First you had to rescue a Princess from a Dragon...NOW COMES THE HARD PART!
The time: somewhere in the future. The place: outer space. The objective: save the planet earth!
These are the main points of Don Bluth Studio's next interactive videogame, SPACE ACE. Faster and more difficult than the first, DRAGON'S LAIR, this game features an option to change roles.
Our hero in this tale is actually a youth, Dexter. His opponent is the all powerful Borf, who has a bevy of dangerous weapons and strange alien creatures at his disposal. Dexter does have the assistance of a girl friend, Kim, but his main power is his ability to energize into Ace.
As the player, you will have several points in the game where you will have the chance to energize into Ace. Doing so not only changes the game, but changes the odds and scoring.
For the second game, the Studio went to work to top themselves. They seem to have succeeded. The game has a budget of ever $2 million (almost double DRAGON'S LAIR), allowing for full animation, feature style! Perhaps the most amazing visuals in the game will be from the animation effects department as they produce rocket skate mazes, move futuristic crafts, and bring life to all forms of technical mischief.
When the first meetings were held on the game, Don, John, and Gary knew that they couldn't just come up with a DRAGON'S LAIR in outer space. They needed some really challenging items for the gamers. One such challenge is the option to change personalities. Another is the increase in decisions necessary to play and to win. Though the controls will be the same as in DRAGON'S LAIR (a joystick and a button), the options are expanded. The button is not a single item, but an energizer. It can energize everything from ray guns to Dexter himself.
At this time the game is set for an early 1984 release to arcades. It will, of course, fit neatly into the DRAGON'S LAIR hardware by simply putting in the new laserdisc. (Some arcades may keep the LAIR running longer since it is still so popular and gaming experts are predicting that popularity to run into early spring.)
So for all those who have saved the princess and slayed the dragon, the stakes have just been raised. Now it's up to you to save the earth...and all for 50 cents.
Saturday night the committee presented their annual Inkpot Awards, given to honor individuals in their various field. Don Bluth received an award along with Floyd Gottfredson, Norman Maurer, and Arn Saba. Other guests attending the even were Grim Natwick, Ray Bradbury, Douglas Adams, Robert Bloch, Joe Kubert, Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman, and B. Kliban.
Though the number is "two," this is actually the first issue of Exposure Sheet. It features a number of first features, all of which we hope you will enjoy.
Don and John hive you some information on the "how to's" of animation. Gary will be talking about some of the facts and faces of the studio. While Sue and Will give more personal looks at studio events, Kim helps out by letting us see the "other side" of publicity. All in all, they will attempt to give you a true insider's look and feel for the Don Bluth Studio.
As for me, I'm here to keep everything together and keep you up to date on our past and future. Along with the news column, I've got some information on the next interactive game, SPACE ACE.
Like most of the folks in animation, and the many fans, animation is one of my main loves. Unlike many of those I talk with and write for, though, my key interest is in its present state and its future.
The artform has been through a lot since its beginning. The simple, imaginative silent adventures of Felix the Cat and Gertie, the early sound triumphs of Disney and Fleischer, the peak comedy at Warner Brothers and MGM, the inventiveness of UPA and a multitude of features all all part of its theatrical history. By the late forties television entered animation's territory and thirty years plus the new dimension of arcades became fair game.
Full, limited, three dimensional, clay, computer, and classical are all terms used to describe the artform. Each has its plusses and minuses. It may just be the most versatile of the arts. I'm often told that you can do anything in animation. I also believe the reverse is true: Animation can do anything. Long may it prosper. See you next issue.
I've tried. God knows I've tried. It's just not an easy task garnering three producers (most publicity people have enough trouble with one!) and getting them to an awards show.
This year's Saturn Awards, the 10th annual presentation sponsored by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, were in June at the Directors Guild Theatre in Hollywood and held lots of promise for us. THE SECRET OF NIMH had bee nnominated as Best Animated Film and Best Fantasy Film, and feelings had run high around the studio since the announcement.
But trying to get Those Three to the show was another matter!
