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| Tour host Ron Diamond (l) and Madame Tutli-Putli director Maciek Szczerbowski (r) run into John Lasseter on the Disney lot. © 2008 AWN Inc. |
On Feb. 20th, the day belonged to Disney on the Oscar Showcase tour. Here is the photographic evidence.
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| The Oscar nominees (l to r) Maciek Szczerbowski, Chris Lavis, Hugh Welchman, Suzie Templeton, evening MC director Curtis Hanson, Josh Raskin, Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse. © 2008 A.M.P.A.S. |
On the evening of Feb. 19th, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences hosted a screening of the animated and live-action shorts. Check out the pictures from the star-studded event.
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| The filmmakers pose for a pic at the final screening location on the tour. © 2008 AWN inc. |
With a late 5 o’clock screening at ICM, many of the nominees couldn’t make it to the Q&A. Peter and the Wolf producer Hugh Welchman, Madame Tutli-Putli producer Marcy Page and her exec producer David Verrall were able to meet the agents. I Met the Walrus director Josh Raskin and his producer Jerry Levitan arrived right after the agents left because they went to the old ICM address by mistake.
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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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| 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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| Alan (l to r), Marcy, Chris, Maciek, Sam, James, Josh and Hugh field questions at Pixar. © 2008 AWN Inc. |
Like last year, a pattern of the same questions being asked at the various screenings continues. Of course the first question was to Chris and Maciek about the human eyes on the puppets in Tutli-Putli. Marcy said one of the difficulties of working with the eyes was timing out shots. Chris and Maciek found that the performance via the eyes sold some scenes quicker than when it was cut using the eyeless puppets. Josh was asked about the audio footage of John Lennon used in his film, which he said had never really been heard before they made I Met the Walrus. A first for the tour, but most likely not a first for the Madame Tutli-Putli team was about their enigmatic ending. Maciek explained that the intention of the film was less about plot and more like a poem where one scene doesn’t dictate the next, but informs the preceding scene. Chris added that the work of Carl Jung was also influential in setting the mood for the film. A little tidbit about the title is that in Hindi it means puppet, as well as delicate woman, which is a fact that the directors did not know before they were informed of it by a Hindi speaking member of one of their audiences.
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| Ron Diamond (center) poses with the animated short Oscar winner Torill Kove and the live-action short winner Ari Sandel. © AWN Inc. |
Here they are — pics from the exciting Oscar day. Lots of winners, excitement and fun!
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| Bill Kroyer poses for a pic with Little Matchgirl's Don Hahn and Roger Allers at Sony. © AWN Inc. |
Ron Diamond has created as new Oscar tradition: his yearly tour of the major West coast animation studios by the nominees for Best Animated Short Film. In a few short years this has become such an established event that all of the nominated films are represented by their respective directors, producers or both. At studios, which include ILM, Pixar, PDI, DreamWorks. and Sony, all five of the nominated films are screened for crowds of enthusiastic employees. The nominees have a chance to meet their professional counterparts and see their facilities.
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| The Disney leg of the Oscar Tour poses for a pic in front of the studio. Courtesy of Disney. |
Officially one week of the Oscar Tour is up and we’re nearing the home stretch. Today was less crazed than yesterday, but still wonderfully eventful nonetheless. The day was a home coming for Roger and Don. Every time we turned a corner someone was ecstatic to see them. After Tenny Chonin, head of artistic development at Disney Features, introduced the screening, Don took us on a special tour of the old animation building across the street from the new animation complex (you know, the building with the big hat on it). On the way, even, someone crossing the street lit up when he saw Don and pleaded him to come back to work soon. He has been like the Zen master of the group. His peaceful nature is just unforgettable. I had thought before that it must be a pleasure to work for him and after today I think many of the Disney employees confirmed my feeling.
AWN travels along with the Oscar animated shorts nominees to bring you their journey to the big night. Rick DeMott, AWN's managing editor, has chronicled the tour since 2007.
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