Digital Dream Machine

Pixar Animation Studio’s Joe Ranft passed away in a tragic car accident last night. Truly sad news. Please see my post at Luxo.

I’ve been pretty busy lately spending time with my wife, family, and friends, editing wedding videos, and catching up on paperwork over the last few weeks. I also recently attended a Set Etiquette and Protocol course in Calgary and interviews here in Edmonton to keep the professional skills up to date. If that isn’t enough, my wife and I have been helping a friend renovate his home, nearly gutting the interior completely! So there’s been no shortage of things to get done.

In the next couple of days, I’ll hopefully be posting some cool images (from stuff I’ve found in the Lost Archive), but dug up this gem for Harryhausen fans in the meantime:

Rick Trembles at the Montreal Mirror Film website conducted a fun interview with Ray Harryhausen at the recent Fantasia event hosted by fps magazine. I especially enjoyed the great characatures of Ray at work!

Thanks to Cartoon Brew for the link.

UPDATE: Photos of Ray, a skeleton model from Jason and the Argonauts, and the event can be seen at this link.

Guess who arrived in the mail today?

That’s right! Dr. Tran! Here! Now! Forever!

The ‘Special Edition’ DVD sports over 30 minutes of Bonus Features!!

Also included in this incredible DVD package:

Shrek © 2001 DreamWorks LLC.

This article in the June 2005 issue of Wired Magazine site is sad. It seems to provide yet more evidence that DreamWorks Animation SKG is more concerned about quantity than quality.

Though not a religious fellow, I quite enjoyed The Prince of Egypt and I thought The Road to El Dorado was a wondrous ride into adventure. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas had a lot of the excitement of an old Ray Harryhausen film, and Shrek took the workings of the animaton industry and spoofed it well up on the silver screen. However, a lot of content in DreamWorks Animation SKG films rely on modern-day or past pop-cultural references and movie star voice narration. Yet Katzenberg seems to want to fashion the studio after Walt Disney’s dream factory, where films are remembered long after they’ve been produced. Okay, Okay, before all the straight-to-video stuff hit the market. If you look at the Katzenberg-era produced Disney films, they too contain pop-culture references and superstar voices (Aladdin, The Lion King), yet pre-Katzenberg ones do not contain any, or very little.

What happens when a production relies on these references is that it dates the films; making it necessary for the audience to understand the time period to grasp the humor. 20 years from now, will Shrek 2 be as memorable as Pixar’s Finding Nemo? Likely not. Sure it will still look great, but repeated playability won’t be the same between the studio’s films. Pixar Animation Studios may not turn out the quantity of films that DreamWorks does, but they focus on their story, leaving the pop-culture references to the music for trailers and end credits. DreamWorks Animation SKG would argue that the use of ‘pop’ helps the audience relate more, and that’s certainly true for today’s audiences, and in some cases, a portion of the future ones, but not for all down the road. Pixar’s films are solid performers at the box office, and almost even better on DVD and home video sales. The fact that they don’t need to rely on the pop-culture references demonstrates that they have taken the time to ensure a solid tale before a solid sale. Their films will still be doing well financially many years after their theatrical distribution.

From my humble opinion (as well as others around the web), I believe there needs to be less of the managerial hands-on approach to the production at DreamWorks Animation SKG. An environment needs to be created that supports the collaboration of artists, but also one that allows for growth and courting of talented storytellers, whose visions are trusted within the ranks. While this may affect short-term financial gain at the theaters, it would ensure a long shelf-life in terms of the home viewing market. It would also allow for the belief in the studio, and retention of talent, helping animators, directors, and writers solidify their decision to stay. One can glean information that there are many talented people who have left DreamWorks Animation, yet try to find the same number of departures at Pixar…the numbers don’t seem to compare.

