KIDS FIRST! News

As we enter a new year, we at KIDS FIRST! are excited to announce a new board member who is joining our team. Actress Kay Panabaker (”Fame,” “Nancy Drew,” “Moondance Alexander,” “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” among others) has an intense interest in children and media.

CP: Please gives me a non-wikipedia view of how you see yourself and your goals.

KP: I see myself as a person who goes to the beat of my own drum. While most 18-year-olds are trying to appear more mature, I’m trying to hold onto my youth and innocence. Education, family, and hard work are often underrated in the media, but I hope that throughout my lifetime, I am able to impress upon people the significance of both of these in the lives of children. I hope to continue to work in jobs that I love and share that love with others.

CP: What made you want to be part of the KIDS FIRST! organization?

KP: As a 17-year-old UCLA graduate, education is clearly very important to me. Current pop culture has de-emphasized the value of education and family. The KIDS FIRST! organization has worked hard to celebrate children’s media that is both entertaining and instills good values in the audience. I think that with more support, they can create a safer and more child-friendly environment in the media. I continue to babysit, and I’m always looking for new movies and books to share with my charges that will encourage them to do great things in their lives.

CP: What do you feel you bring to board meetings and general function for KIDS FIRST!?

KP: I feel that my youth brings a new perspective to KIDS FIRST! adults who, while having more worldly experience, have to work harder in order to understand children trends and interests. I am constantly hanging out with kids and consider myself a big kid, so I think my experiences will help KIDS FIRST! I hope my familiarity with children and the things that they are interested in will help KIDS FIRST! find great children’s media.

CP: What was your impression of the board member you first met?

KP: While I haven’t met the rest of board, I have met Ranny Levy, and she has been so nice to me. We first met when she presented me with a KIDS FIRST! Film Award and I was immediately taken with how caring and kind she is. She is so very passionate about her cause, and I hope that I am able to help her in her endeavor to better the lives of children through media.

CP: Please tell us about an experience with children’s media that had a great impact on your life.

KP: I’ve always been a big of the Disney animated films. They are always so witty and funny and enjoyable for people of all ages. As a kid, and even as a teenager, I have looked at those films to help me figure myself out and investigate the world around me. I appreciate any book or movie that transports kids from their own lives to some other world.

CP: Do you plan to continue acting, pursue a teaching career? Both? Neither?

KP: I would like to continue acting as long as possible. The business is so finicky, however, that teaching is one of my backup plans. If I stop working as an actress, either by choice or lack of jobs, I will get my teaching credentials and hopefully teach elementary school. I actually just took and passed the CBEST, which allows me to substitute teach in California. I might try that and see how it goes.

CP: What changes would you like to see in children’s media in the future?

KP: I would love to see children’s media revert back to educational and family values. With the constant bombardment of media that has no value beyond entertainment, I want to see kid-safe media options that aren’t going to jeopardize their morals and their values. Adults need to understand that even the simplest things can have the biggest impact on children’s lives.

CP: Where you see KIDS FIRST!, as an organization, headed in the the future?

KP: I see KIDS FIRST! as becoming the measurement by which media judges its positive impact on children.

1.Martino’s journey from art school in Ohio to Monty Python to “Ice Age” to “Horton Hears a Who.”Martino was bitten by the animation bug in animation class in college while studying to be a designer. He realized that he could move an audience with moving graphics and he enjoyed making people laugh. In the early 1980’s, he worked for television stations doing animations for the Super Bowl, NFL  and ESPN. He found himself moving along with technology and its leaps and bounds. Back in the 80’s he would never have dreamed of feature films with characters like today. One of Martino’s favorite parts of his job is that he is lucky to work with talented people A highlight of his career was sitting with Terry Giliam at studio and story-boarding. Martino thinks Giliam is “one of most creative guys out there.” He had a huge influence of Martino. For instance,  Martino was inspired by stories on how Martino made “Brazil” and how they used clacking in “Holy Grail” as a necessity since the film budget didn’t include horses. Working on a variety of film from “Holy Grail” to”Ice Age” and  “Robots,” where he was art director, Martino gained the experience necessary for co-directing “Horton Hears a Who” along with Jimmy Hayward.2. Goals for the filmMartino had three major goals for this film. First, they wanted to adapt the book by a beloved, respected author, and remain true to the work in storytelling while expanding what was between the pages.The second film goal was the animation. They wanted to create flexibility and movement. The character development team challenge. As a team they worked together to create the perfect tools for animators to move characters around mixing creativity with technology, making the animation fluid.Thirdly, they wanted to keep true to the style. Dr. Seuss was production designer in Steve’s opinion. They promised Audrey Geisel, the widow of Ted Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) that they would stay true to the style. According to Martino, one of best moments in the project was when he had lunch with Geisel after the project was complete and they and saw it in a special showing in a theatre. Martino laughs about how his hands were clenched on seat throughout the film, as if her were in a dentist chair, wondering how she would react. Before the credits even rolled, she stood up and applauded and commented that they took the story and lifted it to a new place.  Martino expresses that it was the pinnacle of the filmmaking experience to sit with Audrey and have her applaud what they had done.3. Animating “Horton Hears a Who”Hayward and Martino both sat down to talk about the book and discovered that they agreed on how it should be portrayed. They discussed what they imagined as they read the book when they were kids. Martino also factored in ideas he developed as he read to his own kids, who are now 14- and 11-years-old.  Hayward and Martino wanted to depict a sense of imagination  — not like this world. They felt the story needed to be more exaggerated and imaginative than our world and came to the conclusion that to depict this, they would create a unique two-dimensional animation style.Computers like to keep things on model and perfect form, and for this project the creators wanted to push character distortion –heads squashed or arms 3 times a natural length. The art team jumped on this challenge and embraced it although it was difficult.The animation project was huge. They had a special fur team whose entire job was to groom the fur digitally. This task encompassed the Who’s and the plants. There were very complex scenes, which pushed technical boundaries such as the field of flowers near the end of the film which had ½ billion clovers. The animators managed to fill space and even have clovers blowing in wind. In order to do this they had to intelligently render clovers based on the camera angle through some technologicalingenuity. Each individual frame for this scene took two to three days. Due to the complexity of the  scene, it took months to render.4.ResultsMartino  firmly believes the film became what it is because of the talent of the people working on it. The cast, in his opinion, was phenomenal and the recording sessions took the movie to a place he never would have conceived of as the actors improvised and all the talented people contributed with their expertise.Three years on a film is a long time to be working on one project. Especially when you are a parent with two children. In fact, his two daughters are in the movie as Who voices, and they were also part of the focus group. Martino loved the great story and great theme by Dr Seuss — no prejudice. He found that this was a great investment of time and life, stating that it was “so nice to work on a project where you can bring your family to the film without hiding your head in shame.”

