Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1378252
SUMMER 2021 15 P E R S P E C T I V E S HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE IDEA VERSUS THE ARTISTRY? Ideas are not that important to me. I want to see how they were executed. Simple and clear are incredibly hard. All stories have been told, so it's all about the storytelling for me. HOW DO YOU ASSESS INDEPENDENT SHORTS VERSUS THOSE DONE THROUGH THE STUDIO SYSTEM? Ingenuity and resourcefulness often [result in] the most creative of outcomes. I will innately root for the independents since there was so much more sacrificed, and honestly, there is so much more at stake. TOM WARBURTON Executive Producer, Muppet Babies, Disney Junior judge: Ottawa International Animation Festival, RiverRun International Film Festival, and ASIFA-EAST Animated Film Festival WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN EVALUATING A SHORT FILM? Personally, I'm always looking at the idea first. For something I've never seen before. For a different way of saying something through film. YES! I want it to look sooper beautiful and technically brilliant. But if there's no idea behind it then, in my mind, it becomes more of an exercise. That's not to say an exercise can't be a superlative and enlightening film. But when judging for a festival, I'm really looking for both idea and artistry. DO YOU JUDGE PROFESSIONAL SUBMISSIONS DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE PUT OUT BY STUDENTS? These days it can be hard to tell the difference between student and professional films. Some student work looks more professional than the professionals' (and vice versa). But as a veteran of watching over eleventy billion student films at ASIFA-EAST over the years, I most definitely judge them differently. A lot of it is looking for the gem beneath the rough exterior and knowing that with time, experience, and money, a lot of these films would be different. Some for the better. Some not. And some are just perfect the way they are. HOW DO YOU ASSESS INDEPENDENT SHORTS VERSUS THOSE DONE THROUGH THE STUDIO SYSTEM? Coming from New York City, a community with a long and strong history of independent filmmaking (Bill Plympton, Buzzco Associates, Emily Hubley, George Griffin, etc.) I have a deep affection for independent filmmaking. I know the time, effort, and money it takes to get a film done. So I appreciate the fact that ANYONE has finished one. But I ALSO appreciate films made within the studio system for the polish and professionalism on display. And that they too finished a film. That said, technology has blurred the lines between what an independent and studio-made film looks like. It's often hard to tell! But honestly, it doesn't matter who made it or how. I just want to sit up in my seat and say, "YAAAAY!" BONJOUR, ANIMATION! The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is among the most prestigious in the world. On June 14-19 it's going virtual for the second year in a row, but being online doesn't dilute its cachet. TAG members worked on a few of the festival's Official Selections this year, including Animaniacs "Suspended Animation" and Disenchantment "Last Splash." Rob Hoegee, Executive Producer and Head Writer on another contender, Stillwater "The Impossible Dream," explains why he appreciates being a part of Annecy. "It can be easy to see animation as a commodity—a product that is manufactured and sold to an audience. Festivals look beyond that and help celebrate the artistry of what we create. As far as animation festivals go, Annecy is considered one of the most respected, so having Stillwater in competition is a tremendous honor for us. We've worked incredibly hard to make a good show, and to be among other programs that are considered the very best in the global animation community is a real validation of our efforts." Festival attendees gather in the Bonlieu Exhibition Hall.