\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n
\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n
\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n
\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

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\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23
\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23

\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23

\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23

\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23

\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23

\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

Page 2 of 23 1 2 3 23

\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

It really is, and we have the same process down at Disney Feature Animation here in Burbank. Same kind of story trust, brain trust way of working. And then on Monsters at Work<\/em>, which I moved over to TV Animation to do that, Bobs Gannaway, our EP, ran the show very much like that kind of feature process, the Pixar Disney Features process. We would put our episodes up on reels, and we would get back in the room, and we would tear them apart, and we would all throw out ideas and how can we make it better? And then iterate on those episodes, as much as we could. We obviously didn't have as much time, as a feature, to iterate, but it was great that he brought that process to Monsters at Work<\/em>. It really helped us craft the episodes and more than I think if it was on more of a typical TV way of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

I know that's a big priority at Pixar is that, with the brain trust and everything, that everybody is safe to express their feelings on a project. And so that must be very liberating<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is, and we have the same process down at Disney Feature Animation here in Burbank. Same kind of story trust, brain trust way of working. And then on Monsters at Work<\/em>, which I moved over to TV Animation to do that, Bobs Gannaway, our EP, ran the show very much like that kind of feature process, the Pixar Disney Features process. We would put our episodes up on reels, and we would get back in the room, and we would tear them apart, and we would all throw out ideas and how can we make it better? And then iterate on those episodes, as much as we could. We obviously didn't have as much time, as a feature, to iterate, but it was great that he brought that process to Monsters at Work<\/em>. It really helped us craft the episodes and more than I think if it was on more of a typical TV way of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

All the jobs have challenges, obviously. That's a good question. I can only talk from my own experience, and certainly as a director, I find it the most rewarding thing I've ever done when I direct projects but also full of challenges. To bring a team together, to be the person that determines like, \"Okay, here's the goal. Here's the end point of our journey. Here's what we're gonna do. Here's the vision that I have for this thing.\" How can you rally everybody around that goal and keep everyone positive, keep everyone motivated, keep everyone inspired. And first and foremost, what can you do to eliminate fear from the process? I find that's my number one job as a director, is to make sure that whatever rooms we're in, whoever happens to be in those rooms, whatever decisions we're trying to make, that everybody feels safe, and that everybody can contribute and be part of shaping the piece. It's not just my ideas and everybody else has to execute those, it's... The only way you're gonna get something really great is if everybody's invested and contributing. I find that rewarding, also, a really big challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know that's a big priority at Pixar is that, with the brain trust and everything, that everybody is safe to express their feelings on a project. And so that must be very liberating<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is, and we have the same process down at Disney Feature Animation here in Burbank. Same kind of story trust, brain trust way of working. And then on Monsters at Work<\/em>, which I moved over to TV Animation to do that, Bobs Gannaway, our EP, ran the show very much like that kind of feature process, the Pixar Disney Features process. We would put our episodes up on reels, and we would get back in the room, and we would tear them apart, and we would all throw out ideas and how can we make it better? And then iterate on those episodes, as much as we could. We obviously didn't have as much time, as a feature, to iterate, but it was great that he brought that process to Monsters at Work<\/em>. It really helped us craft the episodes and more than I think if it was on more of a typical TV way of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