“Ribert & Robert” is taking off! Since our interview with actor James Bondy, the duo has continued to capture children’s hearts with its simple stories with gentle morals and appealing graphics. Mike DeVitto, President and CEO of Deos Animation Studios, tells us what inspired the series and also shares the secret behind the cost-effective production process behind it.CP: Please tell me a bit about your background including what inspired you to start Deos Animation Studios.MD: I have a technology background in system design and software development. When my daughter Jennifer was growing up I was disappointed in what the media offered her. I was determined to take the technology and knowledge I had to build entertainment and educational programs that would be beneficial to children.CP: What are your goals with the productions you work with?MD: Our main goal and driving force is to teach children everywhere to love to learn and learn to love and follow their heart in everything thing they do.CP: Please tell me about your SAM methods and how you think this is revolutionizing/will revolutionize the industry.MD: I had a dream to do children’s entertainment and when I found out how much it would cost I knew we would have to come up with an alternative method. That’s when my team and I dug deep into our system development background and we found SAM. SAM allows us to do high quality at a lower cost and faster speed. I think that’s what helped us win our awards with “Ribert & Robert.”CP: Please tell me a bit about your journey with “Ribert & Robert,” including where you think this is all going.MD: I’ve always thought that the media platform for TV was not being used well for children. There was never enough value being provided to parents and children. My idea for “Ribert & Robert” actually came the night of 9/11. On that day, I saw my daughter Jennifer cry and I hadn’t seen her cry in a very long time. I couldn’t help but ask myself that day what how world events are impacting our children. That night I went to bed and I had a dream about R&R.I envisioned Robert as a human and was a nice person but constantly made mistakes. Ribert I imaged to have a heart of gold and innocent like a child. The overall message behind “Ribert & Robert” is for children to listen to their heart and to follow it. That’s what “Ribert & Robert” is trying to convey.The next day I wrote a script and took it to public television but quickly realized that I didn’t have the money to make my dream a reality and that’s when I developed SAM and put together my assembly line.Anyone who’s watched the show knows that we’ve always called the children “Power Pals.” That’s really my dream – to build a worldwide organization of “Power Pals” on the Internet. The idea is to use our technology to develop the first fully immerse virtual world for children on the World Wide Web and use our TV program to get kids to go there.CP: What is the most important message you would like to get out to/could offer independent producers?

MD: Start with something you believe in and stay focused.

