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upontheshelfreviews · 5 years ago

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Last November we celebrated a milestone for one of Disney’s most iconic characters. Today we gather for another – Happy 85th Birthday Donald Duck!

There’s a certain irony to Donald’s popularity: in the theme parks or shows like The Mickey Mouse Club or House of Mouse, Donald is portrayed flagging behind Mickey in fame and adulation if not outright forgotten. But in the real world so many people prefer Donald over Mickey, and I can see why. Mickey’s status as the company’s mascot rarely allows him to be a mischievous rascal like in the old days. Donald on the other hand has always been the feisty fowl generations could relate to due to how much he’s put through the wringer and his resulting temper flares.

Because he’s not on as high a pedestal as The One That Started It All, he’s given more freedom of personality, and, as a result, much more to do. Donald’s worn a variety of hats throughout his five-and-fourscore-long career. This also expands beyond traditional media. You’d be hard pressed to find a Donald Duck video game that isn’t at least a little fun to play. Getting to bash things with his trademark temper tantrums is a treat, and Disney always takes full advantage of it. In fact, before Sora was created to be the protagonist for Kingdom Hearts, Tetsuya Nomura imagined Mickey as the main character, but Disney wanted it to be Donald! They’re well aware that no matter how bad the scenario, Donald can take a licking and keep on ticking, and that’s done him well these past 85 years.

So to mark the special occasion, I’m counting down my Top 21 Favorite Donald Duck Shorts. Why that many? Because I like to go eleven steps beyond.

The rules from before apply: I’m not counting segments from or complete feature films like Saludos Amigos or The Three Caballeros. Donald has to be the main focus of the entire short feature, and not just “Mickey’s name is in the title though Donald takes up 90% of the action but it’s totally a Mickey short, you guys, for reals”.

But par the course for this blog, a few Honorable Mentions first:

Pomp and Circumstance – This highlight from Fantasia 2000 has Donald assisting Noah before the flood then reenacting An American Tail with Daisy on the ark.

Trick or Treat – A Halloween classic where Donald falls victim to a witch’s tricks after he deprives his nephews of their treats.

Donald and the Wheel – Two spirits of innovation try to inspire caveman Donald to invent the wheel, but it doesn’t quite stick. Meant to be educational, but the music is unbelievably catchy.

Drip Drippy Donald/Early to Bed – These shorts featuring Donald being robbed of a good night’s rest would be hilarious if they weren’t so relatable.

Donald’s Dilemma – The title’s a bit of a misnomer; Daisy’s the focus and there’s barely a dilemma. But it reveals a darker side to her romance and shows just how far she’d go to hold on to him.

Orphan’s Benefit – While an ensemble piece for Mickey and Friends, it’s Donald who steals the show as usual.

Commando Duck – Horribly blatant anti-Japanese sentiment aside, this World War Two-era short of Donald behind enemy lines has a fun chase at the climax.

Cured Duck – Donald tries to cure his temper once and for all with an insult machine.

Slide Donald Slide – Another one of Donald’s quarrels with Spike the Bee wins points for mirroring the World Series game playing on the radio, but winds up here because Spike is technically in the wrong this time around.

The Wise Little Hen – The one that started it all.

Donald’s Double Trouble – Donald hires an inexplicable doppelganger with better manners and English to win back Daisy only for it to backfire terribly.

Donald’s Golf Game – Donald goes golfing with his nephews and their usual amount of mischief.

Donald’s Valentine Dollar – Donald must retrieve his last dollar from all sorts of shenanigans in order to purchase a valentine for Daisy. It’s completely silent, but that repetitive piano music can get grating.

Donald’s Camera – Donald’s attempt to shoot wildlife with a camera instead of a gun goes as well as you’d expect. Interestingly, I never knew about the original ending for years since they abruptly cut it off whenever they aired it on tv.

Sleepytime Donald – A sleepwalking Donald takes Daisy out on a late night date, and it’s up to her to make sure he doesn’t wake up in a precarious situation.

Mickey’s Philharmagic – Yes it’s a 3D show in the Disney parks and Mickey’s name is in the title, but don’t be fooled. Donald is the star of the show, and seeing him interact with some of the most iconic musical moments of the Disney Renaissance in stunning CGI animation for the time is astounding.

21. The Trial of Donald Duck

Donald goes on trial after a crooked restaurant owner accuses him of trying to weasel out of his bill. What follows is the defendant’s account of the incident that tries to smooth over Donald’s temper during the incident. If you’re expecting a Rashoman-style courtroom drama, this ain’t it. Instead the short focuses on the culture clash between blue-collar Donald and the snooty cafe and just how much of a penny-pinching bastard the waiter is. Not only does he charge Donald for food he brought himself, but also adds an exorbitant amount (back then) for coffee so minuscule it wouldn’t even count as a shot.

“What is this? A coffee cup for ANTS??”

While I wouldn’t count the sentence Donald receives as fair, how he carries it out while getting back at the restaurateur makes it all worth it.

