CHAPTER 6
The Animated Feature
CONCERNS IN GREENLIGHTING AN ANIMATED FEATURE
A major animation feature is very expensive to make, and studios are reluctant to take too many risks when they’ve got millions of dollars at stake. Many studios purchase the rights to a book or well-known character for their feature rather than buy an original spec animation script. Or they retell a classic myth, fairy tale, or story that’s in the public domain. Some films, like The Wild Thornberrys and The Powerpuff Girls, were popular TV series before they expanded to the big screen. These stories with marquee value practically guarantee a built-in audience. Often studios commission a script for their feature based on a subject that they think will sell a lot of tickets at the box offce. Features normally require a broad audience to justify costs.
Many features do badly at the box offce due to poor quality in the script or in the production itself. This can be caused by a budget that’s too low or a lack of experience by the studio. It might be brought about by a story that’s watered down, or it could be caused by formula stories that rely too heavily on what has worked in the recent past. Audiences from a media generation who have seen so many stories long for something different. A good story is essential. When animated features do poorly at the box offce, this frightens the people who will back films financially, and it becomes even harder to sell a feature story.
After Toy Story and Shrek, audiences seemed to prefer CGI films, and both Disney and DreamWorks began to shut down their traditional animation departments. Audience preferences are constantly cycling and in a state of change. In this case I think the quality of the traditionally animated stories, and the power of the press, had more to do with box offce results than how the films were made. I look for great traditional animated films again in the future.
© 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-240-81343-1.00001-7
THE FEATURE SCRIPT AND PRE-PRODUCTION
The feature animation script is normally written in a format like a live-action script using master scenes that do not detail the camera shots, but it has fewer pages. Feature scripts average roughly one page per minute of screen time. Normal length varies from about 75 to about 110 pages. Most theatrical animated features have a running time of approximately seventy-five to ninety minutes. The direct-to-video features run about ten minutes shorter. The Motion Picture Academy in the United States requires an animated film to be at least seventy minutes to qualify for feature awards.
At many studios in the United States an initial story treatment, rather than a finished script, is given to storyboard people (or storymen), who take it for further development visually. A treatment or outline breaks down the basic story into scenes. The storymen may then develop character, further plot out the story arcs, and develop scenes from this treatment. At some point the story might go back and forth between a full script and visual development, with the creative executive supervising the process. Just how much the storyboard artists contribute depends on the studio; some studios let the board people develop and change a great deal, and some don’t. A writer may be writing drafts of a script at certain stages after meetings with the storymen. This development can easily take a year or longer. Some sequences may go into production while the rest of the film is still in development. Sometimes an entirely new writer or team of writers is hired to polish a final script, improving dialogue and making the film funnier. Disney’s sequels to Peter Pan, Dinosaurs, and Fantasia 2000 were each in story development for several years. Often the developed film hardly resembles the original treatment or script. And changes may be made throughout the production of the film.
Management at DreamWorks prefers a finished script before going into production. Jeffrey Katzenberg usually gets involved personally with the writer on rewrites. He closely monitors the storyboarding process and reserves the right to revise until practically the final mix. On Sinbad the visual development infuenced the story, as the designs of Tartarus changed the concept of that domain. The character of Eris evolved so much that new casting was done, and the character was rerecorded with a new actress.
DreamWorks has also been experimenting with animatics. They include not only what’s indicated in the storyboard but also intercuts or different angles so the editor has a choice, resulting in a finished film that looks more like a live-action film in its cinematography.
The Disney method, traditionally, was to go into the early stages of production using only a treatment. The treatment was further broken down into sequences. The sequences were given to teams of writers and storyboard artists, where they were tweaked until they were the best that they could be. Of course, this process sometimes improved each section to the detriment of the whole. But there might be many pitch sessions during the story process as the teams pitched sequences, brainstormed gags, and solved story problems. Pitching your sequence of drawings with enthusiasm became an art in itself. The best story elements survived.