The race is on again for famous contenders Wally the Tortoise and Murray the Hare when UNSTABLE FABLES: TORTOISE VS. HARE, dashes onto DVD for the first time September 9 from The Weinstein Company and  Genius Products. Created by the revered Jim Henson Company, Prana Animation Studios and Flame Ventures, the second CGI animated film in the irreverent and delightful “Unstable Fables” collection, TORTOISE VS. HARE is a fun, modern retelling of the classic Tortoise and the Hare story.Clever and quick-witted, UNSTABLE FABLES: TORTOISE VS. HARE boasts edgy humor that appeals to adults and children alike. It’s been 15 years since the illustrious race between Walter the Tortoise (Glover) and Murray the Hare (Leno) but the passing of time hasn’t tempered their bitter rivalry.  When they hear about the upcoming Mt. Impossible Nature Adventure Race, they can’t resist the opportunity to challenge each other to a rematch! This time they enlist their children to be their teammates, but the kids don’t share their parents’ competitive nature. When Walter and Murray get separated from their kids, the two dads must team up to find them and learn there are far more important matters than winning a race!Sure to be a family-favorite with the humor and heart that The Jim Henson Company is known for, UNSTABLE FABLES: TORTOISE VS. HARE features a celebrity cast including the voice talent of Emmy Award® winner* Jay Leno (Ice Age 2), Danny Glover (Dreamgirls), Vivica A. Fox (Ella Enchanted), Keke Palmer (Jump In!, Akeelah And The Bee) and three-time winner of  Kid’s Choice Award for Best Actor, Drake Bell (Superhero Movie, “Drake and Josh”).According to Lisa Henson, co-chief executive officer of The Jim Henson Company, the creators of Unstable Fables goal was to create a bookshelf series of unique versions of fairy tales. They endeavored to portray loose adaptations of the stories, showing the characters in modern ways. Above all, the tales were made to get audiences laughing and, based on the group of children I watched the film with, the creators met their goal.“Why did they decide to use animation instead of your trademark puppetry?” I asked Henson. The answer is that the Henson company  is taking interest in 3-D animation and perhaps 2-D animation in the future.Henson has two children ages ten and eight who are already quite media savvy. She shares KIDS FIRST! values and the goal of providing quality entertainment for the kids. She also educates her children so they are media savvy and are informed viewers. Like many parents, Henson is concerned about what her kids watch, and she creates films such as TORTOISE VS. HARE with this criteria in mind. The Unstable Fables have a pro-family feel and use humor to engage children as well as adults. Her own children approved the film, especially since it starred some of their favorite actors (Keke Plamer and Drake Bell).As a producer, Henson was surprised at how well kids reacted to TV stars. According to her research, kids are much more likely to enjoy a film because of its TV stars than a film starring the voice of a movie star. In this series of Unstable Fables, they used stars kids could identify for the kids’ voices and stars parents enjoy for the adult voices to create all-age appeal.TORTOISE VS. HARE started out with a storyline very different from the final product. It didn’t have kids, and there was a lot more intrigue. Henson pointed out that when they began producing, they quickly realized that the series needed children in the stories. Families are a main focus with parents and children together. She also points out that she loves the new character designs, “Howard Baker did a really great job of developing an unstable way of finding characters—upbeat; cute, but not over-cute; modern—especially the tortoise with its jewel-encrusted shell.If you want a good laugh from a great story with superb visuals, check out TORTOISE VS. HARE, now on your store shelves. Fans of the series will also be pleased to know that the next Unstable Fable, GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS hits the shelves later this year. What will the three bears do when Goldilocks moves in with them in a reality TV situation similar to “The Simple Life”?

Our family has a new favorite film. “Nim’s Island” captured our attention, treated our eyes and pulled at our hearts as we watched it. Now our kids want to show it to their grandparents. Families attending the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival have the opportunity to bask the magic of the film, too. Here’s the inside scoop on the film from directors Mark Levin & Jennifer Flackett:

CP:  What is the story behind getting this classic tale up on the movie screen?

ML & JF: The book “Nim’s Island” was shared with us by Walden Media, Fox and the film’s producer Paula Mazur. We were inspired by the character of Nim, an adventurous and heroic young girl. She at once reminded us of our own daughter, and seemed like the kind of hero that young girls don’t get to see in movies these days. We spent several months working on the script, trying to imagine what the life of a girl who grew up only on a deserted island must be like. Jodie Foster discovered the script and decided that she would like to play the role of Alexandra Rover, which was one of the great days of our lives when we heard that. Abigail Breslin was the first girl we met for the role of Nim and, once we met her, we knew we shouldn’t bother to continue looking. She has a very sincere and winning everygirl quality which we felt was perfect for the role of Nim. We didn’t want Nim to be too Tarzan-like but very real and identifiable. The final piece of the puzzle came together when we lit upon the idea of casting Gerard Butler as both the father and the great adventure hero Alex Rover. Until that time, we had thought we were going to cast the roles separately, but Gerry inspired us to use one actor for both, enhancing the storybook quality of the movie.

CP:  What were some of the more difficult aspects of filming this particular movie?

ML & JF: There is an old saying in the film business that you shouldn’t work with children or animals, and on this movie we worked with both. Certainly, when the child is Abigail Breslin, it’s not a problem at all  The animals were a slightly different story. The sea lions (there were two) were quite experienced, on loan from Sea World. They did a variety of tricks and became easily bonded with Abigail. The pelicans (also on loan from Sea World) were a slightly different story. Pelicans are less trainable than sea lions and, if you get to close to them, they might peck at you dangerously. We spent a lot of time and energy trying to get the pelican and the actors into the same frame together. In “Nim’s Island”, there were also many giant storms which is always a challenging aspect for a film crew, having to create wind and rain and lightning and roll cameras through the whole thing.

CP:  The cinematography is amazing, and the mix of mediums added a lot to the story, how did you come up with the mix?