20. Mr. Duck Steps Out

Donald’s nephews tag along on his date with Daisy and get in the way of their romancing to his frustration. There’s not much to it other than some fun animation and hot jazz. The last few minutes in particular get wild once Donald becomes the victim of some cartoon-logic popcorn thanks to the boys. This also happens to be Daisy’s official introduction (Donna Duck from Don Donald doesn’t count, though I saw her as Daisy playing a role). And since this is when Clarence Nash did the voice for all of Disney’s duck characters, that means Daisy sounds exactly like Donald. It’s so odd hearing her make his familiar squawks. But it doesn’t distract from a fun date.

19. Soup’s On

Donald sends Huey Dewey and Louie to bed without supper after they refuse to wash up, leading the boys to scheme how to steal their dinner from under his nose.

The Donald Vs. Nephews shorts have been always uneven since they first bounded into his life; most of the time they tend to have one side stoop to almost heinous lows to make you sympathize with the other. Soup’s On falls into something of a gray area, however. There’s some good slapstick and silliness all around, with both teams more or less getting what they deserve (even if tricking your uncle into believing he was killed by a boulder does take it pretty far). And it holds some nostalgic value for me as much of this short was used in bumpers for Quack Attack. If you want a short that doesn’t have the Duck family at each other’s throats for once, look no further than our next entry.

18. Canvas Back Duck

When Donald gets a little too cocky showing off his strength at a carnival, he’s tricked into a boxing match against the ironically named “Peewee” Pete, and only Huey Dewey and Louie can save him. It’s nice having Donald and his nephews working together instead of against each other for a change. And what better cause to unite them than the Classic Disney villain for any occasion or character, Pete? Huey Dewey and Louie’s methods of defense technically count as cheating, but they’re using them to defend their uncle instead of getting back at him for once. Donald does manage to deliver an honest final blow himself, so that counts for something. It’s a boxing match for the whole family.

16. Computer Dot Don

You whippersnappers don’t know how easy you have it. All you have to do to get your internet and computer set up is just plug it into the wall. Back in my day, we had to go through the overly complicated shit Donald does in this short and for the exact same reason why – so he won’t be called a dweeb.

While it plays up the difficulties just a tad, this short captures exactly what it was like to set up your computer and start learning to be more technologically savvy in the early 2000’s. All the jokes work, from the incredibly slow internet loading times to the voice recognition constantly getting Donald’s name wrong (some things never change). I swear I’ll never get tired of the computer referring to its new owner as “Doould”. There’s also a neat sequence of Donald getting sucked into his computer and turned into a 3D model of himself while the mouse cursor messes with him. It’s actually great computer animation for the time. Out of all the classic Disney characters, Donald made the smoothest transition to the Mouse Works/House of Mouse style of shorts, and this is one of the best examples.

17. Trombone Trouble

It’s easy to classify Pete as Mickey’s number one enemy; it’s been that way since Steamboat Willie. Yet there’s plenty of times where Donald goes toe to toe with the big palooka and this is one of the more entertaining ones.

Donald can’t sleep due to Pete going out of his way to be obnoxious with his trombone practice. It gets so bad Donald winds up receiving aid from the gods themselves. Duck Jupiter and Duck Vulcan are sick of Pete’s ruckus keeping them up all night too, so they lend Donald some of their divine strength to take him out. I have a list of nightmare faces I never want to come across in the dark and Donald’s when he realizes the extent of his newfound power and immediately starts going mad with it is among them. Donald bringing the wrath of heaven down on Pete is funny to watch, and even Vulcan and Jupiter get their just desserts.

“And that was the last time anyone gave too much power to a violent bad-tempered lout named Donald ever again.”

15. Donald Duck and the Gorilla

Huey Dewey and Louie scare Donald in a gorilla costume just in time for a real gorilla to invade their home. Fast-paced slapstick and chases ensue.

While it borrows a similar premise from an early Mickey Mouse cartoon, Donald Duck and the Gorilla is its own beast, so to speak. It goes from Donald and the nephews trying to scare one another to banding together to save their skins. Ajax, the titular gorilla, is a good foil and threat to Donald. What the brute lacks in brains he makes up for in size and strength. The maze-like house and dark stormy atmosphere make this short perfect for a night of laughs and thrills.

14. Donald’s Better Self

Donald’s shoulder angel and devil come to blows over his soul when he’s convinced to skip school and try smoking. It’s a good thing the angel steps in before Donald plays some pool or else he’d be a total goner. Something I like about this iteration of Donald is that he’s not an irascible adult but a naive child under peer pressure. This kind of characterization is actually rather endearing. For all his bluster, Donald’s just a kid having a bad day. I’m also grateful they don’t make the angel as much of a pushover as they could have. When she (and yes, the angel is played a woman) socks the devil good, it’s highly satisfying. It doesn’t get a higher place on this list due to how much of a clear-cut morality play of the times it is, but I still think it’s pretty sweet.

