Michael Sporn Animation – Splog

- Michael Musto, in his column in the Village Voice, gives a short encapsulation of the Q&A session for A Scanner Darkly at a recent event. It’s humorous enough that I’d like to post a short paragraph here:

Audience members kept asking banal questions about the animation process, and director Richard Linklater politely responded that he doesn’t know how anyone can sit at a computer for 12 hours without grabbing a shotgun, “but it’s an interesting tool.” So’s a shotgun. Interesting tool Downey noted that “the missus” told him the film reminds her more of him than some of his live-action characters do. Well, he’s certainly animated. With eyes flaring, he gleefully bitched about the Texas house they shot in, moaning, “It was condemnable.” (“And smelly,” interjected Keanu—or Bob or Fred or fuckin’ Bruce—getting into the fun.) But the panel froze when they noticed—no, not ETHAN HAWKE strangely running for the exit, but a woman in the audience wearing a shirt that ominously said, “Explanation Kills Art.” “As she’s shutterbugging the hell out of us, by the way,” sardonicized Downey. “Love you,” he added, to the woman. “Can’t explain why.”

We’ve all been there. I love Musto and read his column religiously. His reviews of movies and plays is usually done as an aside in one or two sentences and is usually right on target.

- Fresh on the heels of the successful $135 million opening of Pirates of the Caribbean, Variety reports that the Disney studio will cut back its number of films from 18 to 8. This also, of course, will lead to a substantial number of cutbacks in staffers. To quote Variety, “The cutbacks will be far greater than many anticipated, as Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook looks to reinvent the architecture of his studio. Move reflects an effort to improve the studio’s return on invest- ment and get infrastructure back into line.”

We don’t know how many jobs will be lost, nor do we know if this affects the newly re-tooled Animation Division. All things being equal, one assumes it probably will. All I know is that even David Letterman in his top ten last night was mocking Disney for the move.

– If you’re going to be in San Francisco this Friday, Patrick Smith is presenting an “Animation Happy Hour” at 7:00 PM. This was the info provided by ASIFA San Francisco, the sponsor of the event.

“You may have seen his much touted films “Drink” “Handshake” and “Delivery” which have screened at many festivals internationally. On Friday he will show his awesome new film, “Puppet”. So join us at Amber for free appetizers , and Pete the bartender will mix you a mean Sidecar. (not free, but powerful).”

For more information on Patrick go to: this link.

– Speaking of ASIFA, our local ASIFA East president, Dave Levy, has been making the rounds in support of his excellent and inform- ative new book, Your Career Animation: How To Survive and Thrive.

(If you don’t yet have the book, I suggest you pick it up at your local book store and thumb through it. You’re probably going to want to buy it after you do.)

He’s done an interesting interview about his career, the book, and all things animation . You can hear this interview with David by going to: this link.

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