feature Animation via aninteractive closed-circuit televi-sion network. Their classmatesare spread over thousands ofmiles, and range in age fromfourteen to over fifty and arestudents in high schools, com-munity colleges, regional occu-pation programs, and univer-sities.

A New Day for theClassroom

Katherine Concepcion,ACME VTN producer and train-ing administrator, calls roll.

An Interactive Teaching Tool Comes to Life: The Acme

Virtual Training Networkby Alice Carter

Three drawings from a student animation sequence.

This program breaks everyeducational paradigm in the

book and gives students a com-pletely new way to learn..

“Birmingham, are you there?”


“Birmingham, are you there?”The monitors at all the sitesshow the classroom at PhillipsHigh School in Birmingham,Alabama. All of the studentswave. Concepcion next callsfor Rowland High School/ LaPuente Regional OccupationalProgram in Los Angeles.They’re online too. The finalcheck is for San Jose State.Everyone is ready to go.

Instructors at all threeinteractive sites load studenttapes into VCRs and the lessonbegins. Lenny Graves, an ani-mator currently working onThe Quest for Camelot, is for-feiting his lunch hour to reviewthe work. San Jose studentRyan Carlson shows his“human jump” tape. Graves ispleased with the test, but theirare a few more corrections tobe made. Ryan, who hasalready filmed this tape overtwenty times, has some ques-tions and is anxious to improvehis work. Graves sits down at

a drawing board and showseveryone how Ryan canimprove his tape. Then hemoves on to look at the workfrom Phillips and Rowland.Students at all three interactivesites can then ask questionsabout each other’s work.

Warner Bros. animatorJennifer Cardon introduces thenext lesson, a review of the“quadruped jump” and “sackpantomime” exercises. RickServande shows his “cat jump”tape. The cat’s tail still has a lifeof its own, but the timing isgreatly improved, and the vol-umes are all consistent. RachelKane shows her sack pan-tomime test and has questions.Is the acting clear? Is the timingvaried enough? How can thedrawings be improved?Cardon answers all of the

questions and re-draws themain poses on the white-board so that the whole classcan benefit from Rachel’sefforts. The animation instruc-tion ends at 1:00 p.m. leavinghalf an hour for drawinginstruction.

Clean-up supervisorSheldon Borenstein is ACMEVTN’s resident drawingteacher. If anyone at any of thesites across the country isexhausted by the fast pace andprofessional demands of theACME program, Borensteinwakes them up. He is funnyand outlandish, and has a tal-ent for presenting difficultinformation in unforgettableways. He begins by remindingstudents to look at the humanfigure as a series of threedimensional forms. “Make sim-ple shapes,” he says. “Thecone, the rectangle, the cylin-der.” Borenstein breaks intosong. “Simple shapes,” hesings, “simple shapes, every-thing is made of simpleshapes.” At 1:30 p.m. the classis over. Nobody knows wherethe time has gone. Borensteinmanages one more piece ofdrawing advice before theconnections are cut. The cam-era at Warner Bros. zooms inand his face fills the screens atall the schools. “Always remem-ber this one thing,” he tells thestudents. “Wherever you go,the gluteus maximus is alwaysbehind you.” Everyone laughsas the monitors go black.

Alice Carter, coordinator of the San Jose State University animation program, listens tostudents’ questions via interactive video.

“Wherever you go, the gluteusmaximus is always behind you.”

-Sheldon Borenstein


Student DedicationAt San Jose State

University, however, class is notover. Students grab a snackand go back to the classroomfor another hour. ProfessorsAlice Carter and CourtneyGranner look at student tapesthat are still in progress or haveproblems and collect the fiftynew life drawings that are dueeach week. In three hours, thestudents will be back in classparticipating in a life drawingsession they have organizedthemselves to help acceleratetheir progress. They draw fournights a week and all chip in tocover the cost of the models.Their instructors come in tohelp and offer suggestions.The long hours have producedresults. “It amazes me to lookback on my art work, thedrawings before I began thisprogram in August,” says San

Jose State Junior TammyManis. “Back then I thoughtthey were pretty good butnow I know they weren’t. Thecomparison between then andnow is astonishing.”

Master’s Brain ChildIn the ACME Virtual

Training Network, the pace issometimes frenetic and thework is challenging, but as thispilot finishes its first year theparticipants are all pleased.“This program has exceededall my expectations,” saysWarner Bros. FeatureAnimation’s director of artist

development, and initiator ofthe program, Dave Master.Master conceived the idea fouryears ago to help educatorsprovide students with the skillsneeded to enter the animationfield. Once he came up withthe idea, he pursued it tirelesslyin the face of seemingly over-whelming odds; differences inschool calendars, time zones,curriculum requirements allhad to be considered. Thefears of industry executivesunsure about the project’s fea-sibility and educators worriedover a radical change in stan-dard teaching procedures alsoposed potential obstacles.Fortunately for students hop-ing for a career in animation,Master’s enthusiasm for theidea proved to be contagious.

Although there hasnever been any shortage of tal-ented young artists hoping for

A diagram illustrating ACME VTN’s interactive set-up.

“This program has exceededall my expectations,” says

Warner Bros. FeatureAnimation’s director of artistdevelopment, and initiator ofthe program, Dave Master.


an animation career, there hasbeen widespread confusionabout the requirements forentry level positions. ACMEVTN has dispelled this confu-sion for the students involvedin the program. They have hadthe opportunity to work with22 professional animators, tohave their drawings and pen-cil tests critiqued, and to viewprofessional work. They knowjust how far they have to go.For San Jose State Junior RyanCarlson, the program has beenthe experience of a lifetime,and his enthusiasm about hisprogress is evident. “I’velearned more in the last ninemonths than at any timebefore in my life,” he says.

A One Year AnniversaryEveryone involved with

the ACME Virtual TrainingNetwork is working hard toinsure that the program con-tinues. Only a handful of thestudents in the class are readyto graduate, and the others alllook forward to continuing inthe program. As with any newendeavor, a lot of unexpectedand interesting things havehappened during the courseof the year. Two sites inCalifornia, California StateUniversity at Fullerton andCalifornia State University at

Northridge, did not have inter-active access to the transmis-sions but did have classesauditing the lessons. Toincrease the involvement ofstudents at the auditing sites,San Jose State, Fullerton, andNorthridge went onlinetogether every Thursday.Students and faculty at all threesites viewed drawings andtapes and shared their exper-tise. Guest speakers were invit-ed from Disney andDreamWorks to review workand to show portfolios. Twostudents from the class at SanJose State University haveenjoyed the weekly interactionwith the high school studentsso much that they are consid-ering changing their careerplans to include teaching atthe high school level. PhillipsHigh School senior JonathanGray has applied to San JoseState University. When the SanJose class heard that the ACME

veteran from Birminghammight join them in Californiathe whole group applauded.

ACME Virtual TrainingNetwork is education at itsbest. Not only is it a collabora-tive effort between educatorsand industry, but it breaks geo-graphic barriers and combinesstudents of all ages into alearning community. The pro-gram also gives them anopportunity to work with topprofessionals and is rigorous init’s demands for excellence andimmediate on evaluatingresults. “Receiving instructiondirectly from the entertainmentindustry has truly been the bestopportunity of my life,” saysJunior Rachel Kane. “It’s won-derful to come to class and seeeveryone so excited abouttheir progress.” It is this excite-ment that binds all the partici-pants—students, faculty,school officials, Warner Bros.artists and staff and industrysponsors—into the ACMEVirtual Training Network fami-ly.

Life drawings by Katrien Verbiest,a student at San Jose State.

“I’ve learned more in the lastnine months than at any timebefore in my life.” - San JoseState University Junior Ryan

Carlson

“It’s wonderful to come toclass and see everyone so

excited about their progress.” -San Jose State University

Junior Rachel Kane.

Alice Carter is acting directorof the School of Art & Designat San Jose State University,and a participating educatorin the ACME VTN program.


W hat do a l l t hea lumnae have tosay abou t the i r

schoo l days? Se i ze the day !We a s ked the f o l l ow ingques t i on s t o a g roup o fa l umn i and a lumnus f romsome of the wor ld ’s top an i -mat ion schools :

• Wha t d id you ga in f romyour educat ion?

• Wha t do you f ee l i s t hemos t impor tan t th ing totake away from one’s edu-cat ion?

• Wha t do you w i sh youhad done d i f fe rent ly?

• Wha t adv i ce can youof fe r an imat ion s tudent sin school now?

Ty ron Mon tgomery,Thomas S t e l lmach , AnVrombau t , GenndyTa r t a kov s k y, Dan i e l W i ro thand Luc O t t e r a l l rep l i ed .Whether these graduates arework ing on the i r own inde-penden t f i lms o r a t ma jo rs tud io s , t hey a l l ba s i c a l l yshare the same sent iments -du r i ng s choo l , you shou ldcreate and learn al l you can.Explore and expand yourse l fthrough your f i lms , fo r youmay never have the oppor -tun i ty aga in .

Tyron Montgomer ygradua ted f rom the an ima -t i on depa r tmen t a t t heUn ive r s i t y o f Ka s se l , wherehe d i rec ted the s top-mot ionanimated f i lm Quest , winnerof the 1997 Academy Awardfor best animated short f i lm.He i s now an ima t i ng andd i re c t i ng on va r i ou s p ro -j e c t s , i n c l ud ing a re cen tcommerc ia l a t Cod S teaks inBr i s to l , Eng land.

“ S tuden t s f rom Ka s se lhave won Oscars in 1990 forBa l ance and i n 1997 fo r

Ques t . Th i s may g i ve theimpress ion tha t the Kasse l ’san ima t i on s choo l i s a ve r yadvanced, top -c la s s ins t i tu -t ion. But in fac t , i t i sn ’t . Thean ima t i on c l a s s t he re ha son l y a round t en s tuden t s ,very l i t t le equipment, only af ew sma l l rooms , and anannua l budget o f l e s s than$2,700. US do l l a r s ( I neverknow whe the r I shou ldl augh o r c r y abou t th i s . ) .There are hard ly any formallectures . I f you want to, youcan t a l k t o the p ro f e s so r sabout your pro jec t s , i f theyare a round - and tha t ’s no tve r y o f ten . So then , what ’sthe secre t?

I n o the r s choo l s ,where you have lectures andexercises and loads of equip-ment to p lay wi th , s tudentsl ea rn some th ing bu t o f t enfo rge t t he mos t impo r t an tth ing : f i lmmak ing i s no tabou t p l ay ing a round w i tht echno logy. F i lmmak ing i sabout te l l ing s tor ies . Here ’sone o f t he advan tage s o fKasse l : the pro fessor o f thean ima t i on c l a s s , Pau lD r i e s sen , whose g rea t an i -ma ted f i lms we a l l know.He ’s ve r y good a t he lp inghi s s tudents to deve lop thes tor ies for the i r f i lms . Once

Looking Back on the Univers i ty Days :

A S u r v e y o f A l u m n a eCompiled by Heather Kenyon

Tyron Montgomery with his 1997 Oscar.


you have a good s tory, c re -a t i ng i n t e re s t i ng p i c tu re sand a good sound t r a c k i sno t a ma t t e r o f money o rmode rn t e chno logy, bu t amat te r o f ta len t and c ra f t s -mansh ip. A b ig budget andfancy e f f ec t s w i l l no t makeyour f i lm any bet ter wi thouta conv inc ing s tory l ine .

The o the r advan tageto Kasse l i s f reedom. In mostschools s tudents must f in i shone f i lm per year and spendmost o f the i r t ime wi th lec -tures and exercises. In Kasselno one real ly cares what youdo , so you can rea l l y t a keyou r t ime and concen t r a t eon mak ing you r f i lms a sgood a s po s s i b l e , e ven i fyou need a few years .