13. Donald’s Ostrich

Donald becomes the impromptu caretaker of an ostrich named Hortense who’s left behind at a train station. Hortense is completely adorable if perhaps a bit too affectionate (no means no, girl) but she’s at that age where you test out whether or not you can eat every new object by putting it in your mouth. This leads to a disastrous case of the hiccups, which is made all the more difficult to cure when she swallows Donald’s noisy radio. Donald has his work cut out for him, but he’s sincerely concerned for Hortense’s wellbeing and does what he can to help regardless of his own safety. Though this is Hortense’s only animated appearance, for a time she was Donald’s pet in some of his earlier comics. I think it’s time she made a comeback.

12. Donald’s Rocket Ruckus

Huey, Dewey and Louie want to go on the hottest new thrill ride, though Cast Member Donald thinks it’s too dangerous and does everything in his power to prevent them. Will the boys be able to outwit their uncle and enjoy the ride of their lives? Does Donald not wear any pants?

Almost every joke in this one hits their mark, especially when it comes to the nephews’ various attempts at sneaking past Donald. There’s a particularly funny subversion of a certain gag the boys previously used in the 50’s short Straight Shooters, which coincidentally also took place at a carnival. Donald does have a good reason for not letting the boys on to the rocket rods, though purposefully altering the height requirements and then actually making the attraction unsafe just to teach them a lesson does go a bit over the line. But it all works out in the end and leaves us with some good chuckles.

11. Donald’s Dinner Date

Another underrated one from the Mouse Works/House of Mouse era that still makes me laugh. Donald tries to prove to Daisy once again that he can control his temper while sharing a romantic dinner out. The problem is Goofy is their waiter. You can imagine the complications his mere presence causes.

This short combines the best of Donald’s cartoons with the best of Goofy’s. The high energy and physical comedy are perfect. And the outcome is delightfully ironic: as the evening wears on, Donald gets better at self-control while Daisy only grows worse. In a funny way, it shows how Donald and Daisy are more or less different sides of the same coin. They’re both flustered ducks with anger issues and really are meant for each other. And of course, there’s Goofy’s naturally upbeat goofiness to balance it all out.

10. Der Fuehrer’s Face

Yep, we’re going there, folks. The infamous short that depicts Donald as a Nazi. And there’s a lot to unpack here, so please hear me out.

Der Fuehrer’s Face is a propaganda short – and if you think it’s pro-Nazi propaganda, I kindly ask you to remove your head from Seth McFarlane’s ass. Disney was demonizing Hitler and his regime, not praising him. The song this short is named after and plays throughout openly mocks Hitler and his way of running things. Like all propaganda shorts of the era, this one exaggerates things to a cartoonish degree so audiences could laugh at how ridiculous the “other” was. And that release through laughter also served as a reminder. It gave audiences a taste of the nightmare that was Fascist Germany, albeit skewed towards dark comedy and surrealism more than gritty realism. It worked to remind Americans of the freedoms they may have taken for granted at the time. Watch and you’ll see Donald is never happy to be a Nazi, not once. All the marching and heiling he does is under duress, especially when he’s forced to switch between that and his hellish factory work in rapid succession. In the end, it’s all a terrible dream that Donald is thrilled to wake up from.

As of writing this, Der Fuehrer’s Face is the only Donald short to win an Oscar. But hey, if Ralph Fiennes and Christoph Waltz can win Oscars for playing nazis, then why not Donald Duck? You feel every bit of his misery, and his descent into madness somehow succeeds in outdoing the Pink Elephants sequence in sheer trippiness. Biting political satire goes hand in hand with top-tier animation, though the broad stereotypes presented by the other Axis powers are still problematic. To this day it ranks among the most effective pieces of propaganda ever made and an important part of animation history. Me personally, I think this is one of the few Disney properties I’d love to see a live-action remake of.

9. Music Store Donald

Donald and Pete are at risk of losing their jobs at a music store if one of them doesn’t make the next sale. Enter Daisy, who’s looking for the right instrument to play a certain “romantic” song which I won’t spoil here. The rest of the feature is Pete and Donald fighting to complete the song first using a variety of instruments and musical styles, which leaves the shop in shambles. It’s incredibly quick and too silly to not smile at. I also appreciate the nod to another entry higher up on this list by representing their otherwise unseen boss as a talking loudspeaker.

8. Duck Pimples

Donald gets so caught up in reading pulp novels on a dark and stormy night that he winds up becoming part of the story…or does he?

This short is so surreal I love it. It messes with your head almost as much as Donald’s. It can get surprisingly dark at times, even for an old-school Disney short. And oh, the animation! The characters that pop out of the book are lively, rubbery and crazy with a lurid palette to match; all animation students should study them. It’s the closest Disney has ever come to being like a Tex Avery cartoon. Though the ending leaves you with far more questions than answers, it’s still an unforgettable trip.

