ASIFA-Hollywood: The International Animated Film Society
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Self-Serving Promotion:
I talk about a lot of animation related produces in these pages. I think it is about time for me to plug my own product.
The 4th edition of my ebook, Animation on a $hoe$tring (tm): Building a Low Cost Animation Studio with your Home Computer is finished and available from my web site agni-animation.com/shoestring.html.
This is a book of strategies, produce research and reviews, product links, low cost work-a-rounds and gorilla animated filmmaking tricks modeled after the 1920 Edwin G. Lutz book Animated Cartoons: How They Are Made, Their Origin and Development.
When I set up my State Funded Animation program in Orange, California back in 1995 I had to fight for the budget for every single animation tool I brought into the classroom. I soon found that it was easier if I picked my fights and go after only the big items that I could not cobble together on my own.
Having a background in gorilla filmmaking from my special effects days and having grown up with tools in my father`s garage I found it was easy to go back to the low-tech tricks of yesteryears and adapt them to a new age.
Through the years the number one question that students ask me is how do I set up my own studio?.
This ebook can show you how to put together a traditional 2-D animation studio for around $300 to $400, input, manipulation, and output to DVD. There is an expanded section on Stop Motion (my first love) hundreds of links to products and video examples.
So there is my self-serving promotion. The book is aimed at the student and beginner but also has stuff for the professional. All the links were updated just before Comic Con. Thank you for listening. P.S. There is a free demo of the book on my site.
I talk about a lot of animation related produces in these pages. I think it is about time for me to plug my own product.
The 4th edition of my ebook, Animation on a $hoe$tring (tm): Building a Low Cost Animation Studio with your Home Computer is finished and available from my web site agni-animation.com/shoestring.html.
This is a book of strategies, produce research and reviews, product links, low cost work-a-rounds and gorilla animated filmmaking tricks modeled after the 1920 Edwin G. Lutz book Animated Cartoons: How They Are Made, Their Origin and Development.
When I set up my State Funded Animation program in Orange, California back in 1995 I had to fight for the budget for every single animation tool I brought into the classroom. I soon found that it was easier if I picked my fights and go after only the big items that I could not cobble together on my own.
Having a background in gorilla filmmaking from my special effects days and having grown up with tools in my father`s garage I found it was easy to go back to the low-tech tricks of yesteryears and adapt them to a new age.
Through the years the number one question that students ask me is how do I set up my own studio?.
This ebook can show you how to put together a traditional 2-D animation studio for around $300 to $400, input, manipulation, and output to DVD. There is an expanded section on Stop Motion (my first love) hundreds of links to products and video examples.
So there is my self-serving promotion. The book is aimed at the student and beginner but also has stuff for the professional. All the links were updated just before Comic Con. Thank you for listening. P.S. There is a free demo of the book on my site.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Bob Bergen Speaks: Part 1
The following is part 1 of an e-mail interview with legendary animation voice and voice over teacher Bob Bergen.
BB:
Hey bud!!
I`m off to a fan convention in Orlando. But let me at least start answering your questions. Thanks again for the cruise PR!! (for more info on Bob`s Voice Acting Cruise go to: bobbergen.com)
Not only is Bob the official voice of Porky Pig, he has voiced Luke Skywalker for a number of Star Wars animations, done the voices of Marvin the Martian, Tweety Bird, voiced No-Face and the Frog in Miyazaki`s Spirited Away (along with a number of other Anime redubs) done Additional Voices in just about everything and has been teaching Voice Over seminars for over 18 years.
LL: Bob, first off, thank you for doing this interview and thank you for running in and doing the last half of the ASIFA State of the Animation Industry panel at Comic Con. You saved our butt on that one.
BB: You`re welcome!! I had a blast at Comic-con!! And I enjoy panel hopping. It allows me to keep my pigish figure!
LL: Let`s start with your background, how did you get into this crazy business and when did you know that this is what you want to do?
