Visual Effects Nominees Spotlight | 93rd Oscars VFX Bake-off Apr 21, 2021

Hello blog, 2022 has been off to a slow start for me with my duties in a new position at the Animation Guild, and the restrictions of the continuing Covid pandemic. https://animationguild.org/ Still coping with losses in the family, and the shut down of our Computer Lab. Trying to get my rest, and searching for some new inspiration. Will try to catch the Oscars, as well as the Annie Awards coming soon. Forward! https://annieawards.org/

How 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse' Was Animated | Movies Insider

Innovations in Animation - Part 2 - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

 It's been a hard year. As we start to dig out from under the horrors of 2020 and the Covid pandemic, let's take a moment to get back to my topic of Innovations in Animation. After my first entry from the 1980's, ("Twice Upon A Time") I want to jump forward to the 21st Century. Through the years, Sony Pictures was not my top pick as far as animation or superhero film studios go. But Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature for the studio. I finally saw it on Blu-Ray, and it definitely caught my attention.

(copyright Sony/Marvel/Disney?) 

Comic book style! Other attempts have been made, with dubious success.

Hand drawn effects over 3D, far advanced from old cell shaders.

 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4633694/

https://www.imageworks.com/our-craft/feature-animation/movies/spider-man-spider-verse

 https://www.foundry.com/insights/film-tv/into-spiderverse 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEXUG_vN540

https://characterdesignreferences.com/art-of-animation-7/art-of-spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-part-1?fbclid=IwAR1iIrNQ4S-zKVtUY0NEt36ya6HTwBJd1dfF6s8C4k-8EGVT5UupxSUXr4E

 Art Direction by Dean Gordon, Patrick O'Keefe

Production Design -  Justin K. Thompson

Danny Dimian - Visual Effects Supervisor

Directed by
Bob Persichetti     
Peter Ramsey     
Rodney Rothman

Writing Credits  
Phil Lord     ...     Screenplay
Rodney Rothman     ...     Screenplay
 
Phil Lord     ...    Story

Paul Watling - Head of Story

 

While it's not a direct part of the MCU, Kevin Feige's hand still seemed to be felt.

Best Animated Feature - Toy Story 4

Well, it had to happen:

Toy Story 4 won Best Animated Feature for 2019.

I know many people were hoping that "Klaus" would win, after their success at the Annie Awards.

Plus the stop motion feature missing link had high hopes as well.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-02-09/animated-feature-2020-oscar

https://oscar.go.com/nominees/animated-feature-film/animated-feature-film-toy-story-4

But it's a business. The Mouse was able to squeeze one more film out of  the Toy Story series, and perhaps left the door open for "Toy Story, The Next Generation".

I'm being too cynical here; Woody and Buzz are beloved characters. We can't just write them off.

But after Klaus, and the other innovations taking place in animation, I think the audience is ready for something new.

 

Stay tuned...

(copyright Disney/Pixar)

Richard Williams - March 19, 1933 – August 16, 2019

The second to last time I saw Richard Williams in person Friday was evening October 4th, 2013 at thethe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. It was part of the Marc Davis Celebration of Animation.

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was the film that finally got me to move to California, and get into animation. I think this was the last time I felt the magic. I kind of envied how Richard made his own way in the business, and definitely how he developed his own style.

I did manage to get his autograph years ago, but I forgot when and where this was *UPDATE* at the LA film school near the Cinerama dome in Hollywood. I'm guessing it was in the mid 1990's. Charles Fleischer signed my VHS tape cover as well. I thought I saw Richard at the Animation Guild a few years ago, for an ASIFA or Women in Animation event. I think he noticed this VHS cover sitting in the window above the computer lab door. He was gone in a flash, and I don't remember the date.

He will be missed, but he won't be forgotten!

(copyright Amblin Entertainment, Touchstone Home Video)

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/richard-williams-dead-who-framed-roger-rabbit-animator-was-86-1232785

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49382175

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Williams_(animator)

(copyright Motion Picture Academy)

(copyright Motion Picture Academy)

https://animationre-creation.blogspot.com/2013/10/richard-williams-at-motion-picture.html


 https://animationre-creation.blogspot.com/2009/03/richard-williams-survival-guide-micro.html

Oscars - Best Animated Feature and Best Animated Short for 2018

The nominees for 2018 are -

Animated Feature
“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird
“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson
“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda
“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Animated Short
“Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine
“Bao,” Domee Shi
“Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall
“One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas
“Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez

With some bad news...

