Michael Sporn Animation – Splog

Yesterday, I wasn’t able to make it to any of the three screenings. They repeated the first one from Friday night and screened the next two. I was told that they went well and were filled. I’ll make up for it today by seeing the 2nd and 3rd screenings this afternoon.

Last night, we did have a party for the event, and we had a great group. Lots of schmoozing, eating and drinking. Thankfully, the drizzling rain stopped early in the day. I took a number of photos late in the party. They were rushed and I didn’t get most of the people there. I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of everyone there.

(Click any image to enlarge.)
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(L) Irina Margolina, Signe Bauman and Biljana Labovic
(R) Matt Clinton, Jason McDonald and Paul Carrillo

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Dave Levy and Debbie mug for the camera while Ray Kosarin looks on.

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Lisa Crafts and Howard Beckerman ________ George Griffin and John Canemaker

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(L) Jason McDonald, Masako Kanayama, Adrian Urquidez and Janet Benn
(R) Ray Kosarin, Ken Brown, Cathy and John Celestri

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All that’s left.
_____________________________________________

– Today is the final day of the film screenings at the Museum of Modern Art. Program II will screen at 2:45 and Program III will be screened at 4:45.

Program II:A Peaceable Kingdom includes the following films: Goodnight Moon, The Marzipan Pig, The Amazing Bone, Ira Sleeps Over, and The Story of The Dancing Frog.

This selection is somewhat dear to my heart. The Marzipan Pig and The Hunting of the Snark are my two favorites of the films. I purposefully separated them in the programs. Both are enormously different from each other, but both are similar. The metaphysical lies just on the surface as characters in animated films try to move forward with their lives. Only the important things matter to them. In the Snark they’re trying to rid the world of its demons. In the Pig they’re trying to find “love”, or, at least, connection.

The Marzipan Pig sits while all the sweetness runs out of him.

I love all of these films, and look forward to seeing them again on a big screen. The great artists who helped put these films together include the following:

___________Julie Allen___________John Aller___________Ed Askinazi
___________Debbie Baber________Dante Barbetta______.Gary Becker
___________Quentin Blake________Bob Bushell_________Laura Bryson
___________Charlotte Cary-Booth__Doug Compton______Tim Curry
___________Billy Crystal_________.Tissa David_________John R. Dilworth
___________Rodolfo Damaggio____.Steven Dovas_______Ray Feldman
___________Wolf Ferro__________. William Finn_________Maxine Fisher
___________Danny Gerard_____-__Stephen Gambello____Eddie Gomez
___________Edna Harris_________.Xiaogang He_________Jonathan Hill
___________Russell Hoban_______.Grace Johnston______.Masako Kanayama
___________Yvette Kaplan________Carol Kilbanks_______Sophie Kittredge
___________Michael Klein________.Ray Kosarin_________James Laev
___________Stephen MacQuignon__Robert Marianetti_____Miguel Martinez
___________Mark Mayerson______.George McClements___Jason McDonald
___________Giuliana Nicodemi____.Christine O’Neill______Gregory Perler
___________Sue Perrotto_________Amanda Plummer____.Caleb Sampson
___________Susan Sarandon______Morton Schindel______Elizabeth Seidman
___________Theresa Smythe______Jarrod Specter_______Heidi Stallings
___________Michael Starobin______Jeremy Steig________William Steig
___________Tape House Toons____Ian Thomson________Bridget Thorne
___________Mary Thorne_________Bernard Waber______Mo Willems
___________Michael Wisniewski

Many thanks to all of these people for all your help in getting these films completed so beautifully.

Goodnight Moon: Duplicating a book with cg and hiding that fact.

Ira Sleeps Over at Reggie’s.

Program I: Last night, Friday, was the start of the MOMA series. Heidi Stallings, Matt Clinton and I met up with Josh Siegel of the Museum in the lobby. Heidi and Matt left to grab seats while Josh and I stood in the rear waiting for the start. He’d introduce me and I’d said hello. We also decided that I answer a Q&A at the end.

The audience was close to full – I saw a few empty seats. From the animation community I saw a handful of people (at least, of those I knew). They were all people who had worked with me in getting the films made. Masako Kanayama, Ray Kosarin, Patty Stren, John Canemaker. This sort of pleased me in that there was a big audience of people who didn’t know me or the films. They were interested.

