Prime Time Replay:
Lisa Morton
on Writing for Animated TV Shows
MsgId: *emedia(1)
Date: Mon Jun 23 16:23:39 EDT 1997
From: Moderator At: 38.254.181.87
This week, EMedia presents Lisa Morton, one of a new breed of screenwriters creating material for cartoons based on the newest animation technologies. Moviegoers were dazzled in 1988, with the launch of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, the groundbreaking film that combined real-life actors with animation and computer special effects. But nine years later, Morton and colleagues are taking such projects to the next level.Her current project, a weekly cartoon called VAN-PIRES, mixes live action and state-of-the-art animation to tell the story of what happens when a mysterious meteor strikes an auto wrecking yard, transforming cars into evil "Van-Pires" that suck fuel from other cars. For this kind of show, it was necessary for Morton to develop a whole new style of scriptwriting. (Morton has also worked as a special effects modelmaker for THE ABYSS and STAR TREK-THE MOTION PICTURE, has been screenwriter/Associate Producer on two feature films, and is an animation writer on the television series SKY DANCERS and DRAGON FLYZ.)
MsgId: *emedia(3)
Date: Mon Jun 23 20:51:59 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.95
Hi all - Lisa M. here!
MsgId: *emedia(4)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:02:54 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
Hi, Lisa! Thank God, the computer's working fast tonight...:-). Lisa, how did you become a scriptwriter? And why, in particular, a scriptwriter for animation films?
MsgId: *emedia(7)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:04:55 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.95
I became a screenwriter simply because I've always wanted to write, and I love movies. I became an ANIMATED scriptwriter quite by accident -- an animation company liked one of my feature screenplays enough to hire me with no prior experience. Dumb good luck!
MsgId: *emedia(8)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:07:57 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
What was your first animation script? Were you a big fan of animation before you began writing scripts?
MsgId: *emedia(9)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:10:23 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.95
I had done only one animated script before that feature screenplay (which was a live-action science fiction adventure) got me in the door. It was for a feature called "SINDBAD'S DREAMQUEST", which to the best of my knowledge has never been produced. I learned a little about animation writing from that experience - mainly, that it's far more detailed and descriptive than live action writing - but then I discovered that feature animation writing is very different from televised animation writing. And no, I wasn't necessarily a big animation fan in the past, although I grew up loving the classic Warner Brothers and Disney cartoons, along with just about everyone else. When I was hired to begin work on my first animated television series (SKY DANCERS), the company had to give me a kind of "crash course" in televised animation writing.
MsgId: *emedia(11)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:15:40 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
I have to assume you watch far more cartoons now than you did when you were growing up -- and get paid for it! :-) Your new project is called "Van-Pires", about gas-sucking evil trucks.... Where did this idea come from? It reminds me of "Maximum Overdrive" with Emilio Estevez, in a way.
MsgId: *emedia(15)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:23:30 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.165
The company behind both SKY DANCERS and VANPIRES is Abrams Gentile Entertainment (AGE). And I wish I could say that VANPIRES began as some inspiration while someone pondered weak and weary, but the truth is that -- as with most cartoon series these days -- it's based on a toy design. AGE designed the phenomenally successful flying SKY DANCERS and DRAGON FLYZ toys, and wanted to apply the same flying principle to cars. The series came next.
MsgId: *emedia(16)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:27:35 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
How long did it take to work on the script for "Van-Pires"? Are there test audiences for cartoons, or, as in this case, are you relying on toy sales to tell you how successful a cartoon might be?
MsgId: *emedia(17)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:30:32 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.165
VANPIRES went through a long and interesting development phase. All AGE knew in the beginning was that they wanted talking, flying demonic cars that sucked fuel. The initial concepts had the series set entirely on another world; eventually it evolved into a mysterious meteor striking our world -- or, more precisely, an auto-wrecking yard in our world, bringing to life a number of the old hulks... And while there may be preview test audiences for cartoons, I don't think they've been employed on any of the series I've been involved with. AGE has sold their cartoons solely on the basis of the success of the toys (SKY DANCERS and DRAGON FLYZ), and now on the success of their past shows (VAN-PIRES).