With a heavy heart, I entered the Music Room. "It's time to make plans for the Saturn Awards." There. I said it.
Don looked up at me with an unspoken question in his eyes.
"Yes," I said as gently as possible. "You must wear a tux." As he lowered his head, I hit him with the rest of it. "And we must get Gary off the telephone and John away from his animation board." I continued bravely. "And if we do all of that, we must go in a limousine." I thought I heard a small sob but left quickly.
The limo arrived, a huge, black, shiny affair. Gary, looking great in his tux, made one last call form the reception desk. John, magnificent in his tux, pulled at the starched collar and finished a final drawing, then headed downstairs. We all waited for Don in the lobby.
We heard him before we say him, a sort of dull roar about construction and engineering of formal bow ties. He appeared, grappling with the thing -- but it was perfect! And then, he smiled!
More than 600 people filled the theater. There were many luminaries in attendance, including Mabel King, Yvonne DeCarlo, Persis Khambatta, Susan George, Sandahl Bergmann, Paul Winfield, Lee Van Cleef and Richard Lynch. David Naughton was host.
Movies were honored: E.T., Best Science Fiction; DARK CRYSTAL, Best Fantasy, POLTERGEIST, Best Horror; THE ROAD WARRIOR, International, and EATING RAOUL, Best Low Budget.
Actors were honored: William Shatner (STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN) and Sandahl Bergmann (CONAN THE BARBARIAN) as Best Actor and Actress; Richard Lynch (THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER) and Zelda Rubinstein (POLTERGEIST) as Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
Filmmakers were honored: Nicholas Meyer as Best Director, STAR TREK II; Melissa Matheson, Best Screenplay, E.T.; John Williams, Best Musical Score, E.T.
Zelda Rubinstein, the medium in POLTERGEIST, and Robert McNaughton, the older brother in E.T., then presented the Best Animated Film award to -- THE SECRET OF NIMH!
Don rose from his seat amid cheers and ran to the stage where he kissed the Fantasy Friend who held the award. In thanking the Academy, Don said, "We worked so hard and for so long and we didn't think anyone noticed. Thank you." He introduced Gary and John as his partners and "best friends in the whole world." Pomeroy thanked the Academy on behalf of what he called "the incredible crew of artists and technicians who made thefilm." Godsman said, "More than 150 artists worked 12 hours a day for two-and-a-half years to get this film made. Thank you."
When Don came back to his seat, he passed the award down the line so we could all hold it for a while. (Awards, by the way, really are heavy!)
During an interview later Don said, "Art is a reflection of how we all feel about being alive, how we're all doing at this moment in time. The value of awards is that they are milestones, marking points at which others can tell you how they think you're doing. It's a good feeling to win one!"
They say that, after a night of magic, life returns to normal. Well, mostly, maybe. But you're never exactly the same on the other end of these things as you were at the beginning.
The Saturn, a foot-tall, gold-plated replica of the ringed planet on its starpath, now sits in Gary's office, where he glances at it occasionally while he's on the phone. Don's back in his jeans and John's glued once more to his drawing board. But our Saturn is due for another move soon. I'm not sure, but I think it's John's turn again!
I hate cats! So why is a cat getting top billing on this page? Well, I'll tell you. This is Missy, and Missy is the mascot of the Music Room. She causes all kinds of trouble and screens who is allowed in and out. Therefore, any discussion of the Music Room would be incomplete without a picture of Missy.
The Music Room is the room in the studio where it all comes together. If, for a moment, we can think of an animation studio as a ship, the Music Room is its helm. It is from the helm that the Admiral makes commands, and it is up to the first officer to see to it that they are carried out...promptly and correctly. At the Don Bluth Studio, Don Bluth is the Admiral, and I am the first officer (Assistant Director). Together we share the Music Room.
For you trivia buffs, the name "Music Room" began at the Walt Disney Studio years ago. Walt had a piano in his office so he could hear the latest song compositions for the shorts and features. Soon, his office, the Director's office, was being called the Music Room by everyone.