7. Modern Inventions

Donald visits a museum of “modern” inventions and gets in the usual amount of trouble when he tests some of them out himself. The devices are creative and silly, which leads to some inventive gags. To top it all off, there’s a fun running joke of a robotic butler following Donald around and taking his hat only for Donald to keep replacing it with a new one. Though am I the only one who thought that robot was just a bit creepy? The deep voice, that one big eye, him stalking Donald everywhere, that thing has ‘creeper’ encoded into its wiring. I wonder if people back in 1937 imagined this is how we’d live in the future. I confess I always found retro-future designs and guesses at how technology would affect everyday life from decades past intriguing. While it’s doubtful we’ll be getting automated barber chairs any time soon, it’s always fun to speculate.

6. Donald’s Snow Fight / The Hockey Champ

These are two winter-themed shorts that I just didn’t have the heart to separate. I hold Donald’s Snow Fight in slightly higher regard due to nostalgia, but I’m also a bit of a hockey fan and can’t ignore a good story where its the central theme.

In the first of these shorts, Donald and his nephews embroil themselves in a snowball war that probably violates the Geneva Convention on more than one account. It escalates from vehicular snowman slaughter to snowballs to loaded snow bombs in a matter of minutes. Huey Dewey and Louie even manage to break the laws of physics by raining snowballs that are on fire down on their uncle. The action onscreen is silly, but boy do you feel every blow as each side turns to more violent measures. I’m with Donald when he cries out after one particular unfair exchange “That’s unconstitutional!” But the brutality doesn’t make any less entertaining to watch. Plus, this is considered a Christmas short because Donald opens the short with his sled singing Jingle Bells, and I look forward to watching it every year around that time.

The Hockey Champ is a bit more straightforward. While both shorts open with Donald enjoying the cold weather and all that entails, The Hockey Champ eschews much of Snow Fight’s buildup to get right to the action. Donald is out skating and comes across his nephews rioting out on the ice like in any good hockey game. Eager to show off his own skills, he challenges them to a three-on-one match. In the end, Donald’s fumbles against his nephews proves the old adage about there being no “I” in team true. It’s fast good fun that, like the short preceding it, captures the feeling of winter and its sports to a T.

5. Donald in Mathmagic Land

I bet some of you were wondering when this one would turn up. Donald in Mathmagic Land does the impossible and makes an edutainment special enjoyable to watch, even outside the classroom! Donald wanders into Mathmagic Land and The Spirit of Adventure (played by the great Paul Frees) guides him on a visually and intellectually fascinating journey through what math has to offer the world, from music to art to nature to games and more.

Donald’s curiosity, enthusiasm, and playful attempts to bend the rules makes him a great audience surrogate. He bounces off of Frees’ dry remarks well. I used to find the parts that didn’t have Donald in it boring, but now Frees’ calm narration paired with the beautiful patterns and images are quite soothing. This short looks simply wonderful, with environments and creatures clearly inspired by Alice in Wonderland. In fact they deliberately reference Alice in the second half when they demonstrate how math plays an instrumental part in chess (also so they could recycle some animation from there). On the topic of games, there’s a nifty scene using real billiard balls to demonstrate how to play a perfect game a pool.

“Oh, Donald, where did I go wrong? Did Professor Harold Hill teach you nothing?”

I was never very good at math in school and had no desire to learn more beyond the basics. But thanks to Donald in Mathmagic Land, learning mathematical theory has never been more entertaining.

4. Officer Duck

By far my favorite of the Donald vs. Pete confrontations. Donald must arrest notorious criminal “Tiny Tom” and he devises the perfect scheme to do so – infiltrate his hideout disguised as a doorstep baby. It’s a simple premise that is taken full advantage of. Donald must constantly keep up the facade of innocent toddler while trying to outwit his strong-armed foe. And it’s so humorous seeing the normally brutish Pete go to pieces over his adorable little ward. It all climaxes in a rare deus ex machina for Donald that surprisingly works. Sometimes, after everything he’s put through, it’s good to let the duck win.

3. The Autograph Hound

Donald sneaks into a Hollywood studio to collect autographs from his favorite stars all while dodging a no-nonsense security guard. But after he’s recognized, Donald’s the one who’s inundated with autograph requests!

While Warner Brothers is the undisputed king of cartoon celebrity caricatures from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Disney proved they were more than capable of stepping up to the challenge thanks to shorts like these (Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, a Silly Symphony released the year prior, took the premise a step further and won an Oscar). Now that I’m older I can truly appreciate how well they captured these celebrities’ likenesses, especially since I only knew a few of them when I was a kid.

Donald gets into some hilarious scenarios while meeting his idols, whether it’s engaging in a troll-off with Mickey Rooney or falling victim to the Ritz Brothers’ zaniness. It’s refreshing when Shirley Temple is not only delighted to give him her John Hancock without any trouble but is the first to recognize him, which in turn saves and helps him get some revenge on the overzealous guard.

2. The Clock Watcher

Donald works as a gift wrapper in a fancy department store. Hilarity ensues.