ML & JF: Our cinematographer was Stuart Dryburgh, a highly talented fellow who had shot movies like “The Piano” and “Bridget Jones’ Diary”, two very different movies that we admired. When we first considered the look of the movie, we discussed “enhanced realism” — making it feel real, but slightly better than real at the same time, which seemed appropriate because Nim lives so much in her imagination. The opening of the movie is created entirely out of paper, which was created by a special team from our art department. It took dozens of weeks to designed and create and puppet the cut-outs for each of the shots in the beginning of the movie. We wanted it to feel handmade and slightly childlike, like a kid who grew up only on books might imagine a story.

CP:  Please tell me an anecdote regarding something that happened on set that was ether funny or inspiring or both.

ML & JF: When we started making “Nim’s Island,” Abigail confessed that she was a bit concerned about all the climbing and swimming and running she would have to do. She had never done a role with so much physicality before. She asked “What if when I’m running, I fall down.”  We said, “If you fall down, just get up and keep running because that’s the most important thing about Nim. She keeps going.”

CP:  What does it mean to you to have your title featured in the KIDS FIRST! film festival?

ML & JF: It’s great to have a festival dedicated to quality movies for kids which has always been very important to us. From the first movie that we wrote “Madeline,” through “Little Manhattan”, through “Nim’s Island,” we’ve tried to make films that reminded us of the films that entertained and inspired us when we were young. It’s a pleasure to have “Nim’s Island” included in KIDS FIRST!