Our Music Room, here, doesn't have a piano in it, (But we do have a sterio.) We have a piano, but its hoome is in the conference room, downstairs. The piano is Mr. B's pride and joy. (From now on, when I'm talking about Don I'll call him "Mr. B.") He's actually a musician. Did you know that? I think he's pretty darn good -- But never tell him I said so! He thinks I hate his playing.
You want to know what the Music Room looks like? Mr. B and I each have a desk. His is actually a table with a drawing board on it. He also has a desk with a light board behind him, and a sidetable by the window. All three form a "u" around him. It sounds large, but it's really not. (Mr. B always seems to need more room.)
It's on top of Mr. B's side table that Missy sleeps all morning. I don't mean to say she's lazy...She's really quite active. (I just added that because Mr. B walked by.) It's under his desk that Missy sleeps all afternoon. (Active...don't you agree?)
Missy was adopted by the entire Studio, but she only adopted Mr. B. She has an eincredible sense of humor -- absolutely none at all -- and a temper beyond compare. She spends the early morning (before she goes to sleep, that is) screaming at everyone. However, she's one smooth operator! Believe it or not, Missy finagled a credit on THE SECRET OF NIMH! What nerve! I think she had an ulterior motive that day she wandered up to the front door.
Anyway, back to business. The Music Room is the nerve center of the Studio. Direction to all Departments, such as: Animation, Clean Up, Special Effects, etc., comes from the Music Room. It's our job to make sure all the various pieces needed to complete the animation jigsaw puzzle are provided for and completed. Sometimes our entire day is spent answering questions and trouble shooting potential problems.
Thngs are always hopping up here. (I'm not sure if "hopping" fully describes the craziness I live with in this job.) When I arrived the other morning, the Music Room door was pushed shut. I started to open it when suddenly from inside the room I heard a deep voice laughing fiendishly and roaring.
"Now you die! Nooowwwww, you die. You must deal with me...Mmmeeeeee. I say!" (Another fiendish laugh.)
I burst through the door wielding a pair of deadly scissors. There was no hatchet murderer in the Music Room. It was Mr. B. He was contorting his voice into a horrible growl and saying all kinds of evil things.
I had forgotten that we were going to a recording session that day to record the voice of Borf, the villain of our new arcade game, SPACE ACE. Mr. B was experimenting with his own voice, trying to establish the style of dialogue delivery he wanted to hear on the villain.
Good grief, I'm wandering again! It's probably due to the fact that one our our animators just dove through the door, rolled across the floor, and with an especially painful yelp...died at my feet. Yes, he truly died. Or at least he was portraying how Space Ace, our hero, will die in one of his scenes. Animators, as you will learn, are actors who use pencils instead of their bodies. They rehearse their scenes as do their theatrical counterparts. It usually takes a few trials before the action is right.
At least ten times a day someone rolls, dives, screams,tiptoes, blasts and even swims through the Music Room door. After completing his/her solo performance, the animator looks up at Mr. B. Does he...or doesn't he? (Like it, that is.) Needless to say, all the excitement keeps things interesting in here.
In the Music Room we ahve shelves, story boards, all kinds of useful clutter...and the most important piece of equipment of all is the Movieola! The Movieola is an apparatus that plays the film and several sound tracks (voice, music, effects etc.) on a 6x8" screen, thus eliminating the need for a projector and projection room.
There is only one danger with the Movieola, and that is BREAKING THE FILM! This is a supreme no-no, but we all do it from time to time...Even me! I'm always very neat about it, though, and my breaks are easy to repair (or "splice" as we call it).
When Mr. B breaks the film, however, he goes all out. While working last Saturday, he needed to show the reel to some visitors. He put it up on the Movieola and began. Something went wrong! (That's what everyone claims when they break the film, "something went wrong.") Not only did he break the film, he split it right down the middle. It was a pretty long split. He quickly did his best to repair it and then continued the show.
Needless to say, Jeff and Danny, our editors, spotted the guilty splice (if you could call it that) right away. As they were both in a good mood that day, they had a good laugh over the mess and fixed it.