I don’t know what else to say about this one. It never fails to crack me up. The timing is on point and each new surprise package gives Donald a new opportunity to milk some laughs from it. Donald goes about his work like a true American – finding new ways to slack off while appearing busy, making fun of his boss when his back is turned, carrying out the responsibilities of six other people all on his own, being denied a raise when he proves he can do his job competently, and forced to work overtime just as quitting time rolls around. And people wonder why millennials are turning to socialism on Tumblr.

A big part of what makes this short so funny is the conflict with Donald’s boss. Take C-3PO’s pedantic nature, infuse it with an anthropomorphic bullhorn and you have a perfect workplace antagonist. His uptight attitude clashes with Donald’s, shall we say, “unorthodox” methods and both manage to drive each other up the wall. When he finally pushes Donald too far and gets beat up at the end, it is tremendously satisfying.

But what gives this short such a top spot are the fond memories of how I became acquainted with it. I know unlike Donald’s Snow Fight this isn’t a Christmas short, but I always love watching it at Christmastime, especially when I’m wrapping presents. I have a special that used to air on the Disney Channel recorded on a VHS tape and this short was included among the more traditional Disney holiday clips because, as the host Jiminy Cricket puts it, somebody needs to wrap up the gifts. Because of that I always associate this short with Christmas. Not to mention my own wrapping skills are on par with Donald’s so I can relate.

And the Number One Donald Duck short is…

1. Donald’s Lucky Day

Donald’s own theme song proclaims he’s the one who gets stuck with all the bad luck, which makes Friday the 13th a particularly bad day for him (interestingly, The Three Caballeros states that his birthday is on Friday the 13th). In this short, Donald’s a delivery boy trying to get a package from Point A to Point B while encountering all manner of things that incur misfortune on this ill-fated day – ladders, broken mirrors, black cats, and the like. And to top it off, he doesn’t know that his package is really a bomb due to go off soon.

The noir setting of foggy docks and dusky alleyways underlines the short’s dark tone but provides a good contrast to the comedy without giving us tonal whiplash. There’s charm oozing from every bit of the animation, sound effects, and of course, our main character.

Like Brave Little Tailor to Mickey, this is the short that sums up everything we know and love about Donald. He’s not the most patient or forthright character, and much of his misfortune is a result of his own doing, but no matter how terrible things get he never gives up. Instead he comes back fighting twice as hard. And in this case, that persistence can turn things around and transform an unlucky day into a lucky one.

Donald Duck may be considered second-best within canon, but in the hearts of fans he’s second to none. Happy Birthday, Donald!

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My Top 20 Favorite Donald Duck Shorts Last November we celebrated a milestone for one of Disney's most iconic characters. Today we gather for another - Happy 85th Birthday Donald Duck!

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italianaradio · 6 years ago

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Cartoons on the Bay 2019: presentato il programma

Nuovo post su italianaradio http://www.italianaradio.it/index.php/cartoons-on-the-bay-2019-presentato-il-programma/

Cartoons on the Bay 2019: presentato il programma

Torino è per il terzo anno la casa di Cartoons on the Bay, il festival internazionale della televisione per ragazzi e dell’animazione cross-mediale, promosso da Rai e organizzato da Rai Com, in collaborazione con la Film Commission Torino Piemonte, la FIP e la Regione Piemonte. Un connubio che ha portato splendidi frutti, viste le due fortunatissime edizioni che hanno preceduto questa numero ventitre. Ancora sotto la Mole, dove si appoggia la donna del futuro disegnata da Maurizio Manzieri, uno dei più importanti illustratori di fantascienza e fantastico del panorama internazionale.

E il fantastico nell’animazione è proprio il tema dell’anno, edizione che celebra quei mondi, futuri, alternativi, distopici, multidimensionali, fiabeschi, che hanno fatto sognare generazioni di lettori, giocatori, spettatori. Tutti quanti si troveranno a Torino, ancora una volta nella cornice davvero unica di Palazzo Carignano, Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano, dall’11 al 13 aprile 2019, per vivere nuove avventure in mondi fantastici e incontrare molti artisti che questi mondi li hanno creati.

A partire da Bill Plympton, uno dei maestri dell’animazione indipendente, che con i suoi lavori ha influenzato almeno un paio di generazioni di giovani animatori. Ritirerà il Pulcinella Career Award dalle mani del direttore artistico Roberto Genovesi, che spegne quest’anno dieci candeline alla guida di Cartoons on the Bay. Era il 2009 quando a Rapallo dichiarò aperta la sua prima edizione. Dieci anni che hanno visto passare, tra la Liguria, Venezia e Torino, tanti grandi nomi dell’animazione, dei videogiochi e del crossmediale, da Don Bluth a Sylvia Anderson, da Yoshiyuki Tomino a Carlos Saldanha, passando per Annette Tison e Talus Taylor, Mordillo e Bruno Bozzetto.

