Michael Sporn Animation – Splog

Yesterday, I went to Philadelphia to the University of Pennsylvania School of Design (or Penn Design) to meet with students, talk about my work, show a couple of films and answer any questions. I went as the guest of Paul Fierlinger who has set up a beautiful preparatory school for 2D animation. Because Paul is an ardent supporter of the Bauhaus Mirage system, he is teaching his students to animate on that program. (I only saw a couple of small examples, but I was impressed with the work.)

The highlight of the trip, for me, was to meet up with Paul and his wife, Sandra. I have been a long and enthusiastic lover and supporter of their work.

After seeing so many of his films and knowing a lot about him, I finally met Paul back in 1985 at Annecy. We found that we had a lot in common. (My first short was done for a company called the Learning Corporation of America – LCA. Paul had already been producing a number of films for them. One of them, It’s so Nice to Have a Wolf Around the House, had been nominated for the Oscar in 1979.)

After Annecy, I went down to Wynnewood, Pennsylvania in the suburbs of Philadelphia to spend a day with Paul and his family. We went out on his boat for the day, and we had lots of long conversations about animation and our working methods. It was a memorable day for me just spending the day in such enjoyable company. Both of us talked about our ambition to make longer films.

In 1993, Paul succeeded on the highest level with the American Playhouse show Drawn from Memory, an animated autobiography Paul wrote, directed and animated. (See the AWN interview with Paul here or the NYTimes review here.)

His next film, a half-hour show for PBS called Still Life With Animated Dogs became his most successful. He and Sandra Fierlinger won the Peabody Award for this work, and they deserved quite a few more awards as well.

A Room Nearby premiered on PBS in 2005 (though it actually premiered at the Margaret Meade film festival November 2003.) This told the stories of five people and how they dealt with loneliness. It’s a beautifully animated, and, I think it’s the deepest of the works of the Fierlingers. this is a magnificent film which has deservedly won lots of awards but not enough.

Currently, they’re working on an animated feature length film, My Dog Tulip, which is adapted from the book by J.R. Ackerly. They expect to complete this theatrical in 2008 with the two of them doing all work on the film, themselves. Paul adapted the book, is directing and animating. Sandra is doing all rendering and backgrounds.

Once again, I had a wonderful time with Paul. Sharing moments with a real artist enables you to embrace the films all the more. I can’t wait to check out the dvd he gave me showing some clips from the feature in progress. It was an inspiring day.

- Charles Solomon has written a very interesting article for the NYTimes on Goro Miyazaki‘s animated feature, Tales From Earthsea. Of course, Mr. Miyazaki is the son of the other Miyazaki, Hayao. The article discusses the problems of being the son of someone so famous and the expectant comparisons people have made about him and his work. Many of the critics seem to be negative. (Here’s the Variety review.)

The film has done well in Japan (though not quite up to the results of his father’s films) and has received some backlash from Ursula K. LeGuin whose Earthsea books were adapted for the film.

The U.S. release of Goro Miyazaki’s film is being held up by the Sci-Fi Network who owns the rights until 2009. They did a poor live action film which is available in dvd.

For some small information regarding Hayao Miyazaki‘s next feature go here or here.
Visit Daniel Thomas MacInnes‘ site Conversations on Ghibli.

.

- Hans Perk on his site, A Film LA, has posted the Ken Andersen LayOut Training Course from the Disney studio Nov, 1936. I’ve posted two of these – Part I and Part III. This is the one, Part II, of the series that I was missing. I do have a fourth (actually the first one) that Phil Dike gave on May, 1936, but two of it’s pages were copied off kilter. I’ll post that soon.

.

- Posting that caricature of the folks in my studio in 1992 gave me the idea that I should be posting links to blogs and sites that some of my ex-employees have. Here are a couple of them:

Stephen MacQuignon has always been interested in fantasy art, and his site reflects this -Stephen MacQuignon.

Jason McDonald has two sites – My Living Dead Girl and Jason McDonald Design.

Sophie Kittredge has a beautiful array of illustrations and maps – Craven Design/Sophie Kittredge.

Robert Marianetti and his partner David Wachtenheim have a studio site that is under construction – wmanimation.com

Doug Compton, animator extraordinaire, has his site – Karmatoons.