I didn't tell you, but the Editing Department is right next door to the Music Room. In fact, we share a wall. This keeps things interesting when the editors are building sound tracks on a project. They always have something new for "our listening pleasure." Jeff and Danny are both great...always laughing...always joking...always smiling (well, almost always). Jeff has been known to throw a fit and heave his splicer, but this only happens rarely. Happily, nothing's been broken yet.
Does it sound crazy in here? Well, my plan for every issue is to tell you the goings on at the helm. When there's gossip to relate, you'll know where you can find it.
Dom Deluise has been making people laugh for three decades. His television credits include THE GARRY MOORE SHOW (where he performed as "Dominick the Great"), THE DEAN MARTIN SHOW, and LOTSA LUCK. On screen he's starred in THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT, BLAZING SADDLES, SILENT MOVIE, THE END, FATSO, and HOT STUFF (which he also directed) to name a few. On stage he has performed around the country along with directing the likes of Burt Reynolds, Carol Burnett and Farrah Fawcett. Exposure Sheet asked Dom to talk a bit about himself and his "animation debut" as Jeremy, the crow, in THE SECRET OF NIMH.
As an actor, I know a characterization always starts in your head. However, in an animated film it has to stay there. That becomes rather difficult.
When I was asked to do a voice in THE SECRET OF NIMH, I was thrilled. I've always felt that the voice behind the character is important. For example, look at Peter Ustinov. He adds so much to his scenes with his vivid speech and marvelous characterizations. I also have a fondness for Peggy Lee as the pair of siamese cats in LADY AND THE TRAMP. She actually did both voices along with several others in that film.
My favorite voice person, though, would probably be Mel Blanc. He just makes those cartoons. I always laugh at the wild things he does with his voice. Even if it's just sound effects, like Jack Benny's Maxwell, he's great.
In fact that was what I was expecting when I went to audition for NIMH. I'd planned all these funny voices, but when I got there I discovered they just wanted my voice. Don Bluth, John Pomeroy and Gary Goldman, the three "biggies," had seen me with Burt Reynolds in THE END and liked my character in the film.
Even though I'd been acting since age six (I played the lead in my school production of Peter Rabbit), I wasn't really prepared for the loss of my body. Working only in front of a mike means you have to put all of your concentration into the voice.
It was both fun and difficult. I've always used my body in developing characterizations. You give your character a funny walk, or strike silly poses, or wave your stomach a bit (with my girth that's no small feat). Here I had to stand in front of a mike and make my voice sound like it. During many of the sessions I'd look down under the script and see myself gyrating around. Stopping the machinery just wasn't that easy. My body kept trying to help me out.
Luckily, my movement came through in the voice. As you've probably seen, Jeremy is quite an "athletic" fellow. When we first started talking about Jeremy, I remember the one thing I stressed was that I didn't want him fat! It was an easy way to lose weight! However it did backfire. Being thought of as a thin, gangly bird has made my wife start feeding me like one. All I get now are small portions!
Throughout the whole time, I was directed by Don Bluth. It was always fun for not only was the writing good, but he'd let me help in developing some of the timing and pacing for the character. That always helps an actor, for it makes the character a little bit more of himself.
Hopefully Jeremy won't be my last voice. I think it would be fun to work with Burt Reynold's voice. Not Burt, just his voice. Honestly, though, I think he'd be great at this. Burt's another one who has a lot of life and fun in his voice. We always enjoy working together.
Until my next chance at animation comes along, I'll just go back to letting my body do the talking. It certainly has the experience!
The grace and agility of the dance, the surprise and delight of the theatre, the rush of emotions born of music, all come together in one bountiful art form, Classical Animation. If you are attracted to it...Bravo!!! To hear and see an animated film skillfully created is a joy forever. As we explore the techniques and styles of the Art of Animation in the coming months, I hope your appreciation of it will grow. First let's talk a little bit about style.