Una tradizione che si rinnova quest’anno, con Plympton e con Michel Ocelot, che riceverà il Pulcinella alla Carriera, con dicitura rigorosamente italiana per l’animatore, regista, illustratore, artista francese, che incantò il mondo nel 1998 con il suo primo lungometraggio, Kiriku e la strega Karaba. E da allora non ha più smesso. Ripercorreremo durante il festival parte della sua carriera con alcuni dei suoi lungometraggi. Più uno. Nuovissimo e bellissimo.

Tutto questo mentre come sempre le giurie ufficiali dei concorsi di Cartoons on the Bay decreteranno i vincitori dei Pulcinella Award 2019, scelti tra le opere selezionate tra oltre cinquecento produzioni internazionali, provenienti da ogni parte del mondo.

Competizione, ma anche anteprime. Una è proprio il nuovo film di Michel Ocelot, il bellissimo Dilili a Parigi, in collaborazione con Movies Inspired e BIM. E ancora dalla Francia, facciamo un salto nel futuro con A Spasso con Willy, in collaborazione con Notorious Pictures.

Cartoons on the Bay è anche videogiochi, e a proposito di fantasia, ce ne voleva davvero tanta per riuscire a risolvere gli enigmi di Syberia, la trilogia videoludica partorita dall’eclettico artista belga Benoît Sokal, che riceverà il Pulcinella Career Award per i videogiochi.

THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING

Va invece alla Marvel Animation il premio di studio dell’anno. La divisione televisiva della factory del compianto Stan Lee presenterà una selezione delle sue serie animate per il piccolo schermo, con protagonisti i supereroi che da oramai un decennio dominano il box office cinematografico mondiale.

Appuntamento fisso quello con il Pitch Me!, il concorso dedicato ai giovani che hanno un’idea nel cassetto con il sogno di farla diventare realtà. Anche quest’anno una giuria di esperti è chiamata a giudicare queste future opere d’animazione e cross-mediali.

E come ogni anno Cartoons on the Bay presenta un ricco programma anche per le scuole, con oltre 1300 studenti di Torino e provincia che verranno coinvolti nelle mattinate del Cinema Ambrosio. Una tappa fissa e fondamentale nel percorso del festival, come la collaborazione con Unicef e gli incontri con gli artisti. Come Stefano Vietti e Luca Enoch, i creatori di Dragonero, la serie a fumetti griffata Sergio Bonelli Editore. Ian Aranill, il protagonista di Dragonero, compie quest’anno dodici primavere, ed è a lui dedicata una mostra che racconta il progetto crossmediale che lo coinvolge e che vede collaborare Bonelli con Rai. Anche per i ragazzi sono previste grandi anticipazioni, con le migliori serie in arrivo da Planeta Junior, Nickelodeon e Rai Ragazzi.

Abbiamo parlato di primavere e ne conta novanta il personaggio al centro dell’altra mostra di quest’anno. “Omaggio a Topolino – La storia di una pop star” sintetizza perfettamente il senso di questo storico compleanno, in collaborazione con Walt Disney Italia.

Disney che presenterà anche tante novità, tra cui l’attesa serie 101 Dalmatian Street, ispirata al romanzo “I cento e uno dalmata” di Dodie Smith.

Anche quest’anno, infine, verranno consegnati durante il festival due premi a cui Cartoons on the Bay tiene particolarmente, Il Migrarti Cartoon Award e il premio alla memoria di Giuseppe Laganà, arrivato quest’anno alla sua quarta edizione.

Tutto questo e molto, molto di più, a Cartoons on the Bay 2019.

Il concorso Pulcinella Awards di Cartoons on the Bay 2019

Sono ben nove i titoli di Rai Ragazzi che hanno ricevuto una nomination al Festival Cartoons on the Bay 2019, che premia con il Pulcinella Award le migliori serie di animazione e live-action destinate a bambini e ragazzi.

Un record assoluto quest’anno riguarda la cinquina della categoria live action, o fiction per ragazzi, dove sono ben quattro i titoli Rai selezionati, tutti per Rai Gulp: “Jams”, “Club 57”, “Find me in Paris” e “Penny on M.A.R.S.”.

“Jams”, unico titolo già uscito su Rai Gulp, è la prima serie per ragazzi che parla di molestie sui minori. Una serie che coinvolge, informa, sensibilizza, con il racconto di un gruppo di amici di prima media che scoprono che una di loro è oggetto di molestie da parte di un vicino di casa. Dieci episodi prodotti da Rai Ragazzi e da Stand By Me, con il supporto di un team di specialisti.

“Club 57” è il nuovissimo titolo che debutterà su Rai Gulp da metà aprile in prima serata e verrà poi diffuso in tutto il mondo. Una coproduzione italo americana, tra Nickelodeon e Rainbow, in collaborazione con Rai Ragazzi, con riprese in Puglia e a Miami. Un viaggio anche nel tempo, ragazzi di oggi che si trovano a vivere l’epoca dei loro nonni, tra i colori e le musiche degli anni ’50.

M.A.R.S. (Musical Arts Reiner School) invece, è un prestigioso liceo musicale dove sono state ammesse la 14enne Penny e la sua amica del cuore Camilla. “Penny on M.A.R.S.” è una serie italiana, girata in lingua inglese a Milano e dintorni, prodotta da 3zero2 per Disney Channel e per Rai Gulp.