DreamWorks Animation has produced enough hits that they’re not going anywhere and with the company now in the hands of shareholders who are primarily concerned about one thing, profits mean more now for DreamWorks than ever. By contrast, Pixar is a shareheld company, and they and their shareholders seem to be doing fine, with the studio producing far less films. Of course it could be argued that Pixar has a more complex marketing and distribution agreement with Disney which affects the financial bottom line and they could end up making more or less were they to do all the work themselves as DreamWorks does. The general consensus, however, is that it is The Walt Disney Company reaping the benefits from Pixar’s hard work and not the other way around, so it would seem the Pixar shareholders could benefit even more if a more suitable agreement was in place.

Additionally, other animation studios haven’t caught up to the ‘Big Three’ (Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks) but as we progress further into digital creation and distribution, cutting production costs, it will be easier for competitors to gain footing. The animation industry has been in a transition phase between strictly 2D, to 2D combined with 3D, to full-3D production, where competitors like Warner Bros. and Fox have tried, and in some cases failed (Warner Bros. and Nickelodeon still manage to produce animated films that do well though), to capture animated box office returns the size of Pixar’s. Even PDI, a smaller animation company who collaborated with DreamWorks on Antz had its remaining shares snatched up by the big studio, eliminating possible competition and talent defection. Pixar has been fortunate enough to retain its talent, continue making hit after hit, and fend off merging with Disney. They’re now at the point where they can dictate the terms of a new distribution agreement instead of the other way around. Yet all of this is nothing without a good story and good storytellers.

As with anything, there will ultimately be a change within DreamWorks, as there will probably be one at Pixar someday. The difference is that Pixar’s creative transition will probably be one based on proven storytelling and collaborative leadership, whereas DreamWorks Animation’s evolution may be based on management structure or financial matters, and that’s definitely not how it should be when it comes to creative work. I think that an external promotion for DreamWorks Animation SKG would really be a good thing, allowing Katzenberg to step back (even if he doesn’t want to) and focus on the financial segment, letting a talented, creative leader focus on the stories. As animators, storytellers, and fans, we can hope that the great studio that DreamWorks Animation SKG really can become, shapes up to be one where all residents of the animation kingdom can live happily ever after.

Some of you readers might be noticing my lack of Pixar content lately. This is due to the fact that I collaborate with Ken Bautista on Luxo, a Pixar blog. I try to make sure that I’m not mirroring content here and duplicating information. We usually try and do a post a day, if not one or more every few days, so there’s always something new to read and fun links to check out.

Speaking of which, I just finished a rather lengthy report at Luxo dealing with the Pixar-based Attractions and Rides at the Disney theme parks. It’s certainaly not ‘the go-to guide’ but still manages to provide a good overview on what’s available and what Disney has in store for park visitors.

With lots of great links to photos and videos of construction progress and in-ride movies, it’s sure to whet your appetite and have you planning your next Disney vacation. I can’t wait to see some of the new attractions for myself!

All this blog stuff has me keeping my writing skills sharp and I know they’re improving daily. It’s also proven to be a fantastic way to discover new things on the Internet and meet some great people. Who knows, it may eventually turn in to a writing career of some sort.

Thanks to the readers here and at Luxo for allowing me to share my admiration for animation, film, Pixar, illustration, music, technology, the sciences, and other fun, informative stuff. It’s been a great ride so far and only looks to get better!

I’ve been busy editing a half-hour documentary for a client so my updates haven’t been as frequent as I like, but hopefully I’ve got some neat things for readers in the next few days. In the meantime, because I’m a sucker for great illustrations, I thought I’d share this fun painting (an homage to one of my favorite filmmakers) from Monsters, Inc. M Is for MONSTER, a wonderful A to Z children’s book featuring the Monsters, Inc. characters illustrated by Pixar artisan Ricky Nierva.

The book is dedicated to Maurice Noble, who trained the “Classic Style” to a whole new generation of Disney artists. It’s certainly not a book that will hurt your wallet, and it’s easily one of simplest, yet most beautiful children’s books to be created.