From lawyer to filmmaker, Marc Mangum tells us about his journey through the filming of  “The Adventures of Food Boy” starring Lucas Grabeel, Brittany Curran, Kunal Sharma, Ryne Sanborn, Noah Bastian and McCall Clark.CP: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey into filmmaking.MM:  I’ve always loved movies. As a kid I made some very simple (and very lame) stop action type films with a VHS camera and Star Wars figures. In 9th grade I made a commercial for a school project using a VHS camera with some very, very low-budget special effects that won an award and made everyone laugh. My father ran a film distribution company while I was a teenager, and I worked for him a few summers in high school so I had some exposure to the business side of films back then. My favorite classes in college were creative writing classes. But even though I wanted to tell stories in some way and at some point in my life, for a variety of reasons I decided to go to law school. I worked as a corporate attorney for 10 years before starting Cold Spark Films. As different as being a lawyer may seem from filmmaking, I gained a lot of experience that has been invaluable as a producer. A huge component of being a producer is putting together deals and negotiating contracts, which is exactly what I did for 10 years as a lawyer.About 4 years ago, I knew that I wanted to do something other than being a lawyer for the rest of my life, and I had an idea for a script. I wrote that script and showed it to a few people, and I got pretty good feedback on it. I tried to shop it around, but had a very hard time getting anyone in the industry to take me seriously. One day I was talking to a director who had just finished directing his first big-budget studio movie. He told me that I was the “50th person” who had approached him with a script or an idea since he finished directing his latest film, and he really didn’t have any insight or special knowledge on how to get my script into the hands of the right people. Coming out of that conversation, I was convinced that the only way I was going to get movies made that I wanted to make was to do it myself.Not really knowing much about the nuts-and-bolts of filmmaking, I figured that I needed to start small. My youngest brother was just finishing up film school so he and I decided that we’d produce a short film that we could then turn into a feature film. We had a list of a dozen or so different ideas that we thought could work, and we decided to go forward with the “Food Boy” concept. I wrote a short film script based on the concept, and in the summer of 2006 we shot a short film called “Food Boy.”  For us it was a test run and learning experience. We screened the film at several different festivals, including KIDS FIRST! (the first festival that accepted our short), and we won 2nd place in 2007 from KIDS FIRST! Best awards for the Best Indie Short For Kids Age 12-18. Ranny Levy and the entire KIDS FIRST! team were very supportive of our short film.I then wrote the full length script for “The Adventures of Food Boy” and with the short film went out to raise money. My experience as an attorney (I had spent several years working with start-ups and venture capital funds) was very helpful throughout that process. We raised the money in about six months, and then went into production in the summer of 2007.As we started casting our movie, shortly after finishing fund raising, I was amazed at the level of acting talent that was interested in being part of our movie. We were thrilled to bring Lucas Grabeel in as our lead actor and Brittany Curran as our lead actress. They were both fantastic to work with, and do a great job in the film.CP: Where did the idea for “Adventures of Food Boy” originate?MM:  I first told the story of “Food Boy” to one of my sons as a bedtime story several years ago. It started with a simple “…once upon a time, there was a boy who could make peanut butter sandwiches in his hands.”  My son laughed at that simple beginning, and I told him a few stories about this “food boy” over the next couple of weeks. A few years later as I was searching for a idea for a script, I remembered those stories and that my son liked the idea. So from there I revisited the concept and developed it into a more complete story.CP: How did the movie change from the way you first visualized it?MM:  It’s much better than the way I first visualized it. The process of bringing in a talented director in Dane Cannon and then adding our cinematographer Ryan Cannon (who is not related to Dane) really added a lot to the original vision. They both worked with us on the short film so we’ve collaborated together on this for a long time. Dane brought many helpful insights to the story and was able to get really great performances from our actors. Ryan brought a great visual style to the movie that is much better than I had initially anticipated. My brother Sam (who is also a producer and editor on the movie) was extremely helpful in making sure the film stays together and is cohesive. I think the music also turned out a lot better than I anticipated initially. Dane and our composer Bill Wandel did a great job on the music, and we were able to complement Bill’s music with some really fun tunes from some up-and-coming bands.CP: What was one of the more surprising elements you discovered whiledoing the filming?MM:  The power of collaboration. We tried to create an environment on set where everyone felt comfortable expressing their opinions. I was very surprised and pleased to see how we found great ideas from lot of different people on set. I had always heard how filmmaking is such a collaborative effort, and I found that to be very true.CP: What was the trickiest part of dealing with all the special effectsso it looked like he really made food?MM:  Clearly, it was the mustard. We did most of the food special effects “in camera” which means that we actually filmed food (or something that would look like food) on set as opposed to creating a lot of visual or digital effects. We also have some digital effects shots in the movie, but the majority of what you see in the movie was actually flying around the set while we shot it. We wanted to add to the realism of what was happening (if that’s even possible to do considering that we’re talking about a movie where a kid makes food appear in his hands) by doing that.There’s a scene in the movie where “Food Boy” unintentionally shoots mustard from his hands. We had built some equipment to shoot mustard for that scene, and we had tested it a couple of times using real mustard and it worked great. Then a couple of days before we were to shoot that scene, the actor playing “Food Boy” (Lucas Grabeel) mentioned to me that the smell of mustard makes him sick so he was a little bit nervous about being able to shoot that scene without throwing up. But, he said he’d do whatever we wanted him to do. Of course, I didn’t want our lead actor to get sick in the middle of this scene so we scrambled for a few days to see if we could find something that would still look like mustard but didn’t smell as bad. Finally, the morning of the shoot, we had figured out that hand lotion with yellow food coloring looks exactly like mustard. So we thought we’d found the solution…until we tested it and realized that the lotion wouldn’t shoot at all. It just sort of dribbled out of Food Boy’s hands. Of course, Lucas was great about it and said it wouldn’t be a problem with real mustard. Later that afternoon, when we finally shot the scene, I was worried the whole time that Lucas was going to get sick. The smell of the real mustard was VERY, VERY strong. But, luckily Lucas made it through the entire scene without any…incidents. We did a very funny interview with Lucas in between takes of that scene (with Lucas covered in real mustard) that will be on the DVD special features.CP: What advice to you have to offer aspiring independent producers intheir filmmaking ventures?MM:  One thing I learned is that making a movie on some levels is a matter of will power. You will encounter a lot of obstacles, many of them unanticipated, and if you want to get your movie made you just have to persevere, respond to the obstacles and keep moving towards you goal. Filmmaking is both an artistic and business venture. As the producer, you have to keep the business side of the movie in mind at all times. Everyone involved in the project will focus on the artistic side, but it’s up to the producer to keep reminding everyone about the business aspects as well. The producer is going to be the person trying to find an audience and market for the movie long after everyone else has finished his/her artistic part. The more you’ve kept the business aspects in mind, the better your chances will be at finding distribution later on. Ultimately, you want your movie to be seen by an audience so understanding and keeping in mind what it will take to get your movie to an audience is key in the entire process. Finally, I’d say you have to network…a lot. I really didn’t know very many people in the industry before I started on this project. But I talked to the few people I knew and asked them to introduce me to others who I could talk to. I’d suggest networking with distributors, international distributors, film festival directors, directors, other indie producers and pretty much anyone else you might meet who can give you insights. Almost everyone I talked to was willing to give some advice and help us. I also found KIDS FIRST! and Film Independent to be very helpful and valuable sources of information.CP:  What’s next for you? What projects are you working on now?MM:  We’ve just finished securing both domestic and international distribution for “The Adventures of Food Boy.”  We’re planning a limited theatrical release followed by a DVD release this fall. So now that all of that is behind me, I’ve just recently felt like I could really focus on our next projects. Right now we have three main projects we’re working on. We’re partnering with an established production company to develop a popular kids book’s series into a TV series. We’re also working on a feature film that is similar to “Food Boy” in that it takes a unique approach to a common genre…it’s a really funny concept that I think kids will love. And we’re developing a sports mockumentary feature film that should be hysterical.CP: Will we ever get to see a “Food Boy” sequel?MM:  You know, I would love to do a Food Boy sequel. It’s definitely something that I’ve thought about. Ezra (aka Food Boy) is only a junior in high school when he discovers his gift, so there’s plenty of time in his high school years to learn and explore more about his gift. I’ve also thought that the story would be great as a TV show, and I have plenty of ideas that we could use in a sequel or develop into a TV series. I would also love to explore Grandma’s food gift with a prequel about how she discovered and developed her abilities with the food gift.

