Writers Get Animated

110 - The Breadwinner

Some years the category of Best Animated Feature has some “Also Rans” – The Breadwinner is more than just an Also Ran this year! This feature from Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea) is now on Netflix and will have you up late crying your heart out in the dark. Why is The Breadwinner so great? How can middle-grade fiction be grown up? Why did it have to run against Coco this year?? How did an animated movie about the Taliban in Afghanistan not attract more viewers in theaters? How can different animation styles help you differentiate between a story-within-a-story and the main plot? What is Cartoon Saloon doing with design and cinematography in animated features that’s so groundbreaking and intriguing? How can props be used to convey suspense and stakes subtly? What is a movie moral for kids? Why didn’t Mackenzie watch Song of the Sea when he had the chance? Links The Breadwinner - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p64O8KAHHaQ The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breadwinner_(novel) The Breadwinner - Telling the Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNvTCPT5CI4 The Breadwinner - An Introduction to the Animation Process https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtRM8f-mCTk The Secret of Kells - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi8sInU1pHo Song of the Sea - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgbXWt8kM5Q The Conference of the Birds by Farid ud-Din Attar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conference_of_the_Birds

109 - The Colbert Animation Report

Chris and Mackenzie dip their toes into the world of Stephen Colbert’s Our Cartoon President… Which is actually our world? What does Our Cartoon President get right about the current US President and everyone surrounding him? What makes a good satire? How far must something be exaggerated to be funny? Previously on Writers Get Animated Episode 77: Make Animation Great Again https://overcast.fm/+FkrWs9Pk8 Links Watch the first episode of Our Cartoon President https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbrdfG6CX68

108 - Early Man

Chris and Mackenzie head back in time and across the pond to discover Early Man! Aardman’s Early Man is gorgeous and is seems to be their studio’s answer to the work of Laika. Is there a difference in American and British humor? Can an American audience get the jokes? What is universal in comedy? When can we get our own Message Birds or pig massages? Links Early Man Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRiPQ8YNrVs Watch the Message Bird Scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWdFRQ5YOZ8 Early Man Featurette https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R-EeaATiqk

107 - Dear Academy, Here’s How to Vote 2018

It’s Oscars time again, and Chris and Mackenzie are back with their take on the nominees for the Best Animated Short Film category: Garden Party, Lou, Revolting Rhymes, Negative Space, Dear Basketball! What styles were pervasive this year? What do frogs have to do with gluttony? Can John Williams score all letters ever written? Previously on Writers Get Animated Dear Academy, Here’s How to Vote https://buff.ly/2F6dgwx Dear Academy, Here’s How to Vote, Again https://buff.ly/2FKdaLZ Coco https://buff.ly/2t5zGfL Who’s The Boss Baby https://buff.ly/2oBRvOH Links Kobe’s retirement letter/poem: https://buff.ly/2CS7DQz Watch Dear Basketball https://buff.ly/2F6dgg1 Variety: Kobe Bryant assembles his animated dream team for ‘Dear Basketball’: https://buff.ly/2F4H94f Pixar: Lou: https://buff.ly/2F40BxV Garden Party trailer https://buff.ly/2F6dh3z Negative Space trailer http://oscar.go.com/video/best-animated-short-film-nominees/negative-space-trailer Revolting Rhymes trailer https://buff.ly/2CPp0Bn Watch Revolting Rhymes Part 1 on Netflix https://buff.ly/2CS7E75

106 - The 300 Club: Family Guy and The Simpsons

Chris and Mackenzie are going to Quahog! Family Guy has just reached a milestone that few shows have reached… Mostly just The Simpsons. 300 episodes! What happens when a show reaches such an illustrious episode? What has been reinvented? What has stayed the same? What’s left to tell? What questions are left unanswered? Links Watch Barting Over http://bit.ly/2EuBPCW Watch Dog Bites Bear http://fox.tv/2EvkVEp About Barting Over http://bit.ly/2EuBVdM Stewie & Brian Take Center Stage in Family Guy’s 300th Episode http://bit.ly/2Esxxfq