There is no single way to approach the feature story. Each studio, and even each feature, is different, and old ways are always subject to changes as the business of animation changes.
THE DIRECT-TO-VIDEO OR DVD FEATURE
For direct-to-video or DVD features the process is closer to that of TV animation due to the budget restraints. The lower budget may justify targeting an audience that’s not as broad as that for the theatrical feature. Who is the audience for your studio or your original project? Aim specifically for them. Original projects with no marquee value are very difficult to sell to the large companies. Before development, consider what might be needed. What is each studio’s niche? Where are the gaps in their product? Differentiate your project from what is already out there. High quality will pay off later. As a rule, the script is still initially written in master scene format. There are far fewer changes to the finished script than there are to that of the theatrical feature. At the major studios direct-to-video or DVD features are often sequels. In writing a sequel you must analyze your original cast. Who is the best character? You might want to write the sequel around him. Which characters do you keep in, and which can you afford to drop? What’s the best angle for a new story? What’s important to retain from the original? DVDs need added value (games, behind-the-scenes clips, artwork, etc., geared for both adults and kids). Small animation studios can produce an original direct-to-video or DVD feature on a much smaller budget than a theatrical feature and still expect to make money, as they are cheaper to make, easier to distribute, and require less money for promotion. As with TV animation, each studio has its own twist on the process.
THE TELEVISION FEATURE
Once in a while television buyers are interested in broadcasting a feature or a feature package. In that case the budgets are probably even lower than those of the direct-to-video features. To get budgets down and interest in the films up, the television feature story will probably have marquee value rather than being an original. Sometimes old classics that are now in the public domain will be used and updated with a new twist. License fees will probably not cover the costs to make the feature, but if the title is saleable on its own, then the film can recover costs later by international sales. Of course, with budgets that are so low, the television feature may be even lower in quality than the direct-to-video feature, but that doesn’t mean that the writing can’t be top notch.
FEATURE FINANCING AND DISTRIBUTION
There are many methods used to obtain film financing. Features can be financed by internationally preselling certain rights (book rights, video rights, TV rights, game rights, certain merchandise rights) or territories (the distribution rights in certain areas). Some governments will help provide financing. Film funds or grants may be available for independent films. Europeans can obtain financing with the help of Cartoon Movie, an annual forum for European animated films. At least one company financed its feature by issuing new corporate stock.
Interesting the consumer products group or the music division of a large corporation in your concept could help to gain support for your feature pitch at that corporation. Projects need instant appeal from a logline pitch, and budgets must match realistic marketing possibilities.
Product placement is the practice of obtaining marketing assistance or fees for placing certain commercial products in a film. The animated film 8 Crazy Nights (2003) expected almost $100 million in marketing support from the product placement in their film. However, companies that ante up good money for their product or company logo might also expect to see instant stardom for their product on film, and they could demand story or artwork changes for that kaching of the cash register.
Some small studios do their own financing, working on the development and production slowly in between other projects. This method, of course, can take years. Some companies have tried setting up a Web site about their film to help obtain financing. A Web site that allows visitors to see digital dailies, see designs, hear newly composed music, and get information about the film might help build an audience as well. Potentially successful soundtracks or toys on a Web site can help attract financing. Often studios participate in co- productions to split the costs and the risks and speed the process along the way.
The completed film may then be taken to markets like Cannes in hopes of garnering awards and good buzz in order to get distribution. Or a film can qualify for an Oscar® nomination in the Feature Animation category if it has had a short prerelease showing.
PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
Most features will take anywhere from eighteen months to four years to produce. CGI features take about the same amount of time as a traditionally animated film. Serge Elissalde’s French production Loulou and the Other Wolves was completed in only two months of pre-production (including the script), five months of production, and one month of post-production. Dario Picciau’s Italian production of L’Uovo was completed by a crew of only six people, including the writer and producer, working on their Macintosh computers. A television feature will probably take less time than the average theatrical feature and will probably be produced more like any other television show. Budget, experience, and the number of full-time staff working on the film determine the time it takes. Because the lead time can be much longer than that of a TV show or a game, it’s more important to have an idea that will still be popular years down the road.