BB: I was 5 when I told my folks I wanted to be Porky Pig when I grew up. Not the kinda thing a Jewish mother wants to hear. My Dad moved the family to LA when I was 14, and I went through the Yellow Pages looking up anything and everything that said "cartoon" or "animation". I found Hanna Barbara`s number and talked to Ginny McSwain, who referred me to Daws Butler. I studied with Daws for years, along with anyone else who taught a voice-over class in LA. A week after high school I got my first agent, Don Pitts. That same week I booked my first cartoon, Spiderman and his Amazing Friends. I worked as a tour guide at Universal for about 5 years before I was able to make it fulltime as an actor.
LL: You have been teaching your Voice Over seminars for 18 years. That means, first off, that you like teaching. Secondly, it means that you have mentored a lot of people.
How did you get into teaching?
BB: I was doing a play in 1987. My bio in the program mentioned my voice-over background. A gentleman came up to me after one of the performances and told me he was opening an acting school, and wondered if I was interested in teaching an animation voice-over class. I told him no, but thanks for asking. A few weeks later I was contacted by SAG asking if I would teach a seminar for members. They paid nothing, so I decided to do it. I figured if I sucked I wouldn`t feel guilty about getting paid. I found I not only enjoyed it, I was good at it! So I taught for free at SAG Conservatory for about a year. I then contacted the guy from the acting school and offered my services as their animation VO instructor. I taught there for about a year before opening my private animation voice-over workshop. Not only do I teach here in LA, but I also travel the country teaching weekend animation voice-over seminars.
LL: What do you get out of teaching other people to be your competition?
BB: I never think of it that way. My philosophy is if you are right for the job you`re going to get it, no matter who the competition is. This business is always looking for new talent. I take it as a compliment, and quite honestly get a thrill out of seeing a former student make it in the business.
LL: Who are your successful former students?
BB: OY, it`s 3:30 am, and I`m about to leave for a fan convention. My mind isn`t working on full caffein capacity yet, but here`s a short list off the top of my sleepy head:
Quinton Flynn, who does lots of cartoons including Johnny Quest,
His brother Bart [Flynn] who does the promos for Jeopardy! (good talent genes in the Flynn family)
Michael Reisz.
I know there are oodles more but just can`t think right now. I`ll get back to you when I get back on this one.
LL: Who were your mentors in the business?
BB: Mel Blanc, Daws Butler, June Foray, Frank Welker, Dom Messick, Paul Winchell, etc.
LL: One of the things that stayed with me from your appearance on the ASIFA panel at Comic Con is a statement you made about animation voice acting not just being funny voices, it was finding the character and acting in that funny voice. I knew I butchered the paraphrase so why don`t you restate and then explain/expand this idea a little more?
BB: It`s not about how many voices you can do, but rather how good an actor you are with the voices you have. In this business they are looking for actors first and funny voice people second. This means if you do 5000 voices but can`t act the odds are against you. But if you are a solidly trained actor, you stand a better chance of making it.
LL: I have been out to your web-site as of late. I noticed that you talk or write about your 3-step process for creating and sustaining a voice characterization. If it would not give away the secrets of your seminars could you talk a little about that process and where you came up with it?
BB: I came up with this from experience. It`s a combination of the classes and workshops I took, various directors I`ve worked with, and my own take on creating characters. The 3 things that make up a good character are:
1) The Voice
2) Your acting
3) A signature, which is that lil something "extra" that you the actor bring to the character that makes it memorable and gives it the essennce of it`s personality. It can be a catch phrase, an accent or dialect, phrasing or a specific speech pattern, impressions, etc. It`s Porky`s stutter, Homer Simpson`s "D`oh!!", Snagglepuss` "Exit, stage left!!", etc. It`s the "it" factor when it comes to cartoons and auditioning for cartoons. It`s why one actor gets the job over the other 500 who didn`t. It`s taking risks, not being safe. And it`s often hard to define.