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/awards/academy-voters-dont-watch-the-animated-features-they-vote-on-and-the-academy-is-fine-with-that-170670.html?fbclid=IwAR0fyGO6Nzkyhppfr7V_L1xmc3Nd13TKa1q1X-sMX-BGt1SRpyf-0ktH_yo

And the winners are...
 Best Animated Feature
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
and
Best Animated Short
Bao

https://www.sonypictures-guilds.com/spiderman-into-the-spiderverse

 (copyright A.M.P.A.S, Marvel, Sony and Time-Warner. Sorta)

Best Animated Feature 2016 - Inside Out

No surprises here.

(images copyright Pixar/Disney)

http://oscar.go.com/nominees/animated-feature-film/inside-out

I may have to watch it again. If this was a film about depression, or childhood trauma, or just how a human being becomes lost when key moments in life do not come together in the right way, then all the eye candy in this film distracted me from those points.

Best Animated Short 2016 - Bear Story

 Okay, it's not heavy journalism, but now I want to see this.

I guess that's what the Oscars are for, more exposure.

(images copyright of the authors)

http://oscar.go.com/nominees/short-film-animated/bear-story

VFX Solidarity at the Oscars 2014

https://www.facebook.com/VfxSolidarityIntl

http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-visual-effects-march.html

Update:
http://www.salon.com/2014/03/02/injustice_at_the_oscars_the_controversies_that_hollywood_doesnt_want_you_to_hear_about/

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/oscar-protest-visual-effects-protestors-take-to-streets-1201123929/

VFX Workers protest at Oscars 2014

After the "Life of Pi"/Rhythm and Hues fallout last year, the strife goes on...

http://www.deadline.com/2014/02/oscars-vfx-rally-visual-effects-adapt/

                        ("Modern Times" copyright Roy Export SAS)
http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/contacts/articles/130-Roy-Export-SAS 

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/documentary-2/life-after-pi-documentary-exposes-flawed-vfx-business-model-96579.html

http://entertainment.time.com/2014/02/26/oscars-2014-protest-vfx/

Of course, the police are concerned with any potential outbreaks of violence. As though a bunch of computer art geeks are going to cause another L.A. riot...

http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/rally-again.html

Undercutting to get film deals, and maybe due to not developing original properties? And the "big" studios squeezing every penny they can to get those blockbusters...

Richard Williams at the Motion Picture Academy

Not to be glum, but that Friday evening October 4th will probably be the last time I see Richard Williams in person. As part of the Marc Davis Celebration of Animation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave the evening to Richard. It had been a long day, and my stomach was acting up. I felt a bit trampled watching the autograph hounds mob him after the presentation. It was his night, and I figured he would make it home okay.

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2013/10/this-amazing-medium.html

Richard recounted the key animated films that had shaped his career, such as the "Silly Song" sequence from Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the performance by Milt Kahl of the tiger Shere Khan from the "Jungle Book", the demon from the "Night on Bald Mountain" from "Fantasia", and John Hubley's "Rooty Toot Toot". I'd never seen "Rooty Toot Toot" before, I thought I knew most of John Hubley's work.

After outlining how these classics influenced him, Richard also took us through his work with his 1972 "A Christmas Carol", "The Return of the Pink Panther", "The Thief and the Cobbler", and of course, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". "The Rabbit", as Richard called it, earned him an Oscar for Special Achievement in Animation. Roger Rabbit was the film that finally got me to move to California, and get into animation.

We also got to see his personal project "Circus Drawings" that he finished in 2010. Richard converted sketches he did observing a small circus in Spain into a short animated film. Very dreamy, very smooth animation on "ones".

Here's the cover from the evening's program:

And here's the program from the Roger Rabbit 25th Reunion that I managed to glom onto.
(I think I got the last one!)

Still, it was good to set foot inside the Samuel Goldwyn Theater again. I still have some photos from my first Hollywood trip where our teacher, Phil Skerry, got us to let us pose with Oscars.