THE STRUCTURE NEEDED FOR A FEATURE AUDIENCE
Although animated features are usually assumed to be for children, the film must appeal to all ages, including teenage boys (the primary demographic group targeted for films). A story with universal appeal means the kind of story that people of all ages everywhere can understand and appreciate. These stories, and the characters in them, resonate in some way in our own lives. Basic human needs and emotions are found in the myths, legends, religious stories, folktales, and fairy tales humans have loved since the beginning of time. Without some substance—some importance—an animated film may not be worth taking the time, money, and effort to make. Many look for a timeless quality that will keep the feature popular for generations.
An original project with a high concept, something that will hook the executives with its obvious marketability, may be easier to sell as long as the characters and story are compelling. The premise of a film, like that of a television show or a game, should be simple enough that you can communicate it in a logline. In the United States the film should have a “cool” factor. Teens may feel that an animated film is only for kids, so your film needs something extra to get them to the theater. In recent years this something extra has often been CGI animation. However in the United States it’s usually women who make the decision to go see an animated film. Mothers don’t want to take their young kids to something that will give them nightmares or model behavior that’s too negative. The kids themselves want writing that respects them rather than writing that talks down to them. They usually look for something familiar. The major companies have discovered that the big-budget feature needs be an event.
Writing an original feature is much more fun and more challenging than writing for TV animation. Of course, the script must be written better, too. Each major studio has its own style. Your story should have uniqueness and universality.
Fully developed and well-motivated characters that are appealing and have an attitude are especially important in a theatrical feature. Today’s kids need to be able to relate to that attitude. Many animated features are buddy comedies. Characters are usually broader than typical live-action film characters, and they’re action oriented. They should be dealing with events that lead to a life change. They are less likely to be clichés. They might be less direct than characters for television, talking around problems and hiding their fears. Interesting characters make an interesting story, so animated stories may be told through the point of view of the character actors of the story (the animals, the villains, the humorous characters) rather than the more ordinary hero or heroine. The hero is often accompanied by a funny sidekick.
Animated features have a theme—frequently about coming of age (Miyazaki’s Spirited Away). There is action, drama, and there are tears. There’s humor, often smart, edgy, and sophisticated. Many recent features have included pop-culture-related gags and smart dialogue, including double entendres. There’s innocence as well. Often there’s a love story. Love stories provide something special to relationships by sending sparks flying.
The structure must be well written and almost as complex as that of a live-action feature; however, there must be some room in the plot for the elaboration that will be done by the storyboard artists. There will be an A-plot and a B-plot, and maybe a C-plot. The B-plot is often the love story. A minor story point may be set up early in the story, only to be paid off much later in the script. This may relate to theme, action, or character as well as humor. The older viewers in the audience will remember and “get” it. Scenes are usually shorter. A short cartoon can hold our interest with a simple plot that’s merely a string of events leading to a climax, but a feature needs a tight interwoven structure to keep our interest. A feature script starts slower than a television animation script. The actual plot may take ten minutes or so to really get going. But remember there is always something happening in an animation script— something to animate, whether it’s fast action or gags. The audience must be constantly wondering what will happen next. That does not mean that there shouldn’t be some quiet scenes in a feature where we get to know and care about the characters and their hopes and dreams, but even quiet scenes need attitude and conflict to make them interesting. There must be an emotional component that speaks to everyone. And the story must be visual! The more visual your story is, the better. Don’t worry about having enough dialogue. If you can tell the story better without much, do it! The story must have wonder and heart and appeal for all ages. The best features have a deeper refection about life that we can take away with us. A feature must be fresh and original. It must be well written!