A fun bit of related trivia for you: Like the creature Ray Harryhausen animated in It Came From Beneath The Sea, you’ll notice that Pixar’s octopus in both the Monsters, Inc. film and Ricky’s illustration has only 6 arms. As any Harryhausen fan knows, the creature in It Came From Beneath The Sea featured only 6 appendages, not only to save on production costs, but also because there would be fewer of them for Ray to keep track of when animating. The viewer makes the assumption that the other two are underwater or behind structures. A clever film trick from a true master. It’s great to see that Pixar not only honored Harryhausen, but the film character and technique as well.

The Banff Centre - Professional Development Centre.

This past Easter long weekend, I participated in the Boarding: Stories & Snow Summit at the remarkable, artist-friendly Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta. An environment, that in agreement with the website statement, “acts as a catalyst for creative thought, lifelong learning, and the development of new work.”

Not only did I have the good fortune to be among friends and associates, amazing industry talent, receptive workshop attendees, and supportive facilitation staff, but it was all held in the beauty of the majestic Canadian Rockies, an environment that breathes energy into the soul, creatively and spiritually. Even living in Alberta, it has been a few years since I’ve been to Banff so it was a welcome journey and one that I was very eager to begin.

View of Cascade Mountain from downtown Banff.

Though a lot of the snow had melted in Alberta weeks ago, we had another couple of heavy snowfalls since then which could have made for some nasty driving weather. Thankfully, the weather was quite good for highway driving and walking around the town of Banff. Light snow fell on one or two days mixed with a bit of wind, but you could stroll around without having to wear a ton of layers, which is nice when going into shops.

Nearly 4.5 hours of driving from Edmonton to Banff (426 kilometers / 265 miles). But well worth the journey.

I woke up early Thursday morning, and accompanied by music from my iPod, a can of Red Bull, some Power Bars, and a warm cup of Hazelnut-flavored coffee, left for Calgary around 3:00 a.m. I arrived in Calgary about 6:15 and we departed for Banff at 7:00. I decided to leave the TJ (or Wrangler as it’s known in the U.S.) in Calgary and car pool with my cousin in his Volkswagen Golf, which gets a little better milage than the Jeep. Unfortunately on the way out of Calgary, Jay caught the eye of law enforcement officer keeping the city streets safe on the long weekend. After pulling over, the officer graciously gave Jay an autographed piece of paper with some kind of dollar figure on it. Despite this incident, the rest of the drive was uneventful. Arriving in Banff, we noticed the hoards of Skiers and Snowboarders waiting at the hotel shuttle stops, no doubt anxious to get out on the slopes. A few minutes later, we arrived at the Banff Centre campus, checked in, received our Artist IDs and parking pass, and headed over to the first workshop at the Max Bell Building.

The Max Bell Building where we found the meeting rooms for the Summit.

First up on that Friday morning was Peter Hansen from NAIT’s (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) Digital and Interactive Media Design department and facilitator of the Summit, who gave a rundown of the Summit timeline and then proceeded to discuss storyboard uses, the formats, and their creation. Using an outtake story sequence from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner as an example, he challenged the attendees to guess which film it came from. We were then asked to participate in a group exercise and question whether or not we preferred the outtake sequence or the filmed version. We were also asked to identify what was similar in the two versions and also which version we preferred. The overall diverse group, which consisted of storyboard artists, animators, web designers, film and video directors, illustrators, and video game designers, all seemed to participate with great enthusiasm. Even, if like myself, they already had knowledge of storyboarding.

After a break where we discovered that there’s always food around the Banff Centre, Character Artist Chris Tougas took over the workshop. Chris started off by talking about conceptualizing characters for books, animated films, and television shows. He described his methods, the difficulty in working with studios, the percentage of concepts actually taken past development stages, and how to put together a pitch. Tougas had us partake in an exercise where we were chose a few words from his list and illustrated some stick figures with that emotion or feeling. He stressed how important it was to keep the figures asymmetrical and to add motion, while keeping them loose and gestural. After much scribbling, Peter picked up the sketches and Chris placed some of them on the overhead projector for us to guess which emotion the characters were conveying. After much laughter, Chris went back to his presentation. He talked about how studios want properties that are ‘toyetic’ and have characters that can be made into toy lines, helping the studios with their profits. He referred to conceptualizing and storyboarding as ‘acting with a pencil,’ a very accurate description in my opinion.