LL: As a fellow teacher I know the secret that all teachers know and no one else well ever believe, mainly, that the teacher gets more out of the lesson than the student does. I think that is mainly because we don`t really know what we know until we organize it so that we can teach it to someone else.
Do you find any truth to this statement or am I just full of it?
If there is any truth to this statement, do you have any examples of this from your 18 years as a teacher?
BB: Absolutely!!! I learn from my students all the time. When I`m auditioning or working I`m too busy in my own process to be able to self direct the way I can with my students. I`ll often times give a student direction or an idea to play with, then write it down for my own future auditions. I also encourage all students to pay attention to their fellow classmates while they are at the mic. Don`t lose out on an opportunity to take the ideas they are throwing out in the booth, or the direction they are being given by the teacher!
LL: The question that everybody outside the business always want to know, how to you break in? How much does networking have to do with it? What are the best places to network? And how should you act in the presence of professionals and heroes?
BB: It`s all about who you know. But you`d better be ready for the opportunity when you`re asked to show your wares. This means don`t pursue til you are ready! In voice-over you get one shot per listener. Make it count!!!! And keep in mind that your "heros" are just regular folks who are fortunate and talented enough to be able to make a living at what they do. I don`t know of any VO actor who doesn`t love to take the time to talk to fans. They paid for our houses!!! Just be courteous, and don`t ask them to do funny voices in the men`s/ladie`s room !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As for networking, classes, cons, etc. I also have a monthly happy hour I put together for anyone in or interested in the world of voice-over. I call it VOX on the Rocks. The info is on my website. If you live in LA come join the fun!! We get everyone from actors, to students, casting directors, agents, studio engineers, etc. It`s more of a social thing than a blatant networking thing. But it`s a great way to meet really cool people within the business.
OK-that`s all for now. More to come!!
;-),
BB
The following is part 1 of an e-mail interview with legendary animation voice and voice over teacher Bob Bergen.
BB:
Hey bud!!
I`m off to a fan convention in Orlando. But let me at least start answering your questions. Thanks again for the cruise PR!! (for more info on Bob`s Voice Acting Cruise go to: bobbergen.com)
Not only is Bob the official voice of Porky Pig, he has voiced Luke Skywalker for a number of Star Wars animations, done the voices of Marvin the Martian, Tweety Bird, voiced No-Face and the Frog in Miyazaki`s Spirited Away (along with a number of other Anime redubs) done Additional Voices in just about everything and has been teaching Voice Over seminars for over 18 years.
LL: Bob, first off, thank you for doing this interview and thank you for running in and doing the last half of the ASIFA State of the Animation Industry panel at Comic Con. You saved our butt on that one.
BB: You`re welcome!! I had a blast at Comic-con!! And I enjoy panel hopping. It allows me to keep my pigish figure!
LL: Let`s start with your background, how did you get into this crazy business and when did you know that this is what you want to do?
BB: I was 5 when I told my folks I wanted to be Porky Pig when I grew up. Not the kinda thing a Jewish mother wants to hear. My Dad moved the family to LA when I was 14, and I went through the Yellow Pages looking up anything and everything that said "cartoon" or "animation". I found Hanna Barbara`s number and talked to Ginny McSwain, who referred me to Daws Butler. I studied with Daws for years, along with anyone else who taught a voice-over class in LA. A week after high school I got my first agent, Don Pitts. That same week I booked my first cartoon, Spiderman and his Amazing Friends. I worked as a tour guide at Universal for about 5 years before I was able to make it fulltime as an actor.
LL: You have been teaching your Voice Over seminars for 18 years. That means, first off, that you like teaching. Secondly, it means that you have mentored a lot of people.
How did you get into teaching?