The f ac t tha t the un i -vers i ty doesn’t teach the stu -dents sub jec t s l i ke f i lm lan-guage , ed i t i ng , co lo rdes ign, body language, a r this tory, dramaturgy, etc. . . .i s not so important. I ’ve ana-lyzed many f i lms , spoken tof i lmmaker s a t fe s t i va l s , andread l oad s o f book s i n thel i b r a r y. The se even t s havep rov ided me w i th a goodtheo re t i c a l ba se whe re Icould decide for myself whatto l ea rn f o r my own f i lm -making process without hav-ing to spend t ime in lessons,

l ea rn ing th ing s I m igh tnever need.

My adv i ce t o an ima -t ion s tudents: i f you want tobecome an an imato r, back -ground ar t i s t or some otherspec i a l i s t i n t he an ima t i onindus t r y, s t i c k to your pen -c i l , your computer or what -e ve r t oo l you need , andl ea rn to u se i t rea l l y we l l .Nowaday s , t he i ndus t r ydemands top -qua l i t y work .Bu t i f you want to becomean independen t f i lmmake r,a lway s s t a r t w i th a goodstory, whether i t ’s your ownidea or not . Then t r y to c re -a te in teres t ing p ic tures , notby us ing unnecessary effectsbut by u t i l i z ing a we l l -pho-tog raphed , we l l - de s ignedand in te re s t i ng s t y l e . Thentry to f ind sounds and musicthat match your images andrea l l y br ing your f i lm to l i fe( sound i s a weakne s s o fmany animated f i lms) . As fara s t he an ima t i on i s con -cerned, good choreographyand exp re s s i v e cha rac t e r sare fa r more impor tant thantechnica l smoothness .

Ques t was f i lmed wi than old Arr i camera on an oldRuss ian animat ion stand. Weused o ld - f a sh ioned mode l smade of wood, po lys ty rene,and some pa in t . W i th theba s i c e l emen t s o f s t o r yte l l ing, an imat ion, and f i lm-mak ing - and o f cou r se ,l o ve , imag ina t i on andpa t i ence , we managed toc rea t e some th ing spec i a l .Ac tua l l y, Ba lance i s an evenbe t t e r e xamp le : ha l f o f ap ing-pong tab le , f i ve s implepuppets, and a Bolex was a l li t t ook [Ch r i s t oph andWolfgang Lauenstein] to win

an Oscar ! Why? Because thef i lm had a good s to r y, aninteres t ing v i sua l s ty le , ands imp le , bu t a tmosphe r i c ,sound . So , w ind up you rcameras and do i t ! ”

Thomas Ste l lmach a l sogradua ted f rom the an ima -t i on depa r tmen t a t t heUn ive r s i t y o f Ka s se l , wherehe produced the Oscar win-n ing Ques t w i th Ty ronMontgomery. S te l lmach a l soc rea t ed Weeds , a ce l an i -ma ted f i lm , and now runsh i s own company, ThomasSte l lmach An imat ion.

“The animat ion depart -men t a t t he Un i ve r s i t y o fKa s se l i s pa r t o f t he V i sua lCommunicat ion school . Themos t impo r t an t advan tageto Kas se l i s the f reedom tochoose your f i e ld o f s tudy,theme and schedule. We canspec i a l i z e ou r an ima t i onwork wi th the product ion ofour own an imated f i lms andobta in pract ica l exper ience.Our excel lent animat ion pro-f e s so r Pau l D r i e s s en g i ve sadv ice and encourages ourp roduc t i on s w i th h i s manyyea r s o f e xpe r i ence i n an i -mat ion.

I n rega rd s t o an ima -t ion educa t ion , I th ink i t i snecessary to learn as muchas po s s i b l e abou t f i lm ,sound and an imat ion tech -n ique s . T im ing and s to r y -te l l ing are a l so impor tant asi s f ind ing our own poss ib i l i -t i e s o f v i sua l i z i ng one ’si dea s . I wou ld s tudy aga inat Kasse l , i f I had the choicea second t ime. I would a l soadvise al l animation studentsto come to Kasse l and worktogether. ”

Tyron Montgomery working on set of hisOscar-winning student film, Quest.


An Vrombaut rece i ved herMA f rom the Roya l Co l l egeof Ar t (RCA) in London. Bothher s tudent f i lm, L i t t le Wol f ,and subsequen t sho r t f i lm ,When I Grow Up I Want tobe a Tiger, have won awardsa t f e s t i v a l s a round thewor ld . Current ly, she i s an i -ma t i ng a s equence f o rDutch an imator P ie t K roon ’sco l laborat ive f i lm, TRANSIT .

“The bes t th ing aboutthe RCA fo r me was tha t Iwa s ab l e t o make my f i lmL i t t le Wol f there . A l though Icou ld have made L i t t le Wol fanywhere, i t would not havebeen the same f i lm i f I had-n ’t made i t a t t he RCA .Un l i k e mos t s t uden t s , Iapp l ied to the RCA wi th anidea f o r a spec i f i c f i lma l ready i n m ind . I hadworked in a London s tud iofo r a yea r a f t e r my deg reecourse in Be lg ium, and haddone l o t s o f s ke t che s f o rL i t t le Wolf , so I couldn’t waitto get s ta r ted on the f i lm.

In the beginning therewas some re s i s t ance a t theRCA . The t eache r s wan tedme to exper iment on o therp ro j e c t s f i r s t . A f t e r anunhappy f i r s t te rm work ingon some th ing e l s e , I wa sf i na l l y a l l owed to s t a r t onmy f i lm. I spent a lo t o f t imepe r f e c t i ng the an ima t i onand l ook ing fo r a su i t ab l et e chn ique . The an ima t i ondepar tment was very s t imu-la t ing. There were oppor tu -ni t ies to work with people inother departments, an excel-l en t l i b ra r y and, o f cour se ,the bonus o f be ing i n themidd le o f London!

I be l ieve that there are

two th ing s wh i ch a l l s t u -den t s shou ld t r y t o ga inf rom the i r educa t ion ; s k i l l sand con f i dence . F i r s t l y,learn as many pract ica l sk i l l sa s pos s ib l e . I l ea rned mos to f the bas ic an imat ion sk i l l sdur ing my course a t KASK inGent , Be lg ium. When I wasat the RCA, the teach ing ofprac t i ca l sk i l l s was a b i t o f aweakne s s , bu t t h i s ha simproved s i n ce then .Second l y, bu i ld your con f i -dence a s a f i lmmake r. Th i scan on ly be ga ined by mak-ing persona l f i lms . ”

Genndy Tartakovsky gradu-a t ed f rom the Ca l i f o rn i aIns t i tu te o f the Ar t s charac -t e r an ima t i on depa r tmen t .He i s t he c rea to r, w r i t e r,d i rector, producer of Hanna-Ba rbe ra ’s two t ime Emmynomina ted Dex t e r ’ sL abo ra to r y . He ha s a l soworked on such shows as 2S tup id Dogs , The C r i t i c ,S t e ven Sp i e l be rg P r e sen t sT i ny Toons , and Ba tman :The An imated Ser ies .

“A t Ca lAr t s , I ga ined a

g rea t e r unde r s t and ing o fthe a r t o f charac te r an ima -t i on by mak ing an ima tedshor t f i lms myse l f . I l earneda l l t he d i f f e ren t a spec t s o fanimat ion, t iming, characterdes ign, s toryboard ing, ed i t -ing and sound des ign.

The mos t impo r t an tth ing you can t a ke awayf rom your educa t ion i s thef reedom to express yourse l f .I fee l tha t a v i sua l fo rum i sve r y impo r t an t t o deve lopyour own s t y l e o f f i lmmak -ing , and s choo l i s the pe r -fec t p lace to exp lore th i s .

The bes t adv ice tha t Ic an g i ve i s t o rea l l y t a keadvan tage o f you r t ime a tschool , and t r y to absorb asmany d i f f e ren t a spec t s o fan imat ion as poss ib le . ”

Daniel Wiroth graduated in1995 f rom La Cambre(http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.9/art ic les/moins1.9.html ) in Be lg ium. H i s s tudentf i lm, Crusy F ic t ion, has wone igh t f i lm f e s t i v a l p r i z e s ,inc luding the Grand Pr ize atthe B ru s se l s An ima t i onF e s t i v a l .( w w w. a w n . c o m / b r u s s e l s )Dan ie l i s cu r ren t l y work ingon another short f i lm, a loves tory between a wine g lassand a champagne g l a s s ,wh i ch he e xpec t s t o com-p le te by December 1997.

“ I s t ud i ed a t L aCambre f o r f i v e yea r s . Theeducat ion there i s based ona au tod idac t i c a l s y s t em,wh i ch means tha t we a ref ree to c rea te whatever wedec ide . We a re comp le t e l yf ree to u se and expe r i encea l l t ypes o f s tor ies and an i -mat ion techniques. The only

Thomas Stellmach.


impor tant th ing i s to c reateone o r more sho r t f i lmseve r y yea r. Du r i ng my f i v eschoo l yea r s , I e xpe r iment -ed with a l l known animat iontechniques , and a l so tes tedsome new ones . Fo ri n s t ance , I p roduced anob jec t an ima t i on f i lm i nwhich I an imated more thantwo thousand w ine andchampagne g lasses .

The on l y adv i ce I canof fe r to an imat ion s tudentsi s to c reate as much as youcan. We must search for newtechn ique s and new mad -ne s s . We have to l ook f o rcrazy scr ipts which amaze usand our thoughts must con-trast with what exists today.”

Luc Otter gradua ted w i th“g rea t d i s t i n c t i on ” i n 1996f rom La Cambre(http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.9/art ic les/moins1.9.html ) in Be lg ium. Dur ing h i sf i ve years a t the school , hemade more than t en sho r tf i lms in var ious techn iques ,severa l o f which are tour ingthe f e s t i v a l c i rcu i t . Luc i scurrent ly work ing on a shortCG I f i lm a t Behav io r, ayoung product ion companyin Montrea l .

“ I t h i n k La Cambre i st he on l y s choo l i n Eu rope

where you can learn an ima-t i on f o r f i v e yea r s wh i l ebe ing comp le t e l y f ree andno t hav ing to spend toomuch money. I t h in k the sea re wonde r fu l , i n c red ib l econd i t i on s t o f i nd you r se l fin , to exper iment and makea s many m i s t a ke s a s po s s i -b le . F ive years g ives you thet ime to do so many d i f ferentth ings, and at La Cambre noone can stop you, as long asyou a re no t was t i ng toomuch f i lm and the “produc-ers , ” i .e . teachers , s t i l l havea l i t t le conf idence in you !

The mos t impo r t an tth ing to t a ke away f romyour educat ion and to neverforget i s the fee l ing of f ree -dom. The dreams and goa l syou have whi le in school arewhat you should remember.You shou ld wor k t owa rdthese goa l s because ach iev -i ng them w i l l make youhappy and proud. Don’t for -ge t you r d reams becauseone day you cou ld f i ndyou r se l f do ing some th ingyou NEVER wan ted to do .You might be in a bor ing jobtha t doe sn ’t pay we l l andleaves you wi th l i t t l e o r not ime fo r you r own wor k .How sad . Th i s i s the wor s tth ing that can happen to anar t i s t .

Wha t wou ld I havedone d i f f e ren t l y ? Maybe Ireg re t no t hav ing wor kedenough . I am ve r y happyabout what I d id accompl i sha t L a Cambre bu t becausethese years were ABSOLUTEf reedom, w i th ha rd l y anymoney, t ime, room or cam-era problems, I wish perhapsI had taken more advantageo f t ha t . I a l so hope tha t I

w i l l have enough energy tof ight fo r my f reedom in mycurrent work . What I wouldrea l l y reg re t i s to no t havebeen ab l e t o a t t end LaCambre.