It seems you've done a little bit of everything in animation. What do you think is the hardest job in animation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the jobs have challenges, obviously. That's a good question. I can only talk from my own experience, and certainly as a director, I find it the most rewarding thing I've ever done when I direct projects but also full of challenges. To bring a team together, to be the person that determines like, \"Okay, here's the goal. Here's the end point of our journey. Here's what we're gonna do. Here's the vision that I have for this thing.\" How can you rally everybody around that goal and keep everyone positive, keep everyone motivated, keep everyone inspired. And first and foremost, what can you do to eliminate fear from the process? I find that's my number one job as a director, is to make sure that whatever rooms we're in, whoever happens to be in those rooms, whatever decisions we're trying to make, that everybody feels safe, and that everybody can contribute and be part of shaping the piece. It's not just my ideas and everybody else has to execute those, it's... The only way you're gonna get something really great is if everybody's invested and contributing. I find that rewarding, also, a really big challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know that's a big priority at Pixar is that, with the brain trust and everything, that everybody is safe to express their feelings on a project. And so that must be very liberating<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is, and we have the same process down at Disney Feature Animation here in Burbank. Same kind of story trust, brain trust way of working. And then on Monsters at Work<\/em>, which I moved over to TV Animation to do that, Bobs Gannaway, our EP, ran the show very much like that kind of feature process, the Pixar Disney Features process. We would put our episodes up on reels, and we would get back in the room, and we would tear them apart, and we would all throw out ideas and how can we make it better? And then iterate on those episodes, as much as we could. We obviously didn't have as much time, as a feature, to iterate, but it was great that he brought that process to Monsters at Work<\/em>. It really helped us craft the episodes and more than I think if it was on more of a typical TV way of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S396-fnLldk\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It seems you've done a little bit of everything in animation. What do you think is the hardest job in animation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the jobs have challenges, obviously. That's a good question. I can only talk from my own experience, and certainly as a director, I find it the most rewarding thing I've ever done when I direct projects but also full of challenges. To bring a team together, to be the person that determines like, \"Okay, here's the goal. Here's the end point of our journey. Here's what we're gonna do. Here's the vision that I have for this thing.\" How can you rally everybody around that goal and keep everyone positive, keep everyone motivated, keep everyone inspired. And first and foremost, what can you do to eliminate fear from the process? I find that's my number one job as a director, is to make sure that whatever rooms we're in, whoever happens to be in those rooms, whatever decisions we're trying to make, that everybody feels safe, and that everybody can contribute and be part of shaping the piece. It's not just my ideas and everybody else has to execute those, it's... The only way you're gonna get something really great is if everybody's invested and contributing. I find that rewarding, also, a really big challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know that's a big priority at Pixar is that, with the brain trust and everything, that everybody is safe to express their feelings on a project. And so that must be very liberating<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is, and we have the same process down at Disney Feature Animation here in Burbank. Same kind of story trust, brain trust way of working. And then on Monsters at Work<\/em>, which I moved over to TV Animation to do that, Bobs Gannaway, our EP, ran the show very much like that kind of feature process, the Pixar Disney Features process. We would put our episodes up on reels, and we would get back in the room, and we would tear them apart, and we would all throw out ideas and how can we make it better? And then iterate on those episodes, as much as we could. We obviously didn't have as much time, as a feature, to iterate, but it was great that he brought that process to Monsters at Work<\/em>. It really helped us craft the episodes and more than I think if it was on more of a typical TV way of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

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And something about it just really made me wanna do that. I love to draw, that made me wanna be an animator. Then later, when I became a teenager, I started reading about screenwriting and directing, and that made me interested in a little more of the bigger picture stuff as well like being behind the scenes and shepherding. I always loved doing leadership roles in life, like in Boy Scouts and school projects, things like that, so the idea of leading a team to make a movie seemed really inspiring to me as well. So pursued those things, moved away from actually being an animator, more into being a storyboard artist. Particularly, when I started at Disney in '95 on Tarzan,<\/a><\/em> I was a storyboard artist on that movie and then got into more leadership roles on Emperor's New Groove <\/em>and Brother Bear.<\/em> I was the story supervisor on that and then got a chance to direct on Meet the Robinsons<\/em> and then also the 2011 Winnie the Pooh<\/em>. And that's where we are today. That led me to Monsters.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S396-fnLldk\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It seems you've done a little bit of everything in animation. What do you think is the hardest job in animation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the jobs have challenges, obviously. That's a good question. I can only talk from my own experience, and certainly as a director, I find it the most rewarding thing I've ever done when I direct projects but also full of challenges. To bring a team together, to be the person that determines like, \"Okay, here's the goal. Here's the end point of our journey. Here's what we're gonna do. Here's the vision that I have for this thing.\" How can you rally everybody around that goal and keep everyone positive, keep everyone motivated, keep everyone inspired. And first and foremost, what can you do to eliminate fear from the process? I find that's my number one job as a director, is to make sure that whatever rooms we're in, whoever happens to be in those rooms, whatever decisions we're trying to make, that everybody feels safe, and that everybody can contribute and be part of shaping the piece. It's not just my ideas and everybody else has to execute those, it's... The only way you're gonna get something really great is if everybody's invested and contributing. I find that rewarding, also, a really big challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know that's a big priority at Pixar is that, with the brain trust and everything, that everybody is safe to express their feelings on a project. And so that must be very liberating<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is, and we have the same process down at Disney Feature Animation here in Burbank. Same kind of story trust, brain trust way of working. And then on Monsters at Work<\/em>, which I moved over to TV Animation to do that, Bobs Gannaway, our EP, ran the show very much like that kind of feature process, the Pixar Disney Features process. We would put our episodes up on reels, and we would get back in the room, and we would tear them apart, and we would all throw out ideas and how can we make it better? And then iterate on those episodes, as much as we could. We obviously didn't have as much time, as a feature, to iterate, but it was great that he brought that process to Monsters at Work<\/em>. It really helped us craft the episodes and more than I think if it was on more of a typical TV way of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