BB: I was doing a play in 1987. My bio in the program mentioned my voice-over background. A gentleman came up to me after one of the performances and told me he was opening an acting school, and wondered if I was interested in teaching an animation voice-over class. I told him no, but thanks for asking. A few weeks later I was contacted by SAG asking if I would teach a seminar for members. They paid nothing, so I decided to do it. I figured if I sucked I wouldn`t feel guilty about getting paid. I found I not only enjoyed it, I was good at it! So I taught for free at SAG Conservatory for about a year. I then contacted the guy from the acting school and offered my services as their animation VO instructor. I taught there for about a year before opening my private animation voice-over workshop. Not only do I teach here in LA, but I also travel the country teaching weekend animation voice-over seminars.
LL: What do you get out of teaching other people to be your competition?
BB: I never think of it that way. My philosophy is if you are right for the job you`re going to get it, no matter who the competition is. This business is always looking for new talent. I take it as a compliment, and quite honestly get a thrill out of seeing a former student make it in the business.
LL: Who are your successful former students?
BB: OY, it`s 3:30 am, and I`m about to leave for a fan convention. My mind isn`t working on full caffein capacity yet, but here`s a short list off the top of my sleepy head:
Quinton Flynn, who does lots of cartoons including Johnny Quest,
His brother Bart [Flynn] who does the promos for Jeopardy! (good talent genes in the Flynn family)
Michael Reisz.
I know there are oodles more but just can`t think right now. I`ll get back to you when I get back on this one.
LL: Who were your mentors in the business?
BB: Mel Blanc, Daws Butler, June Foray, Frank Welker, Dom Messick, Paul Winchell, etc.
LL: One of the things that stayed with me from your appearance on the ASIFA panel at Comic Con is a statement you made about animation voice acting not just being funny voices, it was finding the character and acting in that funny voice. I knew I butchered the paraphrase so why don`t you restate and then explain/expand this idea a little more?
BB: It`s not about how many voices you can do, but rather how good an actor you are with the voices you have. In this business they are looking for actors first and funny voice people second. This means if you do 5000 voices but can`t act the odds are against you. But if you are a solidly trained actor, you stand a better chance of making it.
LL: I have been out to your web-site as of late. I noticed that you talk or write about your 3-step process for creating and sustaining a voice characterization. If it would not give away the secrets of your seminars could you talk a little about that process and where you came up with it?
BB: I came up with this from experience. It`s a combination of the classes and workshops I took, various directors I`ve worked with, and my own take on creating characters. The 3 things that make up a good character are:
1) The Voice
2) Your acting
3) A signature, which is that lil something "extra" that you the actor bring to the character that makes it memorable and gives it the essennce of it`s personality. It can be a catch phrase, an accent or dialect, phrasing or a specific speech pattern, impressions, etc. It`s Porky`s stutter, Homer Simpson`s "D`oh!!", Snagglepuss` "Exit, stage left!!", etc. It`s the "it" factor when it comes to cartoons and auditioning for cartoons. It`s why one actor gets the job over the other 500 who didn`t. It`s taking risks, not being safe. And it`s often hard to define.
LL: As a fellow teacher I know the secret that all teachers know and no one else well ever believe, mainly, that the teacher gets more out of the lesson than the student does. I think that is mainly because we don`t really know what we know until we organize it so that we can teach it to someone else.
Do you find any truth to this statement or am I just full of it?
If there is any truth to this statement, do you have any examples of this from your 18 years as a teacher?
BB: Absolutely!!! I learn from my students all the time. When I`m auditioning or working I`m too busy in my own process to be able to self direct the way I can with my students. I`ll often times give a student direction or an idea to play with, then write it down for my own future auditions. I also encourage all students to pay attention to their fellow classmates while they are at the mic. Don`t lose out on an opportunity to take the ideas they are throwing out in the booth, or the direction they are being given by the teacher!
LL: The question that everybody outside the business always want to know, how to you break in? How much does networking have to do with it? What are the best places to network? And how should you act in the presence of professionals and heroes?