My adv i ce f o r an ima -t i on s tuden t s i s . . . t he on l yth ing tha t i s impo r t an t i syou r ree l and tha t i s a l l ! I fpeop l e l i k e you r ree l t heywi l l he lp you and they w i l ll o ve you ! ! To have a goodree l , do not th ink too much,j u s t do wha t you wan t t odo . I n s choo l you can bef ree. Do not l i s ten to th ingstha t pu t you a t a d i s t ancef rom wha t you rea l l y wan tto do. The bes t f i lms in myschool were those that weremade i n the shadows . Themag ic o f an imat ion i s suchthat no one can say exact lyhow i t work s . In s choo l donot th ink you know how tomake a good f i lm . I f youknow, you shou ld l eaveschoo l ! Ins tead, t r y and t r yand s tudy your exper imentsand learn the mechanics o fc inema and animat ion. Thenuse th i s know ledge toexpres s yourse l f . The wors tand the bes t o f yourse l f hasto ge t ou t o f you . . . andschool is the dream place forth i s . ”

For a comprehens ive l i s t o fan ima t i on s choo l s a roundthe wor ld, v i s i t the ASIFA l i s to f An ima t i on S choo l s webs i te , access ib le through theSchoo l s s e c t i on o f AWN ’sAn ima t i on V i l l age(ht tp ://www.awn.com)

Genndy Tartakovsky.


Everywhere, it seems (includ-ing in this issue of AWM), weread of soaring potential in

the animation job market. However,is this a true boom or an eventualbust?

Jane Baer (BaerAnimation, Burbank, California),Keith Ingham (Walt DisneyAnimation Canada, VancouverStudio) Robin Lyons (SiriolProductions, Cardiff, Wales) andRachel Hannah (Pixar AnimationStudios, Richmond, California)shared their insight with us on thefollowing issues:

• Has the current demand for tal-ent been met by the supply?

• What will the needs of theindustry be in the future?

• What advice can you offer aspir-ing animation talent as a result?

The experts’ answers all havestrong correlations, whether they

represent an independent or amajor, and regardless of their loca-tion—experienced talent is at a pre-mium, and the computer is going toplay a large role in the uncertainfuture. Take heart, however!Everyone agrees that nothingreplaces basic, strong drawing skills.

Jane Baer, Baer Animation“I don’t think that the current

demand for talent has been met bythe current supply of talent. Reallytalented and experienced anima-tors are in short supply, as are ani-mators who also have computertraining. The large studios havebeen in “bidding wars” for talented

artists and have bid therates up to the point

that smaller stu-dios can’t com-pete.

Since ourindustry isblending its art

with technologymore and more,

we are going to needanimators with computer train-ing. We are also going to needhighly experienced computerprogrammers and technicians

to invent and upgrade the com-puter systems, operate them andkeep them functioning.

My advice to aspiring ani-mation talent is to not only honetheir artistic talents, but also becomeproficient in all the various computerprograms that are now being usedin our industry.

At the present time, we [BaerAnimation] are not reviewing port-folios. We will resume reviewing atthe beginning of July. Because weare a small studio, we do not havethe capacity to train new artists. Welook for experienced animationartists with a minimum of 2 yearsstudio experience and strong draw-ing skills, i.e. life and animal draw-ings. In other related areas, we lookfor the following skills: storyboardartists should have all the technicaland creative skills essential to board-ing, layout artists must reflect a thor-ough knowledge of animation andperspective drawing, and back-ground artists must have a goodcolor sense along with airbrushingand painting skills. Computer soft-ware experience is an added plus.”

Keith Ingham,Walt Disney AnimationCanada,Vancouver Studio

“The current demand for tal-ented and trained people in theindustry still needs to be met. I thinkthe main ingredient that seems tobe a premium is experience. We allhave to start somewhere, and Ithink, that regardless of one’s expe-

The State of theRecruiting Nation

Compiled by Heather Kenyon

Since our industry is blendingits art with technology more

and more, we are going toneed animators with computer

training. - Jane Baer


rience, it is most beneficial toapproach each job as a chance tolearn. This industry needs peoplewho can draw, who are willing toexplore new techniques, and whohave the patience to hone theircraft. Fortunately, it is a good timeto find access to many working envi-ronments and experiences.

The industry’s needs in thefuture, at least on the classical ani-mation side of things, will general-ly remain the same. We will needstoryboard artists, designers, ani-mators, layout artists and writersthat understand animation. Thefiner points of new techniques andsystems can be learned along the

way because these systems con-stantly evolve. Technical informa-tion that may be helpful is ageneral understanding of dig-ital paint systems and thedigital camera. Varied expe-rience in different aspects ofanimation production wouldhelp add to an overall under-standing of how a show is puttogether. Having once done some-one else’s job is an invaluable expe-rience.

If you are in school, takeadvantage of the chance to drawas much as possible and learn allyou can. You’ll need it. The bestadvice I can give is to keep youreyes open, and know in advancethat the garbage pail is your bestfriend. Don’t be afraid to feed it withall those bad drawings that you willinevitably do in the course of a life-

time at this craft.Learn from othersaround you. Thecraft of animationis not a goal to bereached, as muchas it is an ongoingartistic develop-ment and journey.Keep your ego outof the work, and indoing so, you willlet in more experi-ence. Keep yourportfolio up to dateand don’t be afraidto edit out a piecethat no longerreflects youradvancement asan artist. Above all,draw. Always.”

“The following iswhat I look for in aperson that I aminterviewing:

• A strong portfolio with solid lifedrawing and gesture sketches,as well as more evolved pieces.Whenever possible it is helpfulto note how long these draw-ings took to do.

• Animal drawings.• A sketch book. This shows that

the artist is actively practicingtheir observational skills.

• Please note that all of the aboveare not drawings from the imag-ination, but rather from real life.Animation, after all, is an illusionof life.

• Drawings that show an under-standing of perspective, notablylayouts or sketches of architec-ture.

• All of the above should be pre-sented in a neat, uniform for-mat. Never use originals if mail-ing the portfolio.

• A demo reel edited to no more

Above all, draw. Always.- Keith Ingham

Keep your ego out of the work,and in doing so, you will let in

more experience. - KeithIngham


than 3-5 minutes. This shouldbe titled and fully labeled withyour address. It would also behelpful if there was an accom-panying list of contents brieflystating exactly what you havecontributed to each piece.

• Confidence without arrogance.

Robin Lyons,Siriol Productions,Cardiff,Wales

“In Wales, we have a small,but fairly constant and loyal talentbase. Most of the animators work-ing in the area have been trainedin our Cardiff studio. Our studioalone can tackle the pre-productionof a large series (26 x 26), or thewhole production of a small series(26 x 11). I do not know of anyonewho has recently left Cardiff to workin either London or the States.

Very few of the colleges in

Britain seem to understand theneeds of studios like ours. The mainproblem is that animation is stilltaught at art colleges, and the aver-age animation graduate has a keensense of design, but no real draw-ing or storytelling skills. A couple ofcolleges at Bournemouth andPontypridd encourage their stu-dents to face the industrial realitiesof television animation production,but most are content to providedesigners for commercials.

To combat this, CARTOONUK has got together with other part-ners to provide vocational coursesfor the industry. The BritishAnimation Training Scheme for assis-tant animators at London’s Museumof the Moving Image and The WelshAnimation Training Scheme for keyanimators, which happens to be atour studio, are included in this pro-gram.

We take on a few traineesevery year, and the talent base inWales is slowly expanding. We haverecently opened a second studio inScotland, and I expect our produc-tion slate to expand considerably in

the next year or so. This should alsoenable us to take on a number ofnew trainees.

Animators working for us arepaid less than those in London orthe States, but working in Cardiff orGlasgow has its compensations. Welike to think we look after our staff.

Aspiring animators need todecide whether they want to bepenniless independent filmmakersor take on skilled work in a studio.If they choose the latter option, theycan do worse than knock on ourdoor.”

Rachel Hannah,Pixar Animation Studios

“We’ve been very successfulin hiring talented people. Pixar, likeall of the other studios in the indus-try, has faced the fact that there arenot a lot of experienced peopleavailable. This results in the need totarget younger talent loaded withpotential and we have found them.Yes, it’s hard to find experiencedartists, but there are plenty of tal-ented younger folks available.

It’s hard to say what theneeds of the future will be. We’reseeing a lot of smaller shops fold-ing, many of them in the interac-tive industry. We’re also seeing a lotof studios attempting to take onwhat Pixar was so successful with—fully animated feature films. The nextfew years will be interesting, but Iestimate that within the next 2years, most studios will have hiredmost of their talent.

My advice to an aspiring tal-ent? GET TRADITIONALLY TRAINED!!!Learning how to animate on a com-puter should come second.”

The craft of animation is not agoal to be reached as much as

an ongoing artistic develop-ment and journey.

- Keith Ingham

My advice to an aspiring talent?GET TRADITIONALLY

TRAINED!!! - Rachel Hannah


Jan Svankmajer has been calledone of the most distinctive andinfluential contemporary Czech

filmmakers. Since the mid-1960s, hisfilms have shocked, mesmerized,repulsed and delighted audiences,amassing international cult-like fol-lowings and inspiring countlessother artists and even imitators. Hiscountryman and contemporary,director Milos Forman has describedSvankmajer famously with the equa-tion: “Disney plus Buñuel equalsSvankmajer.” Upon elaboration,Forman’s recipe would be expand-ed to include the influence ofBreton, Eisenstein, Fellini, Freud anda handful of Surrealists, probablythe very least amount of whichwould be Disney.

Svankmajer was born inPrague, Czechoslovakia in 1934,coincidentally the very same yearthat the Czech Surrealist Group wasformed, an organization with whichhe is very involved. In his 63 yearsin what is now the capitalist CzechRepublic, he has seen the come andgo of six different political regimesand their corresponding, often con-flicting ideologies. While his work isnoticeably political in content,Svankmajer is quick to point out thathe maintains an inherent com-mentary and perspective which isnot tied to any particular school ofthought. There is a universality tohis films which speaks to peoplefrom all cultures and beliefs.

Stylistically, Svankmajer’s filmsare unforgettable in their richnessand diversity of technique. Live-action, puppets, collage, drawn ani-

mation, montage, clay and objectstop-motion animation mingletogether in harmony and contrastthroughout his body of work, whichincludes nearly 30 films, ranging inlength from 20 seconds to 95 min-utes. While a majority of these filmshave been animated, Svankmajerrefuses to be classified as an ani-mated filmmaker, or for that matter,as any particular type of artist.“Animators tend to construct aclosed world for themselves, likepigeon fanciers or rabbit breeders.”Svankmajer stated in an interview, “Inever call myself an animated film-maker because I am interested notin animation techniques or creatinga complete illusion, but in bringinglife to everyday objects.”

And bring life to everydayobjects is exactly what Svankmajerdoes. One could almost make a dic-tionary of objects as symbols inSvankmajer’s films, something akinto Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams.From fish to rolling pins, to keys,stones and wardrobe closets,objects usually trapped in the banal-ity of life take on new meanings as

metaphors for emotions and ideas.

Persistence of VisionWhile Svankmajer has been

subject of much discussion andadmiration within the independentfilm community, public recognitionof his accomplishments have beenlimited. A retrospective of his workand subsequent winning of theGrand Prize for his film Dimensionsof Dialogue at the 1983 AnnecyAnimation Festival is often attributedto the beginning of an internation-al interest in his films.

Fourteen years and twelvefilms later, the San FranciscoInternational Film Festival (SFIFF), inits 40th year, decided to honorSvankmajer with The Golden GatePersistence of Vision Award, a newaward to recognize lifetime achieve-ment of filmmakers who are “work-ing outside the bounds of traditionalfilmmaking.”

Peter Scarlet, the festival’s cre-ative director, presented the awardto Svankmajer on May 6, 1997 atthe Kabuki Theater in San Francisco.He told the audience that the mosthate mail the festival had everreceived was concerning the screen-ing of a Svankmajer film a few yearsago. While this is not the most like-ly precedent to the presentation ofan award, the packed house in the

The Surrealist Conspirator: AnInterview With Jan Svankmajer

by Wendy Jackson

Jan Svankmajer at his Prague studio in1994. On the left is one of his ceramic“composite head” sculptures. Photo

courtesy of Wendy Jackson.

One of the magic geniuses ofSvankmajer is his ability to

turn film, a strictly audio-visualmedium, into a sensual, nearly

synesthetic experience.