The Banff Centre Dining Room Interior.

We were then treated to a scrumptious lunch in the spacious Banff Centre Dining Room, which has a breathtaking view of some of the Rockies. Imagine a large wood-finished dining room (not overly ornate) with many large round tables (which furthers the creative group feeling,) expansive windows looking out onto snow covered mountain peaks, with elk or caribou that come grazing by, and you’ve got a pretty idea of how a simple lunch break can turn into a truly memorable experience.

Sunset view from The Banff Centre Dining Room.

After lunch we were introduced to Woody Woodman, a Director / Animator who recently completed Tugger: The Jeep Who Wanted To Fly. Being a Jeep owner and enthusiast, I was riveted by Woody’s presentation and though it’s produced by a smaller studio, it has all the heart of a much larger-budgeted film. And this we picked up without seeing any actual 3D footage! We did get to witness Woody’s 2D storyboard reel pitch, timed to music with Woody himself providing all the great narration. Woody had such a clear, evocative voice that he easily conveyed every major story point.

Tugger: The Jeep Who Wanted To Fly.

Woody continued his presentation by elaborating on Chris Tougas’ comments on character development, driving home the importance of story, concept, theme, iconic characters, and being able to read them quickly. He cited Walt Disney’s Pinocchio and Dumbo as examples of stories that make it clear what the character’s motivation is. For Woody’s group exercise, we received a set of story panels (one picture on a page) and were told to mix them up on the floor and then create a story from the jumble of images. As there were 5 or 6 groups, the resulting stories, when told in front of the rest of us, were similar yet different enough to evoke energetic laughter. By doing this exercise, we discovered how changing one or two story points can affect the outcome of the story. One of the many ‘wow’ moments of the Summit. Woody’s presentation led us up to another break where more food and drink were waiting for us and we had a chance to meet other participants.

Back in Max Bell Room 252 once again, Kris Pearn of Sony Pictures Imageworks enlightened us on his career in the animation industry and followed up on the creation of characters and the art of the pitch. An important point Kris mentioned was that it is necessary to ‘pick your battles,’ knowing when to give in to Directors, Producers, or Supervisors, and when to fight for what you believe to be the right way or idea. Kris was again an energetic speaker who had us all listening intently to his knowledge. Kris’ group exercise was to have us do rapid storyboarding, where we were given a few story points revolving around an ice cream vendor, make up and draw the story on storyboard sheets and present them to the crowd. As was evidenced before, the results met with applause and laughter. Tougas, Woodman, and Pearn then allowed the group to come up and view some of their portfolios and ask further questions. Much of the group indulged in the opportunity.

The Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Building which houses the Creative Electronic Environment.

The group then received a tour of the Creative Electronic Environment located in the Lougheed Building. A technology hub of the Banff Centre, which offers film and video editing suites, television studios, audio production booths, a 3D visualization room, and video conference facility.

At 5:30, after an enlightening introductory day (I missed Thursday’s orientation meeting) it was time for dinner. Another delicious meal and dessert was followed by Kris Pearn’s presentation in the Max Bell Auditorium, where he also fielded questions from the crowd. Winding down the day, a large portion of the group headed over to the ‘on campus’ Props Pub and discussed the finer points of creativity over a few ’special beverages.’

View of Rundle Mountain from The Banff Centre.

Saturday was an optional skiing and snowboarding day for anybody that signed up to participate. The weather at the Centre was quite windy, so I can only imagine what it was like on the ski hill. Though my cousin and I declined to go, I understand that those who went experienced the wonderful world of learning to do something for the first or second time. My understanding was that it involved lots of falling on the posterior of the human anatomy.

Downtown Banff. Though there was a lot less snow when we were there.