Eleven-year-old Peter Gundling is not only one of the youngest filmmakers of KIDS FIRST! film festival titles, but it’s his third year of acceptance! Fans of Gundling might want to head to the theater to check out “Super Kitten and the Power Pets.”CP: Please tell me a bit about “Power Pets” including where you got the idea for this title.PG: I got the idea of Super Kitten when I adopted my cats. I got the idea for the Power Pets because I thought I should be fair and have other animals as well. I also wanted to do a film about how Super Kitten became Super Kitten and I included the Power Pets.CP: What equipment/computer programs work best for you in your filmmaking?PG: For my filmmaking I use a Panasonic PV-GS80 camcorder that plugs into my Mac through a firewire. Using the program Boinx iStopMotion the computer takes the pictures through the camera. I then import the clips to iMovie and add sound with GarageBand.CP: This is your third year with KIDS FIRST!, how do you feel your filmmaking has evolved over the past three years?PG: The quality of the animation has improved over the years. In “Toys: the Homemaker’s Tale” you can see some things sliding around that aren’t supposed to be moving. “Super Kitten and the Great Cheese Robbery” was my first all-clay film and the animation was somewhat choppy. This time the animation was more fluid and had less things moving in the background.CP: You are still very young, but already have vast filmmaking experience. What advice do you have to offer other young filmmakers?PG:  Always be serious about your filmmaking. The story is the most important part of the movie.CP: What do your friends and schoolmates think about your filmmaking?PG:  My friends and schoolmates all enjoy my films. Even if they don’t know me too well or are not my friend. They tell me that my film made them laugh or their siblings enjoy watching them over and over on the web. After they see it they ask me, “How did you do that?” and I tell them, but not too many understand.CP: Are you going to continue working with clay?PG:  Yes I think I will. I might do a Lego thing or a documentary, but I will continue to work with clay.CP: What do you plan to do next in regard to film?PG:  Next I will make “Super Kitten and the Escape,” the sequel to “Super Kitten and the Power Pets.”CP: Is there anything you would like to add?PG:  Something happens in “Super Kitten and the Escape,” but it’s a secret!

The mission at Listen Up! is to help youth be heard in the mass media, contributing to a culture of free speech and social responsibility. Listen Up! is a national Youth Media Network that helps youth producers and their adult mentors exchange work, share ideas and learn from one another.What do youth fear? How do they build security in their lives? Check out their Peabody Award-winning short documentaries by youth filmmakers worldwide — Beyond Borders: Personal Stories from a Small Planet. http://listenup.org/beyondborders In this interview with Austin Haeberle, Creative Director at Listen Up!, tells us how his work with Listen Up! affects his own life.

CP: Could you please give me an overview of how your organization works and a sample of a typical day for you?

AH: At the Listen Up! Youth Media Network, we provide technical, organizational and financial support to over 100 organizations that help young people tell important stories through media production. Our mission is to help young video producers and their allies connect to resources, support, and projects to achieve an authentic youth voice in the mass media. While most days seem humdrum in meetings & sending emails, it can be pretty exciting stuff.

I’m producing a worldwide project with 14 youth production teams in nine countries, showing how they interact with the environment and what youth are doing to solve environmental problems.  We’ve had a little luck in the past with similar projects, landing broadcast homes on PBS, the Independent Film Channel and Current TV.  Our last project, “Beyond Borders:  Personal Stories from a Small Planet,” even netted us a George Foster Peabody Award which many consider the highest honor in American Television.  

So, while most days I’m behind a computer screen, helping groups make connections, other days find me working with groups in different parts of the United States or other countries.

CP: Some of the kids’ films I saw dealt with some pretty heavy topics. Do you have counselors on staff that help the kids work through their issues while filming?
AH: You don’t ask easy questions, do you?  Youth filmmaking has a history of dealing with really heavy topics:  suicide, war, homelessness, sexuality, abuse, AIDS & HIV, environmental destruction, etc.  For many youth filmmakers, their films are attempts to work their way through issues that have dogged them from very early ages.  They’re also reaching out and touching other young people who may be experiencing the same types of issues. 

AH: In order for youth to be able to honestly reflect on their own experiences and communicate those experiences in a manner that others will understand, empathize and learn, it takes great mentorship that balances youth development skills and filmmaking talents.  So, while many youth media organizations don’t have counselors for traumatic issues on hand by default, youth media experts are adept at finding resources on the fly — getting help when they need it.  It’s one of the great skills that come with filmmaking — you are very quick at accessing resources that you don’t immediately have at your fingertips. 

CP: Please give me an anecdote of a student whose life has been significantly affected in a positive way through Listen Up!

AH: Meet Mohamed Sidibay, a 15 year-old soccer player going to high school in an affluent New Jersey suburban town. Listen Up! has had a lot of influence on him, but we’re only a part of caring network of individuals worldwide who have made the security and health Mohamed their business.  

He was born to a good family in Sierra Leone, but like so many tragedies there, he was swept into an unthinkable situation.  By the time he was 5 years old his parents and family were killed and he was forcibly recruited into a rebel army to carry weapons and kill.  We met him when he was 10, demobilized only two years prior, and learning computer skills with the iEarn center in Freetown.  Mohamed and his team made a film with us about his life — a film that has been broadcast on TV here in the States, on CNN International and in film festivals worldwide, earning awards along the way.

Mohamed joined us in New York last June to receive the George Foster Peabody Award.  Long story short, he never went back and now has beautiful host family in New Jersey and is doing what he has always wanted to do:  play soccer & go to school.