Kabuki theater indicated a stronglocal appetite for Svankmajer’s films.Director Henry Selick (TheNightmare Before Christmas, Jamesand the Giant Peach) also spoke atthe presentation, citing the influ-ence Svankmajer has had on hiswork.

SFIFF sponsoredSvankmajer’s visit to San Franciscofor the occasion, which was accom-panied by sold-out screenings of hisshort films and the North Americanpremiere of his new feature film,Conspirators of Pleasure. Not exact-ly known for being a “social butter-fly”, Svankmajer said at the awardspresentation that he had beenasked so many questions since hisarrival in San Francisco, that he feltlike he had been tossed into a wash-ing machine on the spin cycle. I wasfortunate enough to be one ofthose people asking questions, andhonored to have an opportunityspeak with Svankmajer at lengthand in his own language. ThoughI had met Svankmajer before, I hadonly been able to attempt commu-nication through my limited under-standing of the Czech language.This time around, however, I wasable to conduct an in-depth inter-view with the assistance of an inter-preter.

I asked Svankmajer for hisreaction to receiving this Persistenceof Vision award, to which he repliedthat he liked the name of theaward, and added “I am happy toaccept this, because it is not a gov-ernment award. I will not acceptgovernment awards. TheCommunists wanted to give me alaureate award, but I declined!”

Conspirators of PleasureSvankmajer’s latest film is a

masterpiece of black humor andobservation of the human condi-tion. Described as a “sexual feast”

of a film, Conspirators presents sixcharacters and their bizarre sexualfetish-fantasies. At once kinky,grotesque and hilarious, the filmbrings us into the secret, very per-sonal lives of ordinary people: apart-ment-dwellers, a newscaster, a mag-azine vendor, and a postal deliveryperson. If you enjoy rituals such asstuffing bread balls in your nose orhaving your toes sucked by fish,you’re not alone!

One of the magic geniusesof Svankmajer is his ability to turnfilm, a strictly audio-visual medium,into a sensual, nearly synestheticexperience. With all of his films,Conspirators in particular, one canpractically taste, smell and feel thesettings. His use of exaggerated,hyper-real sound effects and quick,Eisenstein-esque editing accentuatevisuals which are already uncanny.

The physicality ofConspirators bears an overall resem-blance to the work he created dur-ing a seven-year recess from film-making, imposed on him after ref-erences to politics were found in“unauthorised” changes he madeto his 1972 film, Leonardo’s Diary.From 1972-79, he focused on sculp-ture, ceramics, poetry and other sta-tic art forms, resulting in a body ofwork he refers to as his “tactileexperiments,” wherein some-thing as simple as a rolling pincovered in nails and animalfur explores contrasts thatawaken the senses. The fol-lowing is a love poem ofsorts, titled “EconomicalSuicide,” written bySvankmajer in 1979 and ded-icated to his wife Eva (apainter and sculptor herself).

Spread your fingers as farapart as possiblePlace between them thegrain of a pea

EndureKnees kneeling down on a graterEndureSlip a sucking sweet in yourmouthSuckYour back pressed against thesmooth concrete of a laundryEndureOne’s heels placed into the out-flow by the bathjust as the plug has been pulledEndureCalves painted with egg yolklet it dryand endureRun water in the basinShoes offDip your faceEndure

Wendy Jackson (WJ): I wasstruck by the similaritiesConspirators of Pleasure had withthe tactile experiments you pro-duced in the 1970s.Was the filmdeveloped at that time?

Jan Svankmajer (JS): “This script forthis movie was conceived in 1970,under a different title. I started withmy tactile experimentation andexplorations just a little bit later, in1974 or so. So in actuality, the tac-

From a collaborative tactile poem created by JanSvankmajer and his wife, Eva.


tile experiments entered into thisfilm only when I was actually work-ing on it, in 1996.”

WJ: Would it bold to say thatConspirators of Pleasure is yourmost Surrealist film to date?

JS: “You are absolutely correct aboutthat. That’s what I say about this film,that it definitely has the strongestelement of Surrealism in it.”

WJ:Why?

JS: “Conspirators is actually a filmabout liberation, and about gain-ing a freedom. It is not art, but afilm. Just as, for example, AndréBreton would not say “Surrealisticpainting”, he would say “Surrealismin painting”. In the same way, Ispeak of Surrealism in film.Surrealism is psychology, it is phi-losophy, it is a spiritual way, but it isnot an aesthetic. Surrealism is notinterested in actually creating anykind of aesthetic. It was drawn asan element from various differentartists, but it does not exist.”

WJ: How can something soprevalent in your work be non-existent?

JS: “Surrealism does exist, but it isnot an art form. To characterizeSurrealism, you can say it is theRomantic movement of the 20thcentury. Each romantic periodexpresses three elements: love, free-dom and poetry. Each generation isseeking their own artistic expres-

sions according to the environmentand the time period they live in. TheRomanticism of the 21st century willask the same question. It doesn’tmatter whether that Romanticismwill be Culturalism, or somethingelse.”

WJ: In this film,you reserved thetechnique of animation for theactualization of the characters’fantasies. What is the role thatanimation plays in this limitedcapacity?

JS: “The animation is mostly used inthe sequences where the charactercreates an artificial [sexual] partner.The point of view of the activity ofthese people is taken from a dis-tance, or as to be viewed by a thirdperson. But the relationship of thetwo people who actually fabricatetheir partners (each other), is donefrom the point of view of a livinghuman being, of one’s partner. I washesitating for a long time as towhether I should do it this way orto do it as the other parts of the filmare done, meaning, so that it would

be viewed as more than just therelationship between the two ofthem. Then I realized that the indi-viduals did not really seek a livingcreature, but an effigy, an artificialpartner. To make these things alive,I could do it only by animation.Therefore, I stepped out of the thirdperson point of view, and put it intothe context of the characters’ ownpoint of view.”

WJ: Do you think that this madethose fantasies more real? Is thisthe “real animation” that youhave referred to?

JS: “You can see in that the figureshave been sewn together by hand,that they are objects. I also workwith many other objects in my film.In this particular instance, it’s a littledifferent because the individual whoworks with the figurine can actual-ly do things to it, all kinds of violentactions, and you can see the effects.For instance, the character wearingthe rooster head and umbrellawings is transformed by the cos-tume. He is gaining totally different

“To characterize Surrealism,you can say it is the Romantic

movement of the 20th century.Each romantic period express-es three elements: love, free-

dom and poetry.”

Fantasy-realization scene from Conspirators of Pleasure, featuring a life-size puppet.


powers, to fly and perform magic,etc. . . As soon as he hits the branchand the mask comes off, he is imme-diately just this little human being,devoid of his powers.”

WJ: In your view, do you thinkthat any of the characters in thefilm are aware of their fascina-tion with each other?

JS: “It was my intention that therewould be certain elements in theirbehavior that would create recog-nition among them. They were notsupposed to be known to eachother, but something would hap-pen that would trigger the recog-nition that they are part of the samegroup of people. For example,

when a gay person can recognizeanother gay person because of cer-tain elements, there is something[intangible], a communicationwhich can trigger that recognition.Times of self pleasuring or “auto-sex”do not require communication. Thetwo main characters are communi-cating secretly, not directly. They arein fact isolated, but at the sametime, they are conspirators.”

WJ: In Faust and now inConspirators, you have increased

the size of your marionettes.While you cite Czech traditionin your use of marionettes, largescale puppets are something ofyour own unique creation.Whatdoes the life-size marionette rep-resent?

JS: “I wouldn’t want to overstate theimportance or significance of this.The intention was that I wanted toget the marionettes into reality, andtherefore I had to increase their size,so that they could function in a cor-rect ratio to the actors, to interactwith them. The marionettes existalso in small size in a miniature the-ater. That way I manage to makethe viewer very insecure about thesize. One moment you can see

them very small, when they are ledby a human hand, and in anotheryou see them in life size. So, we areactually approaching a differentdimension of reality.”

WJ:You have said that CharlesBowers is “your immediate pre-decessor in relation to reality andreal animation.” When did youfirst see his films?

JS: “The first time I saw Bowers filmswas in the Seventies, even after I

had completed my film The Flat.There are two Bowers films in theCzech Film Archive. After the direc-tor of this archive saw my films, hecontacted me and said “I havesomething here that you might beinterested in.” So I went down andsaw the films, and I realized that hewas my predecessor in what I wasdoing, because he was mixing ani-mation and live-action 50 yearsbefore I started filmmaking. But weare talking in the terms of tech-nique, not content. The content ofour respective work is very differ-ent.”

WJ:Do you think that once you’dseen Bowers’ work, that it influ-enced you at all?

JS: “No, not necessarily. I neverdeclared myself to be the inventorof this combination of live actingand animation. I was just verypleased that there was someone along time before me that had thesame idea, and it worked for himtoo.”

WJ:Up until Alice and then Faust,you were working almost entire-ly with animation. How does itfeel for you to work with liveactors? You have much less con-trol over them, I would think,than you have of inanimateobjects.

JS: “I have to admit that I work withactors exactly as I work with inani-mate objects. I don’t select my actorsas to whether they are famous, or“good actors”, rather I select actorswho fit in the vision that I have forthat particular picture. Then I workwith them and I use the camera tophotograph them as inanimateobjects. Sometimes I even animatethe actors, as I did in Faust.”

Two “conspirators of pleasure” sense eachother’s bizarre sexual fetishes.


WJ:You are very versatile in yourfilmmaking and other art, withthe use many different tech-niques. Can you tell me some-thing about your process fordetermining which mediumshould be employed to commu-nicate or express a particularidea?

JS: “I always say that I basically makemy work “to order”, by which Imean to my “inner order”. It is real-ly inside me, what’s going to comeout. The way I see it, each individ-ual accumulates in his or her life-time. That which accumulates insidehim or her needs to find a way out.Basically, everybody can do that,but most people do not find a wayof releasing it, they have certainblockage. There is nosuch thing as talent.”

WJ: No such thingas talent? That is abold statement.

JS: “It’s very simple.The artist is able toreach their resources,and overcome theblock. But a clerk whosits in the office, obvi-ously, has his block-age and cannot. Thisso-called “profession-alism”, is much morea matter of technique,or skill than creativity.You can see that innaive art, or folk art, ifan individual wants toexpress him or herself, they find away to do it if they really want to.”

WJ:You grew up in a time of suchoppression of creativity and self-expression.How is it that you areso “lucky” as to not have thisblock, that you are able to realize

your potential to express your-self through art?

JS: “It’s a difficult question to answer.I believe there is a lot to it, includingfamily influences. Certain childrenare just very difficult to handle. I wasone of these children (laughs). Forexample, all children can draw.Some of them retain this ability untiladult age, while in other childrenthe ability is subsequently killed.”

WJ: It’s been about seven yearssince you made your catharticfilm, The Death of Stalinism inBohemia, following the demise ofCommunist rule in your country.Now you have your freedom.How has this changed your con-tent,your message? Who or what

is your antagonist now?

JS: “I would like to say that I con-sider all of my films to be very polit-cally engaged. But I never nar-rowed it down to a totalitarian sys-tem, the way, for example, the artistdissident would. Because I realizethat civilization does allow for thecreation or existence of somethingas sick as Fascism or Stalinism, thenthe entire civilization itself is very ill,something is wrong. I always want-ed to penetrate the core of thisproblem. Not to just concentrate onthe very surface of political activity.Therefore, my films are universal,they can communicate with audi-ences outside of the CzechRepublic. So, just because the polit-ical situation changed in

Czechoslovakia,doesn’t mean thatthe universe or thec i v i l i z a t i o nchanged at thesame time. As faras I was con-cerned, there wasno reason tochange my enemy.It will always be thesame.”

WJ:What is nextfor you?