105 - Tra la laaa! Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Tra la laaa! Chris and Mackenzie make a brief stop in the world of Captain Underpants! Heh, heh, brief. Does humor have a voice? How do you write for a very specific audience? Can your material have a deeper message, or is it okay to go for easy jokes sometimes? How is Captain Underpants like No Country for Old Men? Does every movie need a “Weird Al” song? Links Watch Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/watch/80160689 Captain Underpants Theme Song https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/captain-underpants-theme-song/1233506361?i=1233506363 Dav Pilkey Talks About His Favorite Teacher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBgB9ZqJRlw About Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Underpants:_The_First_Epic_Movie

104 - Canon In D(isney) Part IV: Without Walt

Episode 104: Canon in Disney Part IV: Without Walt We all know about the Disney Renaissance, but what was going on right before it? Chris and Mackenzie are back with part 4 of their multi-part journey through the Disney canon! What happened after Disney lost Walt? What happened to Disney storytelling? What happened to the artists? Also, Chris and Mackenzie discuss their favorite childhood Disney films (The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective) that both conveniently fall in this era! Previously on Writers Get Animated 083 - Canon In Disney Part I: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs https://overcast.fm/+FkrW2B0SU 092 - Canon In Disney Part II: No-So-Golden Age https://overcast.fm/+FkrW3PV0I 096 - Canon in Disney Part III: The New Classics https://overcast.fm/+FkrUXGIyc 076 - Does It Hold Up? The Black Cauldron https://overcast.fm/+FkrVHUJQ0

103 - From Bazooga Eyes to Bojack: Sexual Harassment in Cartoons

Chris and Mackenzie are joined by guests Rebecca Myers and Laura Masters to discuss portrayals of sexual harassment in cartoons. From Red Hot Riding Hood to Pepe LePew to Animaniacs to The Simpsons to BoJack Horseman and Steven Universe, what does sexual harassment look like in animated form? Are all men wolves? What does a “kids’ show” have to say about sexual harassment? How have things changed since the 1940’s? What has changed since 1990? Or since 2015? Previously on Writers Get Animated 014 10 Great Episodes of The Simpsons After Maude Flanders Died http://bit.ly/2lUVpQE 020 WTF http://bit.ly/2CFgMzO 045 Bologna in our Slacks: Animaniacs http://bit.ly/2CGl6Pq 046 What are You Doing Here? The Struggles and Failures of BoJack Horseman http://bit.ly/2lVIpu0 Links About Red Hot Riding Hood http://bit.ly/2lX7Ye7 About For Scent-imental Reasons http://bit.ly/2CBMuOz Buy “Taming of the Screwy” on iTunes https://apple.co/2CEAewt Watch “Homer Badman” http://bit.ly/2lUQRKc About “Alone Together” http://bit.ly/2lYNG4i Watch “Hank After Dark” http://bit.ly/2CEx7EZ

102 - A Very Special Christmas Special Christmas Special III: Revenge of Claus

Our holiday tradition returns! Chris and Mackenzie deconstruct the holiday season by analyzing Olaf’s Frozen Adventure and Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas! Why do people make Christmas specials? What’s so special about Christmas, dramaturgically speaking? Can an axe be offensive? How offensive? What does Tim Curry sound like when he deliberately sings off-key? Previously on Writers Get Animated 004 - A Very Special Christmas Special Christmas Special https://overcast.fm/+FkrUh8S9o 052 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas Turns 50! https://overcast.fm/+FkrWbqpFc Links Buy Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/beauty-and-the-beast-the-enchanted-christmas/id467599742 Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast:_The_Enchanted_Christmas Watch Olaf’s Frozen Adventure on ABC http://abc.go.com/movies-and-specials/olafs-frozen-adventure Olaf’s Frozen Adventure http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf's_Frozen_Adventure

101 - Coco

Remember us? Chris and Mackenzie are back with more! They talk Pixar’s latest gem Coco. What is dramaturgy? How well did Pixar represent Mexican culture? What is a family’s legacy? Can you tell the story of a culture that you’re not a part of? When will Pixar’s next movie about Latino culture be? Links What Disney Finally Gets Right With 'Coco' http://bit.ly/2BJtIR4 How Pixar made sure Coco was culturally conscious https://ind.pn/2BJupd8 Pixar’s Lee Unkrich on the ‘anxiety’ of directing Coco http://bit.ly/2BdADpH Coco Was A ‘Collaborative Process’ With Actors & Filmmakers http://bit.ly/2BdAEdf An Australian Theater is Whitewashing 'In the Heights' and They're Not Being Subtle About it http://bit.ly/2BiWUlQ