eric goldberg interview 04

8/13/2019 Eric Goldberg Interview 04

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Eric Goldberg: Back I n Action

Dr. Toon sat down with the animation veteran Eric Goldberg to rap about his experiences onLooney Tunes:

Back in Action, as well as the rest of his intimidating rsum.

By artin Goodman! onday, "eptember #$, %&&' at #%(&& am

Posted In| Columns: DrToon

Eric Goldbergis among todays master animators and animation directors. He began his

career with Richard Williams and later animated such memorable characters

asAladdins Genie and Philoctetes after moving to Disney. While there, Eric also co

directed the film Pocahontas before animating and directing the stunning !Rha"sody #n

$lue%and !&arnival of the 'nimals% segments of Fantasia 2000. He is currently the

animation director for Warner $ros. u"coming film Looney Tunes: Back In Action

Dr. Toon:Eric, how is "ost"roduction going on Looney Tunes: Back In Action(

Eric Goldberg:!ell" #ere still in P$%&duction as o''osed to 'ost&'roduction( !ere still

animatin) *uriously" +ut its )oin) #ell Like all mo,ies o* this nature that are e-'ensi,e and

di**icult to make +ecause o* the li,e&action.animation com+ination" there are many chan)es

that are still )oin) on" all the #ay throu)h 'roduction /o #e ha,e to +e *le-i+le in terms o*

1h" oh" that line o* dialo)ue chan)ed(3 I *eel kind o* like Im a #aiter #ho takes 'eo'les

*ood a#ay +e*ore theyre done eatin) it" +ut I ha,e to say I,e )ot a )reat cre# and they really do +eauti*ul #ork I think

its )oin) to sur'rise 'eo'le that it has the Looney Tunes s'irit

Dr.T:)oe Dante said that one of the challenges was that hes got

human characters that are si* feet tall and animated characters

that are three feet tall. What ty"e of challenge did that "resent to

you and your team(

EG:Thats actually a hu)e challen)e The other *actor in that is

that #e,e )ot a Pana,ision screen *rame as #ell /o" aside *rom

the *act that you,e )ot si- *eet and three *eet" i* you cut Brendan

Fraser o** at the knees" youre cuttin) Bu)s and Da**y 4ust under

the chest or 4ust under the head so #e ha,e to +e a+le to

com'ose these thin)s to +e a+le to #ork !e do take cheats once

in a #hile" 4ust to make it look as i* e,ery+odys in the same *rame *or that *ormat" +ut it is tou)h %+,iously" you ha,e to

look a*ter eye lines" you ha,e to look a*ter si5e relationshi's and make sure theyre consistent *rom scene to scene" +ut

+y the same token" Im not a+o,e cheatin) *or the com'osition o* the scene to look ri)ht #ithin the screen *ormat

The method has +een" on this sho#" that #e actually 'osed out the entire mo,ie +e*ore it )ot to the animators I used the

!acom Cinti6 ta+let7 I can dra# 'oses o* the characters and the editors can su'erim'ose them o,er the li,e action so

#e can see immediately ho# the scene is )oin) to 'lay 8,ery+ody started dissectin) all these 'oses as to #hether they

#ere ri)ht or #ron) on the *irst *e# se6uences that #e did But then" #hen the animation came in" they )ot it They could

see that Bu)s and Da**y really #ere in that scene" actin) and reactin)" and so thin)s )ot more com*orta+le

Its )i,en me and the animators here more license to 'ut in some e-tra +its Little actin)

choices" little timin) choices" some nuances that e,eryones +een ,ery 'leased #ith !e

could also thro# in some secondary )a)s that #erent necessarily in the 'oses !hich is

all to the )ood" +ecause I think the animators came u' #ith some )reat ideas" and they all

ha,e #ays o* reali5in) somethin) thats +eyond #hat an initial 'ose dra#in) #ould +e And

that thats #hats )oin) to make it all #ork

Dr.T:What have been some of the other challenges in wor+ing on this feature(

Eric Goldberg. ) Disney

Enterprises, *nc. +ll rights

reserved.