JS: “My next projectis a feature filmcalled Otesánek,which is a wordthat cannot be

translated. It’s a veryold Czech fairy tale. Although it is astory little known outside of Czechculture, it will be accessible to peo-ple who have never heard it before,because the original fairy tale willbe taught in the film. There will bea dialogue in the film, unlikeConspirators, which is without lan-

“I consider all of my films to bevery politcally engaged. But Inever narrowed it down to a

totalitarian system, the way, forexample, the artist dissident

would.”

Svankmajer and his crew filming a scene in Conspirators of Pleasure.


guage. “It will be a live-action film,

set in the present day, [edited] inparallel with an animated filmdepicting the story of the originalCzech fairy tale on which the entirefilm is based. The animation will besomething like paper figurines thatcome to life and tell the originalstory. The screenplay is completed,and I’d like to start pre-productionsometime in the fall. We are look-ing for financing, and hopefullynext spring we can start filming. Itwill be filmed in Prague; it all takesplace in one house.

“Otesánek is a story about acouple who can’t have children, sothe father goes in the backyard hecarves a little baby boy out of a treestump. The story is that the boygrows and grows, and eats andeats, and he cannot fit in the houseanymore. He is always hungry; heeats everything in sight, the post-man, and ultimately he eats his par-ents. There is a little girl who livesin the house with this character.They become friends, and she actu-ally helps him to get the people that

he can eat. She’s the only one whoactually manages to establish com-munication with him; she under-stands what is going on because ofthis little fairy tale that she’s got inher book. She can, in fact, foretellthe future, because she knows fromthe parallel story in her book what’sgoing to happen.

“The story ends very tragi-cally, because the main character iskilled. The little girl knows from thefairy tale that this is going to hap-pen, and she does everything in herpower to prevent it, because he isher friend. The movie ends in thesame way the story ends, a tragicending in which the grandmothergoes into the cellar with an ax tokill the character. The scene at theend of the film shows the little girlcrying, and begging her not to killhim.

“This civilization is based onrationality, totalitarianism that is, andanything that is outside of this par-ticular point or reference of reality,is difficult to comprehend and istherefore pushed away.”

WJ: Has this some inspirationfrom the traditional EasternEuropean story of “The Golem”?

JS: “Yes, it is similar in that it is a hor-ror fairy tale that will scare little chil-dren. But in this instance, I am giv-ing it a more philosophical dimen-sion, because you can substitute thismain character as a metaphor forall kinds of things. It will be a com-bination of black humor, imagina-tion, and fairy tale. It will be told asa black humor, with elements ofreality.”

WJ: When you describe that, Ienvision you literally mixingblack humor, imagination andfairy tale in some kind of caul-dron. Rightly, you are often

referred to as the “alchemist” offilm.

JS: “Yes, alchemy is about trying toconnect things that you cannot con-nect, that are “un-connectable”.Poetry is a parallel for alchemy, andalchemy is a parallel for poetry.”

Some of Svankmajer’s workis currently on exhibit at the NationalGallery in Prague, as part of aninstallation about alchemy, orga-nized with four people in the CzechSurrealist Group. Conspirators ofPleasure is being distributed world-wide by Paris-based CelluloidDreams, and in the U.S. by ZeitgeistFilms, who plan a video release aftera theatrical run at art house theatersacross the country, beginning withan August 20 opening at FilmForum in New York.

Interview translator: ZuzanaGoldstein.

See Also:The Animation of Heaven and Hellin 3-D web site(http://www.awn.com/heaven_and_hell) in AWN’s Animation Villagefeatures extensive information, a fil-mography and film clips.

The Czech Surrealist Group web site(http://www.terminal.cz/~surreal)offers Svankmajer’s videotapes andrelated books for sale, through theonline extension of the GambraSurrealistic Gallery in Prague.

Dark Alchemy: The Films of JanSvankmajer, edited by Peter Hames.Greenwood Press (U.S.), Flicks Books(U.K.), 1995. 202 pages, illustrated.

Jan Svankmajer at the San FranciscoInternational Film Festival, May 1997.

Photo by Wendy Jackson.

Wendy Jackson is Associate Editorof Animation World Magazine.


NATPE’s First Animation andSpecial Effects Expo (ANIFX)drew a limited number of

participants in its first year. Whileactivity on the floor was definitelyquiet, some of the panels lead tolively discussions. Topics that aresometimes brushed over were dis-cussed in detail and in a candidfashion.

Event organizers boasted aregistration of over 2,000 after thefirst day, but the lull on the show-room floor indicated that perhapsmost of the participants attendedthe panel discussions. Exhibitors andpanelists definitely made use of theopportunity to interact in a morerelaxed setting rather than the fran-tic pace of NATPE’s other annualconvention.

The event’s “Career Center”was spare, probably more reflectiveof the present lull in animationindustry recruiting and lack ofcompany, studenta t t e n d a n c erather than ofany short-coming ofthe eventi t s e l f .Overa l l ,t i m i n gseemed tobe thegreat disad-vantage ofNATPE, with thisbrand new eventtaking place so shortly after theWorld Animation Celebration in

Pasadena, and onthe cusp of theAnnecy AnimationFestival, the “bigdaddy” of worldanimation events.

Despite therather meagerattendance, ANIFXpresented a fineselection of paneldiscussions andseminars, most ofwhich featuredimpressive panelistsand interesting con-tent. What made thesessions more colorfulthan usual was that most ofthe moderators truly did get afriendly banter going on betweentheir panelists. Plus, the panelsincluded some new faces who werehappy to express their points of

view, as well as seasoned profes-sionals who know every trick

in the book.

Insightful SeminarsFor instance,

T h u r s d a y ’ sC h i l d r e n ’ sP rog ramming :Contents UnderPressure delvedinto sensitive areas

regarding the newFCC regulations that

require three hours ofeducational programming a

week on US networks. JeanMacCurdy and Margaret Loesch

wereespecially insightful as they outlinedhow the changes would influencetheir respective networks. The factthat guidelines to the FCC’s man-dates are not clearly defined is afrustrating challenge. As DIC’s RobbyLondon says, “The government islike a bad parent...we don’t knowhow to act in order to avoid gettingsent to our room.” Does a show thatencourages kids to read entertain-ing books educational? Or to qual-ify must a show contain strong edu-cational messages? All of this hasbeen left up to the network headsto decide. The entire panel agreedthat while the average parent is notupset with current children’s pro-gramming, certain special interestgroups are. By turning the respon-

The First NATPE Animation &

Special Effects Expo (ANIFX)Event review by Heather Kenyon and Wendy Jackson


sibility of policing programmingover to the children’s industry exec-utives, parents are thus excusingthemselves from having to activelyparticipate in viewing with their chil-dren.

Another frightening aspectof this change for the networks isthat the FCC does not have juris-diction over cable, and hence, if net-work television becomes too edu-cational, it will push fun-seeking kidseven further into the world ofNickelodeon and Cartoon Network.The forced “volunteerism” of thisprogram has everyone wonderinghow long it will be before someonesays, “Enough is enough.”

On Saturday, the WritersGuild of America Animation WritersCaucus presented a panel discus-sion entitled Getting Your Toon onthe Air. It was noted that in this timeof increased competition for viewersamong the many network andcable programming outlets, thereare fewer risks being taken with ani-mation. The definition of a “goodrating” is now a two or a three,whereas it used to be a around athirteen. “The days of ‘here’s myidea—let’s figure it out together’ areover,” said John Goldsmith, anagent and producer with the

Gotham Group andMetropolis Animation.“Those kinds of things endup in ‘development motel’,where you might check inbut never really check out.”Kaaren Lee Brown ofBohbot Entertainmentnoted that while “It is hard-er to get things on the air.. . . it is easier to keep themon the air.”

The lively discussionechoed with the idea thatperseverance and resource-fulness are key in pitchingan idea. Rob Hudnut, co-creator of Captain Simian &

The Space Monkeys, recalled thatThe Blanket, his new home videoseries for children, was turneddown 15 times before it was signed.Brown, representing the syndica-tion market’s point of view, said “Athree-page treatment, a well-definedcharacter, and two or three piecesof art is enough for us. Then we’lloption it and take it from there.”While all agreed that the market-place is tough for the independentstoday, Goldsmith offered the sug-gestion that when making any kindof pitch, one should “have greatwriting, an animation directorattached, and a deep-pocketed pro-ducer or investor attached.”

Animation World Networkhosted two panels as well. BothCopyrights, Contracts and Royalties:Legal Aspects of ProgrammingDistribution on the Internet andPipeline, Tools and Content: Usingthe Internet as a Broadcast Mediumwere very well received.

The Future of ANIFXPerhaps panels and discus-

sions is where this NATPE eventshould focus its strength for nextyear. The sentiment is that a lot ofthe “biggies” stayed away because

they were unsure of this confer-ence’s focus and how it differs fromNATPE’s large January event. In thefast-paced, high-cost business oftrade shows, it seems unfair toexpect animation companies to puton two trade shows a year in orderto sell product. However, this eventmay become a premier place to dis-cuss the hurdles and challenges fac-ing our industry. NATPE shouldexamine how they want this eventto relate to the one in January andwhat they hope to achieve with thisnew affair. Currently, the industry’slack of enthusiasm for the eventwould suggest that it doesn’t havemuch need for it. Of course, thenagain, in twenty years it may be thelargest market in the world and wewill all look back, and brag, “Well,you know I was at the first one....”


Heather Kenyon is Editor-in-Chiefof Animation World Magazine.


How many can say they havenever seen a Disney film?The number is small, but

still, there probably are some whoare the phenomenal few. In caseanyone has been asleep for the past50 years, David Koenig’s new book,Mouse Under Glass: Secrets ofDisney Animation and Theme Parks,will fill them in on the story-lines andfun facts of Disney’s animated andlive-action feature films. For thosewho are already acquainted withthese films, this book will let them inon something new, an inside look atthe origin of the stories, intendedand unintended bloopers and howthe films have been translated intorides at Disney amusement parksworldwide.

Koenig seems to have agreat amount of respect for Disney’scomplex animated films. “Disney’sformula seems simple enough,” hewrites, “but then you realize that noone else has been able to duplicatetheir success. Watch another stu-dios animated features, visit otheramusement parks, you get a sense

something’s missing. . . .They don’tfeel Disney.” However, Koenig likesto nit-pick and dwell upon the small-est details.

The Secret’s in the StoryWritten in an easy to read,

factual style, Mouse Under Glasstakes the reader through 30 Disneyfeatures, from Felix Salten’s Bambi: ALife in the Woods to Pocahontas.Each chapter begins with the syn-opsis of the original story conceptand then Koenig takes us step-by-step through the plot of the Disneytale from beginning to signatureend. The book takes a very analyti-cal approach to questions that I amsure have perplexed us all, such as“Why doesn’t Dopey (Snow White)talk?” However, the book is also fullof quizzes, nuggets of Disney his-tory and juicy tidbits from Disney’selite group of theme park design-ers, the Imagineers. Koenig men-tions time and time again that thesecret to Disney animation is thestory. He cites how well everythingis planned and then questionedagain and again until the story isperfectly honed.

However, while praisingtheir mastery of story-telling, Koenigincludes in each chapter a sectioncalled “Plot Holes.” Some of theholes aren’t necessarily plot-driven,but rather revolve around facts suchas Dick Van Dyke occasionally los-ing his cockney accent in MaryPoppins and that Who Framed

Roger Rabbit is set in 1947, but fea-tures characters that weren’t creat-ed in this world until after that date.Each chapter also contains an attackon the animation called “Bloopers.”Koenig makes some far reaches toconclude that animators’ mistakeshinder the stories. In a chapter onBeauty and the Beast, he complains“When Gaston arrives at Belle’shouse to propose, the cottage dooropens out and is left open as theywalk across the room. Soon after,Gaston backs Belle against the door,which has somehow closed, butshe opens the door out and slipsaway, so Gaston falls through. Bellepulls the door shut, then quicklyopens the door in and tosses outhis boots.” Upon viewing a film, ani-mated or live action, one hopes tohave such a great story that thehuman error factor will not inter-fere. No film made, animated or live-action, is 100% blooper-free. Thiskind of gripe seems trivial andunnecessary when doors havebeen known to swing both ways.