Jason and I decided to walk around the shops in Banff and try to locate hiking stick emblems for my father and uncle. This activity proved difficult and seemed to confirm that most people come to Banff to camp, ski, snowboard, or attend conferences. Hiking seems to be more prevalent in Jasper National Park where many shops carry the emblems. Walking down the main street, I recognized Ronnie del Carmen, (who would be the guest speaker at the evening banquet and conducting a workshop on Sunday,) Peter’s wife Ruby (giving them the guided tour,) and the Woodmans. We made sure to tell them to hit the Fudge shop, which offers a plethora of hand-made chocolate sweets and is a ‘must-stop’ when visiting Banff. But looking at all of their bags, they had already visited the tantalizing store. Of course we made our stop there to pick up sweets for our families at home and headed back to the Banff Centre to enjoy another mouth-watering lunch with part of the Storyboarding group and special guests.

Jason Blower and me, Chad Kerychuk.

After lunch, Jay and I headed back into town and decided to go watch Robots at the Lux Cinema Centre. It held a few laughs, looked nice, but cannot compare to Pixar’s films. Wandering around the shops again, we finally managed to locate some hiking stick emblems - at the last store we stopped in (where I was able to practice my Japanese greetings and thanks) - and then back to the Centre to get ready for the Banquet Dinner with Ronnie as the Keynote speaker.

Chris Tougas, Jorden Oliwa, and Ronnie Del Carmen.

While we enjoyed a delicious dinner provided by The Banff Centre, Ronnie del Carmen took to the podium in the Dining Room and began his presentation. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Ronnie speak before, he is not only engaging, but passionate, informative, and overall, immensely entertaining, letting his humorous side show and with it, capturing the audience’s attention. A few days before the Summit, Rick Cortes, a friend from The Drawing Board who lives in the Los Angeles area, commented to me that when Ronnie came down to practice his presentation on them, it was nothing less than ‘inspiring.’ Truer words were never spoken. The Banff Centre Banquet Dinner audience were captivated by Ronnie’s Keynote speech in which he talked about creating stories, collaborating with artists and studio executives, and along with his work at other animation companies, his role as Story Supervisor at Pixar Animation Studios.

Ronnie also treated us to a small short story reel he developed in which a young boy goes out in the rain to play, and rescues his little friend, an ant, from drowning in a puddle. In a technological feat of amazement, Ronnie actually used the keyboard on the PowerBook to step through the drawings in the QuickTime Story Reel, timing the transitions with music, which was playing independently in iTunes. The potential for loss of synchronization was high, but Ronnie made it look easy. The story itself was simple, and as was the case with me, I’m sure many in the audience could relate to it. Ronnie completed his Keynote speech and we were treated to a Question and Answer Panel with all of the guest speakers. It was informative and entertaining, allowing the audience to ask questions they may not have a chance to ask otherwise, and easily one of the many highlights of the Summit. The group all received individual scenic photos from The Banff Centre in appreciation for their participation.

Woody Woodman (Ravenwood Entertainment), Kris Pearn (Sony Pictures Imageworks), Ronnie del Carmen (Pixar Animation Studios), Chris Tougas (Character Designer / Story Artist), and Jorden Oliwa (Storyboard Artist / Animator).

The creative talk didn’t stop there though, another gathering at Props Pub commenced, where we all engaged in further conversation, followed by a visit to a dance club called ‘Aurora’ in downtown Banff. Dancing ensued, mixed with further inebriation for some, and the night carried on into the early morning hours. Arriving back at Lloyd Hall, where my accommodations were, I watched a bit of James Bond in For Your Eyes Only and hit the sack.

The Banff Centre Dining Room Exterior.

Sunday began with a hearty breakfast in the Dining Room followed by the group gathering in Max Bell Room 252 again for Ronnie’s workshop. Using his great sense of humor, he gave further insight into story development and we almost immediately got into our first group exercise for the day. We were asked to get together with some of the group around us and discuss how we were given our name. After the group huddles, we were then asked to nominate people to tell their stories.

It was immediately clear after only a few stories, that something so simple, as a story as to how each of us were named, could prove compelling and far more complex than most of us thought possible. It also became evident that certain ‘themes’ were developing in the telling of stories. For instance, several people were named after their father, or their father’s father, carrying down a name through lineage, almost making it a generational requirement. We learned that stories need to resonate with the audience and the characters need to develop relationships that we can identify with.