Here is a rule of thumb I use when selecting a style for an animated piece. Choose a drawing style (form) which will not impair the flow of message to the viewer. In other words, make the form and the content of your work harmonious. The majority of your audience will not be animators, so try to give them more than just fabulous artwork. Throuw them a bone to gnaw on. they will love you for it.
The Short...(1 to 6 minutes in length)
This genre is always challenging to both beginner and veteran. Fresh and inventive, these short entrees are unrestrained creativity. And...(this is important) you won't have to mortgage your soul to afford building one. Choose whatever tools you like as your medium: pencils, pen 'n ink, push pins, Avery labels, clay, chalk or any gadgetry that suits your fancy. A film festival or two may help you get the hang of it. After dusting off your Super 8MM, go sit in your favorite think chair. Close your eyes and start dreaming. Please...please...don't begin until you've caught a dream. That is the key. Close your eyes and see. Remember, the short can be the prelude to greater things...maybe a career!
The Special...(30 minute length)
Okay, shift gears. Think special. The longer you wish to hold your audience's attention, the more finesse you will need in both drawing and message. How do you sustain interest? How? That's where the chancre gnaws. Graphics alone, no matter how beautiful, cannot. Specials are really like mini-movies. So, dust off your best books on the dramatic form.
What's that you ask! Dramatic form is a way of telling a story by using devices such as, a plot (a conflict), characters, and dialogues. It can be read or acted out. Drama is an imitation of life, and when the illusion is skillfully crafted, the viewer is transfixed, bound and unable to pull himself away. Of course, the subject matter of the dramatic piece must be something you can root for. I love the term, "Illusion of Life." It is the key. Your drawings must give an illusion of living and thinking. You will enthrall your audience if you allow your animation characters to think. I guarantee it.
Now about the money. Specials are serious business; be sure you think through your budget carefully. Plan from beginning to end; no debts please. This is Show 'n BUSINESS.
The Feature Film...(75 minute length)
This is my first love; and I think every animator's dream. A feature is a team effort and will cost millions of dollars. And even more than the short, you must super focus on the dramatic form. The play is the thing, animation is the medium. Go sit in your think chair; contemplate that. Feature animators are actors with pencils. Should you get a part in a feature role, you'll have the time of your life. Work for it.
More on this later; let's get down to the basics now. Take it John.
Most animation tools whether they be paper, discs or pages use standard "Acme" equipment. While the professional animators may be very selective about what equipment they use, the beginner need not be fussy. If Acme equipment is not available to you, here are some suggestions on how to make your own.
ANIMATION PAPER
Standard typing paper will suffice if the Acme brand is hard to find. In assuring that all of your drawings work well with one another, it is important that your paper is punched with a hand-held hole puncher (which cna be purchased at a local stationery supply store) about 5/8" from the bottom of the paper.
PEGS
Your punched sheets can be used with animation pegs, which can be made by glueing 2 pieces of 1/4" wood doweling, approximately 1/2" long, to a ruler sized piece of stiff cardboard or plastic. Using punched paper on pegs will keep your drawn action smooth rather than jerky. When ready, these pegs can be taped to any flat surface for use, such as a drafting table or a piece of 18" x 24" plywood. This brings us to the next piece of equipment.
THE ANIMATION DISC & LIGHT TABLE
These two items, if available, are expensive, so you might consider building your own light table. Siimply mount an 18" x 24" piece of 1/2" plywood to two triangular pieces of wood, which will act as supports, and attach a 12 1/2" x 10" piece of glass or plastic to the top of it.
Since keeping track of drawings under several sheets of paper can be a problem, you may want to attach either a regular 60 watt bulb and socket or a portable fluorescent fixture inside the box.
ERASER
Making mistakes is a part of learning any artform, and animation is no exception, so it's important to have na eraser at hand. Erasers come in various sizes, colors, and textures. I prefer the "kneaded" type because it keeps the surface of the paper clean without scoring or damaging its surface.
So far, all mentioned items are considered basic equipment and should start you on your wat. There are a couple more items worth mentioning, that are essential to the animator's sense of "timing." First, the stopwatch, which is used to determine the overall length of your scene. Second is the metronome, which can help in fuguring out the beat or tempo that a character moves (as in running, walking, jumping, etc.).