Hidden ImagesNot all of the bloopers are

Mouse Under Glass:Secrets of Disney Animation

and Theme ParksBook review by Susan Palmer

“Disney’s formula seems sim-ple enough, but then you real-ize that no one else has been

able to duplicate their success.Watch another studios animat-ed features, visit other amuse-

ment parks, and you get asense something’s missing.. . .

They don’t feel Disney.” In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, forinstance, the infamous “dirty”frames featuring the Jessica

Rabbit character sans underwearis visible for only three frames, or,

one eighth of a second.


bad though. The most intriguingsections of Mouse Under Glass arethe guided tours of the “hiddenstuff” which can be found in select-ed films. Under close scrutiny, theeducated viewer will find many racyimages, caricatures of animators,and saucy words, implanted bymany a clever animator. Be warned,however; to find these sequences,one must be quick of the eye and

fast on the VCR pause button. InWho Framed Roger Rabbit, forinstance, the infamous “dirty” framesfeaturing the Jessica Rabbit charac-ter sans underwear is visible for onlythree frames, or, one eighth of asecond. In a less controversialsequence in The Little Mermaid, ani-mators inserted split-second cameoappearances from Mickey Mouse,Donald Duck and Goofy appearing

at the entrance to King Triton’sunderwater palace. These little-known “bloopers” are a real treat towatch.

Overall, Mouse Under Glassis a good entertainment guide toDisney films. It doesn’t conquertough questions or capture theessence of what makes Disney spe-cial. It does, however, have lots ofneat facts. If you are a Disney fanat-ic, you will probably learn somenew trivia that is not widely publi-cized and enjoy the book. If youhave seen just a few of the films,rent one and then sit back with thebook and enjoy the tour. Butremember, you will need the bookin one hand, and the VCR controllerin the other to catch the slightly out-rageous! If you are caught with theTV screen frozen on one of themore suggestive frames, justremember to say it’s in the name ofeducation and in the interest of art.

Mouse Under Glass: The Secretsof Disney Animation and ThemeParks by David Koenig.Bonaventure Press, 1997. 270pages, illustrated. Hardcover,$23.95; ISBN: 0-9640605-0-7.

For those who are alreadyaquainted with these films, thisbook will let them in on some-thing new...how the films have

been translated into rides atDisney amusement parks world-

wide.

Susan Palmer is a freelance writerand an animator/illustrator living

in Los Angeles, CA.


The following is a list of selected books which are of interest to the aspiring animator. This presents mere-ly a sampling of the numerous animation-related books which have been published.

Reference

The Complete Guide to Computer Graphics and Animation Schools by Ernest Pintoff. Watson-Guptill Publications.A must-have for anyone investigating education options in the United States. Comprehensive indices are accom-panied by insightful words of wisdom written by more than 50 key figures in animation.

Muybridge’s Complete Human and Animal Locomotion, Volumes I and II by Eadward Muybridge. These timeless essentials for any animator feature classic pre-cinema motion-study photographs of humans andanimals.

Technique

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. S&S Trade Publishers.Perhaps the most widely used “self-help” guide to realistic drawing.

The Vilppu Sketch Book by Glenn Vilppu. Available through the American Animation Institute.The life drawing bible, according to many students of this master teacher.

The Animation Book by Kit Laybourne. Crown Publishers.An information-rich guide to the processes involved in creating animated films by your own means.

The Animator’s Workbook by Tony White. A collection of exercises for the practicing animator to hone his or her craft.

History

Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Cinema Animation by Giannalberto Bendazzi. Indiana University Press.(www.awn.com/whole-toon)The definitive history text on international and independent animation.

Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Abbeville Press (out of print).Written by two of Disney’s most adored “Nine Old Men”, this book is a dense volume of rare illustrations andproduction notes that are fascinating even to those who are not especially fans of Disney animation.

Animation From Script to Screen by Shamus Culhane.A collection of stories and anecdotes from one of the industry’s most prolific talents and beloved personalities.

Chuck Amuck by Chuck Jones. Farrar Straus Giroux Publishers.A colorful autobiography of the lively career of the Warner Bros. cartoon director, creator of many adored clas-sic characters.

What are your favorite animation books? Let us know, write to [email protected].

Sugges ted Read ing


A Celtic Trilogy

Portland-based animator RoseBond has independentlyreleased a videocassette of her

films. The collection, titled A CelticTrilogy, includes three hand-madefilms, Deirdre’s Choice, Macha’sCurse, and Cerridwen’s Gift. At 48minutes, the reel is in itself animpressive accomplishment, espe-cially when one takes into consid-eration the fact that Bond createsthe images frame-by-frame in apainstaking process of painting anddrawing directly onto the surface ofclear 35mm film. The fact that shecan tell dramatic stories and portrayillustrative images and fluid move-ment upon such a small canvas iseven more amazing. The beginningof the tape includes a six minutedocumentary on the technique aswell as the cultural context of thestories.

All three of the films are based onnarratives derived from traditionalCeltic tales and Irish literature.Depicting headstrong women andgoddesses with a feminist sensibili-ty, these films provide a promisingalternative to heroines in tradition-al animated films; Deidre, Machaand Cerridwen are certainly betterrole models than any Belle,Pocahontas or Jezebel.

Read Rita Street’s article about RoseBond in the May 1996 issue ofAnimation World Magazine.http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.2/articles1.2/streetbond1.2.html

A Celtic Trilogy is available on VHSfor $29.95 (US) from Rose BondProductions, P.O. Box 25756,Portland, OR 97298.

This Land is Your Land:TheAnimated Kids’ Songs ofWoody Guthrie

The classic American folk songs ofsinger/songwriter Woody Guthriehave been brought to life in a newdirect-to-video production by CalicoEntertainment. Illustrating children’ssongs performed by the artists’ son,Arlo Guthrie, the tape is a 23 minutecollection of seven animated “musicvideos.” Each short is executed in adistinctly different visual style, froma look reminiscent of the 1930s“Golden Age” cartoons, to images

inspired by Native American art. Inthe final number, all of the charac-ters from the different sequencesjoin together for a performance of“So Long, It’s Been Good To KnowYuh.”

This Land is Your Land: TheAnimated Kids’ Songs of WoodyGuthrie is available on VHS, retailfor $12.98, distributed by LiveEntertainment.

Video Rev iewsby Wendy Jackson

Rose Bond.



Business

Hollywood Shuffle. HeatherKenyon has started as Editor-in-Chiefof Animation World Magazine,replacing Harvey Deneroff. Kenyonjoins AWM from a former post asmanager of the production infor-mation department at Hanna-Barbera. . . . Superstar Disney ani-mator Glen Keane has renewed hiscontract with Walt Disney FeatureAnimation, adding another 7 yearsto the 23-years he has already beenwith the studio. Keane will continuein his role as supervising animator,and is currently working at the Parisstudio, supervising animation onthe lead character in Tarzan . . . .Jeff Segal is leaving his post as a con-sultant on family/animated enter-tainment at The Bubble Factory, tohead up TV, home video, and the-atrical projects at Cloud NineInteractive. Prior to that, Segalworked at Universal CartoonStudios. . . . Ann Daly has resignedfrom her position as president ofBuena Vista Home Video, whereshe has been for 14 years. It isrumored that she will head on toDreamWorks SKG’s feature anima-tion division. . . . Christine Panushkahas announced plans to leave herfaculty position in the experimentalanimation department at CalArts inorder to head up the animationdepartment at USC, starting in theFall. . . .Jodi Nussbaum has been

promoted to vice president of pro-duction at Children’s TelevisionWorkshop, a role in which she willoversee production on shows suchas Dragon Tales,” Sesame Street andCartoon Network’s Big Bag. . . .Davis Doi has been promoted tosupervising producer at HannaBarbera.

Nick Expands Into New L.A.Home. As part of a five-year, $350million investment into original ani-mation, Nickelodeon will double itsanimation staff and increase spacewhen the studio shifts its animationoperations from Studio City to abrand new 72,000 square foot facil-ity in Burbank. Described as a lab-oratory and playground for anima-tors, the new facility will be capa-ble of running up to five produc-tions simultaneously, with 175 work-stations, a recording facility / Foleysoundstage, an archival animationlibrary and an 80-seat theater. Inaddition, Mark Taylor, formerly vicepresident of animation productionfor Columbia/TriStar Television, hasbeen named vice president andgeneral manager of NicktoonsAnimation. As Viacom head SumnerRedstone said in a recent keynoteaddress at the World AnimationCelebration, “the inmates will berunning the asylum.” And what anasylum it will be, with a basketballcourt, a gym, a signature greenslime “Gak” fountain and an artist-

designed miniature golf course.Nickelodeon’s new facility, expect-ed to open in early 1998, is beingbuilt on West Olive Street inBurbank.

Calico/Wonderworks Alliance.Chatsworth, California-based CalicoEntertainment has recently expand-ed its digital effects division andformed a partnership with visualeffects director Brick Price and hiscompany, WonderWorks. The twocompanies will jointly provide con-cept and design, 2D and 3D ani-mation, specialty sets, miniaturesand computer motion control cin-ematography services. Togethertheir work in digital effects willexpand past their current lineupwhich includes six motion pictureassignments and several TV projects.The group recently completed dig-ital effects sequences for McHale’sNavy, and Turbo, A Power RangerMovie.

Selick Options Mad MonkeyComic.Henry Selick, the director ofThe Nightmare Before Christmasand James and the Giant Peach hasacquired the film and televisionrights to Dark Town, a comic bookpublished by Toronto-based MadMonkey Press. Selick and his SanFrancisco-based Twitching Imageproduction company are in talkswith various studios about fundingand distribution for a feature film,

June 1997 NewsCompiled by Wendy Jackson


while Sam Hamm (who wrote thescreenplay for the original Batmanmovie) is writing the screenplay.Based on the 13-issue Dark Towncomic book series created by MadMonkey president Kaja Blackley, anddepicting the story of a mantrapped between two worlds, thefilm is expected to be a combina-tion of live-action and stop-motionanimation, now a signature style fordirector Selick. Dark Town slippedmysteriously under my studio doorand into my life as if it was meant tobe,” said Selick. “I’ve never felt thatany project was closer to my sensi-bilities than this one.” Comic creatorBlackley is equally thrilled at the part-nership, saying that “Henry Selick isthe only person I would haveentrusted Dark Town to. The factthat he came to me is even moreflattering.” Fans of stop-motion willfind this news encouraging, as thisis the first project announcementfrom Selick since his three-picturedeal with Disney was broken afterJames and the Giant Peach.

DIC Invests In LST, France.Disney-owned DIC Entertainmenthas put a major investment into anew Paris-based animation pro-duction company, Les Studios Tex(LST). Appointed to head up theoperation is Daniel Schwall, whojoins LST in addition to his respon-sibilities as CEO of Luxembourg-based animation studio Digit 352,which he co-founded. LST’s first pro-ject with DIC will be 52 episodes ofTex Avery Theater, a co-productionof DIC, French Telcima SA andbroadcaster M6. “The presence ofthis new animation studio” said DICpresident Andy Heyward “willenable DIC Entertainment to. . . .position DIC programming withinFrance, whose European contentregulations mandate that about

one-third of a show’s budget be allo-cated in France.” DIC’s interest in LSTis about 40%, while the rest of thestudio’s capital comes fromEuropean investors.

Meacham Road Studio Formed.A new digital studio calledMeacham Road Digital Studios,L.L.C. has been formed by telepro-duction facility managers Scott Kaneand Pat Saviano. Based inSchaumburg, Illinois (a suburb ofChicago,) the studio will handlecomputer graphics and 3D anima-tion in addition to linear and non-lin-

ear digital editing, new media workgroups, satellite uplinking andsound stages.

