Animation Guild

D E PA R T M E N T 27 KEYFRAME CREATIVE INSPIRATION OFTEN SPRINGS FROM ONE'S LIFE, AND THAT CERTAINLY IS TRUE OF COSMO SEGURSON'S NEW NICKELODEON SHORT, THE PRINCE AND MR. WHISKERS. By Alexandra Drosu "It was an idea that I had been formulating for a while about characters that interact musically without dialogue," says Segurson. Growing up in a melodic household—his father Howard is an alto sax player and his mother Harriet, a singer— Segurson was influenced by his dad's musical tastes. "My Dad is from the be-bop school of west coast Jazz," says Segurson. "He first turned me on to Duke Ellington when I was really young." His father also told him stories about his great grandmother (whom he never met) and how she called jazz, "the Devil's music." Segurson's developing musical tastes also influenced the cartoons he watched. He was mesmerized by reruns of Popeye's color feature series, a trio of cartoons based on stories from The Arabian Nights. The cartoons, each 16 to 22 minutes long, debuted SPRING/SUMMER 2018 27 Fantastical worlds collide in this 2D and stop motion short MUSIC IN IN IN MOTION MOTION M S IC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC IC MUSIC IC MUSIC I IN I IN IN I IN N IN N IN N IN N IN MO T ION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MUSIC IN MOTION MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC IC MUSIC IC MUSIC IC MUSIC IC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC IN N IN N IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN I IN IN IN I IN IN IN I IN IN IN I IN N IN N IN N IN N IN N IN IN IN N IN IN IN N IN IN IN N IN MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MO MOTION MO MOTION MO MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION ION MOTION ION MOTION ION MOTION ION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION M MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC M M M MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC M M M MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC M MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC U MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC SI S SI S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC SI MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC SI MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC U MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC SI MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC S MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC SI MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC C MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC C MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC C MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC I MUSIC I MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC I MUSIC IC MUSIC I I I MUSIC I MUSIC I MUSIC I MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC I MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC I MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC IN I IN MUSIC IN MUSIC I MUSIC IN MUSIC MUSIC IC MUSIC IN MUSIC IC MUSIC I MUSIC IC MUSIC IN MUSIC IC MUSIC IN IN IN I IN IN IN MUSIC IN MUSIC IN MUSIC IN MUSIC I MUSIC IN MUSIC IN MUSIC IN MUSIC IN IN IN IN IN IN IN I IN IN IN IN IN IN IN I IN I IN I IN I I I IN I IN I IN I MUSIC I MUSIC IN MUSIC I MUSIC IN MUSIC I MUSIC IN MUSIC I MUSIC I MUSIC I MUSIC IN MUSIC I MUSIC IN MUSIC I MUSIC IN MUSIC I MUSIC IN I IN IN IN I IN IN IN I IN IN IN I IN I IN I IN IN IN I IN IN IN I IN IN IN I IN N N N N IN IN IN IN IN IN IN N IN IN IN IN IN IN IN IN N IN IN IN N IN IN IN N IN IN IN N IN N IN N IN IN IN N IN IN IN N IN IN IN N IN M MOTION M MOTION MOTION MO MOTION M MOTION MO MOTION MOTION M MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION M MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION M MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION M MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION M MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION M MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MO MOTION MO MOTION MO M MO MOTION MO MOTION MO MOTION MO MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION M MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION O MO O MO MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION O MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION T MO T MO T T T MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION T MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION MOTION MO MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION T MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION I MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION I MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION MOTION T MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION I MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION O MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION O MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION O MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION N ION N ION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION N MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION N MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION MOTION MOTION ION MOTION between 1937 and 1939 and showcased Sammy Timberg's jazzy score along with a rhythmic base of Arabian music. "There's something about what they call hot jazz that was used by Timberg, which I really love," he says. All these influences percolated in Segurson's mind as he brewed up a story for the short, a musical battle between classical European styling versus American jazz. A tale emerged of an aging King, who feels his son has no sense of order ever since he started listening to jazz records. In an effort to regain control over the Prince, the King hires Mr. Whiskers, the best music teacher in all the land. The King temporarily thinks he's solved the problem but then chaos ensues when the Prince and Mr. Whiskers begin their musical battle. "The King is worried about the kingdom and responsibilities— that kind of mirrors classical music that has order and time signatures versus jazz which is based on syncopation and improvisation," says Segurson. An Arabian Nights setting—a partial ode to the Popeye cartoons—seemed like the perfect setting. But there was another ambitious idea that Segurson wanted to implement— he wanted to integrate 2D animation with a stop-motion world.

• Cover
• PRESIDENT'S LETTER
• EDITOR'S NOTE
• ART & CRAFTAko Castuera's dynamic ceramics
• AFTER HOURS DWA's Abarcaon the sweet sideof animation
• IN PRODUCTION How Paradise, P.D.runs its show
• ON THE JOB Character Designers at different studios
• SPACE INVADERS Get lost in Ben Balistreri's home studio
• PERSPECTIVE Surviving pixel vision
• DIALOGUE Artists onthe show that inspired them
• THE LOCAL Color Stylists ask for your support, our convention delegates
• SOCIAL HOURT oasting our members around town
• MUSIC IN MOTION For Cosmo Segurson, his Nickelodeon short, The Prince and Mr. Whiskers, brings together influences from hispast. Inspired by hot jazz, 1930'scartoons and his father, he creates amusical battle in a stop-motion world.
• AND THE WINNER IS…We look back at eight Primetime Emmy winners over the last five decades, highlighting shows that impacted the industry. From The Flintstones to SpongeBob SquarePants, these unforgettable characters continue to live on.
• INTO THE NIGHT How do you design a summer vacation film without sunlight? That was one big challenge for the production of Hotel Transylvania 3.Learn how the artists behind the filmcreated a bright destination for Dracand his family.