Moonman
19-09-2007 21:31:32
Wow, Bluth can talk! When I finally got up my tailbone screamed at me. :lol: Four hours of these guys talking was something to behold. 'specially Bluth. Guy looks as frail as a dried piece of grass but boy, he had energy to burn.
It started out with Goldman, who got up front of the stage (the thing was held in the school's little theater) and talked to the front row for a while since the mic he had pinned to his shirt was bursting out nothing but static through the speakers. They finally gave up on the shirt pin and just gave him a regular hand held mic and he continued.
Most of Goldman's focus was on us as students about to go out into the market. He talked about always being able to perform no matter what, and be prepared for unfair deadlines, that kinda thing. That was probably for the first half hour to hour or so.
Then Bluth took over.
He was off like a rocket from the beginning and he didn't let up. He started out talking about how he grew up on the farm, and we found out some pretty interesting (read: disturbing) facts about cows. :P He then went on to rail against computers and the general emotion disconnection people have been growing into. You could tell he was really passionate about people needing to be more passionate, more extroverted and more sociable.
He then talked about his history with Disney and the making Banjo and finally talking about NIMH. He has some fantastic stories to tell. Like the whole concept of Jeremy out to get a wife was created when one of the old ladies who cooked for their newly made studio hit on Bluth, it's where they got the 'call of the wild' line (she was married with two kids, he went on to say). Bluth asked that anyone interrupt him with questions if they wanted to rather than do the Q 'n A at the end and some people started doing that. One guy asked about the background paintings and I was so glad they did. They talked about Don Moore and his absolutely amazing work on the film. They talked about how every once in a while he came to work absolutely plastered and would start destroying his own paintings for the film! Goldman would actually have to tackle him to the ground and they'd kick him out to keep him from doing more damage.
Eventually, he got on to talking about animation and technique and I learned some awfully fascinating things I'd never considered. He talked about music and it's close association with animation, and not just in a historic sense. He talked about how the concepts of rythm and timing and made a wonderful analogy about music being like math, with a question then and answer. I'd never looked at music that way before. Just listen to In the Hall of the Mountain King and you'll understand. :wink: He then talked about focus and used images from NIMH to demonstrate the use of the background elements to direct the audience's attention then drew up a little layout doodle of Mrs. Brisby with the owl. As an animation student, I'd always known about these elements, but he put in such a perfect context...I was impressed.
Bluth talked for the most part and with Goldman on the sidelines. Goldman would usually try to get a word in edgewise with Bluth asking him to hold on while he finished his thought...which usually took another five minutes to finish. :) The Q 'n A was nice and I was able to get a question in, but it wasn't a very good one. I asked for their opinions on the crass franchising of their work citing the bajillion Land Before Time sequels, it was clear they really didn't care.
At the end, most everyone left, but a good portion stayed to get up on stage and get sketches from them. I got in line and it was like right out of a comedy sketch. The moment I stepped up to the table is when they took everything off. So instead I offered them a doodle I'd made while they were talking, but they signed it and returned it instead. I aint complainin! :D
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[b]P.S. While everyone waited for the show to start, we got to watch that making of 'featurette' they have on the new DVD, but in it's [i]original[/i] form. They cut out a [i]massive[/i] amount of content before they shipped it out. That 'featurette' is really a full fledged making-of documentary that they just gutted the shit out of for the DVD. You have no idea...[/b]
It started out with Goldman, who got up front of the stage (the thing was held in the school's little theater) and talked to the front row for a while since the mic he had pinned to his shirt was bursting out nothing but static through the speakers. They finally gave up on the shirt pin and just gave him a regular hand held mic and he continued.
Most of Goldman's focus was on us as students about to go out into the market. He talked about always being able to perform no matter what, and be prepared for unfair deadlines, that kinda thing. That was probably for the first half hour to hour or so.
Then Bluth took over.
He was off like a rocket from the beginning and he didn't let up. He started out talking about how he grew up on the farm, and we found out some pretty interesting (read: disturbing) facts about cows. :P He then went on to rail against computers and the general emotion disconnection people have been growing into. You could tell he was really passionate about people needing to be more passionate, more extroverted and more sociable.
He then talked about his history with Disney and the making Banjo and finally talking about NIMH. He has some fantastic stories to tell. Like the whole concept of Jeremy out to get a wife was created when one of the old ladies who cooked for their newly made studio hit on Bluth, it's where they got the 'call of the wild' line (she was married with two kids, he went on to say). Bluth asked that anyone interrupt him with questions if they wanted to rather than do the Q 'n A at the end and some people started doing that. One guy asked about the background paintings and I was so glad they did. They talked about Don Moore and his absolutely amazing work on the film. They talked about how every once in a while he came to work absolutely plastered and would start destroying his own paintings for the film! Goldman would actually have to tackle him to the ground and they'd kick him out to keep him from doing more damage.
Eventually, he got on to talking about animation and technique and I learned some awfully fascinating things I'd never considered. He talked about music and it's close association with animation, and not just in a historic sense. He talked about how the concepts of rythm and timing and made a wonderful analogy about music being like math, with a question then and answer. I'd never looked at music that way before. Just listen to In the Hall of the Mountain King and you'll understand. :wink: He then talked about focus and used images from NIMH to demonstrate the use of the background elements to direct the audience's attention then drew up a little layout doodle of Mrs. Brisby with the owl. As an animation student, I'd always known about these elements, but he put in such a perfect context...I was impressed.
Bluth talked for the most part and with Goldman on the sidelines. Goldman would usually try to get a word in edgewise with Bluth asking him to hold on while he finished his thought...which usually took another five minutes to finish. :) The Q 'n A was nice and I was able to get a question in, but it wasn't a very good one. I asked for their opinions on the crass franchising of their work citing the bajillion Land Before Time sequels, it was clear they really didn't care.
At the end, most everyone left, but a good portion stayed to get up on stage and get sketches from them. I got in line and it was like right out of a comedy sketch. The moment I stepped up to the table is when they took everything off. So instead I offered them a doodle I'd made while they were talking, but they signed it and returned it instead. I aint complainin! :D
[b]P.S. While everyone waited for the show to start, we got to watch that making of 'featurette' they have on the new DVD, but in it's [i]original[/i] form. They cut out a [i]massive[/i] amount of content before they shipped it out. That 'featurette' is really a full fledged making-of documentary that they just gutted the shit out of for the DVD. You have no idea...[/b]