After the opening pleasantries, the show started with Mona Mon Amour. This is a film that I always thought was funny. But in the few screenings I’ve seen of it, the audience of animators didn’t even sound like they were even smiling. It always confused me. Well, this screening got big laughs. It really made me perk up. I’m glad Patty and here husband were there to hear them laugh with her film. Champagne was politely quiet, as the audience stayed involved in this difficult film. It’s always been a tad heavyhanded for me, and it was so again last night. The Man Who Walked Between The Towers was the best received. The audience was completely into it. They laughed when they should have, and gasped when I didn’t realize it was coming. Lyle Lyle Crocodile looked beautiful. The music score seemed a touch loud, but it worked well with the stereo screening. How off character the characters are for so much of the film, but it somehow works. The film was pleasant to see again. The Little Match Girl was a completely different film than the one I remembered. It’s a long story, but the film went through a long hard making, and I removed myself from it after completing it in 1990. Many of the voices were those of animators, and it was great hearing them again. Theresa Smythe did an absolutely brilliant job as Angela, and she got a lot of laughs. The film moved slowly for me and was the most problematic, but it looked great, and I was glad to have seen it again.

The Q&A afterward was about 15 mins. long and the audience asked good questions. One woman asked if creativity had changed over the 26 years in the history of my studio. I answered that the creativity came from within me and the people who worked with me, so it hadn’t really changed because of time but had because of influences and finances.

All in all it was a great evening for me. I had a lot of fun. A fine start.

Program II:Fables at the Museum of Modern Art will be screened today at 3:30PM and tomorrow at 2:45. The films to be screened include: Doctor DeSoto, Abel’s Island, The Red Shoes and The Hunting of the Snark.

Abel witnesses the first thaw of the season in Abel’s Island.

I’d like to take this moment to thank all the artists who were involved in the production of these films. I couldn’t have made these films as beautifully without their help. They include:

__________Isabella Bannerman ______Betsy Bauer ______Gary Becker
__________Charlotte Booth__________Laura Bryson______Mark Bykov
__________Diana Sara Cherkas______Devon Collins______Doug Compton
__________Lisa Crafts______________Tim Curry________ Arthur Custer
__________Tissa David_____________Ossie Davis_______ John R. Dilworth
__________Steven Dovas___________Daniel Esterman___ Madeline Fan
__________Wolf Ferro______________Maxine Fisher______Kathryn Gradner
__________Simi Gulati_____________ Kit Hawkins_______ Matthew Jacobson
__________Lionel Jeffries___________James Earl Jones___ Perry Kiefer
__________Carol Kilbanks__________Sophie Kittredge____Ray Kosarin
__________Terry Waxman Koshel____Sono Kuwayama____Stephen MacQuignon
__________Robert Marianetti________Mark Mayerson_____George McClements
__________Jason McDonald_________Giuliana Nicodemi___Christine O’Neill
__________Edwin O’Neill___________ Gregory Perler_____.Thomas Repasky
__________Caleb Sampson_________Morton Schindel_____Elizabeth Seidman
__________Theresa Smythe________ Heidi Stallings______William Steig
__________Bridget Thorne__________Mary Thorne_______ Ernest Troost
__________Larry White____________Michael Wisniewski

The crew listens to the Bellman speak in The Hunting of the Snark.

A dance in the deep dark woods with non-stop dancing red shoes.

___=(Click any image to enlarge.)

Program III: A Peaceable Kingdom will screen today at 5:30 and tomorrow at 4:45. I’ll focus on it tomorrow.

Yesterday
- An art exhibit of William Steig’s work opened yesterday at the Jewish Museum. It’s nice to note that Steig’s original art for Doctor DeSoto, The Amazing Bone and Abel’s Island will be on display at the same time that my films of his books will be shown at the Museum of Modern Art.

Note that art from his beautiful book, Shrek, will also be displayed. (Looking at Steig’s stunning illustrations, it’s hard to understand how such an ugly solution evolved into the films’ style.)

“The Art of William Steig” runs through March 16 at the Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave., at 92nd Street; (212) 423-3200.

Next Weekend
- It was a kick getting my regular email from MOMA – I’m a member. Labeled MoMA Film E-News, November 2-16, 2007 I expected some small mention but was surprised to find the following:

Michael Sporn
November 9–12

Michael Sporn has been a vital creative force in New York animation for thirty-five years. Prior to opening his independent studio in 1980, the Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award–winning producer/director worked closely with many legendary animation artists on commercials, shorts, and feature-length films. Sporn has produced a remarkably diverse range of animation, including feature film titles (Sidney Lumet’s Prince of the City), television specials (HBO’s Lyle, Lyle Crocodile), and even visuals for the Broadway stage (the 1981 musical Woman of the Year). A sensitive interpreter _____________Doctor De Soto. 1984. USA.
of children’s stories for the screen, Sporn has ____________Directed by Michael Sporn
carefully adapted to animation the unique styles
of storybook illustrators like William Steig, Russell Hoban, Bernard Waber, and Mordicai Gerstein. Sporn’s own production design distinguishes his adaptations of such classic tales as The Red Shoes and The Hunting of the Snark, as well as socially conscious films like Champagne.

