Commentary &SpornFilms 16 Jan 2010 09:11 am
Notes
- Every couple of months HBO Family schedules a lot of my shows for a one day marathon. Today’s one of those days. Here’s the schedule for the films on that channel in case you’re channel surfing looking to fill a couple of minutes:
Saturday January 16th
LYLE LYLE CROCODILE
2:00 PM HBO FAMILY – EAST
5:00 PM HBO FAMILY – WEST
THE STORY OF THE DANCING FROG
2:30 PM HBO FAMILY – EAST
5:30 PM HBO FAMILY – WEST
THE RED SHOES
3:00 PM HBO FAMILY – EAST
6:00 PM HBO FAMILY – WEST
EARTHDAY BIRTHDAY
3:30 PM HBO FAMILY – EAST
6:30 PM HBO FAMILY – WEST
MIKE MULLIGAN & HIS STEAMSHOVEL
4:00 PM HBO FAMILY – EAST
7:00 PM HBO FAMILY – WEST
THE MARZIPAN PIG
5:00 PM HBO FAMILY – EAST
8:00 PM HBO FAMILY – WEST
THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL
5:30 PM HBO FAMILY – EAST
5:30 PM HBO FAMILY – WEST
IRA SLEEPS OVER
6:30 PM HBO FAMILY – EAST
9:30 PM HBO FAMILY – WEST
Each month I update the full monthly schedule of the screening of my work over at my site www.michaelspornanimation.com
- Variety, this week, had a couple of articles about animation that were probably designed to catch the eye of Oscar voters, but gave me a bit of reading about 2D, Hollywood style.
Strong voices toon up was nominally about voices for animation, but in this case, particularly Keith David who did a couple of voices for animated features this year. He was the villain, Dr. Facilier, in The Princess and the Frog and the cat in Coraline.
Retro sequence sings in ‘Princess’ is a short piece about the well-designed “Moderne” song number (“Almost There”) from The Princess and the Frog. I rather liked this sequence and would have hoped for more from Variety on this piece (probably also promoting the song for the Oscar). During Friday Night’s Critics’ Choice Awards, this was the song that was singled out for attention. It might have been nice if Variety had named an animator or designer in the article.
This image was pulled from Chronicle Books’ The Art of The Princess and the Frog by Jeff Kurti. The four images are credited to visual development artist, Sue Nichols. I would have liked to have seen more about this sequence in this book, as well. A total of two pages go to the standout sequence. Short shrift.
There were also quite a few lines about animation in other articles in Variety that perked my ears. This one, for example, had me wondering about the WGA:
“This year’s eligible WGA titles include an animated film — Henry Selick’s adapted script for Coraline from Neil Gaiman’s book. Since the WGA doesn’t usually cover animation, those screenplays are usually ineligible.”
Why are screenplays ineligible? Is it because animation is considered inferior by the WGA relegating animation writers to the Screen Cartoonists’ Guild? Ratatouille received a WGA nomination, though it looks as though Brad Bird was not a WGA member at the time.
Meanwhile the Oscar rules for music contribution have gotten a bit arcane and bizarre. This week it was decided that Randy Newman’s score for The Princess and the Frog was ineligible to compete for an Academy Award for the Best Score. The rule states: “scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other preexisting music,
diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs, or assembled from the music of more than one composer.”
In English, that means there are songs so they don’t want the musicals to compete for score, too. Apparently this idiotic rule came in when Alan Menken won a number of Best Songs and Best Scores in a row. The board put a stop to that!
Why isn’t there still an award for Best Song Score? This existed for many years and now it’s a no-no. Pretty foolish. Just like the automatic selection of 10 films for Best Picture so that some popular films won’t be left out. The problem is this year there aren’t 10 films that I can name which are worthy of an Oscar.
- There’s an excellent article in the NYTimes (actually one of many) by André Aciman celebrating the work and the intimacy of Eric Rohmer. I still am sad over this week’s enormous loss.
on 16 Jan 2010 at 9:34 am 1.Elliot Cowan said …
“The problem is this year there aren’t 10 films that I can name which are worthy of an Oscar.”
Hell yes.
on 16 Jan 2010 at 12:49 pm 2.richard o'connor said …
WGA awards only go to WGA members. They’re guild awards.
Yes, because animation writing is represented by the SCG those scripts are not eligible.
This is also why many live action writers (Tarantino, is a big example) aren’t eligible. They choose not to be members.
on 16 Jan 2010 at 12:50 pm 3.richard o'connor said …
I meant to add, Brad Bird must’ve been a member for Ratatouille there are not exceptions to eligibility rules.
on 16 Jan 2010 at 2:00 pm 4.BZ said …
Another animation article I just came across was the profile of the great William Kentridge in a recent New Yorker. In the obligatory “painstaking labor” paragraph the author contrasts Kentridge’s methods with the “computer drawn cels” of a Pixar film. Classic.
on 16 Jan 2010 at 9:22 pm 5.Jenny said …
I’m pretty sure Brad has been a member of the WGA since his “Batteries Not Included” live action screenplay days.
on 17 Jan 2010 at 4:56 am 6.Grant said …
Sue Nichols production designs for “PATF” are amazing. She designed most of the cool graphic works in the film.
on 17 Jan 2010 at 2:45 pm 7.David Nethery said …
For the “Almost There” sequence other artists who contributed a lot to that sequence besides Sue Nichols Maciorowski include Joe Pitt, Lorelay Bove, Eric Daniels, Doug Walker, and Eric Goldberg who directed the animation on that sequence. Other animators on the sequence were Bert Klein, Hyun-min Lee, Frans Vischer, Bill Waldman, Sandro Cluezo, and Sarah Airriess.
on 17 Jan 2010 at 4:44 pm 8.Michael said …
Thank you, David. The sequence is my favorite in the film. I’m glad to see the people responsible get credit.
on 18 Jan 2010 at 4:56 am 9.Ward said …
I was going to mention Lorelay Bove as well, Dave – you beat me to it! Lorelay did the backgrounds and some vis dev on that sequence. Here’s an interview with her: http://moniqueblog.net/?p=3907
Her blog: http://lorelaybove.blogspot.com
I think she used to have a LOT more up on her blog about that sequence, but now it’s not there. She also illustrated the Princess & the Frog Little Golden Book. Beautiful work.
on 22 Jan 2010 at 11:28 am 10.Scott said …
I agree. Sue Nichols beautiful concept and designs for the Princess/Frog are one of the best and most resonant things about the films. Her idea of the shadows was brilliant, if mis-used. Everyone following her work did a good job, too.
Too bad t he film is so middling.