Frame Grabs &Tissa David 29 Dec 2008 09:02 am
Candide 1
- For some time, after Bob Blechman completed his PBS special, A Soldier’s Tale, he tried to develop several ideas as animated features. He worked hard to produce some exquisite animated samples for potential projects.
Candide was one that took the most energy and a fine piece of film was produced to showcase what he and his studio would do with this famous tale. Unfortunately, there were no takers, and this project was shelved along with some other classic ideas.
For this pilot, about ten mins. long, Tissa David and Ed Smith did most of the animation – Tissa took the lion’s share of the piece.
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2I have a copy of the pilot and thought it’d be worth posting some of the frame grabs from the piece to give you an idea of it. The entire film uses lengthy scenes and fluidly moving camera – no doubt an addition of Tissa David’s work. As the title card reads, these sequences aren’t presented to tell a story; they’re designed to highlight the animated fare.
3(Click any image to enlarge.)
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7The title acts like a theatrical canvas wherein . . .
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. . . one, “Optimism”, overrides the other, “Candide”.
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Theatrically, all of the characters are introduced in CU cards.
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Part II is introduced with another opened curtain.
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Here the color runs out with well groomed P.T. by Tissa.
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This long pan leads to another sequence end.
More to come, soon.
on 29 Dec 2008 at 1:42 pm 1.Ray K. said …
These are extraordinary. R.O., Tissa, and Ed are, of course, a top drawer team, and in fine form here.
These sequences are beautiful in too many ways to name. Probably the most satisfying of Blechman’s gifts (for me) is his ability to approach the most sophisticated stories and themes with nuance, grace, and unfailingly good taste, and present them in a deceptively simple drawing style that belies their intelligence and weight.
This approach seems almost the opposite of costume drama–it seizes on what is essential to show and, mercifully, leaves everything else out of the frame. This makes for plenty of beautiful white space for his virtuoso animators to work in. Tissa’s elegance, Ed’s calm discipline, Tony Eastman’s subversive comedy, all have room to shine.
on 29 Dec 2008 at 5:47 pm 2.Jenny said …
Ohhhh…wow…..this is really something.
Was this going to be a straight retelling–or perhaps using the Bernstein music?
on 29 Dec 2008 at 6:29 pm 3.Michael said …
It was to be a straight telling of the Voltaire play. It might have had more success if it used the Bernstein score. The images are too attractive, and Tissa’s animation too fine to be wholly left on a shelf. I’ll post more grabs later in the week.
on 29 Dec 2008 at 6:53 pm 4.Richard O'Connor said …
We had colored the medium shot of the dancing line as well. I don’t know if it was lost after I left the studio or if Bob decided to cut it and go with the line test.
From my recollection, that was really the focus of Tissa’s work -and maybe layout poses for another sequence.
Pangloss’s hands do look like hers, but I’m certain Ed did that -especially looking at Candide. He’s eyes are on another cel level and are distinctly Ed’s.
Most of the animation was done by Ed.
I think “The Golden Ass” is a far more interesting relic -that was all Ed. Maybe it’s because I don’t have any memories of that project.