comic-con 2002

by sumir on 08/09/2002 12:19:53 -0700

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The first panel I visited at the conference was meant for writers who wanted to enter into the animation industry. It featured a very impressive lineup of accomplished writers, including Terry Rossio, who co-wrote Shrek as well as Chris Sanders, writer of Lilo & Stitch and Mulan.

My preconceived notion was that the discussion would include pointers on writing a decent script and overcoming pitfalls related to plot and dialogue, and that's the main reason I attended. Unfortunately, however, these were topics that were not even discussed, as I realized that the event was more of an insider-exclusive panel, in which it was assumed that the members of the audience were all excellent writers and just needed a way to get a foot in the door.

Despite the fact that the panel contained a lot of information that only insiders would know (like what the heck a "spec script" is), it nonetheless contained information that was interesting and perhaps even helpful for any creative endeavor that I might have wanted to initiate. Therefore, I now present to you what I learned in that panel.
The general message that was conveyed was that four elements are necessary to become a successful writer for animation: luck, timing, contacts, and talent. The first three, of course, are the ones that the panel members assumed with which the audience needed the most help. They offered several recommendations to overcome the obstacles: write a live-action script, as opposed to an animated script, as it is almost impossible that an animated script will gain any consideration. The other suggestion was that they put together their own animated feature themselves with the help of a small film company: with proper equipment, it would require a relatively small budget to successfully complete a 3-D animation project. Even to create a release straight to video would be worthwhile. While most animated features that make it to films earn a 3:1 income to cost ratio, that ratio jumps to an amazing 5:1 ratio when it comes to most direct-to-video releases, making it a possible way to both earn money and a reputation.

Then the discussion turned to the process of how a film goes from the process of an idea to a completed film. This, in my opinion, was the most interesting portion of the discussion. The company most talked about was Disney: at first Disney had a "gong show," a meeting whereby company executives would gather in a room and each writer had exactly ninety seconds to pitch an idea. Now, however, it is much more easy-going, and animators can meet with one executive and talk over ideas for a much longer period of time. I got the impression that in other animation houses, there was generally a more easy-going attitude as well. Once the pitched concept is approved, a constant interaction between the writing department, which is a little more technical, and the story department, which is more conceptual.

Finally, the "nuts and bolts" were discussed – basically whether it was worth it to become a writer from a financial point of view. This also contained information that I found rather interesting, if random and useless. Apparently most writers for animated series are not covered by the Writers' Guild and are generally offered very little union protection. While writers of live-action films are usually paid a small amount for "recurring characters" that they created, writers are offered no such bonuses. However, it seems as if writers are gaining ground slowly but surely: there are currently discussions to get writers box-office bonuses: the more money a film grosses, the more money the writers receive.
Overall, while it was not what I expected it to be, it still was a pretty informative session. No techniques of writing were discussed, but this session did offer me a little bit of insight into the world of animation, and I think that was almost as good.

- Adam

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