Metronomes are available through any musical instrument store, and stopwatches can be purchased at a jeweler or sporting goods store.
If the desire to create animated films develops beyond the drawing board stage and into painting and shooting your work, I suggest that you write to these two companies for their free catalogs:
Their selection of supplies should cater to your every "animation" need.
Well, it's Monday morning and for an animator that means back to the ol' drawing board -- literally. I had a nice weekend; slept late, caught a movie, didn't do the dishes. Bot mostly I just thought about my scene.
Well, it isn't my scene yet. You see, Monday morning's when all the animators pick up ther new scene assignments from the Music Room. And it just so happens the Friday night I snuck into the Music Room after work to get a peek at the new storyboards for the final sequence of SPACE ACE, our latest arcade game. The whole thing is an exciting clash between good and evil, but there's one particular scene that I'm really cut out for. I don't want to give anything away, but in this one fabulous scene, Ace sweeps his fair damsel Kimberly off her feet and carries her off while fighting a whole horde of Borf's goons, it's the stuff dreams are made of. It's the kind of scene tha't going to take the physical agility of an Olympic athelete, the acting skill of a Barrymore, and a sense of staging worthy of a master. Don has to give it to me, he has no choice. Besides, I've been rehearsing all weekend. I swept my wife off her feet so many times she got dizzy.
I'm so excited about getting this scene, I'm actually nervous. I know, it sounds silly, but in fact all great actors -- Olivier, Hepburn, Charles Bronson -- are prone to a touch of stage fright just before a big performance. But I'm a pro. I'll just suck it in, throw back my shoulders, and march straight into the Music Room. Yessir, stiff upper lip, an air of confidence, and right in there, boy...But first, a cup of coffee.
It must seem like I'm stalling, but I really did need that cup of coffee. But I'm all set now and here we are at the Music Room door...And it's closed! And that means "Do Not Disturb, Under Penalty of Death!" The Head Honchoes must be in a meeting, I wonder what it could be about? Just a second -- did I hear someone mention my name in there? Hey, maybe I'm getting a raise! Huh? Now they're laughing ! Why would they mention my name and then all burst out laughing? ...Still laughing, what's so doggone funny? My footage count has been pretty good lately...Well, maybe not as good as that guy Smiley's, but almost. I'm being ridiculous, they're probably not talking about me. I'll go have another cup of coffee...
That second cup sure woke me up allright. Oh, the Music Room door's open now, too. Better get right over there and pick up my big rescue scene.
The Boss sure looks cheerful, must've had a good laugh, at any rate. And Sue is her usual smiling self. Or is she smirking? There I go again -- probably just my imagination. Here's the big shelving unit with all the animator's scene assignments in it. Funny, but I just noticed that my shelf is on the very bottom...Coincidence, I guess. Hey, Missy! Get outta my shelf! No respect at all -- cat hair all over the place! Well, let's take a look at this layout and see how I should handle Ace when he's sweeping Kimberly dramatically off her -- wait a minute, this can't be! It's not THE scene! There must be some kind of mix-up. No, there's nothing else in my shelf...So someone else got MY big scene and I'm stuck with an eight-frame close-up of Ace's feet! What's my wife going to say? All that sweeping for nothing!
To make things worse, now I have to go by that smug Smiley out in the hall. He's using one of the videotape machines to shoot a pose test. Might as well be friendly. "What you got there Smiley? Gee, sorta looks like you got a scene of Ace sweeping Kimberley dramatically off...her....feet." "Yeah, it's no big deal, really!" 'No big deal!' Why, that scene-stealing prima donna! And he didn't even ask to see what I got!
So, Dongave MY big scene to Smiley and I wind up with eight lousy frames of Ace's feet! He must have a good reason. He probably decided to pitch the guy a toughie to see what he's made of. Poor Smiley, it's gonna take him months to sweat through that scene. Oh well, I guess he deserves the chance, even if the finished product suffers as a whole!
