TORONTO (Digital Journal) — Champagne at noon may seem odd at first, but not when the bubbly is part of a celebration to honour a rising animation star. Chris Landreth drank in the praise today when he returned to his former employer, Alias, to celebrate his Academy Award nomination for his stunning short film Ryan.
Not surprisingly, Alias’s pioneering animation software Maya played a key role in rendering the characters in Ryan, a tribute to renowned animator Ryan Larkin. The downtown Toronto company, who employed Landreth for six years, is relishing a possible second Oscar win — it took home an Academy Award in 2003 for Maya’s use in films such as Lord of the Rings and Spider-Man. Landreth’s film is already filling his mantle with statuesque hardware — Ryan has won 32 awards so far, including three at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
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Animator Chris Landreth talks to Digital Journal Features Editor, David Silverberg, at Alias’s offices in Toronto. — Photo by djc Features |
An hour before an Alias employee popped the cork to celebrate the Oscar nomination, 40 people crowded into Alias’s top-floor screening room to watch the 13-minute film that has generated enormous buzz coast-to-coast. As a prologue to Ryan, Landreth — with his trademark ponytail and jeans, and wearing Velcro sneakers — said “the film was made from nothing. But it was a weird story that many people took a chance on.” In fact, Landreth mentioned how his film could be called an “animated documentary,” since he used direct quotes from his interview with Larkin, who once produced exceptional animated films for the National Film Board but now lives on welfare and panhandles in Montreal.
The film acts as a cautionary tale, warning artists to keep their passions aflame. Yet the tone is never didactic, instead displaying a broken man — Ryan — and an inquisitive and concerned animator — Chris — hoping to learn some lesson about art and ambition. The animation in Ryan takes risk and hypnotizes the eye: characters are twisted and broken, and many aspects are so detailed a single hair can be isolated.
Today not only celebrated Landreth, but the assistance in making that fine detail. At a panel discussion that followed the film’s screening, Landreth repeatedly thanked the two main producers — the National Film Board of Canada and Copper Heart Entertainment — and students from Seneca College’s Animation Arts Centre. Landreth said, “When I had no money, Seneca came to help me with their amazing studios and students willing to assist me on Ryan.”
Flanked by fellow designers, producers and an ex-boss, Landreth spoke bluntly about animation’s role in the independent film industry, explaining how the Canadian government’s support far surpasses the American equivalent. “The NFB understood the legitimate need for a strong film culture in Canada,” he said. Panelist Silva Basmajian, executive producer at the NFB’s Ontario Centre, highlighted the two words that would become commonplace in the half-hour discussion: risk-taking and visionary. Flattering Landreth with both these compliments, she stressed the importance of showcasing emerging talent that thinks outside the box.
The humble Landreth offered some advice for those who wished to follow his footsteps. “Don’t aspire to be nominated for an Oscar. Do the film to tell a good story.” He also had some harsh words for big-budget animated films: “They have tons of people working for them and they rarely take many risks.” Talking about the difference between American and Canadian attitudes towards ambitious animation, Landreth said simply, “Canadian society values cool art and cool filmmaking.”
A footnote to Canada’s international footprint is the National Film Board’s good news this month: Another NFB-produced film Hardwood, chronicling a boy’s journey to learn more about his father, has the chance to win an Oscar for Best Documentary (Short Subject).
The winners will be announced at the 77th Annual Academy Awards presentation on Feb. 27 in Hollywood.
