Becoming Big Z. Celebrating the best in Sony Pictures Animation - A 1UP classic from September 14, 2012

Hello friends, we've made it to another Friday, I hope your week went well and I trust that you are planning an even better weekend. I hope to get some relaxing done over here. Last night I was fortunate to attend the second film in the Sony Pictures Animation 10th Anniversary series. The film featured was Surf's Up and was hosted at the Sony Animation lot.

Sony was kind enough to have drinks and snacks out before the film. I was joined by a friend for the showing. We talked about future screenings and what a treat this film would be.

Visitors got to mingle with the directors, animators and producers before the screening. I had actually seen the movie several times but my friend had not. I told her that it was a great film, actually my favorite Sony Animated film and that she would love it. The film has aged well. The story of the underdog pursuing what he believed in still had a strong appeal. The mechanics of improvisation and a mock documentary also still worked well. All of the comedy bits were met with laughter.

After the film there was an interview on the making of. They talked about the animation challenges, the visual effects, research and lessons learned during the process. They went to places, like Nova Scotia where surfers dealt with 30° water to help get a sense as to how surfing in Antarctica would be. They also talked about the challenges of creating water and wave effects for the film. They said that they actually approached the waves like characters. They rigged then and animated them individually. So if they wanted to they could make a wave "angry or calm."

I've always liked this film but I saw it in a completely different way yesterday. The relationship between Cody Maverick, the talented but immature surfer and Big Z the reclusive surfer was profound. Cody had not really known his father (because he was eaten by a killer whale) and Big Z had given up on himself after failing in a competition. The two ended up needing each other and became better people by working together. Cody needed a mentor (and a father figure) and Big Z needed to be brought back to the things he loved.

I thought about the relationship between myself and my stepdaughter. When the movie came out I was single and had no hopes for a relationship. I didn't care for much contact with the outside world even. A few years later I found the right woman, or was it she that found me? I was suddenly married and responsible for mentoring a teenage daughter. She was artistically talented but a bit headstrong and often impatient. I was naturally very patient and loving, traits passed onto me by my father. I would show her the things that I had learned in art and music; slowly, patiently and watch her take off on her own. The more time we spent together the more we grew. This realization made me appreciate the film much more when I rewatched it last night. I'm certain that the relationship between Cody and Big Z resonated to other parents and kids in similar situations. I was grateful to see the film in a whole new light and hope that my friends get a chance to rewatch this classic as well.

Now if only I could get her to clean her room then everything would be perfect. 

Have a great weekend amigos!

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Sony Pictures Animation celebrates 10 Years! - A 1UP classic from September 6, 2012

Hello friends, I hope you are having a good day so far. I just wanted to let you know about an important anniversary happening this year. Sony Pictures Animation is celebrating 10 years in the biz. Last night the missus and I stopped by the studio for the first film in a series that they will be showing over the next few weeks. It was hosted by the producer, writers and animation director.

Sony began producing animated features with Open Season. The idea for the film was originally started by the comic strip In the Bleachers. The writers had a collection of strips and they pitched a story to Sony in where the forest animals turned the tables on the hunters. The studio greenlit the film and gave them about three years to turn it into a reality. That initial film was moderately successful and actually spawned two sequels.

Sony then began looking for new directors and ideas for films. The surfing penguin film Surf's Up followed, as did their first CGI / live action hybrid the Smurfs.

The studio was doing well with licensed characters like the Smurfs as well as adaptations from books like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. They were eager to try out new things and partnered with the stop motion animation studio Aardman (Wallace and Gromit) to produce The Pirates! Band of Misfits.

It's hard to believe the volume of work the studio has produced over a short timeline. Arthur Christmas and the future Popeye film, directed by Gennedy Tartakovsky being polar opposites (no pun intended) as far as storytelling and animation styles.

It's great to see how the studio uses isn't afraid to take on new ideas and foster the creativity of their animators. Too many other studios will only work on licensed features while others are locked into a spiral of "sequelitis." Sony Animation has a good track record of trying out original ideas as much as existing IP.

I can only imagine what great ideas are being cooked up. At the end of the film series Sony will be showcasing their next feature to the public for free.

Hotel Transylvania will be screened for families and I hope to have mine there for the show. When the location and information for tickets are revealed I'll be sure to let my So Cal friends know. As always if you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!