Films

Nelvana and Trickcompany Co-Production. German animationstudio Trickcompany, and Canadiancompany Nelvana recently madean agreement at MIP TV to co-pro-duce two animated feature films,riding on the success of their cur-rent co-production partnership ofthe Pippi Longstocking animatedseries for television. The films areboth adaptations of existing prop-erties. Babar is based on the classicFrench books and TV series, whileBarbarella is based on none otherthan the 1968 live-action cult clas-sic starring Jane Fonda. Nelvana isthe rights holder to both properties,

and is seeking additional partnersfor the project. Trickcompany hasbeen making a name for itself withanimated features such as Werner-Eat My Dust!!, and Little Assholewhich grossed an impressive $31million and $20 million, respective-ly, at the German boxoffice.

NFBC Expanding ShadboltAnimation. Touched Alive,Stephen Arthur’s one-and-a-halfminute animated film, made byanimating the paintings ofCanadian modernist painter JackShadbolt, is now being recreated ina longer form film produced by theNational Film Board of Canada. Thefilm was and will be created usingdigitally-scanned 2-D images of thepaintings, animated in AutodeskAnimator Pro.

Anastasia’s Coming Of Age. Thebulk of animation production onFox Feature Animation’s debuteffort, “Anastasia” is nearing com-pletion, as was witnessed at arecent Los Angeles press screeningand reception hosted by TwentiethCentury Fox. The first 30 minutes ofthe film were screened in a compi-lation of animatics, pencil tests, fullyrendered color sequences and CGIelements, synchronized to a com-pleted soundtrack. The film’s exec-utive producer Maureen Donnellyemphasizes the importance of sto-rytelling in this “contemporary fairytale,” which interprets the story ofthe legendary Russian princess,Anastasia Nikolavna, with the ele-ments of family, attachment, sepa-ration and survival. “Anastasia” isscheduled to be released inNovember 97. Meanwhile, Fox’ssecond feature animation project,“Planet Ice” is already in production,and directors Don Bluth and GaryGoldman will start on a third pro-


ject (as yet unnamed) as soon as“Anastasia” is completed.

Television

MTV Renews Daria. MTV will pro-duce 26 new episodes of Daria, thenetwork’s original animated seriesspin-off from “Beavis and Butt-head.”The series, which premiered inMarch, will continue to air onMonday nights at 10:30 p.m., withthe aforementioned new episodespremiering in early 1998.

Perennial Producing Witches InStitches. Indiana-based PerennialPictures is beginning production ona half-hour animated Halloweenspecial titled Witches in Stitches,which is described as a ThreeStooges on brooms.” The special isbeing produced in association withAnchor Bay Entertainment, who willdistribute in home video and holdinternational television rights, whileSunbow Entertainment will handledomestic (U.S.) television distribu-tion.

Disney TV Offers TrainingProgram. Walt Disney TelevisionAnimation is seeking applicants fortheir new “Animation DirectorsWorkshop,” a new program to trainanimation timing directors. Up toten animators will be selected forthe ten month salaried positions,which are scheduled to begin inearly June. Disney TV Animationsenior vice president Tom Ruzickasaid “With the volume of work nowavailable, there hasn’t been a cor-responding increase in the numberof qualified animation timing direc-tors.” With this program, the studiohopes to fill in the training gap tomeet their staffing needs for theiroverseas productions. The intensivecollection of workshops, lectures,

screenings and classes will be over-seen by Dan Smith, director of artistrecruitment and training. For infor-mation about this program call(818) 754-7261.

Cow & Chicken On A Roll.Cartoon Network has ordered anadditional 13 half-hours of the Cowand Chicken animated series. Thenew episodes will air on the net-work in July, along with newepisodes of Dexter’s Laboratory, andthe new series Johnny Bravo (notto be confused with “Jonny Quest.”)Cow and Chicken was developedout of a World Premiere Toon pro-duced by Hanna-Barbera and direct-ed by David Feiss, who has just cre-ated another short titled I AmWeasel.

Mondo & Carrere MakingSleeping Beauty. Italian animationproduction company Mondo TVand French TV production groupCarrere Group are co-producing anew 26-episode TV series based onthe classic Sleeping Beauty fairy taleby Charles Perraut. The half hourepisodes, slated for completion innearly 1998, are budgeted at $9 mil-

lion for the whole series. The agree-ment was reached at MIP TV inCannes last week.

DIC Acquires Archie Rights. DICEntertainment has reached anagreement with Archie Comics toacquire animation production andworldwide licensing rights for theevergreen comic characters in theArchie Comics group. Archie,Jughead, Veronica and Betty willmake a comeback in The ArchieMysteries, a half hour seriesdesigned for cable or networkbroadcast, rather than syndication.This is not the first adaptation ofArchie for animation, The Archieswas produced by Filmation in 1969.DIC president Andy Heyward says“They are a timeless group, andthat’s why they are still around afterall this time.” Meanwhile, noexploitation of this property is beingoverlooked, as Universal is devel-oping a live action feature filmbased on the Archie property, whileproducers Barry and Fran Weisslerare developing a Broadway musi-cal, and there is even talk of asinging group revival.

Perennial’sWitches in Stitches.


Nightmare Ned Premieres OnABC. Buena Vista Television’s newanimated series, Nightmare Nedpremiered last week on ABC’sSaturday morning lineup. The off-beat, colorful show is produced byDonovan Cook, creator of TwoStupid Dogs, a series on Cartoonnetwork. Nightmare Ned will con-tinue to air weekly at 10 a.m. ETand 11 a.m. PT on ABC.

EM And ZDF To Make Tabaluga.German production/merchandisingcompany, EM Entertainment andpublic broadcaster ZDF are part-nering to produce, license and dis-tribute an animated series based onthe existing German musical prop-erty of a cuddly dragon namedTabaluga. The 26 episode animat-ed series will be packaged inside alive action/variety show modeledafter The Mickey Mouse Club.Expectations are high for merchan-dising plans related to the program.

Commercials

Flea Circus Gets Curious. NewYork/San Francisco based CuriousPictures has signed on to their ros-ter the talents of New Zealand-based animation director JohnRobertson and his studio Flea CircusFilms, Ltd, which he founded in1993. Relocating from Auckland to

Curious’ San Francisco studio,

Robertson recently completed a 45second animated film featuringcharacters from Nickelodeon’sKablam! series, and he is currentlygetting started on a short “art film”for Cartoon Network’s “Animate YourWorld” campaign. “I don’t want tobe limited to one medium,” saidRobertson, “I like to do collage,multi-planing, 3D. Curious hasoffered me an opportunity toexpand my capabilities.”

Tom & Jerry Play Tennis. SanFrancisco-based animation studioWild Brain and New York-based adagency Warwick Baker O’Neillrecently produced two commercialsin association with the TennisIndustry Association and CartoonNetwork, which feature classic ani-mated characters Tom & Jerry play-ing tennis with live-action kids.Western Images used the Henry sys-tem to composite stock cartoonfootage of Tom & Jerry with newgreen-screen live action footage.

Designefx Gets Tricky. Atlanta-based Designefx recently completedTricky Elephant, a cel-animated com-mercial for Leslie Advertising’s client,Lance Toastchee Peanut Crackers.In the 30 second spot, an animatedzoo elephant performs tricks for agroup of digitally-rotoscoped liveactors, in an effort to get a taste ofthese peanut crackers. The anima-tion director was David Strandquest.

Curious Animates CartoonNetwork’s World.Curious Picturesdirectors Steve Oakes and DennisMorella recently completed the firstthree of their 12 spots for CartoonNetwork’s “Animate Your World”public service campaign. Designedto encourage creative thinking andimagination, the 30 second mixedmedia spots are Be a Vacuum Head,

encouraging people to open theirminds and “suck up” everythingthey see, hear, smell and touch, andPut Your Brain on a Plane, depictingthe virtues of daydreaming. A 60second spot titled Bob uses stopmotion to illustrate different per-spectives on viewing the worldaround you. The spots featured thecreative contributions of eclecticNew York-based puppet/ perfor-mance artist Janie Geyser.

Blue Sky Does More RoachClips. A year after Blue Sky Studio’saward-winning animation of roach-es was featured in MTV/Paramount’sfeature film Joe’s Apartment, the stu-dio has been called upon onceagain to animate a cast of thecreepy insects, this time for (whatelse?) a commercial for Combat Plusexterminating kits. Directed in thestyle of classic B-movies, the two 30second spots, Big Problem and BigFoot feature computer animationcomposited over live-action.

Manhattan Does Diapers. NewYork-based production/editing facil-ity, Manhattan Transfer recentlycompleted animation for a 30 sec-ond commercial for Huggies branddiapers. Windmill, as the spot istitled, features live action compos-ited with animated effects, createdby senior animator Kevin Edwards,animator Keith Stichweh and parti-

Designefx’ Tricky Elephant.

Curious Pictures’ Bob spot for Cartoon Network.


cles systems animator Lidija Cukor.

Home Video

Manga To Release Ghost On DVD.On July 7, Manga Entertainmentwill release Mamouru Oshii’s hitJapanese animated feature film,Ghost in the Shell in the new DigitalVideo Disc (DVD) format. Touted asthe first Japanese animated featureto be released in this format, thedisc will include a 30 minute bonusprogram on the making of Ghostin the Shell, as well as picture files,character biographies and produc-tion notes. Manga will also releasea “Special Edition” digitally remas-tered VHS version of the film in July.

Manga To Release 2 New AnimeTitles. On May 20 and June 24,respectively, Manga Entertainmentwill release on home video StreetFighter II V (another in the popularseries of video game-inspired StreetFighter TV episodes,) and ShadowSkill, director Hiroshi Negishi’s mar-tial arts adventure. Both are $24.95retail.

CPM Debuts 3 New Titles. NewYork-based anime distributor CentralPark Media will release three ani-mated films on video in July:Patlabor: The Mobile Police-Volume4, The Revenge of the DemonBeast, an erotic thriller by Urtsukidojiseries creator Toshio Maeda, and

Black Jack: Clinical Chart 2, byJapanese animation legend OsamuTezuka, creator of Astro Boy. Thetitles will be available retail for$29.95 (Patlabor and Demon Beast)and $19.95 (Black Jack.)

Disney’s Jungle Crazy. Followingthe release of Sleeping Beauty inSeptember, Walt Disney HomeVideo has announced that they willrelease The Jungle Book fromOctober 14-December 31, as partof the Disney Masterpieces collec-tion. Jungle Book, Disney’s 19th ani-mated feature, is the last animatedfilm that Walt Disney personallysupervised. The timing of the JungleBook release will enjoy riding thepromotional wave of Disney’supcoming George of Jungle live-action re-make, and the recentlyreleased Jungle 2 Jungle with TimAllen. Meanwhile, production is get-ting started on Tarzan, Disney’s 37thanimated feature. It’s a jungle outthere!

Interactive & Internet

Fox Interactive Debuts FoxtoonsLine. In a bold move to buck theindustry trend of low-volume unitsales, Fox Interactive has createdFoxToons, a branded line of CD-ROM games offered at below-stan-dard prices ($14.98 and less).Designed for children ages three toeight, and based on established lit-erary properties, the dual-platformWindows/Macintosh CD-ROMS tobe released in late May are BabyFelix Creativity Center, Hello KittyCreativity Center, Danny theDinosaur, and Frog and Toad areFriends.

Theatrix Interactive FindsSanctuary. San Mateo, California-based Sanctuary Woods MultimediaCorporation announced that it willacquire all outstanding shares of pri-vately-owned education softwaredeveloper Theatrix Interactive. Theterms of the agreement are yet tobe announced.

Macromedia Flash Sounds On.Authoring software publisher

Blue Sky’s Combat Plus.

Manhattan Transfer’s Windmill.


Macromedia has released a secondversion of their vector-based webanimation program, Flash 2.0 (for-merly known as Future SplashAnimator.) The upgrade, availablefor $99., offers full audio interactiv-ity, which enables users to createsynchronized sound tracks to theiranimations. Macromedia Flash wasreviewed in the March issue ofAnimation World Magazine, onlinea thttp://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.12/toc1.12.html

Sierra Gives Us The Shivers.Washington-based Interactive soft-ware publisher Sierra On-line hasreleased Shivers II: Harvest of Souls,a new CD-ROM for the teen andadult market. The mystery/adven-ture game features elaborate 3-Dgraphics and animation, as well asan extension to Sierra’s InternetGaming System (SIGS,) whichenables users to interact and chatwhile playing the game. Shivers isavailable for $49.95 for Windows95 and 3.1.