CP: Please give me an anecdote about a student who changed you and your way of thinking through film.

AH: Youth filmmakers often give me perspectives that I haven’t been able to articulate or they sometimes outright challenge assumptions that I’ve made about what it means to grow up in times of enormous complexity and change.  Usually, youth don’t mince or filter their words, or as they say, they like “keepin’ it real.”   Salim Muslim’s piece “Losing My Way,” which is featured in the Kids First! film selection, keeps it real by dealing directly with Salim’s own bi-polar disorder, his struggle between the “positive and the negative.”  He fits the part of a disenfranchised black youth growing up in Brooklyn, or does he?  Through movement and sound and word, he helps me grasp the enormity of his disorder and what it means to grow up in troubling times.

CP: What advice would you give producers/educators who want to work with kids in film?

AH: Stick with it and be patient.  If you don’t have a high tolerance for “things not going as planned,” youth filmmaking is probably not for you.  There’s usually an element of drama involved in youth filmmaking, and that drama is not always on screen.   With a lot of patience and good spirit, youth will rise to the occasion and meet the high standard of work that you should demand from them.  It will take longer than you planned, but the impact will be on the faces in the audience as well as the kids behind the camera.
 

CP: Are your daughters involved in this program directly? If so, in what facet?

AH: Don’t get me started with my daughters Anna and Bella who are now nine and six.  Anna and her friend Lily are in pre-production on some sort of docu-drama and have already began to shoot.  At times they ask for input, but most of the time, mum’s the word.  I’m sure I’ll make a fine driver between shoots.  While too young to be a part of Listen Up!, they’re only a few years behind in age and maturity.   

CP: Is there anything you would like to add?

AH: The Listen Up! Youth Media Network is only a small part of a movement that values the ideas, experiences and voices of youth.  The work of organizations like Kids First! and the many venues across our country and around the world that feature youth-made films helps bring our work full circle.  This is valuable work, not just for us, but youth filmmakers and their organizations who are constantly looking to reach new audiences to broaden what it means to be young and live on this planet.

CP: Please tell me the story behind Wubbzy. How did it come about and what direction do you see the show taking?SM: Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! is the first television series from told Bolder Media, Inc.. A company I and formed with my partner Fred Siebert. Fred and I combined our experiences in creating entertainment for children (the movie, “Ella Enchanted”; television series “Fairly Odd Parents”, Shari Lewis’ “Lamb Chop”, ‘Powder Puff Girls”). to create a company focused on television, books, digital media and films for young children and their families.Wubbzy was created by Bob Boyle and is based on the story told to him by his then 10-year-old niece Viviana Ogawa. We are in production of our second season (in Burbank, California) and we are introducing exciting new things including a new girl named Daizy, a disco dancing Wubb club and a magical Wubbmobile.CP: What were some of the more difficult elements in animating, and how did you overcome them?SM: Creating a great cartoon takes the work of over 100 people — artists, writers, actors, composers, animators, directors, editors, directors and more. We are lucky to have a great crew, led by Bob Doyle and our supervising producer Kevin Kolde. They manage to keep the creative process moving, while paying attention to team morale, budgets, contracts, computers, deadlines and all else involved in creating a hit cartoon series.CP: Please give me an amusing/interesting anecdote from the filmmaking process that readers can relate to and make them feel like they have a connection and inside scoop to the film.SM: Our creative team really enjoys the characters of Wuzzkeburg. And one of their favorite things to do is create their own art with Wubbzy and his friends and all kinds of crazy places and poses. A few months ago they sent us a Spiderman version of Wubbzy… red and blue outfit and all. They also create movie posters with our characters based on classic films like “King Kong” and others.CP: In your opinion, with all the great shows out there, what makes Wubbzy so appealing and such a hit with children?SM: Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! has the elements that we think make a children’s television series a hit with children. The three H’s… heart, humor and huggability. Wubbzy is the type of character children can relate to and want to be their friend. Also, Wuzzleburg is such fun-filled place… I know I would love to live there, too.CP: What does it mean to you to have “Wow Wow Wubbzy” in the KIDS FIRST! Festival?SM: It is Wow! Wow! Wonderful! to have Wubbzy and his friends participate at the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival. We hope that children along with their mons, dads, teachers, grandparent have a chance to see our show and get to know Wubbzy and his friends.CP: Is there anything you would like to add?SM: Our show appeals to children all of the world. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! is currently airing in England, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and throughout Latin America. The show is being dubbed into Spanish, German, Arabic, Hebrew, French and Italian, with many more countries and languages to follow.

Kevin Watkins, of the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival selection “Hose” tells the story behind his story in which a garden hose in search of adventure discovers that the grass isn’t greener on the other side. In fact, there isn’t any grass on the other side.

CP: Where did you get the idea for this film? What’s the story behind it?