Well, I'll show 'em. I'll show 'em all! This will be a close-up of feet no one will ever forget! I'll put in a camera shake, and a pan, I'll call for elaborate effects animation...This is going to be the greatest eight frames in animation history!
Is it Friday already? I just barely got started! My pencil sharpener isn't even half full yet...What's all the noise in the Editing Room? Sounds like Jeff and Danny are looking at footage, I just heard Linda ask them to "run it again." Might as well go have a look myself...
Man! There must be a dozen people craning around that one Movieola. I'll have to climb up on a chair to see -- oh, it's the final rough-cut reel of SPACE ACE. There's even some color cut in already, looks nice. "Wait," Terry says, "Here it comes again, you'll love this!" Oh that figures! They've all been drooling over Smiley's latest triumph: Ace's big rescue scene, the one that should've gone to me. He certainly rushed through it, I must say. Probably had to get tons of help from John. "Just beautiful!" Chris mutters. What does Chris know, he's just a kid! If you ask me, the follow-through on Ace's hair could've been a lot smoother, and I'll bet anything the Clean-Up artist saved him when it came to the detail in Kimberley's face. You couldn't tell that to this crowd, though. They might as well be watching Moses part the Red Sea. Oh well, guess I'll get back to my desk.
"Y'know, I kinda like that little 'eight-framer; where you just see Ace's feet hit the floor -- gives the whole thing more impact..." Who said that? Sounded like one of the trainees. I think they call him Junior. "Well, you know Junior," I say as we walk back down the hall, "you'd be surprised how much expertise is actually required for those quick little impact scenes..." "Tell me about it -- that's just the kind of scene I'm dying to sink my teeth into...!" I like this kid, Junior, he's going to go far!!!
When DRAGON'S LAIR entered the arcade market in late July, everyone from arcade owners to game makers were watching. Even though the game featured full animation rather than computer graphics, and real sound and music, there was no guarantee that game players and the public would accept this new direction in videogames. By early August the initial results were in...and DRAGON'S LAIR is a hit.
The game has now topped the charts for three weeks straight in Games People (the arcade industry's version of Variety or The Hollywood Reporter) receipts chart. Easily beating the number two game (Pole Position) over two to one, the public has taken to the new game with such vigor that a backorder has been created. Even the press has found this new direction worthy of note. Hundreds of articles have appeared around the country. Here is just a small selection of what's being said.
"The cozy relationship between Hollywood and video games has moved a step closer in marriage. DRAGON'S LAIR, a coin-operated laser-disk [sic] video game with stereophonic sound and real animation, reached arcades two weeks ago and has become an instant sensation."
Aljean Harmetz, The New York Times
"DRAGON'S LAIR is this summer's nottest new toy: the first arcade game in the United States with a movie quality image to go along with the action...The game has been devouring kids' coins at top speed since it appeared in July. At Castle Park in Sherman Oaks, California, the crowd around LAIR grows all day while a nearby row of Pac-Man games stands empty...Said Robert Romain, 10, who waited all day in the crush at Castle Park without getting to play, `It's the most awesome game I've ever seen in my life.'"
Cathleen McGuigan w/Peter McAlevey, Newsweek Magazine
"The first laser-disk [sic] game on the U.S. market will arrive courtesy of former Disney animator Don Bluth, 45, and two California companies -- Advanced Micro-computer Systems and Cinamatronics, an arcade maker...Laser-disk games won't reach the home market for a year or two, but when they do, Lee Isgur, entertainment analyst at Paine Webber, predects they will ~spur a great software boom.'"
Fortune Magazine
"The excitement of the game comes more from making quick decisions -- the player has between half a second to two seconds in any given situation -- and watching the handsomely animated characters react to them than from winning. Even the most sophisticated computer games, like Atari's STAR WARS, which feature familiar images drawn in lines of light, seem simple by comparison."
Charles Solomon, The Los Angeles Times
"DRAGON'S LAIR laser-disc technology -- the industry's newest innovation -- allows players to direct the movielike action of the game to determine the outcome. Since it hit arcades in July, manufacturers have been deluged with more than $40 million in backlogged orders, even though the $4,000 price tag is nearly double that of conventional video games."
