Below is the MEET THE ROBINSONS spot that Disney is airing tomorrow during the Super Bowl. It’s part of the MEET THE ROBINSONS channel on YouTube. Let’s just hope these aren’t supposed to be the funny or entertaining parts of the film.

Meet Doctor Finklestar: Space Urologist. Sophisticated humor this is not, but it does deliver the funny. It’s from C.H. Greenblatt, creator of the upcoming CN series CHOWDER which looks rather promising.

Here’s a recent AWN interview where a Disney exec producer explains his credentials that qualify him to work in the animation industry:

As exec producer of Disney’s newest animated shows for tweens, what exactly do you do? How is an exec producer different from a producer?

JT: As the exec producer I am the “show runner.” The ultimate responsibility for all creative decisions rests with me. Having said that, my background is comedy writing, so my style is to delegate a lot. Heather Martinez, my director, who is a great artist, is in charge of most “art decisions.” I only weigh in on what I feel are the most crucial ones and I concentrate more on writing, acting and editing.

How long have you been interested in animation? You originally came to Los Angeles with the goal of becoming a lawyer. At what time did that switch for you and how did you transition into animation?

JT: Actually, I came to L.A. as a stand-up comedian. I had quit the law to do comedy. My transition to animation was pretty abrupt. I had been writing for American Movie Classics and Fox Sports when Steve Marmel suggested I freelance a script for the Fairly Oddparents. (He was the story editor.) I wrote a script in February and in June, I was a staff writer.

If you’ve ever wondered why mainstream studio cartoons are so intolerably awful, just ask the former lawyer and stand-up comic who’s responsible for all the artistic decisions on a Disney TV series. There’s hundreds of people like him in this business; it’s just that most of them don’t go on the record talking about their lack of knowledge about the art form. Then again, a lot of them do go on the record. To better understand how they’re collectively screwing the animation industry, be sure to read John Kricfalusi’s fearlessly honest blog post “Crackpot Executive Beliefs.”

Tomorrow afternoon, Saturday February 3rd, the Animation Guild, ASIFA-Hollywood and Women In Animation will present an AFTERNOON OF REMEMBRANCE, the annual memorial to honor those in the animation community who passed away in 2006. This year tributes will be paid to Joe Barbera, Ed Benedict, Brad Case, Chris Hayward, Norm McCabe, Sid Raymond, Joe Simon, Alex Toth, Myron Waldman, Robert “Tiger” West and Berny Wolf, among many others. This event happens at the Hollywood Heritage Museum (Lasky-DeMille Barn) at 2100 N. Highland Ave., across from the Hollywood Bowl. Doors open for food and refreshments at 1 pm, Memorials begin at 2 pm. The Afternoon is free of charge and is open to all; no RSVP necessary.

The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive has done it again. They’ve just posted an amazing scrapbook of farewell messages, drawings and signatures from the Disney animation staff in 1952, given to assistant animator Clair Weeks on the occasion of his departure from the studio. It’s pretty much a who’s who of Disney - everyone, from Walt Disney himself to Ward Kimball (above), Fred Moore, Marc Davis, Don DaGradi, Joe Rinaldi, Norm Ferguson, John Sibley and John Dunn. Click here to see the pages. And Steve Worth tells me he’s got more killer Disney items to post next week.

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Noir Nouar

February 2, 2007 11:10 am

One of the pleasures of my monthly cartoon screening gig with Janet Klein at the Steve Allen Theatre (first Thursday of every month at 8pm, next one on March 1st) is meeting many actors, comedians, artists and animators who attend each month to bask in 1920s-30s movies and music nirvana. Last night I met Noir Nouar, an illustrator and painter just finishing a stint on Nickelodeon’s Catscratch. Nouar has her own following as a fine artist and painter, and a website full of fun artwork. I love this piece (above) inspired by the Betty Boop cartoon MORE PEP - or at least by a line in Sammy Timburg’s song in that cartoon.

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Norah Jones Video: Sinkin’ Soon

February 2, 2007 12:19 am

Is it just me or is there more innovative stop-motion work being produced today than at any time in recent memory? To follow-up on the post below, here’s an excellent piece of computer-manipulated stop-motion, live action and puppeteering. This new Norah Jones music video, “Sinkin’ Soon,” is directed by Ace Norton. Watch it at NorahJones.com (go to the “Media” section, click on the TV screen, and then click on the “Sinkin’ Soon” title).

I really dug the raw visual vibe, and the immediacy and energy of the animation. Ben Zelkowicz, the supervising animator on the video, shares a few behind-the-scene details about its making:

It was a pretty crazy shoot - most of the animation was being shot on the same stage simultaneously with the live action, so lights were constantly getting tripped over, tables bumped, etc. as we (myself and Tennessee Reid Norton did most of the animation) tried to pump out the vast amounts of footage the director Ace Norton wanted. But I like the lo-fi aesthetic, all found objects, shooting several angles at once, as fast as humanly possible. I am particularly fond of the Svankmajer-esque screw guy playing the trumpet shot I did.

Animator TR Norton also has a few photos from the production posted on his blog.

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Guinness Ad by Michael Schlingmann

February 2, 2007 12:09 am

This inventive Guinness commercial from the UK was directed by Michael Schlingmann. The pixilated spot was shot with a digital still camera; no alteration with CG or post was involved. It would make a nice double-bill with Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck’s short BUSBY.

(Thanks, Uli)

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