BB: It`s all about who you know. But you`d better be ready for the opportunity when you`re asked to show your wares. This means don`t pursue til you are ready! In voice-over you get one shot per listener. Make it count!!!! And keep in mind that your "heros" are just regular folks who are fortunate and talented enough to be able to make a living at what they do. I don`t know of any VO actor who doesn`t love to take the time to talk to fans. They paid for our houses!!! Just be courteous, and don`t ask them to do funny voices in the men`s/ladie`s room !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As for networking, classes, cons, etc. I also have a monthly happy hour I put together for anyone in or interested in the world of voice-over. I call it VOX on the Rocks. The info is on my website. If you live in LA come join the fun!! We get everyone from actors, to students, casting directors, agents, studio engineers, etc. It`s more of a social thing than a blatant networking thing. But it`s a great way to meet really cool people within the business.
OK-that`s all for now. More to come!!
;-),
BB
Still having problems getting anything to post to blogger. Do not know if it is blogger itself or the ASIFA host that is the problem. Can`t get an image in any which way and everything in text takes multiple tries.
I just was able to post the above and even an the image to the story below. So I am going to try to edit this. So maybe things are working again? Been getting things ready for Cal State Fullerton History of Animation class which is about to start up again real soon.
Trying to get my animation off the ground again, I miss it. This coming week, I have got the beginning and the end. Just have to fill in the center and then get the sound finished. No lip sync just some voice over so I am doing post on the sound. I feel so Van Beuren.
Let`s see if this will post?
I just was able to post the above and even an the image to the story below. So I am going to try to edit this. So maybe things are working again? Been getting things ready for Cal State Fullerton History of Animation class which is about to start up again real soon.
Trying to get my animation off the ground again, I miss it. This coming week, I have got the beginning and the end. Just have to fill in the center and then get the sound finished. No lip sync just some voice over so I am doing post on the sound. I feel so Van Beuren.
Let`s see if this will post?
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Howl`s Moving Castle Book to Film:
I was just on the phone with a friend yesterday, Steve Brooks ASIFA volunteer and Computer FX guy, and we were talking about Howl`s Moving Castle. Steve loved some of it but thought the ending was strange, just kind of stops.
Since I have just read the book by Ms. Jones I can report that the ending is very much like the book. If fact, the ending is one of the few things that was like the book.
I am the type of reader that gets very unhappy with big changes from book to screen. There are a number of changes here, the war theme is added as is the evil king`s Sorceress and the bird thing that Howl changes into. Hayao Miyazaki made his own work on the bare bones of the book.
Normally this much change between book and film would anger me. Maybe it is because I saw the film first (I planned it that way) or maybe it is because Miyazaki is Miyazaki but I accept the film as it is and judge it as a stand alone work.
The question is, why I can forgive Miyazaki for changing Howl`s and not forgive Walt for changes to Jungle Book? Maybe it is the fact that I read and loved Jungle Book as a kid way before the animation. Maybe that is why I could not look at Jungle Book the film without seeing in my mind Jungle Book the book?
Just what is the responsibility of animation directors to the works that they bring to the screen? I don`t know. I love Jungle Book but there is always this thing about all the changing to my beloved little frog.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
blogger has been down, or not working for me, for about 24 hours. That is one of the main reasons for no new posts. It may still be a reason why you don`t get a post today but you will not know that if this never gets on the blog.
This is a test and if you don`t see it than it is a failed test.
This is a test and if you don`t see it than it is a failed test.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Sunday, the last day of Comic Con and I finally take some time to look at the dealers floor. I never get to enjoy just going to the convention anymore because I am running the presentations and helping run the booth.
Gentle Giant had the wedding set from Tim Burton`s Corpse Bride with all of the lead characters. I spent about 20 minutes talking to Pete Dodd, one of the animators. He gave me a demo on how the armatures work.