Goldberg is feverishly finishing up wor on -ooney Tunes(

Bac in +ction. ) arner Bros.

Goldberg hopes to channel

inspiration from friend /huc

0ones.
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EG:Aside *rom the technical challen)es" o* #hich there are many" my +i))est aim is to 'resent these characters the #ay

'eo'le ha,e lo,ed them *or years Its actually ,ery" ,ery im'ortant to me I #as *riends #ith Chuck 9ones" I kno# this

stu** +ack#ards and *or#ards in terms o* all the cartoons" the history and its ,ery im'ortant to me that *eels like

a ooney -unesmo,ie that satis*ies ooney -unes*ans That Bu)s and Da**y are #ho Bu)s and Da**y are not

necessarily 4ust dra#n #ell" +ut that they act the ri)ht #ay" that they say the ri)ht thin)s" that they mo,e the ri)ht #ay

That their moti,ations are clear It sounds ,ery hi)h&*alutin" +ut i* youre )oin) to ha,e these characters sustain a 0&

minute mo,ie" you,e )ot to treat them as thou)h theyre real characters" and you ha,e to +e true to #ho they are

Because the audience #ill smell it a mile a#ay i* theyre not I kee' *eelin) like Chuck is lookin) do#n sayin)" 1%;" youd

+etter do this one ri)ht(3

Dr.T:#ts been a "retty long road leading u" to your "osition as animation director for the Looney Tunes movie. irst

there was a sto" at /niversal where you were toying with the directors 0ob for the !here the !ild Thin)s're "ro0ect.

How e*actly did you go from wor+ing on that film to this one(

EG:I #as on Where the Wild -hings 're*or a year I #as de,elo'in) it #ith some ,ery talented 'eo'le !e had Brenda

Cha'man" /ue


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EG:!ithout 6uestion I think all the years I #as at Disney" I think that e,ery+ody *elt I had more o* a !arners +ent to me"

#hich #as somethin) that I kind o* +rou)ht to Disney 4ust to make the humor a little 5i''ier !ith the enie" he #as so

mercurial he had to chan)e characteri5ations and attitudes so 6uickly that I #ould )o strai)ht to !arners 1smear

dra#in)s3 and all the other tricks o* the trade in order to make those 6uick transitions 9ust 'hiloso'hically" I al#ays *elt

that !arners animation #as much +etter suited to comedy than Disney animation Because its shar'er Because its

more distincti,e It tele)ra'hs an idea in a 'ose in a much more 1)etta+le3 #ay than the more *lorid animation in most

Disney *eatures

Dr.T:-he "oses. -hats where your friend &huc+ )ones was such a master.

EG:A+solutely %* all the !arners directors that in*luenced me" he #as the one that in*luenced me the most I #as lucky

enou)h to kno# ;en =arris as #ell #hen I #as at $ichard !illiams studio *rom ? to ?? =e #as there *or a cou'le

o* years #orkin) on-he -hief and the &obblerAlthou)h" at the time" he #as kind o* an unassumin)" sel*&e**acin) )uy

1%h" hell I cant dra#( Dick al#ays does e,erythin) *or me(3 =e #as 0 years old and he could turn out G0 *eet a #eek

And it #as all )reat(


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Dr.T:# remember you saying that you considered the Genie

inAladdin your most satisfying achievement. 'fter those terrific

se1uences inFantasia.2000 1&arnival of the 'nimals% and

!Rha"sody in $lue% 3 is that still your o"inion(

EG:Thats a tou)h 6uestion As a director" I am 'roudest o*

1$ha'sody in Blue3 As an animator" Im 'ro+a+ly 'roudest o* the

enie Its like +ein) 'arent to t#o di**erent thin)s As an animator"