\n

Prior to that, I was only allowed to see G-rated movies. And of course, that meant Disney. So I saw lots of Disney animation, and of course, watched Looney Tunes<\/em> and The Flintstones <\/em>on TV. And there was something about it that just made me wanna pick up a pencil or a magic maker and draw. I'm not quite sure why, but something about the shapes, colors of animation, just sort of the graphic nature. Obviously before computers, everything was sort of line and shape-based since it was all, for the most part, two-dimensional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And something about it just really made me wanna do that. I love to draw, that made me wanna be an animator. Then later, when I became a teenager, I started reading about screenwriting and directing, and that made me interested in a little more of the bigger picture stuff as well like being behind the scenes and shepherding. I always loved doing leadership roles in life, like in Boy Scouts and school projects, things like that, so the idea of leading a team to make a movie seemed really inspiring to me as well. So pursued those things, moved away from actually being an animator, more into being a storyboard artist. Particularly, when I started at Disney in '95 on Tarzan,<\/a><\/em> I was a storyboard artist on that movie and then got into more leadership roles on Emperor's New Groove <\/em>and Brother Bear.<\/em> I was the story supervisor on that and then got a chance to direct on Meet the Robinsons<\/em> and then also the 2011 Winnie the Pooh<\/em>. And that's where we are today. That led me to Monsters.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S396-fnLldk\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It seems you've done a little bit of everything in animation. What do you think is the hardest job in animation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the jobs have challenges, obviously. That's a good question. I can only talk from my own experience, and certainly as a director, I find it the most rewarding thing I've ever done when I direct projects but also full of challenges. To bring a team together, to be the person that determines like, \"Okay, here's the goal. Here's the end point of our journey. Here's what we're gonna do. Here's the vision that I have for this thing.\" How can you rally everybody around that goal and keep everyone positive, keep everyone motivated, keep everyone inspired. And first and foremost, what can you do to eliminate fear from the process? I find that's my number one job as a director, is to make sure that whatever rooms we're in, whoever happens to be in those rooms, whatever decisions we're trying to make, that everybody feels safe, and that everybody can contribute and be part of shaping the piece. It's not just my ideas and everybody else has to execute those, it's... The only way you're gonna get something really great is if everybody's invested and contributing. I find that rewarding, also, a really big challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know that's a big priority at Pixar is that, with the brain trust and everything, that everybody is safe to express their feelings on a project. And so that must be very liberating<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is, and we have the same process down at Disney Feature Animation here in Burbank. Same kind of story trust, brain trust way of working. And then on Monsters at Work<\/em>, which I moved over to TV Animation to do that, Bobs Gannaway, our EP, ran the show very much like that kind of feature process, the Pixar Disney Features process. We would put our episodes up on reels, and we would get back in the room, and we would tear them apart, and we would all throw out ideas and how can we make it better? And then iterate on those episodes, as much as we could. We obviously didn't have as much time, as a feature, to iterate, but it was great that he brought that process to Monsters at Work<\/em>. It really helped us craft the episodes and more than I think if it was on more of a typical TV way of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ijsh5RVYnoY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So Monsters at Work<\/em>, why don't you tell us a little bit about the concept for the show, what we can look forward to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsters at Work<\/em> takes place literally the day after the end of Monsters Inc.<\/em> Mike and Sully are now in charge of Monsters Inc. The world now of Monsters Inc<\/em>. is switching... It's a time of transition, so they're switching from scare power from the first movie to laugh power.. That's what Mike and Sully wanna do is, particularly Sully after his adventure with Boo, find a new way of powering Monstropolis. Problem is laugh power isn't quite as strong as scare power. The other problem is, they've got a company full of monsters that scare and that don't know how to be funny. Mike Wazowski is teaching comedy classes, how to be funny, teaching the monsters how to be funny. Into that walks this character named Tylor Tuskmon, who is top scarer at Monster's University, He just got a job offer from Monsters Inc. as a scarer, Then he walks in that first day and gets the news that, \"Oh, we're no longer hiring scarers. We only want jokesters.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tylor has no idea how to be funny. So while he takes Mike Wazowski's comedy classes to try to learn to be funny, he's placed in the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team or MIFT, as we call them, that were all the way down to the basement and made up of some kooky office comedy type characters. And so Tylor has to having just come from the top of his game, he's been put all the way down to the bottom, and now he has to work his way up to being number one again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's a very clever idea for a show; I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. I was curious though, how much of Mike and Sully are we going to see? Are they gonna be kind of minor, or are they in every episode?