Activision’s Zork-A-Thon.Activision has released The ZorkLegacy Collection of CD-ROMS fromtheir popular series. At a dramati-cally low price of $39.99, the pack-age will include four CDs whichinclude the games Zork Nemesis,Return to Zork, Zork TextAdventures I-III, Beyond Zork, ZorkZero, and a preview of the newZork Grand Inquisitor.

Humongous Peddles Putt-PuttThrough Time. Seattle-basedHumongous Entertainment (now asubsidiary of GT Interactive) willrelease on June 1 the latest title intheir Junior Adventure series of ani-mated CD-ROM games for youngchildren. Putt-Putt Travels Through

Time is an educational gamedesigned to interactively teach kidsproblem solving, memory, creativityand math skills. This game is avail-able retail for $39.95 on Macintoshand Windows 95/3.1 formats.

Disney Online’s A Family Affair.After investing a one-third interestin Starwave Corp. two weeks ago,Disney Online has announced thatit will take over the online produc-er’s Family Planet web site and incor-porate it into their own Family.comweb site. As they say, if you can’tbeat ‘em, join ‘em. . . . or, in Disney’scase, acquire ‘em!

WB Renews With AOL. WarnerBros. Online has renewed its con-tract with Internet content providerAmerica Online, which will nowinclude cross-promotional activitieslinking TV properties with theironline counterparts. Kids WB pro-gramming will now feature pro-motions for the Kids WB AOL site.

Technology

Curious’ Steve Katz DevelopsCyclops. Steve Katz, director of dig-ital production at Curious Pictures,has invented a real-time camerainput device called Cyclops, whichis now being manufactured byDigital Image Design (DID.) Theproduct is a fluid-head tripod andLCD viewing system that drives thevirtual camera in 3D animation sys-tems such as Alias, Softimage, and3D Studio Max, replicating tradi-tional camera operation. Using thesoftware’s existing “layered” anima-tion functions, Cyclops enables ani-mators to create camera moves inreal time (much like a live-actiondirector would) within a previouslyanimated 3D sequence.

Hong Ying Licenses PegsSoftware. In a move to become thelargest digital animation facility inChina, Hong Ying Animation Co.ordered 50 SGI workstations andlicensed MediaPegs’ PEGS anima-tion software. Currently the softwareis being used by Hong Ying in pro-duction work on 52 episodes ofDIC’s The Wacky World of Tex Averyanimated series. In addition to beingused for digital ink and paint, thePEGS software package is designedto facilitate communicationbetween studios and overseas pro-duction facilities, tracking produc-tion progress and transmitting statusreports via modem link.

Festivals & Events

Virtual Humans Conference InJune. VR News and EDS will pre-sent a conference called VirtualHumans 2 at the Universal CityHilton in Los Angeles June 17-19.Sponsored by Silicon Graphics, thethree-day conference is focused onexploring “the way virtual reality andhumanoid technology are becom-ing part of our everyday lives, fromthe medical profession to the mili-tary to the entertainment industry.”Events include presentations formexperts in the field of 3D computeranimation, motion capture, VRMLand artificial life. For registrationinformation, visithttp://www.vrnews.com/vh2.html

Comiccon San Diego. The coun-try’s largest comic book convention,ComicCon International, will be heldin San Diego July 17-20. Precedingthe convention will be The ComicBook Expo, a conference for theexchange of ideas among profes-sionals in the comics publishing,


retail and creative industry. For infor-mation visit http://www.comic-con.org.

The Bradford Animation Festival.otherwise known as BAF, will takeplace June 6-12 at the NationalMuseum of Photography, Film &Television in Bradford, England.Competition includes four cate-gories: films by children (under 16,)by adult (professional,) adult (non-professional,) and experimental.Prizes have been donated by ASIFAand the festival’s main sponsor, RoyalMail East. Additional programsinclude workshops, short film com-pilations, a special on “TheSimpsons,” and a retrospective ofRay Harryhausen, who will be pre-sent to host the closing night cere-mony. BAF is the only annual filmfestival in Britain which is devoted toanimation. For information on BAF,contact [email protected] orcall ++ 44 1274-773399 (ext 274.)

Fantoche Festival Call ForEntries. The second edition of theFantoche International Festival ofAnimation is scheduled to take placein Baden, Switzerland, September9-14. Planned programs include ret-rospectives of Piotr Dumala, JerzyKucia, Oksana Cherkassowa, VeraNeubauer and KihachiroKawamoto. Films made afterJanuary 1, 1995 are eligible for thecompetition, and the submissiondeadline is June 15. For entry formsand information, visithttp://www.fantoche.ch

Williams Masterclass Sells Out,Adds Dates. All 150 registrationspots have sold out in RichardWilliams Masterclass which is beingheld in San Francisco June 6-8. Anew class has been added June 20-22, to be held at the same location.

For more information, visit the mas-terclass web page accessible fromAnimation World Magazine’s Mayissue table of contents page.http://www.awn.com/mag

MOMI UK Workshops. TheMuseum of the Moving Image inLondon will present several chil-dren’s workshops on animation andfilmmaking during the month ofMay. As part of the Moving MagicWorkshops held within the exhibi-tion May 24-30, MOMI will teachchildren basic techniques of ani-mation filmmaking and cartoonsoundtrack making. This is featuredin conjunction with the “Space JamShowcase” exhibit featuring origi-nal production art from the WarnerBros. movie Space Jam.

Awards

British Academy Awards The 1996British Academy Awards wererecently presented by the BritishAcademy of Film & Television Arts(BAFTA) in London. The award forBest Short Animated Film went toThe Old Lady and the Pigeons byBernard La Joie, Didier Brunner andSylvian Chomet of France. Othernominees for this category were:Testament: The Bible in Animation:Joseph by Elizabeth Babakhina andAida Ziablikoua, Testament: TheBible in Animation: Moses by NaomiJones and Gary Hurst, The SaintInspector by Richard Hutchinsonand Mike Booth, Trainspotter byChristopher Moll, Jeff Newitt andNeville Astley and Famous Fred, byJohn Coates, Catrin Unwin andJoanna Quinn of Wales, whichreceived the award for BestChildren’s Animation.

Oslo Animation Festival. The 4th

International Oslo Animation Festivalheld in Norway last month featuredscreenings of 170 films. The juryincluded Pritt Parn, Phil Mulloy,Menno de Nooijer, MichaelaPavlatová, Georges Lacroix, andTone Garmann. Prizes awardedwere:• Grand Prize: Apricots by Lotta

and Uzi Geffenblad, Sweden.• Audience Favorite: Robin in the

Dentist by Magus Carlsson,Sweden.

• Best First Film: Gravitation by PritTender, Estonia.

• Best Use of Animation in aCommercial: Four Commercialsfor P2 by Piotr Sagepin, Norway.

• Special Jury Prizes: Otto by JonasOdell and Stig Bergquvist,Sweden and Adventurepizza byEva Lindstrøm, Sweden.

TV Academy Awards Internship.For the fifth year in a row, a studentof the University of the Arts inPhiladelphia has won the Academyof Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS)Internship Award in Animation, anational competition based onvideo reels and drawn portfolios.This years winner, MatthewFaughnan, will fulfill an internship atFilm Roman in North Hollywood.Previous winners from University ofthe Arts are all working in the ani-mation industry now.

Betty Cohen To Be Honored ByPromax.Betty Cohen, president ofCartoon Network Worldwide andTNT International will be presentedwith an award for “InternationalMarketer of the Year” by PROMAX,the international association of pro-motional and marketing profes-sionals in electronic media. The pre-sentation will take place during thePROMAX & BDA Convention inChicago, June 4-7.


Jules Engel’s top ten:

1. Band Concert by Walt Disney.2. The Nose by Alexander Alexeieff and Claire Parker.3. Two Sisters by Caroline Leaf.4. Study no. 6 by Oskar Fischinger.5. Study no. 8 by Oskar Fischinger.6. Filter Gallery by Erick Darnell.7. Tenderly by John Hubley.8. The Trap by Amy Kravitz.9. The Demon by Kihachiro Kawamoto.10. Game of Angels by Walerian Borowczyck.

This month professors from three leading animation schools answeredthe following question: “If you were stranded on a desert island with onlyten films to screen to your students, to teach them the principles, techniquesand concepts of the art of animation, what would they be?”

Jules Engel is director of California Institute of the Arts’ ExperimentalAnimation Program. Paul Driessen is head of the animation department atthe University of Kassel in Germany. Eric Ubben is the animation coursecoordinator at the Kask Gent school in Belgium. In addition, all are inde-pendent filmmakers whose creations continue to teach principles of ani-mation to more students than they will ever know.

On A Desert Island With. . . Educators!

Compiled by Wendy Jackson

(continues)


Eric Ubben’s selections:

1. Tale of Tales by Yuri Norstein.2. The Man Who Planted Trees by Frederic Back.3. Hill Farm by Mark Baker.4. Pinocchio by Walt Disney.

5. Street of Crocodiles by The BrothersQuay.6. The complete works of NormanMcLaren.

7. The Wrong Trousers by Nick Park.8. Knick-Knack by John Lasseter.9. State of the Art: Tate Gallery by D. Van de Vondel.10. Little Wolf by An Vrombaut.

Paul Driessen’s picks:

1. Satiemania by Zdenko Gasparovic, for its combination of abstraction and car-toon, inspired by the soundtrack.2. Blinkety Blank by Norman McLaren. The power of abstinence.3. Night on Bald Mountain by Alexander Alexeieff and Claire Parker, for the beau-ty of its inventive graphic technique.4. Creature Comforts by Nick Park, for its amaz-ing mimics and deadpan humor.5. Revolver by Stig Bergquist and Jonas Odell.The graphics are close to my heart, and it hassuch wee-suited, minimal music.6. La Traverse de l’Atlantic (Journey Across The Atlantic) by Francois Laguione, amaster of cut-out atmosphere.7. Furies by Sara Petty, for its beautifully captured movement. Madame lovecubisme.8. Broken Down Film by Osamu Tezuka. The best use of intentional errors.9. Tempest (excerpts) by George Dunning. Stunning Dunning.10. Some of my films, to share the concepts I came up with, mainly concerningperception, story structure and economy.


AWNComics

The Dirdy Birdyby John R. Dilworth


Animation World Magazine1997 Calendar

The July 1997 issue of Animation World Magazine will delve into the world

of comics . Natural ly , the issue wil l contain an interview with Stan Lee by

Mark Goldman. Other in te rv iews wi th some of the ho t tes t names in the

bus iness wi l l a l so be inc luded . We wi l l hea r f rom c rea to r s abou t the i r

expe r i ences a s t he i r p rope r t i e s wen t f rom the co rne r s t o r e t o t he sma l l

screen and beyond. Randy Loff ic ier wi l l descr ibe the Per fec t Wor ld p r o-

j e c t f o r u s a n d S e a n S t r e b i n w i l l p r e s e n t a n o v e r v i e w o f c u r r e n t a n i-

mated shows tha t have spawned f rom comic books . Phi l ippe Moins wi l l

repor t on the s ta tus of comics in Europe . Concerns regard ing d is t r ibut ion

in the comic book indus t ry , as wel l as impor tan t censorsh ip i ssues wi l l

also be covered. Brian Camp wil l review of The Comple te An ime Guide ,

and we wi l l touch on the wor ld of the Manga phenomenon in Japan . As

usual , topic-related le t ters to the edi tor are welcomed at edi [email protected].

Highlights from the July Issue…

Computer Animation (August)

Television (September)

Licensing & Merchandising (October)

Home Video (November)

Documents

Animation World Magazine