Im 'roud o* 1Carni,al o* the Animals"3 too Its interestin) that you

'ick those three thin)s" +ecause there #as a lot o* stu** in +et#een"

+ut I #ould ha,e to say that the enie and the antasiase6uences

#ere certainly the Disney career hi)hli)hts *or me In many #ays

1$ha'sody3 #as a dream 'ro4ect that *inally )ot reali5ed7 Id

#anted to make it *or se,en years

EG cont'd:1Carni,al3 #as a chance to animate a se6uence all the #ay throu)h *rom start to *inish And o* course" I )ot

to colla+orate #ith my *a,orite art director" /usan" #ho ha''ens to li,e under the same roo* They #ere +oth ,ery

satis*yin) 1$ha'sody3 #as ,ery 'ersonal in terms o* a lot o* the ideas in it and the characteri5ations" and the enie" #ell"

the enie is #hat 'ut me on the ma' in this country +ecause I had +een in London *or so lon) doin) commercials I think

Ill al#ays ha,e a so*t s'ot *or the enie" +ecause he #as so #armly recei,ed +y e,ery+ody #hen the *ilm came out Id

say that the three o* those 'ro4ects run a 'retty close e6ual

Dr.T:4ne "ro0ect that must have been a disa""ointment to you

was the never "roduced $o)er $a++it se1uel. # understand that

you were slated to be to be the animation director and that you had

even redesigned Roger for the film.

EG:Thats correct I streamlined him a little +it so that he #ould

look e,en more like a JH0s character I *elt in the ori)inal ,ersion

e,en thou)h that #as )reat he still had a little too much *ur on

him" a little too much detail to actually *eel like he #as really *rom

that era !hat I did #asnt a hu)e amount7 he #as still a+solutely

$o)er to e,ery+ody #ho sa# him !ed actually done a C test

#ith $o)er #ell" #e did t#o ,ersions !e did one that #as

traditionally hand&dra#n #ith the tone mattes and the #hole nine

yards" and #e did one #ith the same animation translated to a C model o* $o)er And the C model #orked ,ery" ,ery

#ell Better than most 'eo'le #ould e-'ect it to #ork +ecause it had all the s6uash" stretch and o,erla' that you #ould

associate #ith the character

Thats #hy I #anted to try it i* you can do that in C" you can do anythin) in C It isnt im'ossi+le to )et that kind o*

animation in the GD medium Its harder and re6uires a lot more modelin)" +ut

you can do it As *ar as the actualRoger Rabbit'ro4ect itsel* is concerned"

yes" I #ould ha,e en4oyed doin) that Its a shame that didnt )o *or#ard *or a

,ariety o* reasons" +ut hey" Im #orkin) #ith Bu)s and Da**y no#(

Dr.T:5ou once had your own commercial studio in ondon, Pi2a22 Pictures.

Have you ever considered o"ening another studio in the future(

EG:%nce in a #hile" #e toy #ith the idea K>y #i*e /usan and Iha,e

incor'orated as Cartoons In The Basement Inc Its really 4ust the t#o o* us

+ut i* somethin) lar)er #ould come alon)" I think #hat #e #ould do is +uild u'

the studio *or the 'ur'oses o* makin) a 'articular mo,ie and then colla'se

#hen the mo,ie #as done rather than maintainin) a studio that continues to

8antasia9%&&&7s :6hapsody in Blue; will be one of many

highpoints in Goldberg7s amaome Entertainment, *nc. +ll rights reserved.

+nimated love story( Eric and "usan Goldberg.