Hair High, Bill Plympton‘s most recent animated feature finally opens in NYC on Wednesday. It runs from Oct 18 through Oct 25 at the Two Boots Pioneer theater .

Plympton will make personal appearances at the theater; every guest at the premiere will receive a drawing from Bill.

Cast members and other guests (including the “Krazy Kock” chicken mascot) will appear at the premiere.

(Read the NYTimes review.)

Hair High is the legend of a 1950′s teenage couple murdered on prom night who return as undead skeletons one year later for revenge. The film’s a romantic comedy with a zombie-horror twist. NY’s own independent animator, Bill Plympton. self-financed the film, co-produced by his friend and distant cousin, actress Martha Plimpton.

Hair High features an all-star cast including the voice talents of Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Silverman, David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Beverly D’Angelo, Martha Plimpton, Eric Gilliland, Ed Begley Jr., Michael Showalter, Zak Orth, Justin Long, Craig Bierko, Tom Noonan and animators Matt Groening and Don Hertzfeldt.

Also included in the screening will be Bill Plympton’s Oscar-nominated animated short Guard Dog, and its sequel, Guide Dog.

Pioneer Two Boots Theater
155 East 3rd St. (between Ave. A + B)
New York NY 10019
Showtimes: 212-591-0434
Advance Tickets: www.twoboots.com/pioneer/hairhigh.htm

For more information about the film:
www.hairhigh.com or www.plymptoons.com

– On the ASIFA-East newsletter & site, ASIFA-East President, David Levy comments on making Independent short films as opposed to sample/pilots for pitches you want to make.

This grew out of Amid Amidi‘s comments on Cartoon Brew regarding a statement Pat had made on AWN.

It takes three sites to track it all down, but it’s interesting to follow the thread. To read it all chronologically go: here, then here, then here.

- Speaking of Dave Levy, his book, Your Career In Animation continues to garner positive reviews. Everyone from Michael Barrier (06/29/06) to Jerry Beck to Tom Sito has said nice things about it.

The book is a good, easy read with much to offer anyone interestedkin animation.

Speaking of ASIFA-East, they have an open screening scheduled for Thursday night at 7PM at the School of Visual Arts.209 East 23rd Street, Rm. 502 Bet. 2nd & 3rd Ave

and then on Halloween (Oct. 31st) they show the The Best of British Animation Awards. Among those shown will be Rabbit which won the top short film prize at Annecy.
Same place; same time; different day. Come in costume.

- Seeing the models David Nethery posted on his site, You’re A Gazelle, in his comments on Tissa David‘s work from Raggedy Ann, started me thinking about the Dick Williams‘ film. As I noted, yesterday, I have quite a bit of artwork from the film, and I thought I should post some.

(Click any image to enlarge.)

I think in ways, the unsung hero of Raggedy Ann was Corny Cole. He was there from day one working with Dick and Tissa – once the one minute pilot had gotten the job for Dick. Corny was brought in as the key designer, and Gerry Potterton came on as Dick’s Associate Director.

I was hired soon thereafter, even though I had no idea what I’d be doing. For the first couple of weeks, while they were recording, I just moved furniture and read the script and whiled away the time by drawing Johnny Gruelle‘s characters.

I helped Dick and Gerry add spot coloring to the storyboard as the animatic was being shot. We spent a long Saturday coloring like mad with colored pencils. We worked on the last section of the animatic to be shot. I’d say 90% of the board was done by Corny. Dick and Gerry added spot drawings as needed, while we built the animatic.

Corny then did lots and lots and lots of drawings to give to animators.
Some of those drawings are posted herein for a scene at the beginning of the “taffy pit” sequence. These drawings were also used in the animatic.

After Corny finished feeding the animators, he started animating, himself. He took on a sequence that filled the screen with a pirate ship full of dolls floating around some rough waters. The large sheets of paper were filled with Corny’s black bic pen lines. Doug Compton eventually worked with Corny to finish this overworked sequence.

– While in Ottawa, I came across Chris Robinson’s most recent book, Between Genius and Utter Illiteracy – A Story of Estonian Animation. This is released by John Libbey Publishing through the Indiana University Press in the U.S. There’s an excellent, in depth review at AWN, and, since I haven’t yet read the book, I don’t intend to review it now.

