At DreamWorks, the group poses with famed children's author Bill Joyce (center in black jacket). © 2008 AWN Inc.

With the Oscar Showcase beginning to slow down, Thursday marked our chance to see DreamWorks L.A. While the screening was taking place, John Tarnoff, the head of the DreamWorks’ “incubator” department, showed us around the facility. After seeing production art from Bee Movie, Kung-Fu Panda and Madagascar 2, we got to see some production art and CG characters from DreamWorks’ 2009 releases Monsters vs. Aliens and How to Train Your Dragon. Being that Monsters vs. Aliens is the studio’s first stereoscopic production and the release date was moved up to March, the production is in furious mode. In regards to the challenges of working in 3-D, John said that DreamWorks looks at stereoscopic as they do stereo sound – a subtle enrichment of the movie going experience. Though the release will not be in 3-D, a test was done using the opening action sequence from Kung-Fu Panda to discover the limits to which they could push the technology. David Verrall, the exec producer of Madame Tutli-Putli, who has a hand in every English language film produced at the NFB, said they have artists working on eight foot screens for stereoscopic productions so they can get a better idea of how the mind processes the images as they are working on them.
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Disney TV artists learn more about how the nominated films were made. © 2008 AWN Inc.

After a nice long break where some filmmakers, like Madame Tutli-Putli directors Maciek Szczerbowski and Chris Lavis, Peter and the Wolf director Suzie Templeton, and Even Pigeons Go To Heaven director Samuel Tourneux and Pigeons producer Simon Vanesse, had to run off to do interviews, the ones who were able to stay chatted with the inquisitive artists at Disney TV Animation. Many of the questions were similar to questions asked before, but new insights did emerge.

Because no one from Pigeons was there to answer the question on what was the inspiration behind the films, Peter and the Wolf producer Hugh Welchman answered the question on behalf of Sam and Simon, saying that Sam had created the characters and sets for a story he did not like and then had to form a new story around what he had already created. He also added that Sam had said in another Q&A that he wanted the film to “reek of France.” But Peter producer Alan Dewhurst said it was more like “smell of France.” As for Alexander Petrov’s My Love, Madame Tutli-Putli producer Marcy Page, who worked with Petrov on The Old Man in the Sea, said that it’s amazing to watch the filmmaker move paint around on glass with his fingers creating a Rembrandt with each frame. When asked how long the films took to make, Ron Diamond, the organizer of the Oscar Showcase tour, joked six weeks for the 20+ minute My Love.

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The Oscar Showcase tour pulls into Walt Disney Animation. © 2008 AWN Inc.

The second day on the Oscar Showcase tour is a day at Disney with a screening for Walt Disney Feature Animation in the morning and Disney TV in the afternoon. Some miscommunication started the day and only the Madame Tutli-Putli team made it to Disney in time, thanks to exec producer David Verrall.

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At the Academy reception, new Academy member Marcy Page poses with Academy governor John Lasseter and NFB exec producer David Verrall. © 2008 AWN Inc.

After the Q&A at 20th Century Fox, tour host Ron Diamond had to quickly move the nominees toward the road so that we could make the reception before the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences screening. With the event filled with press from all over the globe, the nominees were given the star treatment. On the way to the screening, I asked I Met the Walrus producer Jerry Levitan what went through his mind when he heard that his film was nominated. He said that is was surreal and knew that his life would be different from now on. With dozens of photographers clamoring to get his picture, I guess he was right. Walrus director Josh Raskin said his food was pulled away from him three times, as he was spirited away to another interview. During the reception, Madame Tutli-Putli producer Marcy Page was able to thank John Lasseter for his endorsement in getting her into the Academy. The Disney animation head said it was warranted and thanked her and fellow NFB exec David Verrall for continuing to fund short animation.

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The nominees answer questions from the execs at Fox. © 2008 AWN Inc.

After screening at Sony, the next stop of the tour was 20th Century Fox. After Ron Diamond, publisher of AWN, introduced the filmmakers to the studios execs in the audience, the group took the chance to walk around the back lot and grab a couple of coffee.

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Josh Raskin (l to r), Chris Lavis, David Verrall, Samuel Tourneux, Marcy Page, Jerry Levitan, Rick DeMott, Suzie Templeton, James Braithwaite, Ron Diamond, Hugh Welchman, Rosto and Alan Dewhurst. © 2008 AWN Inc.

The Los Angeles leg of the Oscar Showcase tour kicked off at Sony Pictures Animation. The group congregated in the lobby where I met the new members of our merry band — I Met the Walrus producer Jerry Levitan, Madame Tutli-Putli executive producer David Verrall and Even Pigeons Go to Heaven producer Simon Vanesse. Not joining us for the first two events of the day was Madame director Maciek Szczerbowski, whose lobster taco from the night before was not sitting well with him. Jerry laughed when Walrus director Josh Raskin revealed that he had been describing him as “a 14-year-old kid with balls of steel.” I leave Jerry’s response to your imagination, because Walrus illustrator James Braithwaite warned Jerry not to say things like that around the human mimeograph as he pointed to me. I like to think of myself as the unofficial stenographer of the animated Oscar nominees.

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Are we having fun yet? (front left ccw) BUF post producer Lucie Bloze, I Met the Walrus director Josh Raskin, Walrus illustrator Jame Braithwaite and Madame Tutli-Putli director Chris Lavis. © 2008 AWN Inc.

Here is the last photo gallery from the San Francisco leg of the Oscar Showcase tour. We closed out the event at PDI/DreamWorks, where the Q&A audience asked some new questions and the nominees had a chance to chat with the studio’s artists.

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The group poses for a photo at Skywalker Sound. © 2008 AWN Inc.

Skywalker Ranch is an awesome experience and in this photo gallery you’ll understand why.

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Suzie Templeton strkes a pose with Invisagirl. © 2008 AWN Inc.

During our visit at Pixar we shot a great deal of wonderful pics with Pixar characters and employees, including Brad Bird and Ed Catmull.

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I Met the Walrus director Josh Raskin introduces himself to Peter and the Wolf producer Hugh Welchman. © 2008 AWN Inc.

Here’s the first photo gallery from the 2008 Oscar Showcase tour. Witness the nominees posing for pics with the many wonders on display inside the doors of the premiere visual effects studio.

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