Writers Get Animated

Hear ye, hear ye! Chris and Mackenzie frolic through Matt Groening’s newest realm: Disenchantment! With a fond of love worlds created by Matt Groening, there is great wonder in how Netflix changes “network animation.” What happens when there are no limits? Can an animated show be too long? Can humor for humor’s sake be enough? Previous Matt Groening Episodes on Writers Get Animated 005 - Resolutions? What Resolutions https://buff.ly/2PjzbFe 007 - When Two Worlds Really Love Each Other https://buff.ly/2Pn7DOX 014 - 10 Great Episodes of The Simpsons After Maude Flanders Died https://buff.ly/2PjzcsM 016 - Minority Report https://buff.ly/2Pn7ET1 019 = Our Writers, Our Selves https://buff.ly/2Pn7E5t 024 - Kobayashi Maru of Teenage Sexuality https://buff.ly/2PjzaRG 035 - In the Feels https://buff.ly/2PjzboI 040 - Thine Doodles Moveable https://buff.ly/2LGwDyG 049 - We Always Wanted to Write for The Simpsons https://buff.ly/2LGwDia 057 - It’s a Musical (Episode) https://buff.ly/2or8LpC 058 - Grammer Nerds https://bu

P-p-p-please join Chris and Mackenzie as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of Who Framed Roger Rabbit by doing a deep dive of the Roger Rabbit short: Tummy Trouble! Chris pulls out the stops with a Storyclock to see how the short works on a molecular level. How do you time action? How do you help an audience understand what’s about to happen? When do you tease an audience and give them something totally unexpected? Previously on Writers Get Animated The Breakdown: What’s Opera, Doc? https://buff.ly/2Bfkgd2 The Breakdown: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice https://buff.ly/2MTtAEw Links Who Framed Roger Rabbit (and Tummy Trouble!) on blu-ray https://buff.ly/2nLe5E0 About the Storyclock Notebook https://buff.ly/2Mh7TCd Chris’ Storyclock of Tummy Trouble https://buff.ly/2Mnj2BB

This week Chris and Mackenzie talk about the new Netflix and Dreamworks show: Harvey Street Kids! When does adapting something become a completely new thing? How much do you get to add when reinventing something? How do you keep the characters consistent with their original selves? When will Elder Bobby act his age? How did the Harvey Street Kids know about the Iowa caucus? Links Watch Harvey Street Kids on Netflix - https://www.netflix.com/title/80178941 Interview with Brendan Hay and Aliki Theofilopoulos - http://collider.com/harvey-street-kids-interview-brendan-hay-aliki-theofilopoulos/

*whispered* “Disney is waiting.” Chris and Mackenize launch into the lost era of the Disney canon between The Disney Renaissance and The Disney Enlightenment! Discover mysteries and gems as they excavate two points of metamorphosis: Atlantis:The Lost Empire and Meet the Robinsons! Atlantis represents Disney’s jump into allowing more action and more characters than you can shake a stick at, while Meet the Robinsons welcomes John Lasseter as the guy in charge. What was did the Disney company have yet to discover? What new things were on the horizon? Did CGI kill Disney animation? Spoilers: No. Other Parts of Canon in Disney Canon In D(isney) Part I: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs https://overcast.fm/+FkrW2B0SU Canon In D(isney) Part II: No-So-Golden Age https://overcast.fm/+FkrW3PV0I Canon In D(isney) Part III: The New Classics https://overcast.fm/+FkrUXGIyc Canon in D(isney) Part IV: Without Walt https://overcast.fm/+FkrW9oeIg Canon in D(isney) Part V: Welcome to the Disney Renaissance https://overcast.fm/+Fk

Ruh-roh, things look a little different! What happens when a live action show decides to make an animated episode? Why would they do that? What happens when you do that? Chris and Mackenzie go through the list of live action shows that have created animated episodes! We start with ScoobyNatural: the Supernatural and Scooby Doo crossover. (Spoilers: it’s the best of the bunch) Previously on Writers Get Animated A Tale of Two Scoobies https://buff.ly/2KWfaTq Links Watch ScoobyNatural on Netflix https://buff.ly/2KLXjS9 Watch Broad City “Mushrooms”: https://buff.ly/2IY8LoD Watch Hot in Cleveland “The Animated Episode” https://buff.ly/2KMLhrQ Watch Eureka “Do You See What I See?” https://buff.ly/2KLXjBD How Broad City Made an Animated Episode Using 14,000 Drawings https://buff.ly/2IUPqol Hot in Cleveland Gets Animated https://buff.ly/2KDmUgE