The main characters, when you count in the man-hours, cost $50,000 each
I do a quick count and ask, So we`re talking about a quarter to a half million right here behind the ropes?
Pete then took out a Allen wrench and fitted it into the Corpse Bride`s hair. He gave a twice and the mouth starts to open. He then put the Allen wrench into her right ear and adjusted the smile by tweaking the cheek action.
I have been doing stop motion since 1981 and have gone frame by frame through every Herryhausen movie and I have never seen anything like this.
I take a look at the set and I`m thinking no access which means ladders and boards and laying on your stomach for an hour between each frame. Gods Michelangelo had it easy.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Due to SIGGRAPH the ASIFA-Hollywood board meeting has been changed from this Wednesday to:
Wednesday, August 10, 2005, at 7pm
at
2114 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank, CA
ASIFA board meetings are open to the public. If you are interested in animation and or ASIFA, feel free to stop by.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005, at 7pm
at
2114 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank, CA
ASIFA board meetings are open to the public. If you are interested in animation and or ASIFA, feel free to stop by.
Bonus Material Only Reason to Buy:
Nice Cats is a (sic) animation with no history that I can find. IMDB does not list it. It seems to be aimed for very little kids without much taste in animation.
Nice Cats is just one small step up from the read the book and pan the camera type of visual storytelling of Reading Rainbow. (in truth I like the pan the camera style a little better - much better sound track) I have had lots of students do a much better job on their first animation. (2 cycle walk cycle without blur and the drawing style - please)
This is another EastWest DVD thing. Even they do not list date, director, or actors for this work on their web site. But smartly they do list the Bonus materials right on the back of the box.
- Bonus Material:
- Bosko`s Soda Fountain
- Hep Cat Symphony
- Cob Web Hotel
- Lone Star State
- Daffy Duck & the Dinosaur
- Superman
Bosko`s Soda Fountain is beautiful. A clean transfer of a rich sepia print. I didn`t have this on DVD so I just got my 99 cents worth.
Hep Cat Symphony is my favorite Famous Studios animation. I have lots of copies of this in lots of different formats. If you don`t then that is another point for this disk.
Cob Web Hotel, so so print. But can see the 3-D elements at the beginning. Lots of copies of this too.
Lone Star State Sing along. Not a good cartoon. Better than Nice Cats
Daffy Duck & the Dinosaur so so Daffy. Not the best of the Schlesinger Daffys by any stretch. Jack Benny as a cave man. Another multi-copy cartoon for me.
Superman There are so many copies of this one in the market place that I will not even talk about it here.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
SIGGRAPH opens:
Today the huge computer graphics festival SIGGRAPH opens at the downtown LA Convention Center. In animation studios it is a Holy Day of Obligation for techies and CGI artists. Around this time art departments notice that regardless of deadlines or schedules, their people start disappearing from their desks as they make their Haj to the Great Floor.
SIGGRAPH began in the early 1970s as a few die-hards experimenting in electronic graphics who congregated once a year to share their new discoveries, mostly by writing out code in long hand on paper for one another. It has grown to a massive, slick trade show.
George Lucas is the keynote speaker this year. Conferences begin today and the exhibition floor runs from 2nd -4th Aug. Despite it`s size and commercial nature everyone still hopes to hear about a new discovery that might be announced.
In past shows univ and private researchers demonstrated breakthroughs like translusence of textures- a CG representation of a glass of milk doen`t look like flat white paint, or CG fire effects, a tough problem for years because animated fire actually was over exposed 120% on the film emulsion to look hotter than real, while you can`t overexpose on digital.
Everyone tries to get into the hot parties. Old timers remember years ago when ILM held their party at the Richard Nixon Birthplace. Many of the quaint old vaudeville palaces of downtown LA will ring with the sounds of Beck and Rob Zombie as the Digerati celebrate. So, have fun and if you are in the vicinity check it out. Next year SIGGRAPH 2006 will be in Boston.
Tom Sito