Dalla Pietroburgo del 1905 alla Parigi di oggi: è “Cercami a Parigi” (“Find me in Paris”). Protagonista una giovane ballerina russa che si ritrova catapultata all’Opéra di Parigi, in una classe di danza, tra la vita dei ragazzi di adesso. Una produzione Federation Entertainment per Disney Channel, ZDF e per Rai Gulp, dove arriverà nel prossimo autunno.

Nel campo delle serie a cartoni animati per bambini, “44 gatti”, la serie prodotta dalla Rainbow in collaborazione con l’Antoniano di Bologna e Rai Ragazzi, è candidata come miglior serie tv prescolare. La serie, uno dei grandi successi di Rai Yoyo, è distribuita in tutto il mondo.

Fra le serie prescolari, è candidata anche “Gigantosaurus”. Sviluppata in CGI dallo studio francese Cyber Group in collaborazione con Disney Channel e Rai Ragazzi, vede le avventure di quattro giovani amici dinosauri che crescono nel periodo Cretaceo fra nuovi vulcani che spuntano in continuazione, brachiosauri e enormi triceratopi che vagano liberi, piogge di meteoriti e un grande cattivo Gigantosauro che regna su tutto.

Per i bambini più grandi, “OPS-Orrendi per sempre”, la nuova serie dello Studio Campedelli con Samka Productions, Movimenti Production e Cosmos Animation su uno strampalato e grottesco gruppo di amici, concorrerà nella categoria Kids. Ispirata ai libri per ragazzi “Orrendi per sempre”, pubblicati da Giunti Editore, la serie da 52 episodi di 12 minuti è diretta da Alessandro Belli.

Candidata fra i programmi kids anche “Artù e i Bambini della Tavola Rotonda”, una commedia epica piena d’azione e mistero con una banda di bambini impegnata a proteggere la magica spada Excalibur, serie in CGI della francese Blue Spirit Productions, prossimamente su Rai Gulp.

Infine, nella categoria piloti di serie, “Food Wizards”, progetto della società di produzione Zocotoco in collaborazione con la MAD di Napoli e Rai Ragazzi, ha ottenuto la candidatura al Pulcinella Award. Una serie sulla sana alimentazione piena di avventure fuori e dentro il corpo umano, con i disegni del giovanissimo talento Francesco Filippini.

Cartoons on the bay 2019 – il poster

Cinefilos.it – Da chi il cinema lo ama.

Cartoons on the Bay 2019: presentato il programma

Cinefilos.it – Da chi il cinema lo ama.

Chiara Guida

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epmedia-blog1 · 7 years ago

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The History of Music Videos: Advertising

A music video consists of a small film made alongside music to create an image that can aid to be promotional and visual for an artist/band. From music videos those involved in the video such as directors, producers (similarly production companies), artists/bands, record labels etc. will benefit massively from synergy during the production of music videos. They are mostly used as a marketing device to improve sales for the record. However, initially music videos began to climb to popularity given that the audience (the public) were entertained by a visual story that works alongside the meanings of the lyrics that can be connoted or interpreted literally.

Prior to the 1980s music videos would have been referred to as promotional videos or promos. Regarding the origin of music videos, in the 1930s and 1940s animated clips or short films used to just include classical music in the background. A famous example of this would be Disney's Fantasia which was an animated film with classical pieces being played alongside it. It was one of the first ways seen promoting a soundtrack and therefore was known as 'visual music.

Here is a snippet of Fantasia, 1940.

youtube

The development of how music videos were consumed by viewers has turned dramatically. Looking back at when Fantasia by Walt Disney was released in the 1940s with few other promotional videos such as Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies would have been viewed at theatrical roadshow engagements. Here, people would pre-book to go to a theatre to see the film in cities around the USA before initial release. Given that, there is a shift where money isn't made from theatre viewings, but rather in the comfort of people's own homes.

'Soundies' (musical films that are similar music videos) were released from 1940 to 1947 in theatres much like Disney's Fantasia and Warner Bro's Looney Tunes included dance short sequences. They became the very origin of dance music videos. Some were even just instrumental music with dance alongside it. Nevertheless, these were starting to rise in popularity for the public in big cities.

Though as televisions began to get more popular in the publics home, the majority of their media consumption was at home, especially when more channels were being broadcasted. As Tony Bennet states in his autobiography that he created "... the first music video" with 'Stranger in Paradise.' This video of him walking in Hyde Park, London was distributed on US and British television.

When 1960 came around the French invented a Scopitone, a visual jukebox short films were produced by many French artists, such as Serge Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy and Jacques Dutronc. The invention soon spread, Italy had the Cine-Box and USA had Color-Sonic.