Group Exercise Number Two from Ronnie had us huddled again, discussing a time when we were lost. Nearly every incredibly entertaining and amusing story was followed by uproarious laughter and applause. One participant by the name of Dan had such an astounding story, acted out with great enhthusiasm, it was as if he had participated in a real-life version of the Pitfall videogame. Again Ronnie had demonstrated to us how easy it can be to develop a story and how interesting the storyteller can be. He commented how most of us probably saw the shots and cuts (as if we were watching a film) in our head as the stories were being told and I’m pretty sure, most of us nodded in agreement. Ronnie remarked that along with the stories, the personality of the storytellers shone through, enhancing and broadening the tale’s effect on the audience. He also recommended that attending a workshop on how to direct actors would be beneficial since it would give insight into how they approach and understand a character and their role in the story. Ronnie ended off his presentation by stating that Banff is indeed a ‘vortex of creativity’ and I certainly couldn’t agree more.

Myself, Ronnie Del Carmen, and Ken Bautista.

Another tasty lunch and we began the afternoon workshops with Jorden Oliwa, a Storyboard Artist, Animator, and Illustrator. While Jorden’s specialty is using Macromedia Flash to create animation for television series, he has worked on animatics, product pitches, music videos, and fittingly, snowboard design. Because of his experience, Jorden was able to provide a broad spectrum of knowledge in conceptual design and animation and how to use the technology to implement the ideas. We were treated to examples of his work including a compilation of his work on the series Mucha Lucha and an animated music video that reminded many of us of the previous night out at the Aurora club. Having spoke with Jorden at the Pub the previous night, I can attest that he not only diverse in his skills and interests, but also very approachable about them.

The afternoon winded down with two surveys and a summary exercise from Peter and Chris Tougas. We were divided into groups and played a Pictionary -style game. Taking turns rolling dice, we picked cards that featured a story element to draw, and had our own team guess what it was. The first team to get 12 right guesses then gave the correctly-guessed story elements to the next team to construct a story from, presenting them in front of the groups. Overall, a good exercise to encompass some of the stuff we learned over the weekend.

There was a fair number of people still around, so we had some individual discussions and continued to exchange contact information, generally stating as to what a great time we had. Monday was an optional skiing and snowboarding day but since a few of the group had left the previous day due to commitments, and much of the group would be leaving that Sunday, my cousin and I decided to venture back to Calgary as well after dinner. We had a nice dinner with Peter (being his usual animated self) and his family, as well as Terry Willox, Ken Bautista, and Amy Inkster. Peter’s daughter received a gift from Ronnie consisting of two Paper Biscuit books, a story that Ronnie created featuring a young woman named Nina. She beamed like kid and in a candy store and had the rest of us quite envious. We had fun chatting about her favorite comics which included the great Calvin and Hobbes and even discussed one of her own character creations.

Counter-Clockwise from left: Peter Hansen (NAIT), daughter Donna Leny, and Peter’s wife Ruby, Jason Blower, Amy Inkster, Ken Bautista, and Terry Willox in the Banff Centre Dining Room.

Jay and I had a scenic drive out of Banff, seeing the Rockies fade into foothills and then into cityscape. Arriving in Calgary at 9:30 p.m., I took off for Edmonton and approached home around midnight. Settling in that late night / early morning, I was filled with a sense of creative fulfillment that wouldn’t have been possible if not for all the fantastic organizers and participants that put this thing together.

Special thanks go out to: The Banff Centre and the Banff New Media Institute Accelerator Program including Lindsey Aufricht, Sherry Moir, and the rest of their helpful collaborators, Peter Hansen (who is a truly funny and down-to-Earth guy) and NAIT, Ken Bautista (who I’m privileged to call a like-minded friend and who also helped get me to the Summit in the first place) and his company, Hotrocket, the many sponsors, and especially, Ronnie del Carmen, Kris Pearn, Woody Woodman, Chris Tougas, and Jorden Oliwa for giving up their Easter weekend with some of their family to come to Banff and inspire the attendees. They’ve left a profound impact on their audience.