After 14 years, The Incredibles are back in theatres! Chris and Mackenzie suit up (no capes!) to fly into Pixar’s latest superpowered film! How does Incredibles 2 compare to the original? Is it a sequel or the second half of a single movie? What does Mr. Incredible have in common with Breaking Bad’s Walter White? How awesome is Elastigirl? Seriously, she is awesome! Links Behind the Scenes of Incredibles 2 https://buff.ly/2tjct7p Incredibles 2 Soundtrack Behind the Scenes https://buff.ly/2thGzZ7 Incredibles 2 and an Inside Look at the Secret to Pixar’s Success https://buff.ly/2IbgY8M Syndrome Looks Like Brad Bird https://buff.ly/2JZgcBt Who Are the Incredibles 2 Wannabe Supers? https://buff.ly/2JYUXzS About Women in Animation https://buff.ly/2mBlLJC The New Pixar Short Film 'Bao' Marks an Important Step for Diversity https://buff.ly/2lgBifO

What is structure? (Baby, don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me. No more.) Chris and Mackenzie take a closer look at structure through the lens of Netflix’s Aggretsuko and Disney’s Phineas and Ferb. Who is structure for? What is the difference between structure and formula? Can something that is formulaic still be inventive? What’s the difference between archetypes and stereotypes? Oh, and where’s Perry? Links Watch Phineas and Ferb https://disneynow.go.com/shows/phineas-and-ferb Watch Aggretsuko https://www.netflix.com/title/80198505 “Phineas and Ferb” was Formula Storytelling at Its Finest https://criticallytouched.wordpress.com/2017/08/17/phineas-and-ferb-was-formula-storytelling-at-its-finest/

Chris and Mackenzie hop a transport to Lothal for one last voyage with the crew of the Ghost! It’s our “final” look at Star Wars: Rebels and find it difficult to say goodbye. What was the promise from this first episode? Did Rebels accomplish what it set out to do? What are the questions that are left unanswered? Will the Star Wars fandom ever be the same? Previously on Writers Get Animated 003 - Episode III: The Animated Menace https://buff.ly/2GNEic2 023 - All About Ahsoka https://buff.ly/2IJFUJK 053 - Saw Gerrera: A Star Wars Episode https://buff.ly/2sbaKzJ 072 - Rebels Retrospective https://buff.ly/2kmSHmB Links Watch Star Wars: Rebels https://buff.ly/2sgZG4j Mackenzie Worrall’s Star Wars Rebels Tweetstorm https://buff.ly/2koKLRM Star Wars Rebels Producer Dave Filoni Is Totally Fine With You Shipping Zeb and Kallus After the Finale https://buff.ly/2INeGC4

Welcome to the Disney Renaissance! Chris and Mackenzie have made it to part 5 of their multi-part look at the Disney canon. What made the Disney Renaissance to magical? Take a look at where it all began with The Little Mermaid through the end with Tarzan. How much did Alan Menken and Howard Ashman have to do with the success? What did they get right? Why did the Disney Renaissance end? Other Parts of Canon in Disney Canon In D(isney) Part I: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs https://overcast.fm/+FkrW2B0SU Canon In D(isney) Part II: No-So-Golden Age https://overcast.fm/+FkrW3PV0I Canon In D(isney) Part III: The New Classics https://overcast.fm/+FkrUXGIyc Canon in Disney Part IV: Without Walt https://overcast.fm/+FkrW9oeIg Previously on Writers Get Animated Tale As Old As Time: Beauty and the Beast https://overcast.fm/+FkrUp39KY Links About the Disney Renaissance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Renaissance Scriptnotes Little Mermaid Episode Transcript https://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-92-the-little-

Chris and Mackenzie head to Trash Island to investigate Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs! Be amazed as Chris discovers a Wes Anderson movie that he enjoys! How many story threads can a single film hold? How does democracy work in this film? Who is the main character? Who should be the main character? Is this a PG-13 kids’ movie? Links Honest Trailers: Every Wes Anderson Movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trWLY6NrS2Q Wes Anderson Explains Hayao Miyazaki’s Influence on ‘Isle of Dogs’ and Stop-Motion Challenges http://www.indiewire.com/2018/02/wes-anderson-isle-of-dogs-hayao-miyazaki-inspiration-favorite-dog-films-1201928932/ What Isle of Dogs Gets Right About Japan https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-isle-of-dogs-gets-right-about-japan The 'Isle Of Dogs' Voice Cast Is Filled With A-List Actors Playing Animated Pups https://www.bustle.com/p/the-isle-of-dogs-voice-cast-is-filled-with-a-list-actors-playing-animated-pups-8520473 This Featurette is All About Isle of Dogs's Remarkably Expressive Can

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/w

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

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

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 Rhym

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

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

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

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/2lYN

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_Ad

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