I’m glad Chris has written it since I think it’s a subject worth visiting. The Estonians have been producing films for many years, and I’m glad for them to get a bit of attention.

Aside from their own films, they’ve also been doing some outsourcing work for other European studios. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, they’ve actually become one of the dominant producers of animation in Russia.

The book focuses on a few particular artists in their history.

- Now let me tell you something about me. Back in my days of Raggedy Ann, 1976, I was contacted by a friend from my Navy years. He was a Russian interpreter working for Columbia Management in NY. He toured with Russian groups (such as the Bolshoi Ballet) around the US interpreting for them.

He had in his charge two Russian animators and thought they might get a kick seeing a studio. Since I understood a bit – a very little bit – of Russian, I might be able to help. A little adventure.

I asked Richard Williams if we could tour the studio on a Saturday, and he said absolutely not. He didn’t want Russians in his studio. OK. Faith & John Hubley were out of town, so we couldn’t go there. Howard Beckerman‘s small studio was in the same building as Raggedy Ann, and he said yes.

On a very cold January day, they met us, and we went up to visit the two colorful rooms of Howard’s small studio. The animators were delighted, and we had a good hour or so.
The animators were Svyatozar Rusakov and Rein Raamat.
Rusakov was from Soyuzmultfilm and had created the most popular series of children’s films in Russian animation history – the Nu Pogodi series.
Raamat was from Estonia and spoke Russian haltingly (something we had in common.) However, he told me he’d recognized my name from the few Hubley films he’d seen. I’d gotten credit, and they played in Russia.

Having a car, I offered to take them wherever else they wanted to go in New York.

Svyatozar Rusakov wanted to go to Delancey Street and buy lots of jeans that he could bring back and sell for a lot of money. After returning him and his black-market goods to the hotel, we picked up Rein Raamat. He wanted to go to the Museum of Modern Art to see a particular Modigliani painting in person. He told me he’d never seen any of his actual paintings just prints. Modigliani was his favorite painter. We did that.

As Rein came face-to-face with the painting, he stopped in shock. Tears came down his face, and I knew I liked this man. After he returned to Estonia, I sent him a coffe-table book on Modigliani; he sent me a book on Bosch and some tour guides of Estonia. We exchanged a number of letters – both of us wrote in our pigeon-Russian. I met him at several film festivals. A couple of years ago he sent me a sad note that he was no longer drawing as the head of the studio, and he wasn’t as happy. I hope to meet him again someday.

In preparing this, I noticed on IMDB’s report that Svyatozar Rusakov died in August. I’m sorry to hear that.

I was pleased to see a whole chapter in Chris Robinson’s book devoted to Rein Raamat. I had a short, interesting conversation with Chris about Rein. Now I’d like to read the book.

(All pictures can be enlarged by clicking.)
#1. L to R: (in Beckerman’s studio) Richard Mayer (interpreter), Maxine Fisher, Svyatozar Rusakov, Howard Beckerman, Rein Raamat.
#2. L to R: Rein Raamat, me, Richard Mayer, Maxine Fisher
#3. L to R: Svyatozar Rusakov, me, Richard Mayer
#4. L to R: (outside) Rein Raamat, Svyatozar Rusakov, Maxine, and me.

- I guess I should have been crowing last week about the fact that my film, The Man Who Walked Between The Towers, is now available on ITUNES.
Just go to: ITUNES MUSIC STORE,
go to: MOVIES, click on “SHORT FILMS,
click on “SHORTS”. It costs $1.99.

- Speaking of this film, I say, with a bit of humility, that I’m overwhelmed by some of the recent comments about this movie of mine. Particularly so about Mark Mayerson‘s review on his site. Since I have such respect for Mark’s articles and posts, I was a bit overwhelmed at first. Let me tell you, it’s certainly nice to read such positive comments about the work. Thank you.

- Thanks to Amid’s Cartoon Brew notice about the article in the NY Times. This is a survey of the recent spate of cg feature failures glutting the market.

I expected, eventually, to read such an article since it’s been obvious that things haven’t been going well for some of these features. (Open Season opened this weekend to cheers for the $23 million take – bringing it into first place. But that is a far cry from the $90 million negative cost – not to mention the ad budget. It doesn’t look promising as a success story.

