Women In Animation

ATTENTION, WIA MEMBERS!

What do we really know about this Santa guy, anyway? We don’t know where he comes from; he wears a beard, and he’s supposed to fly down our chimneys and leave stuff in our living rooms. What kind of stuff?! People, this is not a jolly old elf—this is a threat to national security! We need to totally rethink our paradigm of holiday cheer!

Bearing this in mind, Women In Animation LA will celebrate the New Normal at its annual Christmas Party:

“Condition Red…And Green”

Join us at our undisclosed location (well…actually the Barsac Brasserie at 4212 Lankershim Boulevard)and indulge in an array of finger foods (which will have been cleared for wholesomeness), drinkables and the warm glow of relative safety (FYI: a small cavity search will be conducted at the door for your protection. Please leave metal objects at home).

The party will start on Thursday, December 13th, at 6:00 p.m., and will be a members-only event. Please RSVP early (to facilitate the background checks) by email to: lachapterrsvps@aol.com or call the Hotline at (310) 535-3838 by Tuesday, December 11th. Join our seasonal gathering or the terrorists win!

“There’s always something to learn,” as my animation professor says, and tonight at WIA’s General Meeting, this short film panel enlightened us with their experiences in the industry: in pitching their short films, creating and distributing them and also what’s it like to be on the receiving end of a pitch.Hosted on the beautiful lot of DreamWorks Studio, five guests from all areas of animation came to speak: Nick Confalone from Disney TV Animation, Peter Gal from Nickelodeon Studios, Eric Homan from Frederator Studios, Rusty Mills from MyToons.com and special guest animator Bob Kurtz of short film fame. They all discussed the recent resurgence of the short film and how studios and independent artists are handling this new trend. Because collectively the panelists are involved in everything from “Micro Pilots” for TV to Theatrical Shorts to festivals featuring experimental student work and even the chaos of the internet community’s raw films, we really got to see all the whole realm of possibilities for submitting and pitching short films.

Among the precious pitching advice given was, “Know your characters, Know your material,” which all the panelists agreed was key to presenting your ideas effectively. The panelists also spent time answering the audience’s questions about short films, which promoted discussion about the panelists’ short film successes and failures. We were also treated with a few hilarious screenings of upcoming short films and even a sneak peek at a work-in-progress short film.

Bob Kurtz ended his advice with some words of encouragement, and I leave them for you as well: “There’s great stuff that you can do out there, if you don’t limit your imagination.”

by Rochelle Perry

Stephanie Graziano coordinated this special event commemorating the many generations of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. The panelists included Jerry Eisenberg, designer and artist; Susan Blu, voice actor and voice director; Dennis Venezelos, artist/art director; Jayne Demente, gender educator who at one time was a secretary at Hanna-Barbera and later created their production library; and Iraj Paran, art director and graphic artist.

To kick off the discussion, it started with how working at Hanna-Barbera impacted their careers. The panelists agreed with Jayne: “[Working there] imparted a strong work ethic and a sense of teamwork.” Truly, Hanna and Barbera put their whole hearts into their projects, generating a work ethic that their workers adopted.

They also encouraged creative freedom, whether it be with the simple design of the characters, the pioneering techniques involved, the humorous stories, or the charm in the acting. Susan recalls the freedom to suggest a voice she thought would suit a character. Mentoring and promoting growth within the studio was common. After applying for a summer job, Iraj went on to becoming an artist, along with many other talented individuals. And from all the art produced, Jayne went on to creating “one of best production libraries in the world.”

With passion driving the production, the studio soon evolved as a powerhouse for children’s entertainment, trudging along to what we call the “cartoon baby boom.” They were producing so many shows at once that the demand for artists grew; thus, they outsourced their animation overseas, the first of its day.

But even with the help overseas, eighty hours a week was still normal in-house. Stephanie remembers looking forward to the layoffs. And despite rumors that the studio was a sweatshop, Dennis comment, the crew still spared time for fun, playing pranks on each other after hours. “It was a very lighthearted place, very much like a family.”

Work hard, play hard. That was a motto by which Hanna-Barbera lived. Never has this motto been more prevalent than in the Hanna-Barbera days, one by which every studio should live, and one which earned them their success. Both men had a lot of heart and passion, which has reflected in the hearts of their employees. With this backing them up they have created some of the most memorable animated cartoons to date.

by Shannon Muir

2006 saw the passing of Joe Barbera, half of the animation legacy of Hanna-Barbera, without whom many great women - and men - might not have gotten their breaks in the biz. With the great assistance of Sander Schwartz and Warner Bros. Animation (who now own Hanna-Barbera), Women in Animation honored that legacy at Warner Bros. Animation in Sherman Oaks while taking care of a little bit of business.

As a nonprofit corporation, WIA is required to elect a board of officers, all of whom came into office with an overwhelming majority. The same could be said of the two ballot measures embracing the international growth of WIA as well as removing the longstanding two-sponsor requirement for membership, according to Administrator Mary Ellen Thomas.

A wide selection of finger foods and cheesecakes, with beverages ranging from coffee to tea to water, came courtesy of Frederator Studios in New York. WIA founder Rita Street “channeled” (in now-former President Jan Nagel’s terms) a message from Fred Seibert, owner of Frederator and last President of Hanna-Barbera. He spoke of being part of a legacy to live inside people for a lifetime to come.

A detailed account of the Hanna-Barbera panel event will follow in a separate blog post.

It was an evening of fun and, for some, memories as WIA members were regaled with stories of passion and pranks and life at Hanna-Barbera. Special thanks to our panelists: Jayne Demente, Jerry Eisenberg, Susan Blu and Dennis Venezelos, Iraj Paran.

Also a special thanks to Warner Bros. Animation and Frederator Studios for their invaluable help and support.

Keep checking in. A more detailed report will be posted soon.