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They definitely have a presence throughout. They kind of carry the world stakes of the show because they are in charge of Monsters Inc., and they are in charge of powering Monstropolis, and they are in charge of getting more monsters trained to be scarers, excuse me, jokesters, and they are in charge of fixing the power outages when their laugh power isn't strong enough. Then Tylor's story is the heart of the show. It's the emotional story. This character trying to find himself again, someone who was on top and now is... Doesn't really know who he is anymore and doesn't know how he fits into the world. So those two stories run parallel, you have that, the heart with being Tylor, and then you have the world stakes being Mike and Sully, very much a mix of those two things. So Mike and Sully are... Absolutely, their presence is felt throughout all 10 episodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you have a new cast with people like Mindy Kaling, Bonnie Hunt, Gabriel Iglesias; that must have been really fun to work with the new characters and new voice actors to the world of Monsters Inc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, I can't speak enough good words about our voice cast, between Ben Feldman and Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach, Gabriel Iglesias, for sure. Everybody was just so enthusiastic about being part of the show, and they're all such great collaborators, and it makes our job that much easier when you have actors that come in and just... They're open to play, they're open to reading what's on the page, but then they're also open to tossing that page into the corner and playing with stuff, the ad-libbing and improvising and making stuff up in the moment. Anything we throw at them, they would just grab the ball and run with it, so... All amazing performers and amazing collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I've always wondered about with the animation, 'cause it does take so long, obviously more for feature film, but do you start to get insecure about your jokes because now, you've heard them so many times that you're like, is this still funny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, my gosh, yes! At a certain point, you go, \"Do we even have like... Is this just a mix of movement and color and noise on the screen, and is it gonna make any sense?\" It's very easy to start second-guessing yourself, which is why it's helpful at sort of regular intervals to bring at least one set of fresh eyes into the process, if not multiple sets, so that you can get somebody looking at it who does not have the weight of that baggage that you have, to be able to say, \"Oh yeah, that makes sense,\" or, \"I didn't get that joke. What were you going for there?\" or, \"Was I supposed to feel something here? 'Cause I didn't really....\" That's really the most helpful thing. And then at a certain point, you just cross your fingers and believe in what you did and put it out there. [chuckle]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PmBJpSRGV9k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So what do you think people will like the most about Monsters at Work? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the MIFT characters, our new cast. Obviously, people are gonna love seeing Mike and Sully and seeing Miss Flint and Celia Mae and all of the characters from the first movie being back in that very familiar location of the Scare Floors, which are now Laugh Floors, just all that familiarity. But I really think the new cast is a very special collection of characters, and I think people are really gonna enjoy them. They're quirky, they've got their idiosyncrasies, but they're also... They've got really big hearts, and Tylor really bonds with this group of characters, and they become his family. And I think there's a real sweetness to it, but obviously there's lots of humor as well. But that's my hope, is that people are gonna just fall in love with Val and Fritz and Cutter and Duncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We're really looking forward to it, and when does it premiere on Disney+?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Premieres on Disney Plus tomorrow, July 7th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it will be weekly or bingeable?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it will be weekly. Tomorrow, they're dropping the first two episodes, so there's a little bit more of a story that will... You'll get a complete 2-episode story tomorrow, and then it will be one episode a week after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks so much for coming on talking with us!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you. It was a blast. I'm really excited for Monsters at Work<\/em>. Hope you like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the audio of this interview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/traffic.megaphone.fm\/ADV9412886434.mp3\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[INTERVIEW] Director Stephen Anderson (Pixar's 'Monsters at Work')","post_excerpt":"Today we are delighted to have animator and director Stephen Anderson at Rotoscopers to talk about his career and new series Monsters at Work.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"interview-director-stephen-anderson-monsters-at-work","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-05 14:09:28","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-05 21:09:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60163","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60087,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 23:15:17","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-19 06:15:17","post_content":"\n