I guess I just didn’t expect as much attention. I have to admit I love it; who wouldn’t? What I most look forward to is giving some of these films a small bit of attention. There are a few films that I do cherish, and I’m glad they’ll be projected on a big screen. Mike and Phyllis Barrier will be in town as will John and Cathy Celestri. It’s been some time, and I will be happy to see them again.

Here, again, is the complete breakdown of the shows appearing in MOMA‘s catalogue:

Friday, November 9, 6:30; Repeated Saturday, November 10, 1:30. T2
Michael Sporn Program 1: New York Stories

Mona Mon Amour. 2001. Humorist Patti Stren looks for love in all the wrong places in this comical monologue of modern-day neuroses. 9 min.
Champagne. 1996. A moving animated documentary portrait of Champagne Saltes, a bright and sassy fourteen-year-old who lived in a convent school while her drug-addicted mother was in prison for murder. 13 min.
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. 2005. On an iconic moment in New York history, the day in 1974 when French aerialist Philippe Petit made his death-defying tightrope walk across the towers of the not-yet-finished World Trade Center. Based on Mordicai Gerstein’s Caldecott Award-winning book and narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal. 10 min.
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile. 1987. The comic misadventures of Bernard Waber’s beloved neighborhood reptile (in the classic children’s book The House on East 88th Street) are narrated by Tony Randall with songs by Charles Strouse (Annie). 26 min.
The Little Match Girl. 1991. Abandoned to the wintry streets of New York, a little girl inspires compassion for the homeless in this lovely rendition of the Hans Christian Andersen tale. Narrated by F. Murray Abraham. 26 min. Program 84 min.

Saturday, November 10, 3:30; Repeated Sunday, November 11, 2:45. T2
Michael Sporn Program 2: Fables

Doctor DeSoto. 1984. An Oscar-nominated adaptation of William Steig’s classic story about a clever mouse-dentist who outwits a conniving fox. 10 min.
Abel’s Island. 1988. A sudden gale storm whisks William Steig’s Edwardian mouse, Abelard Hassam di Chirico Flint, away from his wife and home, depositing him on a primitive, deserted island. With the voices of Tim Curry and others. 26 min.
The Red Shoes. 1990. Using a vibrant palette, Sporn transposes Hans Christian Andersen’s touching tale to contemporary Harlem. Narrated by Ossie Davis. 26 min.
The Hunting of the Snark. 1989. Lewis Carroll’s wondrously nonsensical poem, narrated by James Earl Jones, is brought to life through a range of visual conceits and animation techniques. 19 min. Program 81 min.

Saturday, November 10, 5:30; Repeated Sunday, November 11, 4:45. T2
Michael Sporn Program 3: A Peaceable Kingdom

Goodnight Moon. 1999. Margaret Wise Brown’s sixty-year-old book, with illustrations by Clement Hurd, has pride of place in every American child’s bedroom, and is joyously brought to the screen in this award-winning adaptation. Narrated by Susan Sarandon. 4 min.
The Marzipan Pig. 1990. Based on Russell Hoban’s deeply touching fable of unrequited love involving a marzipan pig, a bee, a taxi meter, a flower, a mouse, and a clock. Narrated by Tim Curry. 26 min.
The Amazing Bone. 1985. Dark adventures await Pearl, William Steig’s sweet-natured piglet, when she discovers a magical talking bone that has fallen out of a witch’s basket. 12 min.
Ira Sleeps Over. 1992. A delightful adaptation of Bernard Waber’s story about a momentous sleepover, with songs by Tony Award-winning composer William Finn. 26 min.
The Story of the Dancing Frog. 1989. A sophisticated British widow becomes the stage manager to a debonair frog, who dazzles crowds the world over with his cakewalk, polka and tap dance routines. Based on the book by Quentin Blake, narrated by Amanda Plummer. 26 min. Program 94 min.

Monday, November 12, 7:00. T2
An Evening with Michael Sporn.

The artist in conversation with animation historian/filmmaker John Canemaker and MoMA assistant curator Joshua Siegel, illustrated with clips from his award-winning animated films, including a new short, Pab’s First Burger, and an excerpt from his feature-length work-in-progress about the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe. Sporn’s career is also traced through his commercials, public service announcements, title sequences, and visuals for the Broadway stage. Program 90 min.