However, as Amid points out, the article gets interesting when we are able to hear, for the first time, that there is poor blood between Aardman and Dreamworks. Obviously, in making Flushed Away, Dreamworks tried to take some creative control, and the fur flew. Hence, they have separated ways, and Dreamworks will no longer be distributing Aardman‘s films.

More power to Aardman for not giving in despite the loss of a nice contract. It’s not often one hears of animators who stick to their guns despite probably financial loss.

- Though I have no immediate plans to see it on the big screen, I’m pleased that Open Season did fairly well at the box office. The film grossed $23 million on 3800 screens averaging $6000 per screen. It means the film will probably gross (in the U.S.) about $70 million. However, with the negative cost and ad budget I’m not sure it’ll leave much for profit.

That’s not bad considering how poorly Monster House and Everyone’s Hero did. (One wonders if Everyone’s Hero would have done better if had been released at the beginning of baseball season?)

The animation style of Open Season intrigues me a bit. I’ve seen some interesting movement and some really horrible cgi-like (meaning they let the machines do the action) movement in the trailers, and I want to see a bit more. The reviews were unanimous in panning the story, so I don’t expect much there. I’m also interested in seeing the direction of a converted 2D Director, Roger Allers, in a cgi world. Brad Bird did so well with his initial effort in The Incredibles. One would like to think Roger Allers might do the same. However, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the cgi animation Sony has done in the past. The Chubb Chubbs anyone? Their EFFX-cgi work is excellent.

I am curious to know how Roger Allers did both this feature at Sony and The Little Match Girl at Disney this year. I wanted to see the short at Ottawa, but my schedule didn’t work with theirs. It’s also interesting to note that the official website has Roger (Lion King) Allers‘ bio but no mention of the other two co-directors: Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi.

- I thought I’d take this opportunity to announce a deal that’s just been struck.
Next Spring I’ll have two dvd’s released by First Run Films. These will both be a collection of my Hans Christian Andersen films: #1. The Red Shoes & The Little Match Girl and #2. The Nightingale & The Emperor’s New Clothes. (The last was not released on video or tv before. The video company that helped finance, forgot about releasing it before going out of business.)

(The Marzipan Pig – Click to enlarge.)

Then in the Fall another two will be released including: Abel’s Island, The Dancing Frog and The Marzipan Pig.

All four dvd’s will have extras: additional commentaries, documentaries produced, and lots of stills and graphics. These are fun to make, and we’re starting to plan now.

- Mark Mayerson pointed me to an article in today’s NYTimes about aging Independent Film makers. As an aging Independent Film maker, I found it very interesting. I like thinking I’m in the same category as John Sayles, Christine Vachon, and Errol Morris.

The new issue of PRINT Magazine has a couple of interesting articles. The ever-at-the-forefront-of-animation-news John Canemaker tells the story of The OpenEnded Group – Shelley Eshkar, Marc Downie, and Paul Kaiser – three artists who use the next technology of computer programming to create virtual dance programs in conjunction with some highly esteeemed dance companies (including Trisha Brown and Merce Cunningham) and performance groups.

An illustration from the article.
(Click to enlarge.)

This past summer they used “artificial intelligence” to reconstruct the coda of Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony in a commission for Lincoln Center.

Canemaker’s article goes into some depth giving a good indication of the work of these artists.

- Secondly, the magazine has an article on NY Animator and designer, PES and talks about some of his films while using an impressive display of images to illustrate the article.

- Turner Classic Movies this morning at 11:30 AM has another episode of Cartoon Alley. It features three Popeye cartoons: Can You Take It (1934), which stars the voice of William Costello as Popeye, Child Psykolojiky (1941), one of the last Fleischer Popeyes, and Car-azy Drivers (1954) directed by Seymour Kneitel.

- Here’s a followup to yesterday’s Merryweather dance. These are the frame grabs from the scene in the cottage featuring the Frank Thomas drawings posted yesterday.

Frank Thomas often complained about Eyvind Earle’s color design. He disliked the fact that the fairies had a black bodice. He was especially peeved over this sequence, and I heard him talk about it at least three times. He felt this anchored them to much to the ground and weighed them down. I’m not sure I agree with him; I think the character moves beautifully and retains the weightlessness he sought.