Today marks the end of the Annecy Film Festival, and I have two feature film reviews to share with you. On the whole, I wish they had given more access to the features screened to the virtual audiences. I am not sure if it was because many are unfinished and not ready for a wider platform release or if they just didn't want such exposure, but the virtual festival felt more like a con rather than a film festival. Hopefully, someday I will get to attend the in-person festival, but at least I got to see three new indie animated films (see My Sunny Maad<\/em><\/a> which I reviewed yesterday).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have a film called Lamya's Poem<\/strong><\/em>. It is a 2D animated film about a young Syrian girl who is forced to flee her war-torn country. Fortunately, she is given a magic book of poetry by the 13th-century poet Rumi. This leads her to a magical city where she meets a young Rumi who helps her to survive the refugee camps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JP4vlaiFk8Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lamya's Poem <\/em>has some nice passages of animation, but it's strength is in its story which is new and surprising. It feels like they focused more of their budget on the fantasy sequences because the other parts seem quite pedestrian. However, you connect enough with Lamya as a person and hope for her success that it works. It will likely be compared to a lot of other movies including 2017's The Breadwinner<\/a><\/em>, but I enjoyed it on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are some movies that are just plain old cute. The new film out of the Czech Republic, Even Mice Belong in Heaven<\/strong>,<\/em> is one of those films. The animation is charming, and the characters are adorable. I think with the right marketing it could be a nice little indie hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is also pretty bonkers. It's about a mouse who takes a piece off of the tail of a fox. This obviously makes the fox upset, and they get into a fight. Eventually, there is an accident, and both the mouse and the fox end up dying and having to work together to get into heaven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like I said, the visuals are the best part of this film. The detailed stop-motion world building and adorable character designs draw you in, and the story is good enough to keep you invested. This probably would have been better as a short, but I still enjoyed it. Stop-motion animation at its finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OeedkDBcFx8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of these films? Are you going to seek them out once they are released? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEWS] Annecy Day 5: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven'","post_excerpt":"Today, we finish off our coverage of the Annecy Film Festival 2021 with a look at two feature premieres at the festival: 'Lamya's Poem' and 'Even Mice Belong in Heaven.'","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-5-lamyas-poem-even-mice-belong-in-heaven-reviews","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:55:56","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:55:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60087","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":60081,"post_author":"41","post_date":"2021-06-18 11:31:07","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-18 18:31:07","post_content":"\n

