A panelist in last month’s installment of the ongoing Marc Davis Lecture Series–presented by ACM SIGGRAPH and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as the keynote attraction at SIGGRAPH 2013–animation director Henry Selick shared his take on the state of the biz as well as hearkened back to the sources of inspiration that brought him into animation and influenced his style.
Selick’s directorial credits over the years include the stop motion tour de force feature films Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, as well as Monkeybone, a mix of live action and stop-motion. His stop-motion animation work also took the form of sea creatures in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. And Selick most recently served as director, producer, screenwriter and production designer for the Oscar-nominated animated feature Coraline.
Assessing today’s marketplace for animation, Selick observed that it’s both an “incredible” and “the worst time” for animation. The positives include an increased demand for talent as animation storytelling–particularly in features–has become a valued commodity. Additionally, access to tools has enabled new, up-and-coming talent to experiment and hone their craft. And exposure for the work of new artists is now more likely given the reach of the Internet and the emergence of new media outlets.
On the flip side, though, feature film budgets are so high today that “people cannot afford to take risks,” related Selick. “Having to make a blockbuster every time puts an unhealthy pressure on the creators.”
In today’s risk-averse climate, Selick said he couldn’t imagine another Fantasia being made today. Still, he harbors hope that a breakthrough will materialize, prompting studios to see the value of smaller projects and trying to bring more of them to fruition.
Indeed smaller projects have served as sources of inspiration for Selick, influencing his animation. He cited, for example, the Canada Film Board shorts, particularly the work of animation director Caroline Leaf. He mentioned powerful adult stories like Leaf’s The Street as being “dark, more adult, with a sprinkling of humor,” a mix that’s akin to what has become a major part of Selick’s brand of animation. Selick recalled as a youngster being captivated by such work from VFX pioneer Ray Harryhausen as Jason and the Argonauts and The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. Those stop-motion features made Selick “scared and attracted to monsters in animation” at the same time.
Kamala Harris Receives Chairman’s Prize At NAACP Image Awards
Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on the NAACP Image Awards stage Saturday night with a sobering message, calling the civil rights organization a pillar of the Black community and urging people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during the tenure of President Donald Trump.
"While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter in our American story, this chapter will be written not simply by whoever occupies the oval office nor by the wealthiest among us," Harris said after receiving the NAACP's Chairman's Award. "The American story will be written by you. Written by us. By we the people."
The 56th annual Image Awards was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in the Los Angeles area.
Harris, defeated by Trump in last year's presidential election, was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as vice president. She had previously been a U.S. senator from California and the state's attorney general.
In her first major public appearance since leaving office, Harris did not reference her election loss or Trump's actions since entering the Oval Office, although Trump mocked her earlier in the day at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Harris spoke about eternal vigilance, the price of liberty, staying alert, seeking the truth and America's future.
"Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities, the shadows gathering over our democracy and ask 'What do we do now?'" Harris said. "But we know exactly what to do, because we have done it before. And we will do it again. We use our power. We organize, mobilize. We educate. We advocate. Our power has never come from having an easy path."
Other winners of the Chairman's prize have included former... Read More