If you haven’t been there already, head over to Ronnie’s blog, Tirade, for more photos and rundown of the Summit.

And if I forgot to mention anyone, please accept my apologies. I met so many great people, it’s hard to remember everybody’s name or how to spell it!

The gang at Long Sausage Productions have brought us another great Dr. Tran collectible: a Magic Talking Card complete with virtual bubble gum! Collect all 1500!

Design: Breehn Burns, Dr. Tran: Jason Johnson, Animation: Keith Holven, Hickory Smoked: Horse Buttholes, Hot Stone Massages: Rick Cortes (Producer)

If you haven’t picked up the Dr. Tran DVD, better get your butt on over there and pick up a copy!

Any keen observer will note the future of filmmaking has already been creeping up on us. Pretty soon, it’s going to be right in our face. Literally.

A few years ago, Titanic and Terminator creator, James Cameron, stated that he was already working on projects aimed at putting people back in theater seats. Do-it-all Director Robert Rodriguez developed the third film in the Spy Kids series as a 3-D film. Last year, Robert Zemeckis turned the children’s tale, The Polar Express into not only a computer graphics fantasy that was shown in IMAX, but IMAX 3D no less. Cameron has even pushed the 3D envelope with Terminator 2: 3D - Battle Across Time and his docudramas Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens Of The Deep. Even the late master storyteller Jim Henson developed Muppet-Vision 3D for Disney-MGM Studios. Not to be left out, Star Wars creator and technology wizard, George Lucas, who made it possible for these guys to tell their stories the way they do, has been pushing to have digital cinema projection and distribution systems in place for the future. So when these filmmakers (who have changed the way visual stories are told) come together, you know you’re in for something that’s both innovative and exhilarating.

On Thursday, as reported in this article from Reuters, Lucas, Cameron, Zemeckis, Rodriguez, Randal Kleiser, and ‘The Lord of the Rings‘ himself, Peter Jackson (who joined the group by a pre-taped segment) addressed the ShoWest attendees and invited theater owners to invest in digital projection systems. Not content to sit and wait for the industry to catch up with their ideas, they’ve already begun forging the way we’re going to experience movies. One of the really big names absent, was of course, Steven Spielberg, but you can bet he’s got something in mind as well.

Lucas is working on re-mastering the existing Star Wars films for enjoyment in 3-D. James Cameron is preparing the Japanese Manga Battle Angel (Alita), as his return to science-fiction blockbuster filmmaking. It’s going to be in 3-D and he says he hopes all his future movies will be in the format. Robert Zemeckis has two 3-D features in development, and Robert Rodriguez is developing The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3-D. According to the article, Peter Jackson has already installed a 3-D master suite in his New Zealand production facility.

Some conversion companies have already been successful in porting existing films for IMAX and 3D release. If it can be done with past favorites, imagine what the filmmakers can do with the technology that is currently being developed. It has the potential to make the stories that much more engaging for the audience. Of course, viewers don’t want to wear giant headsets and existing viewing methods which include Anaglyph (red/blue) glasses, Polarized (grey/grey) glasses, and LCD Shutter glasses, are allowing the technology to get smaller in size, but it still hasn’t quite caught up with filmmaker’s imaginations.

Classics like The Creature From the Black Lagoon in 3-D (a personal favorite) and House of Wax began the experiment years ago, but even back then, they didn’t have an exact formula. 3-D was considered a gimmick, and like today, wasn’t cheap to produce. Filmmakers created scenes that could make use of the 3-D technology but it really didn’t add to the story. Current and future Filmmakers will have to clear that hurdle or audiences will quickly bore and won’t embrace the new methods of entertainment immersion. If the new 3D films make us feel as if we’re part of the action without noticing the technology, ticket sales should go well.