I'll be honest: the online panels at Annecy for Thursday left something to be desired. As a whole, the virtual element of this festival hasn't been the best. So instead of recapping any of the panels, I have a review for you today! During the festival, I watched an animated film by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova called My Sunny Maad<\/strong><\/em>. If you get a chance to check out this unique film, I recommend it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My Sunny Maad<\/em> tells the story of a Czech woman named Helena who marries an Afghani man and moves to post-Taliban Kabul to start their life together. As one might expect, the culture shock is high (both good and bad). Helena is forced to change her name to Herra and be a subordinate to her husband especially in public. However, she also gets a kind, welcoming family (for the most part) and seems happy in her day-to-day life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The best part of this film is the animation. I loved the 2D style and the way Pavlatova uses light and color to express tone. It also covers a large swath of time and isn't afraid to have complex, layered characters. It would have been easy to portray Herra's husband as a total brute, but he actually has some lovely, tender moments even if he can't completely escape his upbringing and traditional ways. All the characters are like that, and you feel like you know this family intimately by the end of the film. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ambitious<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are times I wish My Sunny Maad<\/em> had been less observational and taken more of a moral stand. Herra can be frustratingly weak and submissive while at the same time pretending to be modern and rebellious. That dynamic is both interesting and frustrating. We also see this dynamic in the way the title character Maad is treated. He is an orphan that is adopted by Herra and Nazir, and he is treated badly by almost everyone. It would have been nice to have seen a more triumphant arc for that character, but he's just kind of there and perpetually sad all the time. It might be realistic, but sometimes we as film-goers long for a little more drama in our narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a chance to see My Sunny Maad<\/em>, I recommend it. Like I said, the animation alone is enough to see it, but the story is unique, and the characters are well done. It's an animated experience like you've never had before. There is not a US release yet, but keep your eyes out for it as it's definitely worth a look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u272e\u272e<\/strong>\u272e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think about My Sunny Maad<\/em>? Does it intrigue you? Let us know in the comments section.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edited by: Kelly Conley<\/p>\n","post_title":"[REVIEW] Annecy Day 4: 'My Sunny Maad'","post_excerpt":"Today, we are talking about the new animated film to debut at The Annecy Film Festival: 'My Sunny Maed' by Czech director Michaela Pavlatova.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"annecy-day-4-my-sunny-maed-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-06-21 14:57:16","post_modified_gmt":"2021-06-21 21:57:16","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.rotoscopers.com\/?p=60081","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"jnews_block_5"};

