Eye on the Prize
Page 4 of 6
Animated Feature
By Debra Kaufman
This year has seen a bounty of tremendously engaging, beautifully produced animated features, from traditionally hand-drawn cel animation to the latest computer-generated techniques.
Though Disney’s Lilo and Stitch was created with hand-drawn animation, directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois relate that the film was a deliberate “grand departure” from the more recent familiar conventions at Disney Studios. “It was intended to be a bit of a risk,” said Sanders, who noted the film had both a smaller budget and a less ambitious scope than the animated epics of recent years. “And we used our freedom to its greatest effect.”
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The film begins with the scene — the capture of the villain — that ends the typical animated feature, and goes on to take that character on a voyage of redemption.
“In a big epic, there’s always a struggle between the scope of the story and the quiet moments that let you connect with the character,” said DeBlois. “We wanted to resurrect the sweet, sincere moments by starting off with a smaller scope picture and also by playing on the strengths of traditionally drawn animation.”
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| Ice Age |
2002 also had its share of spectacular animated epics. DreamWorks’ Cinemascope release Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron follows wild mustangs galloping across stunning American vistas, inspired by national parks. With regard to the film’s chief challenges, producer Mireille Soria noted that not only are horses difficult to animate but that they were also lead characters who were mute. “It became like a silent movie, and that put a big challenge on the animators, who are the actors, and the music, supplied by composer Hans Zimmer and song-writer Bryan Adams,” said Soria. This film was “tradigital,” a term studio head Jeffrey Katzenberg used to describe its seamless blend of hand-drawn animation for the close-ups, which allowed nuanced facial expressions, and digital animation for the long shots.
Another dazzling epic for this year is Disney’s Treasure Planet, an outer space version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, which takes viewers on a tour of the universe. Disney also provided the U.S. release of anime hit Spirited Away, another genre-breaking animated feature. Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki’s film was given an English-dubbed version directed by Kirk Wise, with Daveigh Chase (who voiced Lilo) playing the film’s title role, Chihiro. Though rated PG, Spirited Away was ultimately more adult fare. “The imagery was so powerful and unique that it haunted me,” admitted Wise.
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| Stuart Little 2 |
The wild card in this year’s Best Animated Feature category is Stuart Little 2 which, though it includes live-action characters and locations, features main characters and many supporting actors and locations that are entirely animated.
“We definitely consider it an animated feature,” noted Sony Pictures Imageworks’ Stuart Little 2 visual effects supervisor Jerome Chen. “We planned it as an animated movie from the beginning. The main characters are animated, and we developed the story as we would an animated film.”
At press time, there was no final word from the Academy as to whether or not Stuart Little 2 will be considered in the animation category — but inclusion will most certainly broaden the definition of animation for the future.
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