The feature may open with a sweeping panorama, a stunning visual shot that takes your breath away. Think of the eagle’s fight through the western canyons and forests and out into the valleys in Spirit. Think of the animals gathering for the presentation of the new lion prince early in The Lion King. Bambi opened with a pan of the forest where he was born. Or instead, the feature may start with a look at character, challenging us to fall in love with the rascally cast right away. Remember Scrat trying to bury his acorn in Ice Age? Or what about Woody coming to the rescue of Little Bo Peep in the playroom in Toy Story even before the main title comes on? Or there may be jeopardy right away. In The Iron Giant we open with the satellite spinning in space; then within two minutes we witness a horrible storm at sea with a ship in terrible trouble. In Lilo and Stitch we open with a teaser before the title, showing the alien scientist on trial for genetic experimentation. His creation, number 626 (Stitch), is exiled from the planet.
However a feature may start, the main characters must be introduced and the story set up within the first fifteen or twenty minutes—the sooner the better. By then we must have a hero or heroine that we can really care for. We should know who the villain is. We need to know what the story problem is, what our hero wants, and what terrible thing is going to happen if the hero doesn’t get it. We must know some of the reasons that the characters are acting as they are. The catalyst has started the story rolling, and the hero has come up with a plan. At the end of Act I something happens that spins the plot around in a different direction.
The tight structure continues. In Act II new information is revealed. Midway through we may find a high point where everything seems rosy. Then the hero has a defeat or apparent defeat, starting a downward spiral toward the major crisis. There’s another major twist at the end of Act II. This might be the major crisis when all hope is gone. There’s the inevitable big conflict, usually a physical conflict as well as a conflict of values. But the hero makes a critical choice. He pulls through to the climax and wins! He has learned something from the whole experience, and so have we (the audience). After the hero wins, the loose ends are tied up—quickly.
SELLING AN ORIGINAL FEATURE
It’s usually very difficult to sell an original feature animation script because of the monetary risks that companies must take in putting out so much money for something unknown. Some writers suggest that you write a novel first and then try to sell the book for a feature. It’s probably easier to sell a feature story to a smaller company willing to produce a direct-to-video or DVD feature than it is to sell to a major entertainment giant to make into a theatrical feature. But after the success of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, there’s now proof that it’s possible, with the right planning, to produce a hit with a property that has no prior marquee value at all. For a feature pitch you’ll need a fifteen- to twenty-page treatment. If you have little or no screenwriting track record, then I’d recommend that you write a good screenplay as well. The screenplay might help you get an agent; the treatment is the normal feature animation, pitching tool. You’ll need higher-quality artwork than you needed for a television pitch. You’ll want a wish list of actors for your cast, some musical components, and perhaps even some sample orchestrations. If you can get an agent interested in your project, it’ll be easier to get pitch meetings at the major companies. If not, use any contacts in the entertainment industry that can help you get those meetings. But be sure that your pitch materials are the very best they can be first.
FEATURE FILMS GLOBALLY
The animated feature is coming into its own globally. More animated films are being released in more countries. And these films aren’t always in the model of the U.S. animated film. France’s Kaena: The Prophecy and Miyazaki’s Spirited Away are just two of the more serious international films, unlike most of the U.S. animated films, which are likely to be comedies. Both were targeted at an older audience, teens and adults. Les Triplettes de Belleville appealed to adults more than children; many Japanese films have done the same. The more diverse films that do well internationally, the more diversity there will be in feature films everywhere.
EXERCISES
1 Take the idea that you’ve been developing for television and develop it instead for a feature film. Remember to add a subplot. Write a treatment.
2 Do you think your feature project would make money? Why?
3 Discuss how you might make your feature project better known before you try to get financing.
4 Make a list of animated features that have been released lately. Do research on box offce figures for each. Which ones were successful? Why?
5 What do you personally like to see in an animated feature? Talk to several kids. What did they like about the most recent animated films?
6 Who buys the tickets for animated films in your neighborhood? Take an informal survey.
7 How would you develop your short into a feature?
8 Make a list of animation festivals around the world that might accept the entry of an independent animated feature or an animated short. Designate which festivals will accept which (or both).