Technology will never replace story as the fundamental force behind filmmaking, and the reason we go to movies in the first place, but it removes some of the limits placed upon the Writers and Directors in telling a story. The technology Lucas developed at Industrial Light and Magic for instance, allowed Barry Levinson to bring to life a stained-glass Medieval Knight in Young Sherlock Holmes, formed a water-based Alien Pseudopod in James Cameron’s The Abyss and a liquid metal morphing cyborg in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, regenerated living dinosaurs in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, constructed time-traveling DeLorean automobiles in Zemeckis’ Back to the Future Trilogy, and allowed an angry Bee named Wally to chase Andre - digital forerunners to Pixar Animation Studios‘ Toy Story heroes, Buzz and Woody. What about the cursed skeleton pirates who came to life in Gore Verbinski’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl or a memorable character named Forrest Gump? It was thanks to the same digital technology that he was able to take part in famous events and converse with deceased political leaders.

Imagine X-Wing Fighters flying past your head, a Tyrannosaurus Rex eyeing you for a snack, possessed pirates leaping at you from a ghost ship, little green army men marching past your feet, cybernetic killers firing lasers into the audience, or you having to dodge the blow of an Orc sword during the attack at Helm’s Deep. Some of these experiences exist today at theme parks or specially-equipped theaters, some of it’s on the way, but these guys are bringing it to the masses. With the need to understand both storytelling and technology, I can think of no better group of talent to lead the charge. Hold on to your popcorn, because the adventure is just beginning.

Update: Joseph L. Kleiman from World Enteractive posted a report with a photo of the presentation which you can find by clicking here. 3-D clips that were shown included Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, Top Gun, and two portions of the Star Wars saga. Thanks to The Digital Bits for the link.

Further Update: Harry Knowles at AintItCoolNews.com also comments on the situation. He addresses the film piracy issue with the possibility of it being reduced, though it relies on the belief that no home 3-D viewing methods (equal to the theater experience) will be available. As we know with the way technology progresses, that is only a matter of time. Pirates may still be able to isolate one half of the film image making it viewable on standard definition equipment, but only if the film relies on separate images for each eye.

From March 24-28, 2005, The Banff Centre will hold a Storyboarding Summit featuring guest speakers from Pixar Animation Studios, Sony Imageworks, as well as other independent producers. There will be workshops on Storyboarding as well as opportunities to learn to Snowboard or Ski at nearby Sunshine Village.

The event is fast approaching but it has taken a while to finalize all details. Please pass the information on to friends, associates, relatives, and others you think might be interested.

You can download the PDF with more details right here.

Register online by clicking here.

For additional information, please contact:

Lindsey Aufricht
Special Events Coordinator, Accelerator
Program, Banff New Media Institute
Banff, Alberta, Canada
403.762.7591
lindsey_aufricht@banffcentre.ca
BanffCentre.ca

C.W. Oberleitner at O-meon.com offers a story about a link between legendary Disney Animator Ward Kimball and UFOs.

You can read about the intriguing connection in this story.

Thanks to Animated-News.com for the link.

Congratulations to Brad Bird, Pixar, and Disney! Keeping the momentum going, The Incredibles collected two more awards last night. The Disney/Pixar film which had four Academy Award nominations, won two of the four categories it was entered in. The action-packed superhero film won the Oscars for Animated Feature Film and Sound Editing. Add these to the numerous other awards the film has already received, and the statue shelves at Pixar are going to need reinforcement!

If you haven’t pre-ordered your DVD already, head over to Luxo and support the site by purchasing the film through the Amazon links or by clicking below.

Note: The above image was inspired by the photo of Brad Bird in the 12.06 issue of Wired. You can find the article and photo online by clicking here.

Click here for the Dr. Tran Valentine Card! Flash required.

See a clip of the infamous Dr. Tran at Spike and Mike’s Sick and Twisted Animation Gallery. “Noooooooo….”

While you’re at it, head on over The Official Here Comes Dr. Tran website and order the DVD!!

The insightful DVD news and review site The Digital Bits, features an interview with the legendary master of stop-motion animation and special effects pioneer. The First Voyage of Ray Harryhausen lets Ray discuss the recently released DVD that showcases much of his early work.

You can also read Adam Jahnke’s review of the disc here.