/ourtesy of Disney 5ictures. ) Disney

Enterprises, *nc.
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sel*&)enerate material The +i))est 'ro+lem ri)ht no# in animated *ilm 'roduction is that the o,erheads are killin)

e,ery+ody !e ha,e to *ind a #ay to 'roduce these *ilms more chea'ly and 'art o* it is not ha,in) a +i) darned +uildin)

and a hu)e sta** to maintain /o i* you do it 'urely *or the time o* 'roduction needed" I think thats a ,ia+le #ay to )o

;ind o* like the old cotta)e industry used to +e like erngully" *or e-am'le I dont think theres anythin) #ron) #ith

that7 od kno#s theres 'lenty o* talent around =olly#ood that could do that kind o* stu**

!hether Id )o +ack into commercials a)ain I dont think so I did many years in commercials and they #ere a )reat

trainin) )round in lots o* #ays" +ut its too hand&to&mouth *or me !e had a 1success*ul3 com'any in London" +ut #ed

still look u' at the +oards and say" 1!hat are #e doin) in three months3 And #e #ere still in the 'osition o* ha,in) to say

1yes3 to e,ery 4o+ and ho'e that enou)h o* them #ould *all a#ay so that #ed still +e a+le to 'roduce the ones that #ere

le*t

Dr.T:# "ic+ed u" in another interview that you were interested in "ursuing some "ersonal "ro0ects of your own, li+e an

animated musical based on the life of... Dr. )onas 6al+( Were you serious or "ulling some "oor 0ournalists leg(

EG:Com'letely 'ullin) 'eo'les le)s( Cant you 4ust see dancin) 'olio needles( Itd +e )reat( Mou kno#" the little su)ar

cu+es #ith the 'ink medicine on to'( Itd +e really )ood(

Dr.T:5ou could throw in a showsto""er musical number where they throw the crutches aside...

EG:I think >el Brooks is listenin)

Dr.T:God, # ho"e so7

EG:There are 'ersonal 'ro4ects I #ould like to do I #ont )o into #hat they are7 I think therere a lot o* thin)s #e can do

#ith this medium that #e ha,ent e,en scratched the sur*ace o*" in terms o* comedy" in terms o* techni6ue and in terms o*

style There are all sorts o* interestin) directions in #hich you can take animation that arent necessarily sou)ht a*ter in

the commercial market'lace that I think could o'en a *e# eyes The )reat thin) a+out #orkin) in tele,ision commercials

*or so many years is that I really learned to ada't )ra'hically to the needs o* any 'articular 'ro4ect /o" i* #e had to do

*ashion dra#in)s one #eek" %;" it #as *ashion dra#in)s I* #e had to do #oodcuts" %;" #ere doin) #oodcuts I* #e had

to do -om and )erry" %;" #ere doin) -om and )erry I still lo,e that a+out the medium

I )i,e $ichard !illiams a lot o* credit *or that" +ecause he #as

really the one in London #ho 'ushed that notion *or#ard more than

any+ody else =e had that 1!hate,er #ill stick on a cel3 kind o*

attitude =e #ould use any medium in order to achie,e any e**ect"

#hether it #as su''osed to look like oil 'aintin)" charcoal

dra#in)s" #hate,er I think a lot o* 'eo'le consider that you can do

di**erent styles" +ut sometimes the animation su**ers" like" 1%;" i* I

ha,e to make it look like this" then thats really com'licated to

dra#3 Dick #as ne,er like that Dick #as al#ays sayin) that it

had to +e )reat animation" too

!e,e )ot a se6uence in this ooney -unes*ilm #here 8lmer is

chasin) Bu)s and Da**y throu)h the Lou,re museum and e,ery

time they 4um' into one o* the 'aintin)s" they +ecome the style o* the 'aintin) They +ecome Dali" they +ecome Toulouse

Lautrec" they +ecome >unch !hen 'eo'le see the *inal se6uence" I think theyll +e ,ery 'leased #ith it /tylistically"

#ere matchin) these thin)s in a #ay that you #ouldnt e-'ect Thats one o* the com'ellin) thin)s a+out this medium

Mou really can )o in di**erent directions and still make it entertainin)

Dr.T:What would $ugs $unny have to say if # were to as+ him what it was li+e wor+ing with you on this "icture(

EG:K*la#less Bu)s Bunny imitation 1

eric goldberg interview 04

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