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HPC News Hollywood News Movies/Television

Tenant Spotlight: Craig Bartlett

craig

Craig Bartlett, creator and exec producer, “Ready Jet Go!” and “Dinosaur Train”

Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Seattle when it was still a scrappy frontier town, and moved to LA right before it became “cool” with the Grunge movement and the arrival of all the dot-com billionaires. I’m not moving back until it’s “not cool” again.

Please describe the industry you’re in.

I make cartoons for kids, mostly for PBS these days, so cartoons for kids with an educational curriculum. The two shows we’re doing here are “Ready Jet Go!,” a kid’s first space show, and “Dinosaur Train,” which, if you’re 4, is like when chocolate met peanut butter.

How long have you been with the company and what is your title?

I started working for the Jim Henson Company (“Dinosaur Train”) in 2007, and for Wind Dancer (“Ready Jet Go!”) last year.

What got you interested in animation?

I studied Fine Art in school, but found it to be too serious. I was always trying to make art that was funny and told a story, which naturally led me to comics, and then to animation.

How did you get involved with the entertainment industry?

Once out of school I found the only animation job in the Northwest working for Will Vinton studios, the Claymation people. Will’s studio became Leica Animation, but by then I had moved to LA, first to direct the Penny cartoons for “Pee Wee’s Playhouse,” then over to Nickelodeon, story editing and directing for “Rugrats,” which led to my own Nick series, “Hey Arnold!”

What are you currently working on?

I’m producing 40 half hours of “Ready Jet Go!” And 10 half hours of “Dinosaur Train,” both for PBS. I also hope to bring more “Hey Arnold!” work to HPC if I can.

You have accomplished so much in your career, what makes you so driven to succeed?

I really love the work – at this point, I get to work exclusively on stuff that I created. So it’s never boring to me. And there’s always something new about it to learn. So I keep at it.

If there is one person to thank for your success who would it be and why?

I would thank both my parents, who were very creative and driven, hard-working people. They set the bar high, and then turned me loose as soon as I was grown, and told me to make my own way.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Cartoon making is great, because you get to make up your whole universe from scratch. That includes the stories, the look, the voices, the sound design, and the music. And the PBS shows really feature a lot of songs, so I get to write and play songs as part of my job. I’m getting better at music every decade, which is great, because I’m sure not getting better at, say, basketball.

Do you have any shout outs for your employees?

I’m working with lots of great new people, like Producers Rusty Tracy and Blanca Uribe on “Jet” and Melanie Pal and Kadi Rodriguez on “Dinosaur Train,” but I’m also still working with old friends Joe Purdy, Rachel Lipman, and Christie Insley, writing on “Jet,” who’ve been with me for more than 15 years. And with Karl Toerge and Terry Izumi, who’ve been drawing with me 7 years now on “Dinosaur Train.”

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Music/Concerts Hollywood News Movies/Television

The Simpsons at the Hollywood Bowl

In case you missed it, The Simpsons were at the Hollywood Bowl this past weekend. The show was appropriately titled, “The Simpsons Take the Bowl.”

Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith were all in attendance as part of the core cast of the show. These actors voice the characters of Moe Szyslak, Lisa Simpson, and Bart Simpson, respectively. Unfortunately, those not in attendance included Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer and Julie Kavner, the voice of Marge.

The show was a celebration filled with gratitude for the long running animated series. Many different clips were shown from the series and it was more of a hybrid show that featured the animated series as well as live action from performers.

Those in attendance were also treated to a mini-Simpsons carnival. There was a mini-Duff air blimp, and a battery of T-shirt cannons blazing away. Ushers from the venue wore red cornstalk-style wigs like Sideshow Bob, while many female orchestra members donned a mountain of blue hair just like Marge Simpson.

The show is premiering this month on September 28 on Fox for its 26th season with the episode titled, “Clown in the Dumps.”

Read the full story and review here: latimes.com

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Cruella de Vil is Back

Aline Brosh McKenna will writing the script for one of Disney's newest movies 'Cruella.'
Aline Brosh McKenna will writing the script for one of Disney’s newest movies ‘Cruella.’

Cruella de Vil was made famous as the dog-fur-loving villain in the 1961 animated film 101 Dalmations and she is coming back for her very own movie. The new Disney movie Cruella will be centered around Cruella de Vil and her villainous tendencies. The news comes after the studio made Maleficent, set to release in 2014, which is based on the infamous Sleeping Beauty villain, Maleficent. Cruella will be one of Disney’s latest live-action take on one of its classic animated films. Along with Maleficent and Alice, Disney will also be remaking Cinderella, which just went into principal photography.

Aline Brosh McKenna, the writer for Cinderella has been selected to write and produce this new movie. Disney realized that no one knows Cruella de Vil better than Glenn Close who played the character in 1996 film – and returned again in 2000 for the sequel – so she will be act as executive producer for this film. McKenna may be best known for her adaption of The Devil Wears Prada. The writer just finished up the script for Annie, which she is currently casting for.

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Movies/Television HPC News Glendale News

IDA, Inc. to Animate New Feature Film

'Tailchaser's Song' will begin production later this year.
‘Tailchaser’s Song’ will begin production later this year.

Glendale Tenant News – Hollywood Production Center is proud to announce that their very own IDA, Inc. will be working on the new animated feature film, ‘Tailchaser’s Song.’

IDA, Animetropolis and EFG-Renascence recently announced at the Cannes Film Festival that they will be teaming up to animate the feature film, ‘Tailchaser’s Song.’ The stereoscopic 3D CG-animated family film will begin production later this year. The director of ‘Rise of the Guardians’ (2012), Peter Ramsey, will be joining the team as Executive Producer, along with the author of this fantasy-adventure novel, Tad Williams, as Co-Executive Producer.

‘Tailchaser’s Song’ is an adaptation of Tad Williams’ acclaimed bestselling novel of the same name. ‘Tailchaser’s Song’ was the first novel this fantasy and science-fiction author had written, first published in 1985. This story follows the adventures of a tom cat, Fritti Tailchaser, as he journeys to find his missing friend. Williams’ ‘Otherland’ series was optioned by Warner Brothers last year.

IDA, Inc. has offices in Los Angeles and Japan. They were the first Japanese studio to be nominated for a Visual Effects Society Award for animation.

Congratulations again!