Miles White, USA Today Newspaper
"The secret of the high-quality artwork is a computer controlled laser video-disc system that stores some 50,000 drawings by Don Bluth Animation, which produced the movie THE SECRET OF NIMH. The game, called DRAGON'S LAIR, can last up to 20 minutes depending on how skilled players are at cheating death."
Omni Magazine
"Arcade operators that don't have DRAGON'S LAIR yet are waiting in near desperation for theirs to come in. The ones that do (the South Street Arcade, Funtown at Market and 13th, to name two) could use more. The lines of customers waiting to play are sometimes 10 deep."
Steven X. Rea, The Philedelphia Inquirer
"PLayers who assembled for the DRAGON'S LAIR tournament -- the first in Denver -- described the game as more challenging than earlier video games."
J. Sebastian Sinisi, The Denver Post
"The incredible visuals and sound effects aren't even half the story. DRAGON'S LAIR forces the player to explore completely new ways of thinking about stategy and play, and the technology behind the game could mean a completely new direction for the arcade...If you've been moping around with the `just-one-more-sequel-game-and-I'll-go-back-to-pinball' blues, then DRAGON'S LAIR and its spawn may be exactly what you need."
Joe Menosky, JoyStik
The term "Sweatbox Notes" has been used at the Disney Studio for decades. They are the director's criticisms and a call for corrections on the animators' individual scenes.
"Sweatbox" was the term given to the small theatre in which the animated black and white pencil tests were projected and criticized by Walt Disney. The animators were called up to the small theatre where Mr. Disney would ask for corrections. Or, he may have made no comment at all. So it has been told by historians.
Whether it was because there was no air conditioning at that time (1930's) or the anticipation of the criticism, the animators were known to always sweat out the situation.
Here at Don Bluth Studio we continue to use the sweatbox not system. It is a great organizational tool to coordinate corrections that will enable us to detail a motion picture. The system is used from corrections on character design, to the addition of special effects, to the placement of sound effects and musical cues.
Sp[ecial effects is one of the areas of animation filmmaking that has been neglected recently because of high costs and inflation. If you have messed the shadows and the wet water, transparent smoke and dust, twinkling backlight that causes the shimmers on dew drops and highlights on shining objects, it's because they have not been there.
In an effort to restore, to the animated film, the elements that create the believability or the illusion of life, we are developing a staff of artists in special effects -- Artists that understand natural phenomena and can design and animate those elements which will enhance the environment where the characters perform.
The staff is supervised by Dorse Lanpher, a Special Effects Animator with over 25 years experience in the animation industry. We have successfully recruited and trained many artists in this department. Tom Hush and Diann Landau are both special effects animators and there are eight additional assistants and trainees in this very special area.
Their work load is tremendous and requires their constant attention to make good judgments in design and execution of their animation.
Their primary objective, of course, is to bring to any scene, that extra detail that will thrill the audience. That "special" sparkle or highlight, the magic of glitter or the shadows that help create the third dimension.
The three animatores and their assistants have helped create that special magic for "The Secret of NIMH" and our most recent project, "Dragon's Lair." Since those productions, we have added Brett Hisey to the ranks as an animator. They are presently receiving sweatbox notes on our next video game release, "Space Ace," an action-packed space adventure.
SOUNDTRACKS
Reaching for a level of sophistication and believability in "The Secret of NIMH," the studio hired expert sound effects editor, Dave Horton. Dave has had creative sound experience in many films, two of which were "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Alien." Both films requiring a creative and sophisticated approach to sound.
Mr. Horton's one year effort on the sound effects tracks for the Dolby Stereo re-recording of NIMH amounted to an everage of 35 sound tracks per reel of film. Added to this were the stereo tracks of Jerry Goldsmith's magnificent score and six tracks of dialogue.
"The Secret of NIMH" was Dave Horton and Jerry Goldsmith's first animated film. We are very grateful for their excellent contributions.