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I've often thought about the answer to that question of why I became interested in animation, because I feel like it's just always been there, and it's always been a thing that I've been passionate about. I know for a fact, my parents... I grew up on a strict diet of Disney movies for many, many years, until Star Wars<\/em>. That was my first PG movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to that, I was only allowed to see G-rated movies. And of course, that meant Disney. So I saw lots of Disney animation, and of course, watched Looney Tunes<\/em> and The Flintstones <\/em>on TV. And there was something about it that just made me wanna pick up a pencil or a magic maker and draw. I'm not quite sure why, but something about the shapes, colors of animation, just sort of the graphic nature. Obviously before computers, everything was sort of line and shape-based since it was all, for the most part, two-dimensional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And something about it just really made me wanna do that. I love to draw, that made me wanna be an animator. Then later, when I became a teenager, I started reading about screenwriting and directing, and that made me interested in a little more of the bigger picture stuff as well like being behind the scenes and shepherding. I always loved doing leadership roles in life, like in Boy Scouts and school projects, things like that, so the idea of leading a team to make a movie seemed really inspiring to me as well. So pursued those things, moved away from actually being an animator, more into being a storyboard artist. Particularly, when I started at Disney in '95 on Tarzan,<\/a><\/em> I was a storyboard artist on that movie and then got into more leadership roles on Emperor's New Groove <\/em>and Brother Bear.<\/em> I was the story supervisor on that and then got a chance to direct on Meet the Robinsons<\/em> and then also the 2011 Winnie the Pooh<\/em>. And that's where we are today. That led me to Monsters.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S396-fnLldk\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It seems you've done a little bit of everything in animation. What do you think is the hardest job in animation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the jobs have challenges, obviously. That's a good question. I can only talk from my own experience, and certainly as a director, I find it the most rewarding thing I've ever done when I direct projects but also full of challenges. To bring a team together, to be the person that determines like, \"Okay, here's the goal. Here's the end point of our journey. Here's what we're gonna do. Here's the vision that I have for this thing.\" How can you rally everybody around that goal and keep everyone positive, keep everyone motivated, keep everyone inspired. And first and foremost, what can you do to eliminate fear from the process? I find that's my number one job as a director, is to make sure that whatever rooms we're in, whoever happens to be in those rooms, whatever decisions we're trying to make, that everybody feels safe, and that everybody can contribute and be part of shaping the piece. It's not just my ideas and everybody else has to execute those, it's... The only way you're gonna get something really great is if everybody's invested and contributing. I find that rewarding, also, a really big challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know that's a big priority at Pixar is that, with the brain trust and everything, that everybody is safe to express their feelings on a project. And so that must be very liberating<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is, and we have the same process down at Disney Feature Animation here in Burbank. Same kind of story trust, brain trust way of working. And then on Monsters at Work<\/em>, which I moved over to TV Animation to do that, Bobs Gannaway, our EP, ran the show very much like that kind of feature process, the Pixar Disney Features process. We would put our episodes up on reels, and we would get back in the room, and we would tear them apart, and we would all throw out ideas and how can we make it better? And then iterate on those episodes, as much as we could. We obviously didn't have as much time, as a feature, to iterate, but it was great that he brought that process to Monsters at Work<\/em>. It really helped us craft the episodes and more than I think if it was on more of a typical TV way of working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QbFz--GCkOM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was it like co-directing Winnie the Pooh<\/em>? It's such a beloved property. That must have been kind of intimidating?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It kinda was. It's funny 'cause when... At the time it was John Lasseter, when he talked to me about working on Winnie the Pooh<\/em>, I kind of thought, \"Oh, that'd be cute, that'd be fun.\" I don't think I really have much of a connection to Winnie the Pooh <\/em>from my childhood, but yeah, that'd be fun. And then the more I thought about it, the more I realized, \"Oh, I remember I had Winnie the Pooh <\/em>jammies, and I had a Winnie the Pooh<\/em> record that I listened to when I would fall asleep.\" And I saw those shorts on TV on The Wonderful World of Disney<\/em> all the time and suddenly I realized, \"Oh.\" Oh, and my parents, we had the whole set of the original Milne books on our bookshelf at home. And I realized, \"Oh, this is a bigger deal than I thought.\" So suddenly it became, yeah, like you said, it became a bit more daunting. We really have a lot to live up to, and we have to honor something that has a very classic feel, but we have to make it somehow relevant to an audience of today without ruining it, without changing it to where it isn't what it's supposed to be anymore, or what it's supposed to feel like anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a really tricky balance of staying and making it feel like a classic but also making it feel like something that anybody today would be entertained watching. Yeah. But at the end of the day, it was a blast, [chuckle] it was one of the most fun projects I think I've ever worked on because how can you not have fun hanging out with Pooh and Piglet in the 100 Acre Wood. They're just such great characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoyed it. I think it's a really sweet movie, and it's so nice to see 2D animation from Disney. It's one of the last ones that we got.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. That was it. The 2D aspect of it, too, was another thing that was really fun, because not only is it done in hand-drawn animation, the way the Disney Studios back in the '60s treated the material was, these are illustrations that are coming to life. You actually see the book open up, and you see the illustrations on the page start to move and the characters interact with the words on the page. That was such a neat thing that they brought, that the Disney artists brought to the telling of those stories. And we certainly wanted to do more of that, and really embrace that idea of what we're looking at. Embrace the 2D of the whole thing. Embrace the hand-drawn feel of it, see brushstrokes, see the pencil strokes in the backgrounds, see the... It's a rougher kind of line around the characters, too. There's some chattering that goes on there. And not be afraid of saying, \"Hey these are... This is drawing, this is artwork, this is... \" That's what you're seeing up on screen, and that was really, really fun to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can follow Stephen at @stevehatguy on instagram<\/a> and twitter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n