KW: I came up with the idea for “Hose” over 10 years ago. I had just been promoted to ‘Creative Director’ at an advertising agency I was working at in South Africa. At the end of the first week I realized that I had started a transition from a creative person to a manager. I was suddenly dealing with minutia like parking allocations and approving expense accounts. The recognition that I was not going to be happy was pretty swift. So I started pondering what else I could do. There were aspects of the job that I enjoyed more than others, in particular making commercials. I had just completed a campaign involving stop-frame animation and was intrigued by the magic of film – a series of still images presented sequentially creating the illusion of movement and time. The idea that between each of those frames a great deal of time and effort could go into making each frame was, and still is, fascinating to me. I really wanted to create something more meaningful than 30 second commercials. Something that had emotional resonance. But I had no idea what that would be.

As I was thinking about all this, my sister was watering the garden. As I was watching, the garden hose struck me as being ‘sad’. I started thinking about the characteristics of a hose – like when you turn on the tap and the back-pressure causes a hose to move on its own. I pondered the world of a hose – what happens when everyone is away at work? What would the hose think if it explored the inside of the house for instance? I dismissed the idea initially, but it stuck with me. More and more ideas started to generate, almost automatically. Eventually I decided to write a script and from there we get to where we are today…

CP: What is your background? What got you into filmmaking and what has been your favorite project so far?

KW: When I was 18, I wanted to get into filmmaking, but my parents discouraged me – very few people were making a living in South Africa shooting films. So I went to art school and then took a job in as an Art Director. I did quite well, winning awards all around the world, getting written up in the press etc., but I yearned to create something that had more depth. In 1999, I was brought to the USA by a large multi-national advertising agency. That was the beginning of the end.

New York has a wealth of adult educational opportunities, which I took full advantage of - learning more about all the disciplines of filmmaking; editing, writing etc. As with a lot of New Yorkers, 9/11 had a huge impact on me – I decided to get out of advertising. Using some of the skills I had learned, I developed and sold a series of viral ads for RCA. With the money, I set up a production company. Slowly but surely, I started to escape the dark, murky world of advertising (aIthough I still freelance occasionally– it’s better than bartending, but not much!) “Hose” has been the most challenging and the most fun I have had so far. During the course of shooting I spent an entire summer outdoors, creating this crazy film. I was super fit, tanned and grinning from ear-to-ear most of the time. The fun of it was to be a child again.

CP: How did you go about making ‘Hose’ and how long did it take?

KW: When I first came up with the idea for “Hose” (1999) it was practically impossible to make the film as I envisioned it – stop-frame animation shot outdoors. I had also written the film as a feature. As strange as this might seem I had never been exposed to short films. Growing up in apartheid South Africa, with sanctions and international isolation, I had no concept of a film outside of a full-length picture. It wasn’t until I came to the USA and discovered Atom Films, iFilm etc. that I realized that you could make short films. (I am now an avid collector and fan of the form.)

At the time I also had a group of friends, all in advertising, brought over from the same ad agency in South Africa (a by-product of the dot.com boom) who were just as miserable as I was. We started a support group called ‘Anglers and Writers’ (after the bar in Soho) with the intention of encouraging each other to work on projects outside of advertising. This forced me to continue to re-write the script and get it down to a manageable length. After making a couple of short films that had some success, I was looking for the next project when a friend of mine who had read ‘Hose’, suggested I figure out a way to make it.

Interestingly, in the 10 years since the initial idea, technology had progressed a great deal and it was not only possible, but I could do most of it myself and at high definition resolution, using a digital still camera.

Looking out my window at home one afternoon, I wondered if I could take the construct of the film (which by that stage was set in a suburban home) and adapt it for the scenes in front of me. One of the most important lessons I learned doing all those New School courses was to use what you have available to you. I’m also a big believer in the theory that a problem is not a problem, but an opportunity to do something better. The idea of scaling down the film and making it work in these secret gardens that exist behind the vinyl-siding homes was much better than what I originally conceived. From there it was ‘simply’ all about figuring out how to make the film and finding people to help. Three years later we’re finally done!

CP: Please give me an “insider scoop” anecdote from the filmmaking process.

KW: The incredibly talented animators who helped me create the film love to remind me of an email I sent them shortly after we started. In it I outlined, in detail, how long I thought the film would take and when the film would be completed. With pencil, paper and a calculator I had worked out that the film would be done within 6 months, easily. For some reason none of them believed me and kept that email. Three years later they are still enjoying the folly of my ambition that afternoon.

CP: What lessons have you learned from filmmaking that you’d like to pass along to other producers?

KW: Double the time you think it will take.

Make it short. Less than 10 minutes is ideal. Get it to under 5 minutes if you can.

Show it to as many people as you can before you lock picture.

Make it funny.

Do a really, really tight animatic if you’re doing animation.

CP: What does it mean to you to have your film highlighted in the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival?

KW: Well, it’s a great opportunity to ‘share the pain’! I have two babies in my life – ‘Hose’ and Nadja Iris Watkins (currently 9 months). As a new father I want my daughter to be exposed to wonderful, imaginative and inspiring content. Organizations like this dovetail perfectly with that objective.

Additionally I welcome the attention that the film is getting. The more exposure we can generate, the better. Making a film is really hard. Getting it out there is probably even harder. A forum like this benefits all filmmakers, particularly those of us interested in making great shows that will hopefully inspire the next generation.