MsgId: *emedia(19)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:36:38 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
Are you finding that more scriptwriters for cartoons/animated films not coming from a comic-book background? Is animation an industry starting to see more women?
MsgId: *emedia(20)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:39:31 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.165
Well, I don't know about seeing more women... (when attending a recent animation expo, I did feel a bit like the Invader in the Country of Young Males). But I don't think many animation writers are coming from a comic-book background (in fact, I've yet to meet one!). Many these days are published science fiction or horror writers (including Will Shetterly), while others come from design backgrounds or, like me, just plain screenwriting backgrounds.Add to my last comment that, unfortunately, the inclusion of fine published writers in the animation field isn't creating more literate cartoons. It's hard to be literate when you're writing for specific shows that already have established formulas. (Which, incidentally, is one of the big advantages of being part of the development team, as I've been lucky enough to be with AGE's series).
MsgId: *emedia(22)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:45:05 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
How many conventions do you attend? What's the most common question you have to answer about writing scripts for cartoons? Do you have fans? And, after answering all these questions, can you give a hint as to what "Van-Pires'" second episode will be like?
MsgId: *emedia(23)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:49:53 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.165
I go to a few conventions a year -- in fact, I did appear on an animation writing panel at one in San Diego (Con-Dor) a few months ago. The most common question? Simple: "How do I sell a script?" (If I could answer that, I'd be selling more of my own). I don't think I have fans yet (I'm happy with paychecks!). I'm not sure what order VANPIRES' episodes are being shot in, but an early one that I wrote will be called "Unleaded Zeppelin", and will feature our four young heroes fighting a Vanpire rock band tour bus!
MsgId: *emedia(24)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:52:51 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
What impresses you most about cartoons being made now, as opposed to those from the '80s? It seems that there's a Hanna-Barbera backlash in the '90s....
MsgId: *emedia(25)
Date: Mon Jun 23 21:55:33 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.165
I think the most impressive (and exciting) thing about cartoons now is the availability of the new computer technologies. While it's just started to creep into the landscape (most shows budget for one or two computer effects per episode), the creation of new software and operating systems is going to advance to the point where we'll be able to see the quality of a TOY STORY on a weekly basis.This is one of the most exciting aspects of VANPIRES, in fact. It will be the first show to test a new animation system called "Jethro", which can render full 3-D TOY STORY-style animation for a fraction of the time and money that was required in the past. I've seen several minutes of the finished animation already, and it knocked my socks clean off! Like TOY STORY painted VERY dark!
MsgId: *emedia(27)
Date: Mon Jun 23 22:00:36 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
Does computer animation mean you change your writing style? What are elements in animated scriptwriting that you don't have in live-action writing? How do you combine these styles for live-action/animated cartoons?
MsgId: *emedia(28)
Date: Mon Jun 23 22:04:43 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
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MsgId: *emedia(29)
Date: Mon Jun 23 22:05:42 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.165
Three good questions: First, the difference between live-action and animation scriptwriting is that, in animation, the writer essentially directs the show, because the animators use the script as their blueprint. So, instead of saying, "Joe crosses the street", you say, "Camera TRACKS with Joe as he runs to the right side of the street, narrowly avoiding an oncoming tram." For VANPIRES, we had to expand on that to create a new script format, since we were combining live action and animation. It took a while of stumbling before we hit on something everyone could easily understand! And to add to that -- we went through several re-writes on the scripts, when major design elements would change because of something the live-action crew had come up with, or the animation guys. We ended up blocking animation in bold fonts and live-action in normal, to try and keep it all straight!
MsgId: *emedia(30)
Date: Mon Jun 23 22:08:15 EDT 1997
From: OMNI_Moderator At: 199.183.204.230
We're out of time :-(--but thanks, Lisa, for coming online tonight to discuss "Van-Pires" and scriptwriting for animated projects!
MsgId: *emedia(32)
Date: Mon Jun 23 22:10:38 EDT 1997
From: LisaMorton At: 206.117.206.165
Many thanks for having me. If anyone would like to discuss further, my e-mail (lisam9@wavenet.com) is always open! 'Bye!
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