– My big Museum of Modern Art retrospective is rapidly approaching, and plans are getting tighter and tighter. We have a program for the shows and I thought this might be a good time to let you know what it is (especially since MOMA has just posted it on their calandar this weekend.)

There are three film programs starting on Friday, November 9th at 6:30PM. It continues all day Saturday at 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30. One of the Saturday shows is a repeat of Friday’s. The rest of the films repeat on Sunday at 2:45 and 4:45.

On Monday, November 12th at 7PM the programs conclude with a live chat between John Canemaker, Josh Siegel (of MOMA) and me. This program will include film clips new and old – including two new shorts we’ve just completed as well as a sample of the animatic we’ve done for our feature, POE.

Here’s the complete breakdown of the shows appearing in MOMA’s catalogue:

Friday, November 9, 6:30; Repeated Saturday, November 10, 1:30. T2
Michael Sporn Program 1: New York Stories

Mona Mon Amour. 2001. Humorist Patti Stren looks for love in all the wrong places in this comical monologue of modern-day neuroses. 9 min.
Champagne. 1996. A moving animated documentary portrait of Champagne Saltes, a bright and sassy fourteen-year-old who lived in a convent school while her drug-addicted mother was in prison for murder. 13 min.
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. 2005. On an iconic moment in New York history, the day in 1974 when French aerialist Philippe Petit made his death-defying tightrope walk across the towers of the not-yet-finished World Trade Center. Based on Mordicai Gerstein’s Caldecott Award-winning book and narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal. 10 min.
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile. 1987. The comic misadventures of Bernard Waber’s beloved neighborhood reptile (in the classic children’s book The House on East 88th Street) are narrated by Tony Randall with songs by Charles Strouse (Annie). 26 min.
The Little Match Girl. 1991. Abandoned to the wintry streets of New York, a little girl inspires compassion for the homeless in this lovely rendition of the Hans Christian Andersen tale. Narrated by F. Murray Abraham. 26 min. Program 84 min.

Saturday, November 10, 3:30; Repeated Sunday, November 11, 2:45. T2
Michael Sporn Program 2: Fables

Doctor DeSoto. 1984. An Oscar-nominated adaptation of William Steig’s classic story about a clever mouse-dentist who outwits a conniving fox. 10 min.
Abel’s Island. 1988. A sudden gale storm whisks William Steig’s Edwardian mouse, Abelard Hassam di Chirico Flint, away from his wife and home, depositing him on a primitive, deserted island. With the voices of Tim Curry and others. 26 min.
The Red Shoes. 1990. Using a vibrant palette, Sporn transposes Hans Christian Andersen’s touching tale to contemporary Harlem. Narrated by Ossie Davis. 26 min.
The Hunting of the Snark. 1989. Lewis Carroll’s wondrously nonsensical poem, narrated by James Earl Jones, is brought to life through a range of visual conceits and animation techniques. 19 min. Program 81 min.

Saturday, November 10, 5:30; Repeated Sunday, November 11, 4:45. T2
Michael Sporn Program 3: A Peaceable Kingdom

Goodnight Moon. 1999. Margaret Wise Brown’s sixty-year-old book, with illustrations by Clement Hurd, has pride of place in every American child’s bedroom, and is joyously brought to the screen in this award-winning adaptation. Narrated by Susan Sarandon. 4 min.
The Marzipan Pig. 1990. Based on Russell Hoban’s deeply touching fable of unrequited love involving a marzipan pig, a bee, a taxi meter, a flower, a mouse, and a clock. Narrated by Tim Curry. 26 min.
The Amazing Bone. 1985. Dark adventures await Pearl, William Steig’s sweet-natured piglet, when she discovers a magical talking bone that has fallen out of a witch’s basket. 12 min.
Ira Sleeps Over. 1992. A delightful adaptation of Bernard Waber’s story about a momentous sleepover, with songs by Tony Award-winning composer William Finn. 26 min.
The Story of the Dancing Frog. 1989. A sophisticated British widow becomes the stage manager to a debonair frog, who dazzles crowds the world over with his cakewalk, polka and tap dance routines. Based on the book by Quentin Blake, narrated by Amanda Plummer. 26 min. Program 94 min.

Monday, November 12, 7:00. T2
An Evening with Michael Sporn.

The artist in conversation with animation historian/filmmaker John Canemaker and MoMA assistant curator Joshua Siegel, illustrated with clips from his award-winning animated films, including a new short, Pab’s First Burger, and an excerpt from his feature-length work-in-progress about the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe. Sporn’s career is also traced through his commercials, public service announcements, title sequences, and visuals for the Broadway stage. Program 90 min.