The first major motion picture that was a music video was The Beetle's A Hard Day's Night in 1964, directed by Richard Lester. Shots in this music video set out basic visual influences of music videos today. This video influenced many genres, ranging from contemporary musicians, pop and rock music videos. Following the Beatles release, from 1966 to 1968 American TV series The Monkees broadcasted episodes of film clips accompanied by Monkees songs. This series was another important development of music videos not only from the video itself, but how it was broadcasted on TV. The Beatles also gained coverage from Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane music videos in 1967. These two videos included dramatic lighting, rhythmic cuts of shots, long and close-up shots and various unusual camera angles. The mood created in the music videos followed the highly physchedelic period in the 1960s. Furthermore, they were more experimental than A Hard Day's Night and their purpose was to illustrate the music that The Beatles were creating at the time.

The Beatles various first music video releases (from left to right) : A Hard Day's Night, Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane.

Key factors of creating and developing a music video of course consisted of the filming recording and then the editing process. As music videos begin to progress, the people of the world viewing got to see the use of chroma-key development. High-quality colour video recorders and hand held camcorders began to consistently be used which coincided well with the New Wave Era. This is where the term 'rock videos' was often thrown about as bands like The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks began producing promotional videos for their tracks quickly and cheaply.

After the 1970s when television was constantly broadcasting music videos, they became almost standard and expected from an artist or band. Australian shows Countdown and Sounds were significant for promoting and popularising music videos in Australia and other countries. From 1964, former radio DJ Graham Webb launched a weekly teen-oriented TV music show which screened on Saturday mornings. In 1975, the British rock band Queen broadcasted a promotional video to show their new single Bohemian Rhapsody on the BBC music series Top of the Pops. Top of the Pops showed the competition between artists and bands which made music videos be taken more seriously. The purpose shifted to a higher promotional video to make sales because the better the video everyone was seeing, the more likely they'd buy the track.

David Bowie was the first to become the most expensive music video. The production costs were just over $500,000 which in 2016 stood at $1,671,487. Ashes to Ashes easily became the most iconic music video at the time with solarised colour and in stark black-and-white shots that were filmed in multiple locations.

1981 was the year the MTV (Music Television) launched Video Killed the Radio Star. This was the first chance for viewers to have music videos around them constantly as the channel ran 24-hours. Channels like this allowed music marketing to skyrocket because of it was becoming much more accessible. Now there was much more competition with music videos, artists and bands would have more experimental features in their music video, trying to achieve something that hadn't been done before that would catch the consumers eye. It was Michael Jackson that began the concept of having a music video as a short story with a beginning, middle and end as Greek philosopher Aristotle outlined. Michael Jackson was a starting point for widening media language used in music videos as they begin to have more and more meaning with plot lines rather than just visual videos in the past. Billy Jean was the first to follow a mini plot line. As cinematography began to progress, Michael Jackson had other iconic short film music videos, one being Thriller. The 14-minute video cost $800,000 where MTV paid $250,000 for the exclusive rights to show the documentary; Showtime paid $300,000 for pay-cable rights; and Vestron Music Video reportedly put down an additional $500,000 to market the cassette, in "a profit participation."

To appeal to a wider demographic, MTV opened a branch of channels such as CMV which broadcasted country music videos. MTV VMAs (Video Music Awards) also began in 1984 which was giving more ways for artists to promote themselves following their tracks and music videos. In 1985, MTV launched the channel VH1 (Video Hits One), featuring music aimed at an older demographic than MTV. With music videos artists were able to solidify the demographic they wanted to target by the content of the music video. Madonna, for instance, was incredibly popular and mainstream for the seductive appeal of her music video. MTV Europe was launched in 1987, Yo! MTV Raps in 1988 and MTV Asia in 1991 targeting specific audiences judging on geodemographics.

However, when the world started to blur with the use of the internet, many people started to stream and broadcast videos online for the forever-growing easy access. iFilm, 1997, was a site where you could upload videos. Artists and bands began to use these platforms as social media began to rapidly grow. Since 2005, when Youtube started, view counts began to represent the popularity of a music video. This was not just in one country's charts, but all over the world. Vevo is a music video website launched by several major music publishers in December 2009. The videos are uploaded on the Vevo YouTube page. There is synergy from Google and VEVO sharing the advertising revenue.

Anyone can upload content. Uploading music videos on to platforms where anyone is just as able to see it follows the postmodern idea that art all has the same value. It was easier with social media platforms such as YouTube to upload whether you were already a famous growing musician or one starting out which also reinforces the postmodernist view. Being interconnected and more multicultural more easily on social media shows globalisation which is another element of postmodern culture. The hybridity allows music videos to reach bigger demographics as the popular cultures are blurring. For instances, stereotypically dark skinned people would be more likely to watch and listen to rap videos. However, now the convergence gives everyone an opportunity to appreciate all music videos and all concepts. Postmodernism also allows artists to not have a pressure to create 'higher' art as people in a postmodernist world would appreciate any art.

{unedited 09/03/18} -

need to add reference to important historical, social and political events which influenced music videos. reference Goodwin’s theory of music videos

words : 1 5 0 8

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