– To continue my pix display of art for an animated Jabberwocky, I’m posting here a few of the images from my short adaptation of the poem. I tried to mimic a style I’d used in my oil paintings and felt it was a bit successful. I don’t think the filmed version is all it could be – it was rushed to complete a package which included the 19 min. film, The Hunting of the Snark, as well as an animated documentary done about Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poems. Of course, the video package wouldn’t have made sense without including Jabberwocky.
(click any image to enlarge.)

But I’ve scanned these images from the actual artwork and realize how well they’ve held up. I’m going to redo the film digitally and see where I can go with it.

Here are some of the images:

‘Twas brillig and the slithy toves,
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!”

“Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought -

So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

‘Twas brillig and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

– The Hunting of the Snark, by Lewis Carroll, is one of my favorite poems. It is also, among the films I’ve made, one of my favorites.

Two of my favorite illustrators, Ralph Steadman and Quentin Blake, have both illustrated versions of the Carroll poem.

I didn’t know either of these books when I made the film, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t familiar with each other’s adaptations of the poem.
Yet, it’s interesting how similarly some of the illustrated settings are given only Carroll’s poem.

I thought it might be entertaining to post some of the illustrations from the two books, both in B&W, along with some frame grabs of the similar sequences from my film.

The cover of Steadman’s book is to the left.
(Click on any image to enlarge.)

The original book was illustrated by Henry Holiday.

I was never particularly fond of his images and found little inspiration, there, in adapting the poem to film.
He was an English Pre-Raphaelite artist who didn’t seem to do more than illustrate the poem, despite the fact that he supposedly delighted in the project.

I don’t think Carroll found an equal to Tenniel in Holiday.

For those who would like to read the poem, in its entirety, you can find it here.

Quentin Blake’s title page.

The opening sequence to my film.

The Butcher and Beaver meet.

Blake’s landing of the crew.

Steadman’s landing.

Chasms and crags.

Blake’s hunting.

“They walked along shoulder to shoulder.”

Steadman’s Butcher & Beaver “walk along side by side.”

It was a “Boojum,” you see.

Blake’s Vanishing

Steadman’s Vanishing

The End

- These photos come from 1989 just after my studio moved downtown from 34 West 38th Street to 632 Broadway. It was a dynamic new area of NY in the Village that was popping with people. We remained in this space until 2002.

At the time these photos were taken, the studio wasn’t crowded. Those pictured here were among the mainstays for awhile and were with me for a number of years.

The studio, itself, was a big, wide open space. An ex-Art Gallery, it was separated by dividers that contained paints, cels, paper, et al. At one point or another, these dividers housed people preparing the art for camera.

Back row L to R: Theresa Smythe, Mike Winiewski, Ray Kosarin, George McClements.
Sitting L to R: me, Jason McDonald, Steve MacQuignon, Mary Thorne, Masako Kanayama

Above: The wall, just behind us in this group photo, led to an editing room where the editor worked. (At the time it was Greg Perler, who soon moved to Hollywood, and was replaced by Ed Askinazi.) The green room to the back left of the editing area was used for storage. We’d obviously just moved in because the walls here were covered with steel shelving not too long after this photo was taken.

Against the wall R to L: Ray Kosarin, Mike Wisniewski, George McClements, a divider, Steve MacQuignon, Masako Kanayama. Theresa Smythe sat all the way in the back during this photo shoot. Normally, she sat up front.
To the left is Mary Thorne (who most often worked across from me outside of the picture frame.) Out of picture is Jason McDonald just behind Mary.

(Above) This is the studio from my space. In the foreground is a divider and a shelving unit (in which my tape machines & video equipt were housed) which were part of my space.

L to R: Masako, Steve (partially hidden), George, Ray (standing), Mary.
(Jason isn’t at his desk. At the time he was a p/t runner/artist; so he may have been on a delivery. He eventually rose in the studio to Art Directing/Bg Artist.)

(Above) And here we are from the back of the studio looking forward. You can get a glimpse of my area all the way at the end, behind the shelving units in back of Ray.

4 5
4. Jason MacDonald, rendering
5. George McClements & Mike Wisniewski, both animating

6 7
6. Mary Thorne, rendering on cels
7. Masako Kanayama, production coordinating

8 9
8. Theresa Smythe, animating
9. Stephen MacQuignon, coloring art

I’m not quite sure what we were working on at the time. I believe we were in the middle of a video called Baby’s Storytime which had Arlo Guthrie narrating favorite tales – mostly Aesop.
We were about to start The Red Shoes and a series of six other half-hour shows. We had just completed Abel’s Island and The Hunting of the Snark a couple of months prior.

Things were good at the time.

10. Ray Kosarin, animating